I have already told you about the main stops of our 8-day family road trip in northern Greece. Here is now the article to present the itinerary as a whole and share all the practical details with you. We designed this trip with the aim of discovering Greece off the beaten track: yes, our itinerary includes the famous Meteora, but then we explored a less visited region around the Vikos Gorge, before continuing on to the island of Lefkada to enjoy a mix of mountains and sea. Finally, we made a few stops in Macedonia, following in the footsteps of Antiquity. I really tried to include everything we love in our programme: hikes, cultural visits and beautiful beaches. Our itinerary was nicely balanced and allowed us to discover less visited corners of Greece. I hope it will make you want to travel to northern Greece with your children!
Children’s ages: 13 for our Titpuce and 16 for Ticoeur
Travel period: October, during the autumn half-term holidays. We had around 22 degrees and sunny weather. You can also consider this trip in spring or summer.
For this family road trip in northern Greece, we went away for 8 days and 8 nights. It is a return itinerary through the different regions of northern Greece, starting from Thessaloniki. We therefore travelled from east to west, from Thessaloniki to Lefkada, before returning to Thessaloniki at the end. We crossed Central Macedonia, Thessaly and Epirus all the way to the Ionian Sea. Before our trip, I did some research but did not find any similar itineraries, so it took me a while to put this one together. I hope it will inspire you! And I will tell you further down what I would change if I were to do it again.
Our 8-day itinerary in northern Greece
Arrival in Thessaloniki
For our road trip in northern Greece, we booked a rental car at Thessaloniki airport via DiscoverCars: we rented a Clio for 114 euros for 8 days, so 14.25 euros per day. The car budget was therefore not high for this trip!
We arrived very late in Thessaloniki, so we quickly went to bed in order to leave early the next morning towards Meteora, which we were very excited to discover! In Thessaloniki, we had booked this apartment, which was functional and clean. If you arrive early enough, we recommend heading straight on to Meteora or Edessa, because Thessaloniki, where we came back at the end, did not seem unmissable to us, and parking there is complicated.
The incredible Meteora
2 days – 1 night
We loved discovering Meteora! They are located in Thessaly, about 2h45 from Thessaloniki. Even though we had seen photos before, we were not disappointed. These perched monasteries are truly astonishing and surrounded by a dizzying natural setting! The walks and steps leading to each monastery offer beautiful viewpoints. The landscapes are magnificent, with unusual rock formations. It is really the overall scenery that gives the place all its charm. Yes, it is interesting to visit a few monasteries, but there is no need to go inside all of them! We visited the following 4 monasteries out of a total of 6:
- Great Meteoron: it is the largest one, so there is more to see.
- Varlaam: my favourite!
- Aghia Triada: the most photogenic and impressive from the outside, as it seems to be balancing in the air.
- Roussanou: very small. The path leading to it and the views are worth it, but we do not recommend paying to go inside.
We admired the 2 other monasteries only from the outside: Agios Stefanos and Agios Nikolaos. For details about each monastery, head to my article about our visit to Meteora as a family. You will find all our practical tips there: dress code, best viewpoints, opening hours and prices.
Tip for the Meteora stop: when planning your itinerary, make sure the monasteries you want to visit are not closed on the days you will be there (they all have different closing days).
Where to stay in Meteora?
For our two days in Meteora, we were based in the small village of Kastraki, and it was perfect. We spent one night at the San Giorgio Villa guesthouse: simple, clean, budget-friendly and welcoming accommodation at the foot of the Meteora rock formations. We had booked a family room there.
The island of Lefkada: beaches and walks
3 days – 3 nights
From Meteora, it is a 4-hour drive to the island of Lefkada. Since the journey is long, we stopped halfway for coffee and a walk in the very pretty village of Metsovo.
