6 Memorable Destinations to Visit in Northern Greece

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Greece may be one of Europe’s most popular destinations, but that love from tourists isn’t shared equally around the country. Far fewer people consider visiting Northern Greece compared to Athens and the ever-popular islands of Greece.

And that’s an outright shame because Northern Greece is loaded with memorable destinations just waiting to be seen. History, nature, culture, beaches — this region has it all. To show you what I mean, here are carefully selected mix of destinations in Northern Greece that you’ll be glad to know about.

Table of Contents

Where is Northern Greece?

Northern Greece lake city

Before you can hope to incorporate these destinations into your Greece trip, we need to cover where exactly we’re talking about.

“Northern Greece” has many different definitions depending on the context. Generally, though, it refers to the mainland regions of Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, and Mount Athos. Together, these regions cover the country’s northern borders.

For the sake of interesting places to go, I’m going to also include some northern parts of Thessaly. Much of Thessaly is just as far north as Epirus, so it makes sense to look there when planning your itinerary.

Finally, while Corfu sits just off the coast of this region, it and the other Ionian Islands are usually considered separate from the region. Corfu is also a much more popular tourist destination that deserves to be covered separately.

Is Northern Greece worth visiting?

After a couple of weeks travelling there, I can happily report that Northern Greece is without a doubt worth visiting.

No matter what you want from your Greek vacation, I think you won’t have trouble finding it here.

Travellers to Greece often want beaches and relaxation, something they associate with the Aegean Islands. But Northern Greece has a long coastline along the Aegean Sea, home to loads of beaches, and several islands. Plus, there’s also the coast over by Parga on the Ionian Sea.

Athens may be the history and culture capital of Greece, but Northern Greece offers plenty on that front too. Each of the big cities has an interesting history to explore, plus there are ancient sites like Philippi and the incredible monasteries of Meteora to visit.

Finally, there’s the landscape of northern Greece to consider. Much of the region is covered in mountains and lakes, creating beautiful scenery, unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere around the country.

Getting around Northern Greece

Northern Greece stretches a long way, spanning the border with Turkey across to the Ionian Sea by Corfu.

This means that Northern Greece has some of the greatest distances to travel anywhere in the country. Mountains and gorges complicate travelling in the region, as heading in a straight line is relatively rare.

No question, renting a car is the best way to get around Northern Greece. You’ll soon see that public transport is limited, and with fewer tourists exploring the region, options for transfers and tours aren’t overwhelming. More on that in a bit.

Train fans are in for some disappointment in Greece. The country simply has a few train routes around its mainland, with the only ones relevant to travel in the north being the main train line coming from Athens and Larissa, as well as a minor route to Florina.

Instead, buses are the most common form of public transport in Northern Greece. That said, some routes aren’t even daily, which creates challenges as I’ve experienced. Sadly, the bus network also isn’t that easy to navigate, because it’s not organized in an easy, single unified network.

Instead, each city has its own bus authority that handles the routes and timetables, each with its own website. So you’ll need to visit KTEL Ioannina for buses to/from Ioannina and KTEL Macedonia for buses to/from Thessaloniki etc.

Beyond visiting towns and cities, buses become mostly useless. Just rent a car and save yourself the stress.

Useful tours in Northern Greece

Hiking Meteora in Northern Greece

Since fewer people visit Northern Greece, the tourism infrastructure isn’t quite the same as other parts of the country.

That said, there are still some places where you can find things like tours to help make sightseeing easier. To save you time searching for yourself, these are some of the most common and easily available tours in Northern Greece:

Where to go in Northern Greece

Once you start looking at travelling in Northern Greece, you see just how many places there are you can visit across the region. Now, this is certainly not an exhaustive list, as many other places are worth considering, including Vikos Gorge, Preveza, Halkidiki, Mt. Athos, and Thassos.

But to get you started, I suggest looking at these Northern Greece destinations to plan your trip around.

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki Waterfront

If you’re looking to explore Greece’s north, visiting Thessaloniki is a smart place to start.

Thessaloniki is the country’s second-largest city and a major gateway to this part of the country. There’s a reason most of the tours I mentioned earlier start from the city.

