Getting from Thessaloniki to Monemvasia

If you are heading to Monemvasia from Thessaloniki you are making your way from the second largest city in Greece to a medieval fortress town on the southeastern Peloponnese coast, on the opposite side of the country. It is built entirely on a massive rock connected to the mainland by a single causeway with Byzantine churches and narrow lanes that have changed little in centuries.

Getting there by air

Monemvasia has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Thessaloniki has an international airport with daily connections to Athens. Flying from Thessaloniki to Athens and then driving or taking the KTEL bus south through the Peloponnese to Monemvasia, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours from Athens via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta, gives a total journey time of around 6 to 7 hours. Having a car makes this route considerably more practical.

Take the train, bus or drive

Thessaloniki is connected to Athens by train, taking around 4 to 5 hours, and by KTEL bus, taking around 5 to 6 hours. From Athens the KTEL bus from Kifissos terminal to Monemvasia runs several times daily and takes around 4.5 to 5 hours. The drive from Thessaloniki to Monemvasia takes around 8 to 9 hours via the E75 motorway and Athens, which is practical for travelers with a car willing to break the journey.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Thessaloniki to Monemvasia. Getting there means traveling to Athens and then continuing south by road.

Your best option

Fly from Thessaloniki to Athens and drive south through the Peloponnese to Monemvasia via Corinth, Tripoli and Sparta. Having a car makes this route considerably more practical as public transport connections to Monemvasia are slow and infrequent. Monemvasia rewards at least two nights. The town reveals itself slowly once the day visitors leave in the evening and the streets inside the walls become entirely your own.