The Thessaloniki hop on hop off buses are open-top sightseeing buses that circle the city on a fixed loop past the waterfront, the Roman monuments and the old upper town, with an audio commentary and a ticket that lets you leave and rejoin the bus at any stop. Tours across the rest of the country are listed on Greece Tours.
The sections below cover the route, the stops and sights, loop length and frequency, the operators, the ticket, validity, boarding, accessibility, the city bus alternative, combo tickets, the best time to ride and booking, with links into the Thessaloniki pages. The tours shown are checked on GetYourGuide and Viator.
What is the Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus?
The Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus is an open-top double-decker sightseeing service on a fixed loop past the city’s main landmarks, and one ticket lets you step off at any stop and board a later bus as you please.
Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki sits on the Thermaic Gulf, and a Thessaloniki hop on hop off ride links its seafront with the older districts on the hill. Operators sell it as a way to explore at your own pace.
Each Thessaloniki hop on hop off operator pairs the bus with an audio guide on the city and its monuments. You choose where to get off, explore that area on foot, then return to any stop for the next bus onward.
Which route does the Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus follow?
The Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus follows one circular route, City Sightseeing’s Red Route, which climbs from the waterfront to the Byzantine walls of the upper town and then returns through Egnatia and the port to its first numbered stop.
City Sightseeing runs a single route in the city, and its Red Route covers the historic landmarks, the old town, the modern centre and the waterfront. Each Thessaloniki hop on hop off loop closes where it opens, at Lefkós Pýrgos, numbered stop 1, by the waterfront.
From the sea the Thessaloniki hop on hop off route heads inland past the museum and church stops to Ano Poli, the highest point of the city, then drops to Kamara, follows Egnatia and ends at the port on the western side.
Which stops does the Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus make?
The Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus run by City Sightseeing makes 9 numbered stops on its Red Route, beginning at Lefkós Pýrgos by the White Tower and ending at the Port of Thessaloniki, and the operator lists all nine in the following order:
- Stop 1: Lefkós Pýrgos (White Tower)
- Stop 2: Archaeological Museum
- Stop 3: Agia Sofia Church
- Stop 4: Agios Dimitrios Church
- Stop 5: Ano Poli (Byzantine Castles)
- Stop 6: Kamara and Rotonda
- Stop 7: Egnatia (Aristotelous)
- Stop 8: Paleos Stathmos, the Old Railway Station
- Stop 9: Port of Thessaloniki
The operator currently marks stop 3 and stop 8 as out of service, so the Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus calls at seven of its nine stops for now. Agia Sofia Church remains within walking distance of stop 6 at Kamara.
Big Bus, the second Thessaloniki hop on hop off operator, also numbers its White Tower stop as stop 1. Its ticket listings name landmarks rather than a numbered stop sequence, so the City Sightseeing order above is the reference for stop numbers.
Which sights do you pass on the Thessaloniki hop on hop off route?
The Thessaloniki hop on hop off route passes the best-known sights of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman city, and each one stands at a numbered stop or within a short walk of one, as the list below shows stop by stop.
- White Tower: stop 1
- Archaeological Museum: stop 2
- Agios Dimitrios Church: stop 4
- Heptapyrgion fortress: a climb from stop 5 in Ano Poli
- Rotunda and Arch of Galerius: stop 6
- Agia Sofia Church: a walk from stop 6
- Aristotelous Square: stop 7
- Zongolopoulos’ Umbrellas: on the seafront promenade
- Port of Thessaloniki: stop 9
The city once belonged to the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and one Thessaloniki hop on hop off loop links monuments from all three. The waterfront, the Roman core at Kamara and the walled upper town each fill one part of the loop.
Both operators share a core: Big Bus listings name the White Tower, the Rotunda, the Arch of Galerius, Ano Poli and Aristotelous Square, and City Sightseeing listings name the tower, the arch and the square, so either Thessaloniki hop on hop off company reaches them.
How long is the Thessaloniki hop on hop off loop and how frequent are the buses?
A full Thessaloniki hop on hop off loop takes 75 minutes from stop 1 back to stop 1 without getting off, and City Sightseeing sends a bus round the route every 30 minutes, so a fresh bus reaches each stop twice an hour.
The 30-minute gap holds in every month of the operator’s timetable; only the length of the operating day changes. Spend an hour at one stop and two Thessaloniki hop on hop off buses pass it in the meantime, so the return ride fits your pace.
Riding one full Thessaloniki hop on hop off circuit first shows the seafront, the hill and the centre in 75 minutes, before you pick the stops worth a longer visit. Later breaks then fit neatly into half-hour blocks between sights.