Then, reaching Lefkada could not be easier by car, as the island is connected to the mainland by a road. No need to take a boat! That is why we chose this stop, which allowed us to enjoy a beautiful Ionian island easily. We really like the Ionian islands of Kefalonia and Ithaca, as well as the island of Corfu, but Lefkada is easier to access. For just one stop on a road trip, it was therefore ideal. In addition, Lefkada is large enough to spend 3 nights discovering beaches, villages and mountains. Because yes, it is a very hilly island!
Our favourites on Lefkada:
- The paradise beaches of the west coast, with turquoise water. Among the most beautiful: Milos beach and Porto Katsiki.
- The wild scenery of Cape Lefkada.
- The hike to Skaros Peak.
- The excellent fish restaurants (even though very few were open at that time of year).
For all the details of our outings on the island, see my article about Lefkada with the family.
Tip for the Lefkada stop: the island is undoubtedly very beautiful! And we liked the mix of sea and mountains. However, in October, we really found it too quiet! Very few restaurants were open and there was almost no one anywhere except locals in the capital. We saw lots of tempting beach bars where we would have loved to stop for a drink, but they were all closed. We like travelling without crowds, but this was a bit too deserted! So to enjoy Lefkada more, I think it is better to go from April to September, while still avoiding the peak season in August. If, like us, you travel in October, just know that it will be a very peaceful stop and that restaurant choices will be very limited.
Where to stay in Lefkada?
We were based in Agios Nikitas, in the north-west of Lefkada, and we found it to be a good location: not too far from Lefkada Town, the capital, and close to some very beautiful beaches. We stayed in one of the accommodations in a holiday residence: Agios Nikitas Resort Villa. It is at the back of the village, with a lovely view towards the sea in the distance. Our little villa was very comfortable, with two bedrooms. Each villa also has its own small pool, but the water was too cold in October, so it was mostly for the view.
Family hiking in the Vikos Gorge region
2 days – 2 nights
From Lefkada to the Vikos Gorge region in Epirus, allow 3h20 by car.
Our two days in the Vikos Gorge were intense! The gorge is magnificent, and so are all the landscapes around it. The hike through the gorge was the big family hike of this holiday, and we loved it! On top of that, we were almost alone on the trails. In the villages, it was lively and pleasant, with quite a few Greeks visiting the region, though not necessarily hiking.
Our favourites in the Vikos Gorge:
- The famous hike from Vikos to Monodendri (12 km – it took us about 5 hours) to discover the Vikos Gorge, one of the largest canyons in Europe!
- The hike on the Vradeto Steps, 1,100 stone steps built into the mountainside.
- The old Ottoman bridges of Kokkoris and Kalogériko.
- The natural pools of Papingo: a beautiful walk in nature! In summer, you can even swim there!
See my article about the Vikos Gorge for details of our hikes and the prettiest viewpoints.
Tip for the Vikos Gorge stop: if I were to do it again, I would add one day, or at least half a day, so as not to rush. When hiking, we are fairly fast walkers, and we did two hikes on the same day, finishing at sunset: it was sporty! So either plan fewer hikes than we did, or add one day (or half a day).
Where to stay in the Vikos Gorge?
There are three villages that make good bases for discovering the Vikos Gorge region: Monodendri, Aristi and Papingo. We chose Papingo, even though it was the furthest away, because we fell in love with its architecture. All 3 villages are beautiful, but Papingo is the most picturesque. I had also spotted the Avragonio Bed & Breakfast, typical of the local architecture. We had booked a small duplex in a group of stone-built accommodations. The breakfast buffet was incredible! The best of our stay!
Following in the footsteps of Antiquity in Macedonia
1 day
From the Vikos Gorge to Vergina in the east, it is a 3-hour drive. On the way, you can stop in Metsovo if you did not already do so on the way there. What drew us to Vergina? Visiting the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai. Aigai was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia. The archaeological museum is installed beneath the tumulus where the royal burials were discovered:
- Philip II, king of Macedonia and father of Alexander the Great
- Alexander IV, son of Alexander the Great
- and their personal objects (jewellery and golden wreaths), displayed in a very successful scenography.
