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Macedonia: from Alexander to Byzantium - Kings, Cities and Sacred Landscapes
10
days
from
£4,700
Book today with a deposit of
£705
22nd - 31st May 2027
Tour highlights
- See the spectacular Royal Tombs of Vergina, one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in Greece.
- Visit Dion, the sacred sanctuary of the Macedonian kings at the foot of Mount Olympus, where Alexander is said to have offered sacrifices before his campaign in Asia.
- Discover Thessaloniki’s remarkable Roman and Byzantine monuments, including churches, palaces and the great city walls.
To the Classical Greeks, the Macedonians were barbarians – hailing from beyond Mount Olympus, stubbornly wedded to hereditary kingship, only lately settled into city life. The Athenians never quite revised that opinion, even as Philip II and Alexander the Great were conquering the known world and commissioning some of the finest art and architecture of the ancient world.
This tour traces more than three millennia of that story across the landscapes of northern Greece – from the Neolithic lakeside settlement at Dispilio to the glittering Byzantine inheritance that made Thessaloniki second only to Constantinople. We begin at Kastoria, one of the most rewarding and least-visited towns in Greece – a Byzantine centre set on a peninsula jutting into a mountain lake, its remarkable legacy written in dozens of small churches dating from the ninth to the 16th centuries. Modest from the outside, they are hidden between houses like family secrets, their interiors luminous with fresco paintings of exceptional quality.
Vergina – ancient Aigai, cradle of the Macedonian kings – delivers one of archaeology’s great dramatic revelations: gold wreaths, ivory, weapons and wall paintings from the burial identified with Philip II himself, only fairly recently discovered and still astonishing.
Pella, birthplace of Alexander and later capital of the kingdom, yields dazzling pebble mosaics that speak to the sophistication of Hellenistic urban life. Beneath the slopes of Olympus, the sacred city of Dion evokes a landscape of royal ceremony and religious devotion; while Olynthos, destroyed by Philip II in 348 bc and never rebuilt, preserves the residential streets of a Classical Greek city with rare completeness – the best evidence we have for how ordinary people actually lived in antiquity.
Thessaloniki, transformed successively by Romans and Byzantines, retains layer upon layer of that inheritance: the monumental Rotunda and Arch of Galerius, Byzantine churches of the fifth to 15th centuries with their mosaics and frescoes intact despite earthquake, sack and the passage of time, and two outstanding museums presenting the full sweep of Macedonia’s past with exceptional clarity.
Combining archaeology, history, art and landscape, this is a journey through one of Europe’s least visited and most richly layered regions – where the ambitions of ancient kings, the spread of early Christianity and the splendour of Byzantium converge across a single, compelling terrain.
Itinerary
Fly in the morning from London Gatwick to Thessaloniki (British Airways). Drive to Kastoria. First of two nights there.
A picturesque town in northern Greece, Kastoria is celebrated for its extraordinary collection of Byzantine churches. We visit Agios Stephanos, Taxiarchis Oikonomou and Archangel Michael, each preserving remarkable frescoes and fine examples of Byzantine architecture. In the afternoon we drive to the nearby Dispilio, one of the oldest lakeside Neolithic settlements in Europe.
Depart for Edessa, stopping en route at Argos Orestiko to visit the excellent archaeological museum. Ancient Edessa, the first capital of the Macedonian kingdom, occupied a strategic position overlooking the Macedonian plain and controlling the routes between Upper and Lower Macedonia. Its remains date from the Hellenistic, Roman and early Christian periods. Continue to Thessaloniki, where the next seven nights are spent.
Drive south following the curve of the coastline to Dion, the sacred city of the Macedonians at the foot of Mount Olympus. We continue to Litochoro, on the slopes of Mount Olympus, for a walk along part of the Enipeas Gorge.
Vergina (ancient Aigai) was the capital of the Macedonian kingdom before its relocation to Pella in the 4th century bc. We visit the remarkable painted tombs housed beneath the reconstructed mound that once covered the royal burials. We also explore the newly opened Palace of Aigai, one of the largest buildings of Classical Greece, as well as the Polycentric Museum of Aigai.
Not far from Thessaloniki lies Pella, the administrative capital of ancient Macedonia and the birthplace of Alexander the Great. The archaeological site and museum reveal the sophistication of Hellenistic urban life. We return to Thessaloniki, where the day concludes with a visit to the archaeological museum.
The city was founded by King Cassander c. 315 bc as a new capital of the Kingdom of Macedon. Our walking tour takes in the Roman Forum, the Church of Acheiropoietos, the rotunda, the triumphal arch and palace complex of Galerius. In the afternoon we also visit the White Tower and the Byzantine Museum.
We begin with the Byzantine unesco World Heritage-listed Walls of Thessaloniki, known locally as the Kastra. Continue to the Monastery of Vlatadon and Osios David, followed by the churches of Agios Dimitrios and Agia Sophia. The rest of the afternoon is free.
We travel into the Chalkidiki peninsula to visit the ancient city of Olynthus, destroyed by Philip II in 348 bc. The site is renowned for its exceptionally well-preserved street plan and the remains of domestic houses with mosaic floors. We continue to Polygyros to visit the new archaeological museum, housing important finds from across the peninsula. Return to Thessaloniki for the final night.
Some free time in Thessaloniki before driving to the airport for the direct flight to London Gatwick, arriving at c. 3.40pm.
Expert speaker
Dr Christina Hatzimichael-Whitley
Born in Greece and deeply rooted in its landscape and history, Christina brings to her work a rare combination of personal connection and scholarly rigour. A lecturer at Cardiff University, her expertise centres on the Aegean Bronze Age, though her teaching ranges widely – from Greek art and archaeology through the Classical and Byzantine periods to gender theory and Modern Greek. She holds degrees from three of the world’s leading universities – Thessaloniki, Toronto and Cambridge, and has excavated extensively across Greece and Cyprus. As assistant director of the Praisos Project in Crete, she has been at the heart of a major survey and excavation of the Classical city of Praisos.
More tours led by Dr Christina Hatzimichael-Whitley
Practicalities
Two sharing: £5,180 or £4,700 without flights. Single occupancy: £5,940 or £5,460 without flights.
Travel by private coach; hotel accommodation as described below; breakfasts, six lunches and six dinners with wine, water and coffee; all admissions to museums and sites; all tips for restaurant staff, drivers and guides; all state and airport taxes; the services of the lecturer, tour manager and a local guide.
Limneon Resort, Kastoria: Comfortable and elegant hotel overlooking Lake Orestiada. Makedonia Palace, Thessaloniki: Refined waterfront hotel on Thessaloniki’s promenade. Single occupancy rooms are doubles for sole use.
There is a considerable amount of walking and scrambling over archaeological sites and will be on your feet for lengthy stretches of time. Good balance and a degree of agility are essential. Average distance by coach per day: 70 miles.
Between 10 and 24 participants.
Before booking, please refer to the FCDO website and Travel Health Pro to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
Dates & prices
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2027
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
22nd - 31st May 2027
Speaker:
Dr Christina Hatzimichael-Whitley
Price:
from £4,700
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