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Thessaloniki to Kerkini Lake Day Trip: Explore Greece's Renowned Bird Habitat
4.4
24 Ratings
Thessaloniki
Embark on a day trip from Thessaloniki to Kerkini Lake, a renowned bird habitat in Greece. Explore the diverse wildlife, including flamingos and buffalos, and enjoy the stunning views of Mount Beles and the valley of Serres.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Kerkini Lake - The distance is 98km and lasts approximately 1½ hour.
We reach the dam of the picturesque Kerkini Lake in the area of Lithotopos. Each season of the year the lake hosts different species of birds, therefore every visit hides a different surprise for the traveler. The beautiful flamingos though, can be found there all year round and their characteristic pink plumage colors the blue surface of the lake giving enchanting views combined with the verdant surrounding landscape. The horse riding area is located next to the dam where we can enjoy a ride and feel part of this wonderful natural scenery (optional and upon notification).
Later on, we have a coffee break and then continue our trip to the east part of the lake, visiting a traditional farm with impressive buffalos that walk next to us; observing their movements in their natural environment and learning their unique history.
What's Included
- Round trip bus transportation to Lake Kerkini and Vironia village
- Bus transportation insurance included for peace of mind
- Guided assistance with an English-speaking tour escort
- Comfortable travel with in-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Cost of lunch and coffee
- Cost of optional horse riding (€15 per person)
- 1-hour boat ride (€10 per person)
Additional Information
Embark on a day excursion to Lake Kerkini, counted amongst Greece’s top 10 wetland habitats, home to approximately 300 bird species and various rare creatures. Marvel at exotic flamingos and majestic buffalos in their natural habitat, backed by the stunning views of Mount Beles and the grand Serres valley.
You set off for Lake Kerkini by bus at 8:00 AM, stopping by the Dam at Lithotopos, a prime location for bird-spotting on the lake. Adjacent to the dam is the horse riding area, which you can partake in if the weather allows.
Post this, enjoy a warm cup of coffee, before heading a few kilometers to a farm where you’ll witness impressive buffalos up-close. Further on, you travel to the village of Vironia for a delectable lunch in a quaint Greek tavern. The journey back to Thessaloniki starts at around 2:00 PM, following the west lakeside boundary road.
- Our trip attendant-archaeologist shall wear clothing with the Ammon Express marking so that he/she will be recognisable easily
- You should be at the departure point 10΄ before the time indicated in the schedule. The bus cannot remain at designated stops, except for boarding
- Wear comfortable shoes to walk around the sights
- In summer season bear in mind to have sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat
- Please be consistent with the exact appointment times specified by the Ammon Express escort, so that the excursion will remain unforgettable to all participants
- Have a nice trip and an unforgettable experience!
- Don’t forget to share pictures and comments from your experience!
Location
Statue of Eleftherios Venizelos
Egnatia
Aristotelous and Egnatia Str. in front of Statue of Eleftherios Venizelos at 08:00
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.4
(24 Ratings)
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Betteskid
Apr 30, 2024
Great experience - Highly Recommended - We took this trip while staying in Thessaloniki and really enjoyed it. The scenery at Kerkini Lake was beautiful and we were amazed at all the birds we saw. Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. We like the smaller group (there were 7 of us) and the fact that the guide stopped at many places to be sure we saw as many birds as we could. We opted for the additional boat ride and it was one of the highlights of the trip. This was a great day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bernard_s
Mar 31, 2024
Kerkini bird watching - Everything was fine from the start.
This strip took us to the wet lands where we've seen horses and cows running freely around the lale. The main highlight in my opinion is the boat lake trip where we encountered many bird species including the white pelican,The price for the boat is a reasonable 10 euro.
After we went to see a buffalo farm followed by an exquisite lunch also reasonably priced.
Nico our guide was fantastic in his explanation and had a very pleasant approach to the group.
I highly recommend it to everyone in love with nature.
