Best time to visit Thessaloniki

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
123568875321
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
77996
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
181716131011101011121317
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
292524201515151516182228
September 10/10 feels 27°C · HCI 97/100
Day 27° · Night 17° · cools 10° at night 51% humidity 14 km/h wind 6 rain days (53h) 244h sun
Thermal 10
Sky 10
Rain 9
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Thessaloniki

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Thessaloniki).

  1. 1Day Trip to Lake Kerkini From Thessaloniki5.00★ (1)8hfrom $188🔥 Selling fast
  2. 2Halkidiki Day Tour in Arnaia and Ierissos Beach5.00★ (1)9hfrom $46🔥 Selling fast
  3. 3Thessaloniki Airport Transfer Taxi-Minivan-Minibus5.00★ (6)35mfrom $41
  4. 4Best of Thessaloniki: Tour by Local4.93★ (72)from $71
  5. 5Private Day Trip from Thessaloniki to Meteora5.00★ (28)10hfrom $588
  6. 6St. Paul's Footsteps Private Experience from Thessaloniki5.00★ (5)from $541

Last refreshed 2026-06-09.

Similar climatesBari94% · Madrid94% · Alberobello94%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Thessaloniki (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Thessaloniki's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 2–10 7 7 88 12.6 65% 16 172 1 Quiet 6
Feb 4–13 10 6 63 10.5 60% 15 185 2 Quiet 7
Mar 5–14 12 11 142 12.9 60% 14 201 3 Quiet 6
Apr 9–19 17 9 106 11.8 55% 15 237 5 Quiet 8
May 14–23 23 9 78 8.7 52% 15 274 6 Quiet 9
Jun 19–29 30 7 57 8.1 47% 15 307 8 Quiet 8
Jul 22–33 33 3 21 7.0 40% 16 321 8 Moderate 5
Aug 22–32 33 5 41 8.2 44% 14 295 7 Peak 5
Sep 17–27 27 6 53 8.8 51% 14 244 5 Moderate 10
Oct 13–22 21 4 59 14.8 57% 12 213 3 Moderate 9
Nov 8–16 15 8 85 10.6 66% 13 164 2 Peak 7
Dec 5–12 10 11 128 11.6 74% 14 141 1 Moderate 6

UV Index in Thessaloniki by Month

UV index in Thessaloniki peaks at 8 (very high) in July, dropping to 1 (low) in December. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Best months in detail

September

10/10

17–27°C · 6 rain days (53h) · 244 sun hours · 51% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)

October

9/10

13–22°C · 4 rain days (59h) · 213 sun hours · 57% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

May

9/10

14–23°C · 9 rain days (78h) · 274 sun hours · 52% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

January

6/10

2–10°C (feels 7°C) · 7 rain days (88h) · 172 sun hours · 65% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

February

7/10

4–13°C (feels 10°C) · 6 rain days (63h) · 185 sun hours · 60% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)

March

6/10

5–14°C (feels 12°C) · 11 rain days (142h) · 201 sun hours · 60% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

April

8/10

9–19°C (feels 17°C) · 9 rain days (106h) · 237 sun hours · 55% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

June

8/10

19–29°C · 7 rain days (57h) · 307 sun hours · 47% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

July

5/10

22–33°C · 3 rain days (21h) · 321 sun hours · 40% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 8 (very high)

August

5/10

22–32°C (feels 33°C) · 5 rain days (41h) · 295 sun hours · 44% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

November

7/10

8–16°C (feels 15°C) · 8 rain days (85h) · 164 sun hours · 66% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 2 (low)

December

6/10

5–12°C (feels 10°C) · 11 rain days (128h) · 141 sun hours · 74% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Thessaloniki

When is the best time to visit Thessaloniki?

September is the highest-scoring month (10/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 17–27°C (6 rainy days). The top three months by score are September, October, May.

What is the worst time to visit Thessaloniki?

July is the lowest-scoring month (5/10, capped by extreme heat). Typical conditions: 22–33°C (3 rainy days).

Is Thessaloniki too hot in summer?

2 months (July, August) trip the heat deal-breaker in our scoring: apparent temperature crosses the comfort cap, so even with clear skies and low rain the score is held down. Plan around it if heat tolerance is low.

When are crowds lowest in Thessaloniki?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in Thessaloniki have good weather but fewer tourists?

May (climate 9/10, crowd index 22) and October (climate 9/10, crowd index 42) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in Thessaloniki by month?

UV peaks at 8 (very high) in July and is lowest in December at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 2, Mar 3, Apr 5, May 6, Jun 8, Jul 8, Aug 7, Sep 5, Oct 3, Nov 2, Dec 1. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

What is the UV index in Thessaloniki in July?

July is the peak UV month in Thessaloniki, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (very high). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

How high can UV get in Thessaloniki on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 8 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 9 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: April, May, June, August, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.

Is air quality in Thessaloniki bad for travelers?

PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 9 months: January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December. The worst month is January with a typical-day mean of 18 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 29 µg/m³ (unhealthy) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.