Halkidiki and Thessaloniki with a 3-Year-Old: A 6-Day Itinerary

By Nadav

Published Oct 4, 2026

📅 Sep 16–21, 2026 | 📍 Thessaloniki, Halkidiki (Kassandra)

About the Trip

We flew to Greece in September for six days: my wife, our three-year-old daughter, and me. We spent four days in Halkidiki at one hotel that we used as a base for day trips to beaches and nearby towns. We finished the trip in Thessaloniki. In this post, I'll walk through the itinerary day by day: where we stayed, where we ate, and what's worth knowing before you go.

The Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1 (Sep 16): Flight, car rental, and drive to Halkidiki. Night at Pomegranate Wellness & Spa
Day 2 (Sep 17): Full day at the hotel. Night at Pomegranate Wellness & Spa
Day 3 (Sep 18): Possidi Cape beach and lunch at Stamatis. Night at Pomegranate Wellness & Spa
Day 4 (Sep 19): The town of Afytos and its beach. Night at Pomegranate Wellness & Spa
Day 5 (Sep 20): Drive to Thessaloniki and return the car at the port. Night at an apartment near Aristotelous Square
Day 6 (Sep 21): Thessaloniki—shopping and restaurants. Night at an apartment near Aristotelous Square

Day 1 (Sep 16): Landing in Thessaloniki and Driving to Halkidiki

The Flight: Sundor

We flew from Ben Gurion Airport with Sundor, El Al's subsidiary. The flight was scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. It was delayed to 6, and we didn't actually take off until 7. With a three-year-old, two hours of delays felt long, so if you're flying with little ones, bring snacks and something to keep them occupied.

The Car: Budget at the Airport

We rented a car from Budget and got a manual Opel Astra, similar to what we booked. The trunk fit only one large suitcase, so we had to put everything else on the seats.

Two things to check before you book:

Luggage space. If you have more than one large suitcase, get a bigger car.
Manual or automatic. We got a manual. If you don't drive manual, make sure your reservation specifies automatic.

Budget has a branch at the port in Thessaloniki and two more at the airport terminals. That let us return the car downtown at the end of the trip. More on that in Day 5.

A Stop on the Way

On the drive to the hotel, we pulled into a random local restaurant with no plan, and it was great. We reached the hotel around midday.

The Hotel: Pomegranate Wellness & Spa

We spent all four nights in Halkidiki at Pomegranate. It sits in Nea Potidea, on the main road between Nea Moudania and Nea Potidea, right at the entrance to Kassandra—the first peninsula of Halkidiki. The location is perfect for exploring the area, and that's exactly what we did on Days 3 and 4.

What the hotel has:

Two large pools, one with fresh water and one with seawater
A private beach with loungers at no extra cost
A massive spa: Afrodita Roa Spa covers roughly 2,000 square meters and is considered one of the leading spa resorts in the Mediterranean
Tennis and padel courts
A children's play area

How we booked: Directly through the hotel's website, because it was slightly cheaper than Booking. We always check both sites before booking.

The fountain show: On our first evening, we caught the fountain show at the hotel's entrance, and it was lovely. The show only happens twice a week during the season, so ask at reception which days.

📍 Nea Potidea, Halkidiki 632 00 | ⏰ The hotel is open from late April to early October

Day 2 (Sep 17): Staying at the Hotel

We dedicated the entire second day to the hotel with no trips and no schedule.

The spa: We spent a bit of time at the spa, but separately—kids under 14 aren't allowed, so when one of us was in the spa, the other was with our daughter. If you're coming with children, plan for that.

The play area: There's lots for kids of all ages to do.

The food: Breakfast was good. We also had dinners at the hotel, and they were really good.

Tip for families: The spa is one of the main reasons to choose this hotel, but with kids under 14, you'll have to take turns getting in. On the other hand, between the pools, the private beach, and the play area, kids have plenty to do all day.

Day 3 (Sep 18): Possidi Cape Beach and Stamatis

Possidi Cape

On the third day, we drove to Possidi Cape beach. It's really a sandy peninsula that juts far out into the sea. The beach is stunning, probably like many others in the area. There's nothing fancy about it, but we loved how big and relatively empty it was.