Review provided by Viator
Marios_e
Mar 31, 2024
Great day seeing lots of different animals and bird life - Our guide Nico was very good with lots of information along the journey, fantastic day all round ,, lots to see with wild horses, cows, buffalo and the bird life was great
Review provided by Viator
Elias_p
Feb 8, 2024
Excellent day trip to come in contact with nature - I booked this trip but turned out I was the only one so it was like having my own private tour. The 2 people accompanying me from the company, Yiannis and Katerina were both amazing company who made the trip feel more like a day trip out with friends rather than going on a mass tourist tour. The only downfalll was that as I was by myself and there were not enough people to fill in the minimum number of people required to do the boat trip on Kerkini lake. However, this was countered by going on an excursion around the area. We did get to see quite a few birds in the area like flamingoes, pelicans, cormorants and herons. In addition we got to visit a water buffalo farm and got to try some in a local restaurant. Highly recommend this trip and thank you for making it very interesting and fun. Can't wait to use their services again.
Review provided by Viator
Piasu3486vz
Sep 17, 2023
An oasis of peace not just for birdwatchers! - Kerkini is a natural paradise, a fantastic scenario where animals - especially birds and water buffaloes - fields, reeds, trees, men create a unique atmosphere that gives peace and releases energy. A relaxing day away from the noise of the city. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q5062nxlydiak
Sep 16, 2023
A lovely day in a unique location - Our tour to Lake Kerkini was wonderful. The drive was easy and comfortable in our small bus. We lucked out with beautiful weather and were able to take the boat on the lake to approach flocks of flamingos and pelicans, as well as observe cormorants, herons and egrets, gulls and terns, and even a grebe. It was also a treat to see some of the farm animals in the area - cows, buffalo, and goats. Our guide Giannis was friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgable, and I enjoyed learning about the region from him.
Note for birders considering this tour: this was not really a birding trip, and others in the group will probably not be birders. We stopped in several locations along the lake to observe the wildlife, but never for too long in any one place. No pausing for an hour to identify every peep on the shoreline! This is not a criticism of the tour, but just an observation in case it helps set expectations for anyone.
I highly recommend this tour for anyone wishing to get out of the city to see some birds and wildlife in a gorgeous setting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kr_s
May 1, 2024
Best for Birders visiting Thessaloniki - If you are a birdwatcher, this is a 5 star tour! If you are not, it is a 4 star… 1.5 hour drive through the countryside to see a beautiful lake, by boat, The guide is a safe, friendly, driver & the van is clean. The highlight of the tour was the birds we saw, which was worth the 8 hour investment, to me. I would recommend this tour to all my birdwatching friends. By chance, most of us were birders, with binoculars, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together spotting birds, the boat trip, and the taverna lunch.
Review provided by Viator
Jas_b
Sep 28, 2023
Stunning Kerkini Lake - This day trip was fantastic to get to see Kerkini Lake and the ecosystem it supports; birds, buffalo, goats etc. Yiannis was a great tour guide, super friendly and chatty. The only thing I would say is that there is not an opportunity to walk anywhere and it looks as though there are some good trails around, it is also quite a short trip so there would be time to add a walk in.
Review provided by Viator
M_v
Aug 26, 2023
Lake Kerkini - Seeing the birdlife was good. Also the boat ride on the lake with the masses of pelicans was a spectacle to see. Lunch was enjoyable. Nikos was a good guide.
Review provided by Viator
Roam774285
Oct 8, 2023
Tourist Trap! - When you read about this tour it seems to be like a fantastic nature experience. That is not true! You sit mostly in a car och go out for a few minutes to se the flamingos about 100 meters away! The guide says that if we stay for a long time the birds comes closer, but there is no time to stay (wich had been a nature experience) more than a couple of minutes and like "check, I should be happy, I saw flamingos"...
For the boattrip you had to pay 10 euros extra and that was definitly not worth it. It was not fun at all when the driver of the boat drives towards a pelikan and scares it so it has to fly away!!!
Two persons in the group wanted to do the horseridning. The guide phoned about it and got to know that the horse owners was not at home. This should be booked before the tour starts...!?
About the buffalos the company writes that you can see "impressive buffalos that walk next to us; observing their movements in their natural environment". We stopped at a farm where the poor animals was standing in their own faeces! Is that what you call for "natural environment" in Greece!?
DONT GO ON THIS TOUR if you are looking for a nature experience. That is only waist of money and time! :(
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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