Discover Vergina and Pella: Day Trip to Macedonian Kingdom

an unforgetable experience

not to be missed absolutely a must see, the only thing bad about our visit was the atrocious condition of the main roads worth considering a private tour because bus tour was too rushed and if you wish to eat the time is taken from the tour time

An experience to remember for life

This was a truly life-enhancing experience. We were guided by the charming and very knowledgeable Lazaros, who introduced us to the ancient and very singular history of Macedonia as we first drove to Pella with its beautifully designed modern museum with astonishingly beautiful artefacts. Then to the ruins of the city with its enormous agora, or market/meeting place surrounded by merchants and workshops. On to Vergina and a brand new (again, beautifully designed) museum containing artefacts discovered in the many burial mounds in the area. None more astonishing than that of Philip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great, and only discovered in 1977... Go! Go! And thank you, Lazaros!

Wonderful trip with Lazaros

Lazaros was an amazing guide, with a great sense of humor and a love for the history of the region. Strolling through the ruins of the palaces and markets where Alexander the Great spent his youth was an incredible experience. The last stop is the museum built on top of the royal tombs of Phillip II (Alexander's father) and Alexander's son was worth the price of the whole trip. It's a beautiful and unique museum with some of the most impressive artifacts I've ever seen. If you love history, this is your tour!

Tomb at Vergina was...

Tomb at Vergina was fantastic! Excellent guide. New museum very interesting with very good displays.

For history lovers

Too much museums. Should go straight to the tomb. Or allocate time so that the main attraction gets more time. Every museum is doable in 15-30 mins. 1 hour is way too much.

Great tour and highly recommend it

Excellent tour and experience. It was amazing to see Vergina and Pella. The tour guide and the bus driver were helpful and friendly

Great trip to Ancient Macedonia

The trip was memorable and the guide was very polite. I absolutely recommend it. Even during the transfer, he shared information about the museums and the archeological discoveries.

Excellent

Lazarus was a great guide and the time at each site was generally well allocated. It would have been good to have a bit more information about the palace at Aigai, recently opened. I would have made more of an effort to walk the 1.5km to see it despite time restrictions. Otherwise a wonderful experience!

The visits exceeded my expectations

Enjoyed this trip to two amazing archeological sites. The way the artifacts are displayed is imaginative and informative. The only way it could of been improved would of been to have more time at all of the sites.

Excellent Excursion, great guide

Our guide Yanis was fantastic and the schedule was just perfect. The lunch break was the right amount of time and the minibus never felt crowded. I felt we got alot of information without being overwhelmed.

Excellent tour visiting King Philip of Macedonia's tomb

We've been looking forward to this tour for months. It didn't disappoint. Meeting place for bus was easy to find. Commentary from Laziros our guide was excellent which included lots of history and anecdotes. Learnt so much about ancient Macedonia. Our bus driver Ari was great. The museums were eye opening and walking through ancient Pella sering the uncovered mosaics was amazing, however, visiting the Royal tombs was the highlight. Standing in front of King Philips tomb didn't seem real. The artefacts discovered ftom the tombs were displayed magnificently. Would highly recommend this tour with Ammon Express.

Amazing visit to King Philips tomb

We've been looking forward to this tour for months. It didn't disappoint. Meeting place for bus was easy to find. Commentary from Laziros our guide was excellent which included lots of history and anecdotes. Learnt so much about ancient Macedonia. Our bus driver Ari was great. The museums were eye opening and walking through ancient Pella was amazing, however, visiting the Royal tombs was the highlight. Standing in ftont of King Philips tomb didn't seem real. The artefacts discovered ftom the tombs were displayed magnificently. Woud highly recommend this tour.

Nikos was a friendly,...

Nikos was a friendly, knowledgeable and excellent guide. Great to see Philip 2nd Palace and theatre. Thank you so much.

Great trip!

The museums were very worth while. The guide was excellent. It was amazing to see the tomb of Philip II. I highly recommend this tour if you're a Greek history buff.