I was moved by these tombs from the 4th century BC! Because of the beauty of the tombs themselves, and also because they are linked to the family of the legendary Alexander the Great. Ticoeur and Titpuce are also fans of history, so it was a chance to revisit this period. Alexander the Great’s body has never been found. It is probably buried somewhere in Alexandria, Egypt.
Tip: try to go, as we did, on the 1st or 3rd Sunday of the month, because it is free! (otherwise, it is quite an expensive museum). See details on their website.
Not far from the tumulus, you can walk around the remains of the ancient city of Aigai. There is not much left, but it is pleasant and free to access.
After this stop, we drove another hour to the small town of Edessa. We chose it a little by chance because it is not very far from Thessaloniki and because we had found a lovely place to stay there. In the end, we spent a beautiful evening there because, surprisingly, the heart of the town sits on the edge of a precipice with an impressive and very powerful waterfall!
Our accommodation in Edessa:
We had booked two rooms (one with a double bed and one for the children with twin beds) at Varosi Guesthouse, a charming guesthouse just a few minutes’ walk from the waterfall. In addition, the terrace in the common areas gave us a beautiful sunset view!
Thessaloniki and its surroundings
1 day
In the morning, we went for a walk in Thessaloniki, but we were not huge fans. I would say it is not an essential stop, as it is not especially pretty. There are mostly uncharming apartment blocks and buildings, dotted with a few ancient remains. Nevertheless, it is a very lively city, especially along the seafront, and there are lots of restaurants!
During our walk, we passed by:
- The White Tower, an Ottoman tower and symbol of the city, located on the seafront promenade
- Aristotelous Square on the seafront
- The remains of a Roman agora
- The Church of Saint Sophia and the Church of Saint Demetrius
- The bustle of the city-centre streets, where many restaurants are located!
We recommend the restaurant Massalia: it was delicious (yum, the grilled squid stuffed with feta!) and the staff were lovely.
As our flight was late, instead of lingering in Thessaloniki, we preferred to go a little further out and do a wine tasting among the vines at the Gerovassiliou winery. And even though it is not a particularly kid friendly activity, Ticoeur and Titpuce also preferred this green break to staying in town. There were a few modern artworks and lovely views. Honestly, it was a beautiful place to settle down and write postcards to the grandparents!
And if we were to do it again? Possible itinerary optimisation:
We were very happy with our stops, but to reduce the number of kilometres, it would be more practical to do this road trip when there are flights to or from Preveza (that was not the case for us in October). With a return flight from Preveza, you would avoid the return to Thessaloniki. The road trip would therefore become a simple crossing from one end to the other, with all the stops along the way (to do in either direction).
Northern Greece with the family: practical information
Driving in northern Greece
The roads are in very good condition and were very quiet during our stay. Parking was easy everywhere except in Thessaloniki, where you need to go quite far from the centre or opt for small, old-fashioned private car parks. Note that in summer, it is apparently also difficult to find a space in the monastery car parks at Meteora. The roads were particularly beautiful in the Vikos Gorge region:
When to visit northern Greece:
October was very good: we had few crowds and beautiful autumn colours in the Vikos Gorge. Of course, there is always a greater weather risk than in the warmer months, so we were lucky to do all our hikes under a beautiful sun. The sea was 22 degrees, like the air. Ticoeur and I swam, but it was too cool for Papa Voyage and Titpuce.
In spring: the same road trip would be very good between April and June. At the beginning of spring, the sea is too cool for swimming, so the aim would also be, as for us, to focus on walks, hikes and visits. I imagine that from the Easter holidays onwards, Lefkada must be livelier than what we saw.
In summer: again, I think it is a very good period for this trip. In addition, you will probably be able to swim more. Just be careful to avoid the peak season (late July to mid-August), as there would be crowds at Meteora and on the island of Lefkada.
And the rest of Greece?
Greece is a country we love very much, so feel free to read or reread our articles about our Greek family adventures:
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