Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is Greece's northernmost region, stretching from the Nestos River delta to the Turkish border. It combines ancient Macedonian ruins, Byzantine fortresses, Ottoman mosques, tobacco-scented market towns, dramatic Rhodope mountain scenery and an undiscovered Aegean coastline that sees a fraction of the crowds found further south.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Samothrace Island
Samothrace is a mountainous, sparsely visited island reachable only by ferry from Alexandroupoli, built around the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, the sanctuary where the Winged Victory of Samothrace was excavated before it went to the Louvre. Its interior is dominated by Mount Saos (Fengari), the highest peak in the Aegean, with streams running down to freshwater pools. The two-hour crossing each way makes this a long, single-purpose day rather than an island-hopping outing.
Highlights: Sanctuary of the Great Gods - the mystery-cult site where the Winged Victory statue was found · Samothrace Archaeological Museum - holds a cast of the Winged Victory and finds from the sanctuary · Vathres (Fonias) waterfalls and pools - a short hike inland to swim in cold mountain water · Chora - the hillside main village, with the ruined Genoese fortress above it
Thassos Island from Kavala
Thassos is the closest Greek island to the mainland, a short crossing from Kavala rather than a long ferry haul, and it is green and mountainous rather than the dry, scrubby islands further south in the Aegean. Limenas, where the ferry lands, has an ancient agora and theatre worked into the middle of a working fishing harbour. The rest of the island is built for a car or scooter, with beaches on the south coast that are visibly different from the pebble coves near town.
Highlights: Ancient Agora and Ancient Theatre of Limenas - Hellenistic-Roman remains a few minutes' walk from the harbour · Giola - a natural rock pool near Astris fed by sea water over the rocks, not a beach · Saliara (Marble) Beach - a cove of white marble pebbles from a former quarry · Kastro - the old hilltop settlement above Limenas with a Byzantine church and views over the strait · Panagia - a hillside village of stone-roofed houses on the island's eastern flank
Kavala to Philippi
Philippi is a Roman and early Christian archaeological site outside Krinides, laid out along the Via Egnatia, the Roman road that connected Rome to the East. It is where Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, and where Paul preached and was imprisoned, making it one of the earliest sites of Christian worship in Europe. The ruins are extensive and largely unshaded, spread across a forum, two basilicas and a theatre.
Highlights: The Forum and its surrounding public buildings along the Via Egnatia · Basilica A and Basilica B - large early Christian churches showing the site's role in the spread of Christianity · The ancient theatre, still used for performances · The so-called Prison of St Paul - a Roman cistern traditionally associated with Paul's imprisonment
Xanthi to Nestos Gorge
The Nestos Gorge is where the Nestos river narrows and cuts through forested limestone hills near Stavroupoli, a small mountain village that has become the base for gentle rafting and canoeing trips on the river. It is a landscape trip rather than a monuments trip - walking or paddling through a steep, wooded valley rather than visiting a single sight.
Highlights: The gorge trail along the river, following stretches of the old narrow-gauge railway line · Stavroupoli village - the base for organised rafting and canoe-kayak outfits on the Nestos · Guided rafting or canoeing through the gorge itself
Alexandroupoli to Dadia Forest Reserve
Dadia is part of the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest National Park, the most important raptor site in Greece and one of the most important in Europe, with a breeding colony of the black vulture alongside griffon vultures. A visitor centre and an observation hide overlooking a feeding station let you watch the birds at reasonably close range without disturbing them, set in pine forest with marked walking trails.
Highlights: Dadia Visitor Information Centre - orientation and exhibits on the reserve's raptors · The observation hide over the vulture feeding station - the main reason to come · Marked walking trails through the pine forest of the reserve
Komotini to Maroneia and Coast
Maroneia was a wine-producing city in antiquity - the wine given by Odysseus to Polyphemus in Homer is described as Maronean - and the archaeological site outside the modern village preserves a theatre and other remains from that city. The modern village of Maroneia is a separate, small stone-built settlement in the hills above the coast, with the sea and beaches a short drive further down.
Highlights: The ancient theatre of Maroneia and remaining city walls · Maroneia village - a small hillside settlement distinct from the archaeological site · The coastal stretch below the village, with beaches such as the one near Agios Charalampos
Kavala to Ancient Abdera
Abdera was an ancient Greek colony on the Thracian coast, remembered as the birthplace of the philosopher Democritus, best known for early atomic theory, and of the sophist Protagoras. The site today is a set of lightly excavated ruins - acropolis walls, foundations and a necropolis - rather than a restored monumental complex, so it rewards visitors who want space and quiet over dramatic standing structures.
Highlights: The acropolis and city walls of ancient Abdera · The site's necropolis area · The small local archaeological museum near Avdera village, which holds finds from the site
Xanthi City Exploration (from Kavala)
Xanthi's Old Town was built on wealth from the Ottoman-era tobacco trade, and its stone mansions with overhanging upper floors and old tobacco warehouses are the main reason to come. The town has a mixed Christian and Muslim-minority population, and its narrow lanes and market are genuinely for walking rather than driving through, with the annual Xanthi Carnival being the town's best-known event.
Highlights: Old Town mansions - Ottoman-era merchant houses with characteristic upper-floor overhangs · The old tobacco warehouses - large industrial buildings from the town's tobacco-trade era · Xanthi's Central Market and the surrounding shopping streets · The Xanthi Folklore Museum, housed in one of the old mansions
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Items
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
Multi-day tours from Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from Eastern Macedonia and ThraceWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early — most popular day-trip destinations get crowded by mid-morning.
Check return transport times before you leave — missing the last train or bus can be costly.
Carry water, snacks, and layers — weather and food options can be limited at smaller destinations.