Thessaloniki and Halkidiki make one of the strongest retreat combinations in Greece: a lively city with direct international flights, and an hour away, three peninsulas of beaches, pine forest and resort hotels with meeting rooms. You can work in the morning, run a team activity in the afternoon and have dinner by the sea, without long transfers.
This guide covers what to plan and in what order, written by the Salty Soil DMC team that organises corporate programmes here.
City, coast or both?
| Criteria | Thessaloniki | Halkidiki | City + coast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Short meetings, conferences, city-based programmes | Retreats, incentives, offsites focused on the team | 3–5 day programmes |
| Feel | Urban, food, history, nightlife | Resort, sea, nature | A bit of both |
| Season | All year | Mainly May–October | May–October |
| From the airport | ~25 minutes | ~1–2 hours, depending on the peninsula | — |
A common format: arrive in Thessaloniki for one night (welcome dinner, city activity), then move to Halkidiki for the main retreat days.
Venues
In Thessaloniki
- City-centre hotels with meeting rooms for 20–300, mostly on or near the waterfront.
- Larger venues such as the Thessaloniki Concert Hall and the HELEXPO exhibition centre for conferences and big plenaries.
- Unique venues for dinners and events: restored warehouses in Ladadika, rooftop terraces with views over the gulf, wineries outside the city.
In Halkidiki
- Kassandra (first peninsula, ~1 hour from the airport): the busiest, with the largest resorts and conference facilities, such as Sani.
- Sithonia (second peninsula, ~1.5–2 hours): quieter, with greener scenery and resort complexes such as Porto Carras, which has its own vineyard.
- Athos side (~2 hours): the most remote, with boutique hotels and boat cruises along the coast of Mount Athos.
Every brief is different, so we match venues to group size, budget and the room set-ups you need. As a licensed travel agency, we book accommodation and hotel blocks directly.
Getting there and getting around
- Flights: Thessaloniki airport (SKG) has direct flights from most European hubs and many daily flights to Athens.
- Airport location: the airport sits on the Halkidiki side of the city, so coast transfers skip city traffic.
- Group transport: minivans for small groups, midibuses (~30 seats) and full-size coaches (~50 seats). Large groups move in coordinated waves with a host on each vehicle.
- During the programme: keep transfers under 90 minutes where you can. Halkidiki is spread out, so pick a resort close to the activities you plan.
When to go
- Best months: May–June and September–early October. Warm, sea swimmable from late May, fewer crowds and better hotel rates than July–August.
- July–August: peak season. Hot, busy and most expensive; book 6–9 months ahead.
- November–April: most Halkidiki resorts close. Thessaloniki works all year.
- Dates to avoid or book early: the Thessaloniki International Fair (early–mid September) fills city hotels; Greek Easter, 15 August and 28 October are public holidays.
Lead times: allow 4–6 months for groups over 50, 2–3 months for smaller groups. Peak season needs more.
Team building ideas that work here
- City treasure hunt in Thessaloniki, or at your resort. Branded questions and a theme can be added.
- AR escape games in the city centre
- Giant Tetris and Boomwhackers, indoors or on the beach
- SUP on the calm bays of Halkidiki
- CSR Charity-Build: teams build items such as kids’ bikes or food boxes and hand them to a local charity
- Food and wine: market and food tours, winery visits
- Day trips: add a day at Meteora or Mount Olympus & Dion
Activities run about 1.5 hours each and combine into half- or full-day programmes. See all options on our team building page.
What a DMC handles for you
A local destination management company plans and runs the whole programme on the ground:
- Accommodation: hotel blocks and contracts (we’re a licensed Greek travel agency, GNTO licence 0933E60000837301)
- Transport: airport transfers, coaches, minivans
- Venues: meeting rooms, dinner venues, AV and set-up
- Activities: team building, tours and day trips, run by our own team
- Production: photographers, DJs, branding and merchandise through trusted partners
- On-site coordination: one contact before and during the event
You can hand over everything, or just the parts around a conference you’ve already planned.
Ready to plan?
Send us your dates, group size and goals, and we’ll come back with a costed proposal and a draft itinerary. Request a proposal or read more about our corporate events and DMC services.