Wonderful museums and...

Wonderful museums and treasures. Great, accommodating tour guide. Maybe would have had lunch after the second museum so mental palate would be freshened before the third.

Worthwhile day trip from Thessaloniki

Great trip. Our guide Yannis was quite Knowledge about history and Greek culture and guided us around the ruins. Tombs were magnificent. I Also did other Ammon express tours with Lazaros who went out of his way to educate and keep us engaged and was extremely personable. He really cares about the customer experience. Off season timing allowed the additional benefit of small groups making the excursions, which were all full-day journeys, have excellent value. These trips were Highlights of my visit to Greece.

Spectacular experience!

Truly the highlight of our trip to Greece. The Royal Tombs of Aigai were spectacular! Our guide, Jiannis (forgive the spelling), gave historical details as well as stories of ancient times to prepare us for the sites. We walked through the sites at our own pace. It was wonderful day trip! We did two Ammon tours while in Thessaloniki and enjoyed them both.

Comfortable trip that needs to add guiding at the museums in addition to on board commentary to provide the perfect tour

While overall the tour was worthwhile, there are a number of areas where inprovements could be made. The first museum visited , at Pella, was a good one but the adjoining archeological site was extremely disappointing consisting mainly of a large flat piece of land with a few scattered remnants of stone and parts of columns and a number of ugly,open-sided,shed-like structures covering some passable but not outstanding mosaics. It needed a lot of imagination to conjure up the agora that once stood here and in the absence of a guide, or at least an audio-guide , there was little context to the site. The time allocated to the site visit would,in truth,be better spent in the museum itself, in my opinion,if no guiding can be provided. As regards , the next museum on the tour, at Vergina, which is effectively combined with the associated archeological site, this is easily a better experience even if again there is an absence of guiding. The final museum on the list is the New Museum at Aigai which is spacious and sparkling but again lacking the context that guiding could provide. The tour guide (Iannis) on the bus provided good commentary en route between the various stops and this was adequate as far as it went but I feel that if this could be extended to the time spent in the museums and on site, it would really make the tour top-class. To be fair , however, it needs to be said that all the museums could themselves make things more enjoyable for visitors by providing information in the. form of simple leaflets and floor plans in each case and, at a minimum, upgrade the. existing labelling of exhibits which is usually at the bottom of the display case making it virtually impossible to read for all but the most hawk-eyed of readers.The lighting at Vergina, while atmospheric, is also a little on the low side for some of the exhibits.

Walking with Alexander

Phillip’s burial tomb was amazing- incredibly well presented. The notion that Alexander had actually been in that place was a bit overwhelming.

A day well spent in ancient Macedonia.

The sites are incredible. It is amazing how recent these discoveries are, how beautifully preserved. And what fine work Greek archeologists and museum specialists are doing to discover, conserve and exhibit them. We had a good day, good value for the money. Yannis is a very knowledgeable guide, a history graduate to be accompanied with a passion for the subject. that period. He was able to convey clearly how the characteristics of the landscape that we were driving through gave rise to the emergence of a unique Macedonian civilization. The tour was thoughtfully organized… clearly, he had devoted time to preparing texts for the various sites and stops. He was serious, with just the right touch of levity to keep it interesting. We are already recommending him and the tour to others, and we haven’t even finished our vacation.

History at your fingertips.

The tomb of King Phillipos and the artefacts recovered from the tomb are amazing. Seeing them is an experience not to be forgotten.

Very impressing Museums

We visit 3 museum , all of them are very interesting, in new buildings and well orgenized the Guide was exlent and make the stories come to life

Big disappointment so don't waste your time or money.