What you should know:

The beach is unorganized—no bars, no sun loungers—so bring your own food, water, and umbrella
Often one side of the peninsula is rough while the other is completely calm. With small kids, pick the calm side.

Stamatis Fish Tavern

After the beach, we ate at Stamatis Fish Tavern, an authentic and excellent restaurant. It's a traditional fish taverna that's been running since 1939, right in the middle of Possidi beach, and it's now run by the founder's grandson.

In the afternoon, we drove back to the hotel and spent more time in the pool and sea.

Day 4 (Sep 19): Afytos

After breakfast at the hotel, we headed to Afytos, a beautiful town about 20 minutes' drive from the hotel.

The Town Above

Afytos sits on a hillside above the beach, with views over the Toroneos Gulf and Sithonia, the second peninsula. It has plenty of restaurants, cafes, and shops. You can't drive into the historic center, so park on the surrounding streets.

We wandered around a bit and grabbed coffee at Notos All Day Bar. It's a great spot with amazing views. The bar sits on a cliff with several shaded seating levels.

The Beach Below

From the town you can head down to the beach, ideally by car. We drove down and parked in a dirt lot at the bottom. The parking goes all the way to the water, which is very convenient.

The beach itself is gorgeous, with beautiful water colors. There are some rocks and stones, so water shoes are helpful.

Lunch: Bluesea Restaurant Afytos

There are a few restaurants at the bottom too. We had lunch at Bluesea Restaurant Afytos, right on the beach. Very convenient, and the food was excellent.

In the evening, we drove back to the hotel for more time at the play area and our last dinner there.

Day 5 (Sep 20): Back to Thessaloniki

We had one last breakfast at the hotel, finished packing, and headed to Thessaloniki.

Return the Car at the Port, Not the Airport

We returned the car to Budget's branch at the port in Thessaloniki, downtown. This turned out to be a smart decision. I dropped off my wife and daughter with our luggage at the apartment, returned the car, and walked back to the apartment. The port is a 10–15 minute walk from the center.

This way, you don't have to haul suitcases and a kid on public transport, and you don't pay for extra car rental days you don't need in the city.

The Apartment

We booked the apartment through Airbnb. It's right next to Aristotelous Square and close to the sea. Perfect location. Aristotelous is Thessaloniki's main square, on Nikis Avenue, which runs along the waterfront.

The apartment is renovated, has an elevator, a small kitchen with a fridge, and a small living room with a sofa and TV. The big advantage of an apartment in the center is that you can pop back during the day to drop things off or rest. With a small kid, that's worth a lot.

Day 6 (Sep 21): Thessaloniki

We spent our remaining day and a half in Thessaloniki mostly walking around, shopping, and eating at good restaurants. We'd been to the city before, so this time we skipped the tourist sites.

Where We Ate

ARC Espresso Wine Bar: A great spot for coffee or a beer with a snack, with outdoor seating.

Apallou Bar Ristorante: An excellent Italian restaurant. Everything we ate was excellent and fresh, and we went back a second time.

Ergon Agora: A restaurant that also has a food shop with lots of products worth buying to take home or give as gifts: olive oil, chocolate, spices, cheese, sausages, and more. Under the same roof, there's also a greengrocer, a butcher, a fish counter, a bakery, and a coffee roastery. The restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to midnight.

📍 Pavlou Mela 42

Tarantino: A young, friendly burger place with cheap prices and good burgers. It's in Ano Ladadika, on Ernestou Ebrar 3–5.

Logistics

✈️ Flights: Sundor, Ben Gurion Airport to Thessaloniki
🚗 Car: Budget. Pickup at the airport, return at the port branch downtown
🏨 Accommodation: 4 nights at Pomegranate Wellness & Spa (booked through the hotel's website), then an Airbnb apartment near Aristotelous Square

Our Tips

Compare prices. We booked the hotel directly, and it was cheaper than Booking.
Check the car size. An Astra only fits one large suitcase in the trunk.
Spa with kids: Entry is from age 14, so plan to take turns.
The fountain show at Pomegranate happens twice a week. Ask reception which days.
At Possidi Cape there are no facilities on the beach, so bring food, water, and an umbrella.
At Afytos beach there are rocks, so water shoes help.
Return the car at Thessaloniki's port if you're staying downtown.

Sources

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