But Thessaloniki is also a fun place to explore all on its own. Around the city, you’ll find attractions from every era in the city’s long history, from near-ancient temples to medieval fortifications, including its iconic White Tower.

Those less interested in the past will also uncover plenty else to do. Street art, food, and nightlife are never far away in the center of Thessaloniki while people-watching from cafes never grows old, especially by the waterfront.

Ioannina

Tips for Visiting Ioannina Greece

Look at a map of Northern Greece and you’re bound to notice a bunch of large lakes around the region. Many of these lakes are surrounded by mountains and offer gorgeous scenery, as is the case in Ioannina.

Explore Ioannina and you’ll discover a small lakeside city with one scenic stop after another.

Walking under leafy trees along the lakefront is a good start, although you can take things further by hopping aboard a boat to the lake’s island covered in monasteries.

The most popular stretch of waterfront borders Ioannina Castle, a walled neighbourhood of old homes around the Ic Kale Acropolis. It’s there that you can learn about the local passion for silversmithing and the exploits of Ali Pasha, an influential Balkan figure from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Parga

Things to do in Parga Greece

Unlike Corfu which has long been a popular tourist destination, the small town of Parga across the water is only starting to make waves.

Visit Parga and you’re treated to a stunningly scenic town with everything needed for a seaside getaway. Local beaches, waterfront restaurants, and colourful architecture all make Parga an easy place to like. It doesn’t hurt either that a huge Venetian fortress looms over it or that there are several cute islands within swimming distance.

Make no mistake, Parga is not a hidden gem. But the tourists it does receive pale compared to the crowds of Corfu and other islands and so its prices also aren’t too terrifying.

You maybe won’t be overwhelmed with things to do around Parga but with options from island cruises to relaxing by a villa pool, that’s not such a bad thing.

Meteora

Shoulder Season Europe

Meteora should need no introduction.

There’s every chance you’ve seen photos of Meteora before, with its medieval monasteries sitting precariously above sheer rock faces. And this is one place where the photos really do it justice, as Meteora is as incredible as it seems.

Hiking in Meteora is a great way to visit the six main monasteries, while also exploring the area’s impressive mountainous landscape in northern Thessaly. To explore the area, visitors can base themselves in the town of Kalabaka or the village of Kastraki down below.

It’s important not to gloss over Meteora’s monasteries. While they look beyond real from afar among the landscape, up close they’re just as special. These UNESCO-listed sites are covered in detailed frescoes and remain active as places of Eastern Orthodox worship.

Kavala

Is Kavala worth visiting? Places to visit in Northern Greece

No matter what you’re looking for in your Greek vacation, Kavala has it.

The range of things to do in Kavala makes this coastal city hard to resist, but only if actually know about it. Kavala’s location way off in Greece’s northeast is probably part of the reason the city isn’t more popular.

Because how else can you explain this splendid destination not drawing a bigger crowd?

Walk around its Old Town and you’re surrounded by quaint traditional homes. The vistas from its hilltop fortress are next level, although the city’s aqueduct rivals the fortress for spectacle.

Kavala also delivers as a beach getaway. You have the long sandy shore of Rapsani Beach to relax at, or you can find tiny local swimming spots around the old town.

Throw in several diverse local museums, great food, plus easy access to the island of Thassos and a huge archaeological site at Philippi, and it’s hard to find fault with Kavala as a destination.

Kastoria

Kastoria Old Town

Ioannina isn’t the only lakeside city in Northern Greece thanks to Kastoria.

The small city of Kastoria rests on a peninsula within Lake Orestiada, granting the city some pretty spectacular city views. Most Kastoria attractions can be found on this peninsula, whether in the small historic neighbourhoods in the city’s Old Town or along its quiet forested shores.

Sitting on either side of the peninsula’s ridge, the neighbourhoods of Apozari and Doltcho host old mansions and even older churches. The mansions of Doltcho are in better condition, with several serving now as museums or boutique hotels.

While it requires a bit of walking or cycling, exploring the rest of the peninsula is worth doing. Aside from its unending lakefront scenery, the shore is home to an impressive monastery and the enticingly named “Dragon’s Cave“.