Thus was a very disappointing tour given that we had a great tour to Meteora with the same company. The guide hardly explained anything, and the sites did not have any audio guides or much in English. In addition, non-EU residents had to pay much more in entry fees than others. This does not seem fair. Too much time was spent in Vergina and not enough time at the first Museum in Pella. In Vergina, we were told to have lunch from the canteen since there were not any good places in the town. The bus had to park some distance from the Museums, so we had to walk a kilometer or so. This was difficult for those who had mobility problems. This tour is not appropriate for children.

Sites and museums were amazing!! Worth seeing.

Excellent tour- self guided . Would recommend that one reads up on ancients sites to be visited. The museums were well curated and the ancient sites did not disappoint.

King Philip grave. He was the father of Alexander the Great

Our guide aNikos was helpful knowledgeable and considerate. The tour in the mini bus was excellent great company Ammon

Definitely a Highlight

Fantastic day trip to Ancient Pella and the Royal Tombs. The antiquities and treasures on display need to be seen to be believed! The whole tour was very well organised and our guide Nikos was very knowledgeable sharing a lot of history with us, it was one of the highlights of our trip!

Great Tour

Pella is amazing. Philip’s tomb alone is also well worth the price of the tour. Our guide was both knowledgeable and affable.

Nice trip

The trip to Pella and Vergina is nice. It is interesting for those interested in history. The archaeological sites are interesting. The museum in Vergina is an absolute highlight. The tour guide is knowledgeable and committed.

Vergina and Pella Historical Sites Expedition

Joining Ammon Express on a journey to the historical sites of Vergina and Pella from Thessaloniki was a remarkable experience. The guide provided by Ammon Express was exceptional in sharing the rich history of these sites. His deep knowledge and passion made the stories come alive as we walked through the ancient ruins. The organization and timing of the trip were flawless, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the fascinating history of the region. Ammon Express ensured we had ample time to explore and appreciate these significant archaeological sites. The guide's expertise and the well-crafted itinerary made this expedition truly memorable. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in history and eager to uncover Greece's fascinating past.

Better than expected.

I enjoyed this tour more than I expected. The artifacts were beautiful. The tour had a nice flow to it. I would recommend it to anyone visiting Thessaloniki and had any interest in Greek history.

Exceptional trip!

A great experience that provided a glimpse into the world of Alexander the Great and the Macedonian empire. Nick, our tour guide was exceptional and made the day trip an amazing and educational experience.

Beautiful historical journey

A memorable journey through the archaeological and historical importance of Macedonia and its relationship with Greece, Alexander the Great and Philip II of Macedon

A great cultural day-trip!

A great experience! The sites are all wonderful and very much worth seeing (especially the amazing grave of Phillip II!), and our tour guide Lazarus was outstanding. Highly recommended!

Spectacular, Please go! It should be far more famous than it is.

The whole tour was excellent and the tour guide Lazzaros made it even more special, he was so friendly and knowledgeable and gave us background to what we were going to see, in great detail. We were 3 English speakers and we had a minibus so it was like a private tour. I can't rate the tour or the guide highly enough. The Tomb of Philip the 2nd and the Museum at Pella were just stunning and way beyond my expectations. The modern museum there with it's treasures rivals the Acropolis museum in Athens. Top marks and I will be recommending this to all my friends and family.

It's a worthwhile day-trip

This day trip involves four sights at two locations: Pella Pella Archaeological Museum: decent Pella ancient city ruins: it's just ruins Vergina Polycentric Museum of Aigai: an artfully designed archaeological museum - I loved it Royal Tombs: awesome - a must-see sight In short, Vergina was great, and Pella was ok. I have no complaints about the trip.

Fantastic day, Royal Tombs a must see!

Fantastic day. Nikos was a friendly, very knowledgeable guide. The sites and museum were so interesting but the highlight was definitely the Royal Tombs in the tumulus. Would recommend it to anyone, one of the highlights of our holiday.

Best daily trip ever!

It was one of best tours I’ve ever had. Highly recommended! Our guide and driver were so great that they answered any questions of the guests. The time management was also perfect.

Great history lesson

Incredible archeological sites and museums. A must for history buffs. The guide was knowledgeable and helpful.

