Ancient Dion is situated on the eastern foothills of Mt. Olympus, 83 km from the city. The ancient city, a former retreat of Alexander the Great, was later lost to dense vegetation until the excavations began in 1928. A museum on the site allows visitors to discover artifacts from the excavations.

The birthplace of Aristotle, Stagira is located 73 km from Thessaloniki. The town was destroyed by Phillip II to be rebuilt by Alexander the Great in honour of his tutor.

Considered as one of the most important sites in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Holy Mountain of Athos located on the Athos peninsula, is an isolated community of twenty self-governed monasteries, each equally significant in terms of national, historical, religious and cultural value. The so called “avaton” does not allow women’s entry in Agion Oros thereforewomen can arrange a cruise along the autonomous monastic state and experience the spiritual realm.

Located 54 km from Thessaloniki, the Petralona cave was discovered in 1959 together with the fossil skull which came to be known as the Archanthropus of Petralona. A paleontological museum can also be seen at the entrance of the cave.

Located 50 km from Thessaloniki, Vergina, near the ancient city of Aeges, was once the capital of the ancient Macedonian kingdom. During excavations in the area, the tomb of Phillip II, the father of Alexander the Great was discovered making Vergina a site of great historical significance. In 1996, UNESCO included the archaeological site of Aeges in its list of World Heritage Monuments.

Pella flourished in the second half of the 4th century, the 3rd and the 2nd centuries BC before falling to the Romans in 168-7 BC and being destroyed by an earthquake, possibly in the first decade of the 1st century BC. Houses with mosaic floors and parts of the palace and market, sanctuaries and graveyards of this ancient city were brought into surface during a series of excavations. Findings from the excavations are now exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Pella.