Halkidiki is the three-pronged peninsula south-east of Thessaloniki, and it is the city’s beach. Getting there is easy; choosing which prong is the actual decision.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
Getting there
By car, between about one hour to the neck of the first peninsula and two hours or more to the far end of the second or third. The roads are good and the drive is undemanding.
By KTEL bus, from the Halkidiki bus terminal in Thessaloniki, which is a different station from the main KTEL Macedonia terminal. Getting that wrong is the standard mistake.
Thessaloniki airport is on the right side of the city for Halkidiki, which is why so much of the resort trade flies into it.
The three peninsulas
Kassandra, the western one, is the developed one: the most hotels, the most nightlife, the busiest beaches, the shortest drive. If you want an all-inclusive week with things happening, this is where the supply is. See all-inclusive in Greece.
Sithonia, the middle one, is the good one: pine forest coming down to a coast of small bays and coves, far less built, a road that loops the whole peninsula with a view most of the way, and beaches like Kavourotrypes at the southern tip.
Athos, the eastern one, is not a holiday peninsula at all. Its southern two thirds are the self-governing monastic state of Mount Athos, closed to women entirely and to men without a permit. The strip before the border, around Ouranoupoli, is where the boat cruises leave from.
Which to pick
- A resort week with children and facilities: Kassandra.
- Driving, coves, pine and quiet: Sithonia.
- The monasteries, from the water: Ouranoupoli on the Athos side.
The peninsulas are close enough that you can base on one and drive to another, though the drive round the bays is longer than the map suggests.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
Practical notes
- August is Greek holiday season here, and Halkidiki is where Thessaloniki goes. It fills.
- A car is genuinely useful on Sithonia and unnecessary on Kassandra if you are in a resort.
- The bus terminal is the Halkidiki one, not the main KTEL Macedonia station.
Last checked August 2026. Bus terminals and schedules change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
How far is Halkidiki from Thessaloniki?
Between about an hour to the near end and two hours or more to the far end of the second or third peninsula.
Which Halkidiki peninsula is best?
Sithonia for pine forest, coves and quiet driving; Kassandra for hotels, facilities and nightlife; the Athos side for the monastery cruises.
Can you visit Mount Athos from Halkidiki?
Only by boat unless you are a man with a permit. Cruises leave from Ouranoupoli and sail along the coast outside the exclusion line.
Is there a bus from Thessaloniki to Halkidiki?
Yes, KTEL services from the dedicated Halkidiki bus terminal in Thessaloniki, which is separate from the main intercity station.
Do you need a car in Halkidiki?
On Sithonia, yes. On Kassandra, not if you are staying in a resort with a beach.
Next
Read Sithonia, Mount Athos, or Thessaloniki.