You are invited to spend 7 unforgettable days at the heart of Northern’s Greece culinary and historical capital, Thessaloniki. Greece’s second largest city dazzles both the vividness of the sleepless city and the calmness of the surrounding suburbs. On our tour you will be lucky to enjoy both!
Traditional open food markets, architectural icons, glorious food, stylish shopping districts, ambient sidewalk cafes, cozy boutique hotels.
On this trip, expert chefs and local guides will all help to create a culinary experience that you never forget. Enjoy guided walking food tours and feel like a . Enjoy cooking classes, using local ingredients of your choice, and spoil your palate and fantasy with your cooking creations.
Meet local food experts, artisans and wine producers who share with passion their secrets on the delicacies they produce, modestly demonstrating the treasures that Greek mother earth can offer to the World’s gastronomical atlas.
Day 1, Friday, 11/09/15
ARRIVAL TO THE HOTEL Luxembourg, located in the heart of the vibrant city of Thessaloniki.
Enjoy a dinner at the local tavern with an array of Greek meze and get a first taste of Thessaloniki’s gastronomy.
Day 2, Saturday 12/09/15
THESSALONIKI-WALKING FOOD TOUR
Spend the day getting to know the city on a tour of its attractions, including a visit to outstanding, byzantine monuments. We’ll also visit the central Markets of Kapani and Modiano, where you can smell the spices, taste the local cheeses, olives and sample some of the delicacies near the market. You are free to explore the city in the afternoon and have a rest.
In the evening, we will enjoy a dinner at restaurant that it situated beside the city’s Byzantine walls. We’ll have a taste of contemporary Greek cuisine and a selection of wines from northern Greece.
Day 3, Sunday, 13/09/15
MARIANNA’S VINELEAVES- PEREK Restaurant
We visit Nea Gonia at Thessaloniki’s suburbs and the Kazakis’ family vineyards. The world-famous Marianna’s Vineleaves are picked here and transformed into delicious ‘Dolmadakia’. We will make our own dolmadakia and of course, eat what we make with some of the local wine.
From Marianna’s vineyards we move to Agios Antonios suburb and visit PEREK restaurant, where the local chef will perform a cooking lesson on ‘Pontian” cuisine. You will create your own Perek pastry and enjoy the fruits of your labour in the restaurant’s garden.
In the afternoon, we’ll take a walking tour of the city and we’ll dine at another taverna for some delicious ‘’mezes’’ paired with Greek wines.
Day 4, Monday, 14/09/15
Vergina, THE ROYAL CAPITAL OF MACEDON
We will visit The archaeological site of Vergina (Aigai) that is protected by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage monument and a site of outstanding natural beauty.
In the mid-7th century BC, Perdiccas I, a Dorian from Argos, a descendant, according to tradition, of the family of Hercules, became king of Macedon. Aigai became the cradle of the Temenids, the dynasty that will rule Macedonia for 3.5 centuries and will give to humanity Philip II and his son Alexander the Great, who set off from Aigai and changed the history of Greece and the World.
Will then travel to nearby Naoussa, a city famous for the winery’s and local delicacies. We will enjoy a rich Macedonian lunch paired with old red local wines.
In the evening you are free to relax and explore the city’s hidden gems.
Day 5, Tuesday, 15/09/15
GEROVASILEIOU VINEYARD
A day trip to the winery and the tour of unique wine museum curated by Evangelos Gerovasileiou himself – an unforgetable experience for the wine lovers.
After we’ll enjoy a lunch accompanied by variety of Greek cheeses at the winery’s restaurant and taste all the award winning wines.
In the evening we have a nice sea tour at Thermaikos gulf by boat , where we relax by drinking cocktails and enjoying Thessaloniki’s beauty by the sea.
LAIKI FOOD MARKET- COOKING CLASS AT MATOULA’S
We’ll visit an open-air food market: where Chef Peter Minakis will explain the seasonal food items, and purchase some goods before performing a unique live cooking workshop lead by Mrs. Matoula a 60 year old housewife, cook extroardinaire. She will share her kitchen secrets and afterwards we’ll get to enjoy these dishes just as the true Greek locals do.
Day 6, Wednesday, 17/09/15
In the evening, you’ll have a chance to rest up at the hotel for a spectacular finale of the journey: the ultimate fine-dining at Kritikos Restaurant, where we will enjoy excellent fresh Aegean fish, right from the caiques which harvest the rich waters of the Athonite region, paired with regional wines and fresh salads. As a desert Kritikos restaurant will offer the famous Elenidis’s handmade pastry triangles , made from crispy phyllo (flaky pastry ) and filled with rich, creamy filling.
Day7, Thursday, 18/09/15
END OF TOUR
After your buffet breakfast and some farewells, you’ll proceed to check out and set off to the airport.
- Hospitality
The 7 DAY tour to Northern Greece will be hosted by local tour experts Transportation to and from airport plus all 6 days tours will be settled by private minivans - Professional Guides and Expert chefs will accompany the group daily.
- Hotels are carefully selected as to reflect the highest level of quality, private service and comfort.
- Restaurants and shops are all selected to fit the gastronomical expectations of our group.
- Menus and wine pairings are all curated by our food experts according to the highest ingredients standards.
Cooking Classes
The purpose of our culinary tour is not only to take a short taste of what Greek cuisine means but Greek cuisine to be adapted to your everyday cooking routine back home.
It means that you are not just a spectator of our expert chefs…you are the chef yourself!
Visiting open food market you are introduced to the local plants, herbs, fruits, spices, meats, fishes, and groceries of all kind. Returning to our hosted kitchen, our expert chef is guiding you to the flavor and purpose of the collected ingredients and work with you to create your own lunch.
Getting There
Airport: Makedonia Thessaloniki (SKG)
- Included in the price:
Local tour Leader - Private, expert, and bilingual local tour guide plus Peter Minakis leading the tour.
- All entrances and visits specified in the above itinerary .
- Private group transportation to all points indicated in above itinerary Welcome gift 6 nights at the Hotel Luxembourg
- 6 lunches including beverages, wine/beer
- 6 dinners including beverages, wine/beer 6 tapas & tastings 3 cooking courses/Cooking show
COST: 1950 Euros per person in double occupancy
*Single Supplement: to be confirmed on request
**minumum of 6 persons -max. 12 for tour
*** itinerary is subject to change
Deadline: March 30th for May tour and and Aug. 25th for Septemeber tour
Not included:
Airfare, Travel Insurance and Tips
Anything not specified in the itinerary
Who is running the tour? This tour has been jointly organized by Peter Minakis “aka Kalofagas” and El Greco Hotel Group of Thessaloniki. El Greco is a family-run enterprise, operating hotel properties in Northern Greeece since 1970 and has hosted over 1,500,000 guests.
To book your spot on either of the tours, please email info@hotelelgreco.gr and cite NGSEPT for the September 2015 tour.
What a trip this would be!
The blue tavern in the fotos, is called “Tsinari”. Tsinari is very close to my home, and founded in 1912 !! It;s an historical tavern. The oldest tavern in Thessaloniki.
Thessaloniki is not only good food and beautiful places .In my opinion is above all cool people ,my best friends are from Thessaloniki.