Which companies run the Thessaloniki hop on hop off buses?
The listings name two companies that run Thessaloniki hop on hop off buses: City Sightseeing, which operates the 9-stop Red Route, and Big Bus, a newer operator whose open-top buses reach the White Tower, Rotunda, Arch of Galerius and Ano Poli.
City Sightseeing calls itself the leading hop on hop off brand worldwide, active in more than 100 cities with 13 million customers a year. Its Thessaloniki hop on hop off service is supplied by City Sightseeing Thessaloniki, whose staff work on the buses and at Lefkós Pýrgos.
Big Bus carries a new label on one ticket platform and sells an open-top bus tour between landmarks such as the White Tower and Aristotelous Square. A third Thessaloniki hop on hop off listing on GetYourGuide names no operator in its summary.
What does a Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket include?
A Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket includes unlimited rides on an open-top double-decker for the ticket period and recorded commentary. City Sightseeing lists 13 audio languages and a free poncho when it rains, while Big Bus lists 9 languages and free Wi-Fi.
The City Sightseeing Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket comes with a multilingual audio guide, and resellers add headphones and a printed route map. Mobile and paper vouchers are both accepted, and pets ride too when secured in a carrier or a sling.
The Big Bus Thessaloniki hop on hop off commentary is pre-recorded in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Hebrew and Turkish. Neither operator counts entrance fees in the fare, so museum and archaeological site tickets are paid at each sight you visit.
How long is a Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket valid?
A Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket from City Sightseeing lasts one day, counted as 24 hours from activation, while Big Bus sells a 24-hour Discover ticket, a 48-hour Essential ticket and a 48-hour ticket that adds a night tour.
The reseller Tiqets puts the City Sightseeing validity at 24 hours after activation, and City Sightseeing gives buyers 12 months to use a flexible voucher. A Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket bought early in a holiday therefore stays good when rain pushes the ride back.
Big Bus asks Discover buyers to pick a travel date at booking, and that ticket works on that day only. Its 48-hour Thessaloniki hop on hop off tickets keep the same buses, commentary and Wi-Fi, with a second day for more stops.
Where do you board the Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus?
You board the Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus at Stop 1, Lefkos Pyrgos, the White Tower on the waterfront, where City Sightseeing and Big Bus both start their routes and where City Sightseeing staff swap your voucher for a bus ticket.
City Sightseeing lets riders join at any stop, but its staff exchange vouchers at the White Tower departure point, so start there with a mobile or printed voucher. Cruise passengers meet the same staff around the buses at Lefkos Pyrgos before their Thessaloniki hop on hop off ride.
Big Bus riders gather in front of the White Tower and follow maps and schedules in the Big Bus Tours app. Ticket kiosks stand behind the tower, on the side away from the sea, for travellers who start a Thessaloniki hop on hop off day without a voucher.
Is the Thessaloniki hop on hop off bus accessible?
Yes, the Thessaloniki hop on hop off buses take wheelchairs: City Sightseeing runs fully accessible double-deckers with boarding ramps and a dedicated space for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and the GetYourGuide listings of both operators carry a wheelchair accessible label.
On the City Sightseeing Thessaloniki hop on hop off fleet, ramps make boarding easy and a set space on board stores a wheelchair or a pushchair, so a wheelchair user or a parent can leave at a sight and rejoin a later bus.
Big Bus states that its buses are wheelchair accessible but asks riders to check individual requirements, and its night tour listing advises contacting the operator in advance. Blind and partially sighted visitors get Braille information leaflets on public line 50, an alternative to the Thessaloniki hop on hop off.
How does the Thessaloniki hop on hop off compare with city bus line 50 and walking?
The Thessaloniki hop on hop off gives you a full day or more of open-top rides with commentary in up to 13 languages, while OASTH line 50 is a 50-minute public Cultural Route from the White Tower with commentary in Greek and English.
OASTH launched the Cultural Route on 1 September 2009, with decorated coaches, attendants handing out Greek and English leaflets, and audio-visual commentary. Fares come from the attendants or OASTH booths, not on-board machines. Unlimited travel cards are valid and children under six ride free with an adult, making line 50 the public counterpart to a Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket.
Walking fills in what a bus seat leaves out. City Sightseeing advises hopping off in Ano Poli to wander its streets and climb to the Heptapyrgion, the Byzantine fortress above the city. A guided Thessaloniki walking tour covers the old town on foot, and a Thessaloniki e-bike tour rides the same hill.
Which combo tickets add to the Thessaloniki hop on hop off?
