FULL: 5-DAY THESSALONIKI TRIP 

9-13 November and 16-20 November

 
 

Thessaloniki, the enchanting city on the Aegean Sea, welcomes you with a mix of history and modern flair. Lose yourself in the charming maze of narrow streets, where ancient Byzantine remains stand alongside lively boutiques and cafes. Sample delicious Greek cuisine at the bustling Modiano Market or admire the majestic White Tower that adorns the skyline. Explore the rich culture in the many museums and churches, including the famous Hagia Sophia. Or simply enjoy the sunset on the promenade. Thessaloniki, where the past and present merge harmoniously, awaits you for an unforgettable travel experience.

Day 1: Arrival

Flight from Düsseldorf to Thessaloniki. On arrival at Thessaloniki airport, we will be welcomed by our guide. A local Dutch-speaking guide will accompany the group throughout the entire programme. All excursions are in Dutch.

Connecting transfer to the hotel. After check-in, we will go to a local taverna for dinner.

Day 2: Thessaloniki

We will board our bus and travel past the main sights of Thessaloniki, including the church of Agios Dimitrios, which is also on the UNESCO list, and some remnants of the Roman era. After that, we will travel up to the Eptapirgio, the old fortress that stands above the city. Here we can take a walk through the old town and along the walls of the castle. We will have some free time here to enjoy the fantastic views of the city and there will be an opportunity to enjoy a coffee somewhere.

We will board the bus again, which takes us to Kassandra, the “first finger” of the Chalkidiki peninsula. Here we will have the opportunity to eat lunch at a taverna by the sea, where there is also time to enjoy the beach and the water. Next, we will visit several villages and the highlights of Kassandra before returning to Thessaloniki at the end of the afternoon.

We will dine again at a local taverna again

Day 3: Thessaloniki – treasure hunt and culinary walk

After breakfast we will start with a ’Thessaloniki treasure hunt’: a versatile and interactive journey. We will be divided into sub-groups, in which we will set out to find our way around Thessaloniki. We will pass through several neighbourhoods, tiny streets, narrow stairways, beautiful buildings and various sights. Along the way we will be given assignments: do we know how to find a local who can teach us how to sing Greek? Who can take the most original group selfie? Who will come back with the most Greek souvenir?

In the afternoon, we will take part in a culinary walk, as Thessaloniki is the culinary capital of Greece. During this guided tour, which covers the market and the speciality shops in the area, we will discover the various specialities of Thessaloniki. All tastings together make up a full lunch.

We will dine at a local taverna this evening.

Day 4: Visit to Olympus

Yesterday we saw the sea and today we will be going into the mountains. We will visit Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece where the Greek Gods lived in ancient times, to enjoy the mountain scenery and take a hike there. We will then visit an ancient mountain village where there will be an opportunity to have some lunch. In the afternoon, on our way to Olympus, we will visit the archaeological site of Dion, where we will be given a Dutch-speaking tour. Dion was the religious centre of Macedonia in ancient times, where the supreme god Zeus was worshipped. One highlight is the beautiful mosaic floors. At the end of the afternoon, we will travel back to Thessaloniki.

We will dine at a local taverna

Day 5: Journey home

After an early breakfast, we will transfer to the airport for the return flight to Düsseldorf.
Subject to change

 

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

Düsseldorf – Thessaloniki 12:30 – 16:10
Thessaloniki – Düsseldorf 09:45 – 11:35
We will be flying with Aegean Airlines.

 

HOTEL

The Egnatia Hotel*** enjoys a central location in Thessaloniki, a 10-minute walk from Aristotle Square where you will find all kinds of clubs, restaurants and shops.

 

TRIP PRICE

The trip price is €725.00 per person for members. For non-members, the price is
€825.00. Non-memberscan only attend if there are still places available.

CHARGES of Extra's /DISCOUNTS

Single room extra charge off: €119.00
23 kg checked luggage: €65.00

 

INCLUDED

  • Transport by coach from DAF Eindhoven to Düsseldorf and back
  • Round-trip flight Düsseldorf-Thessaloniki
  • 8 kg carry-on (56x45x25cm)
  • Bus transport as referred to in the agenda.
  • Dutch-speaking guide throughout the journey.
  • Four nights in double rooms at Egnatia Hotel***
  • Bed and breakfast at the hotel
  • Tourist tax
  • City tour on day 2
  • Afternoon tour of Kassandra on day 2
  • Thessaloniki treasure hunt including instruction booklet, drink and prize for the winning team and the culinary walk in the afternoon on day 3.
  • Day trip to Olympus on day 4
  • Dinner at various local tavernas on days 1, 2, 3 and 4

 

NOT INCLUDED

Cancellation insurance/travel insurance.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

ANVR

Sophus Travel is a member of the Dutch Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ANVR). This association enforces high standards of membership and promotes the quality of travel and information. The ANVR travel conditions are printed in the annual brochure ’ANVR Information’. This brochure also contains the ANVR booking conditions, the conditions of the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden (SGR), the conditions of the Calamiteitenfonds and other important information. Download the ANVR terms and conditions here. If you do not have internet access, you can request this leaflet from us free of charge. It contains important and useful information.
Download the ANVR terms and conditions here; www.anvr.nl

Membership number: 4336

Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden

Sophus Travel is a member of SGR. The SGR guarantee means that the consumer is assured that their pre-paid travel money will be refunded if the other party is unable to perform the agreed service due to financial insolvency. Insofar as the agreement includes transport and the destination has already been reached, the return trip will be taken care of. More information on the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden can be found at www.sgr.nl

Membership number: 3088

Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden Zakelijk (SGRZ)

Sophus Travel is affiliated with the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden Zakelijk (SGRZ). This new guarantee fund anticipates the new Act on Travel Agreement (Wet op de Reisovereenkomst) which entered into force on 1 July 2018. From this date, the longer-standing coverage of the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden (SGR) will continue to apply only to natural persons and no longer to companies, institutions, schools, universities etc. SGRZ has been developed specifically for this purpose. If you travel with a company, association, school or university through Sophus Travel, you can be sure that SGRZ guarantees your travel expenses. More information about the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden Zakelijk can be found at www.sgrz.nl

Membership number: 17027

Calamiteitenfonds

Sophus Travel is affiliated with the Stichting Calamiteitenfonds Reizen. This guarantee means that as a consumer participating in a trip organised by us, you:
- will get back (part of) your travel costs if we are unable to carry out the trip in full or at all due to an emergency;
- will be reimbursed the necessary additional costs if we have to adjust the trip or if we have to repatriate you early as a result of an emergency.
"Emergency" means an abnormal event caused by wilful damage or natural disaster.
You pay €2.50 per party for this security (group of up to 9 people booking at the same time). For more information about the Calamiteitenfonds, visit www.calamiteitenfonds.nl.

Membership number: 3088

Sustainable tourism

Sustainable tourism means travelling and taking into account the environment, people, nature and culture so that attractive destinations will still be around for future generations to enjoy.
The ANVR travel sector feels involved in this and is committed to Sustainable Tourism Entrepreneurship (DTO). For example, our company complies with the ANVR-DTO pledge, whereby the travel company has appointed, among other things, a trained coordinator who has passed an examination. We have also drawn up a policy statement and a programme of practical measures, describing how we are dealing with environmental concerns now and in the future.
We are committed to sustainable tourism within a sustainable society.
With the DTO policy, we aim to minimise the negative impact of our product on the environment and to encourage our customers and suppliers to become more sustainable.