Pella & Vergina great, Aigai museum not so!

Friendly & informative tour guide called Yianni, & very safe bus driver. Pella & the museum that houses Philipos’ tomb is fantastic. The brand new Aigai museum not so good as the people at the front desk were rude & had no entry prices advertised. The rooms were big & empty & there was too much writing on the walls for a museum. The artefacts were displayed well though. Tour participants could benefit from the guide advising on the bus how long we have at each museum & a meeting place as we were told this when some of the group had already gone ahead of the rest.

Visit to Pella and Vergina

It was a great visit to the archeological sites and museums at Pella and Vergina. As a larger than average person, I found the minibus a bit tight, but luckily, we never were on it for too long. All four of our stops were extraordinary, and different. I don't understand why more tourists don't visit the area. Nikos, our "tour attendant" was pleasant and helpful, and the information he imparted on the bus (and his answers to our questions) was interesting and provided context to the amazing things that we saw. I would have liked for him to give us more of a guided tour through the sites, but it was OK without it.

Amazing museums!

Our tour guide was great, very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating! The tour allowed us Kenny of time at all the sites and it was not crowded being the low season. I

Recommended

Very very interesting trip, recommended for history lovers! It was a great emotion to visit Alexander the Great hometown, teh museums and the amazing tomb complex of Philip II. The guide, Yannis, is kind, professional and keen to help and to assist. Recommended!

Excellent experience

Extremely interesting full day trip, the experience was even more pleasant and enjoyable with our accompanying driver Nicos who had a profound knowledge of all the history of the places visited.

Fascinating day tour from Thessaloniki

I was pleasantly surprised with all the archaeological findings we got to see in this tour. We visited 3 museums, each with its own particular style and all of them fascinating. Our tour guide Nikos was very helpful and patient and gave us a lot of information.

trip to Pella and Vergina

We had a wonderful time visiting these archaeological sites. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and gave us a good 101 on Greek history in the bus.

Amazing sites, communication could improve

The archaeological sites were really worth seeing, and if you don't want to drive yourself, then this tour is an easy way to get around several sites in one day. The van was comfortable and the drive was easy; our guide gave us some interesting background details about the area and a little on the history as we drove. The museums were self-explanatory and we did them on our own. The one thing that could have used improvement is the flow of the tour itself. We left at 8 am, first stop was the museum and there was a chance to buy a coffee but no reasonable food options (just hotdogs or packaged crisps/cookies). After that, there were no food options available and we were taken to a few other sites. At the last stop at the tombs of Vergina (arrived at 1:30 pm), we were told to do the tour first and then meet at 3 pm so we could finally go get lunch. We finished the tour and waited for the group til 3, and only then were told that there was no lunch plan but we could go get something to eat across the street and be back on the bus in under an hour. Our experience on the day would have been so much better if we had arrived at the final site and told that we had from 1:30 - 4 pm to eat and do the tour on our own, in any order we wanted. Still, it was nice not to drive and the museums and sites were definitely worth a visit.

Great site, poor tour

The tour operator was really not very good, and the guide did not pay us much attention. There was nothing to see at Pella because the mosaics were still covered for the winter. However, the new museum at Vergina is one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen in my life--you are face to face with the gold funerary goods of the parents of Alexander the Great!

There's a good time

The sword is really fun and really educational experience to learn about Pella and the ancient Macedonian kingdom where Alexandra the great came from.

A day trip outside of Thessaloniki definitely worthwhile.

The King Philip tomb along with his artifacts at Vergina and the mosaics at Pella were quite amazing!

Entertaining History

I have visited several significant historic sites in Greece but this was my best experience due mainly due to our guide Nikos. He was very knowledgeable but without being too academic he imparted the stories behind the sites in a detailed but entertaining and easily digestible manner. He also showed consideration for his groups comfort throughout the day. The sites themselves are both well organised and represent an important part of Greek history.