City Sightseeing pairs its Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket with day trips to Mount Olympus and Dion, Loutra Pozar and Edessa, Vergina and Pella, and the Meteora monasteries, while Big Bus adds a 1-hour panoramic night tour to a 48-hour ticket.
The Olympus and Dion combo joins a 1-day bus ticket to an 8-hour day trip on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from June to the end of October, leaving from the Venizelos statue on Aristotelous Square. The Thessaloniki hop on hop off pass is used within 3 days either side of the trip.
The trip visits the archaeological site of Dion, walks 20 minutes through the Enipeas Gorge in the country’s first national park and ends in the stone village of Litochoro. Site and museum entry, a guide inside them, and food are not included. More options sit on our Dion tours page.
When is the best time to ride the Thessaloniki hop on hop off?
The best time to ride the Thessaloniki hop on hop off is late spring or early autumn, inside a season that runs from April to October. The official timetable keeps buses running longer in the five middle months, while July and August bring the hottest weather.
City Sightseeing runs its timetable from April to October, with a shorter operating day at both ends of the season. The listings describe open-top double-deckers with panoramic views of the waterfront. On the Thessaloniki hop on hop off, the upper deck has no roof, so sun and wind reach every rider.
Summers in Thessaloniki are hot and moderately dry: highs pass 30 °C as a rule, the city averages 32 days a year above 32 °C, and July and August hold a 24-hour mean of around 28 °C. A Thermaic Gulf sea breeze eases the heat, yet a morning Thessaloniki hop on hop off loop beats a midday one in those months.
How do you book the Thessaloniki hop on hop off?
Book the Thessaloniki hop on hop off online, on the City Sightseeing website or through a reseller such as GetYourGuide or Headout, and keep the mobile voucher on your phone. The official listing allows free cancellation until 24 hours before your travel date.
City Sightseeing takes e-vouchers on a smartphone screen, so an online Thessaloniki hop on hop off booking needs no printer. The Big Bus listing on Headout gives the same advice: keep the voucher ready on your phone, and staff swap it for a paper ticket when you redeem it.
On GetYourGuide, the Big Bus and City Sightseeing listings both carry a free cancellation label. Headout adds a book now, pay later option, and a Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket cancelled 24 hours or more before the start earns a full refund there.
Who suits the Thessaloniki hop on hop off?
The Thessaloniki hop on hop off suits first-time visitors, families with children and cruise passengers on a short port call, because riders leave the bus at any stop, explore at their own pace and rejoin a later bus on the same ticket.
First-time visitors gain a quick overview of the city before they choose where to spend their time. The Big Bus listing names Aristotelous Square among the landmarks on the ride. Use the Thessaloniki hop on hop off on day one, then build the rest of a Thessaloniki itinerary around the stops you liked.
Child fares differ by listing: the City Sightseeing listing on GetYourGuide prices children aged 3 to 12, the Big Bus listing 4 to 12, and a third listing 5 to 15. On that third Thessaloniki hop on hop off listing, children aged 4 and younger ride free but still need adding to the booking. Our page on Thessaloniki with kids covers more family plans.
Cruise passengers fit too, as Thessaloniki is growing into a major cruise port of the eastern Mediterranean. A Thessaloniki hop on hop off ticket with instant confirmation, as Headout sells it, turns a single day in port into a self-paced look at the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Thessaloniki hop on hop off run in winter?
No. The City Sightseeing timetable for the Thessaloniki hop on hop off lists departures from April to October only, with no winter service. January is the coldest month in the city centre, with a 24-hour mean of 8 °C, and January and February bring average winds of around 11 km/h.
Are there days when the Thessaloniki hop on hop off does not run?
Yes. City Sightseeing lists dates when the Thessaloniki hop on hop off does not operate, among them 25, 26 and 28 October, plus dates in April and September. Reseller calendars differ from the operator’s list, so check the City Sightseeing notice before you fix your day.
Is there a student fare on the Thessaloniki hop on hop off?
Yes, on two GetYourGuide listings: the City Sightseeing listing and a second Thessaloniki hop on hop off listing both offer a student category for riders with a valid ID. The adult fare starts at age 13 on the first and at 16 on the second, while the Big Bus listing shows no student fare.
How far ahead do you need to book the Thessaloniki hop on hop off?
Book at least 2 days ahead on the City Sightseeing listing at GetYourGuide, which sets that cut-off for every Thessaloniki hop on hop off booking it takes. Headout, by contrast, advertises last-minute availability, so a traveller who misses the two-day window still has a later option.