Central Macedonia
Rotunda of Galerius
How to visit the Rotunda of Galerius in Thessaloniki: opening hours, the ticket price, the early-Christian dome mosaics, and whether the 20-minute stop is worth it.
Where
Thessaloniki, Greece
Opening hours
Roughly 08:30–15:30, and usually closed on Tuesdays. Hours shorten on public holidays — confirm your date before you walk over, as it's a short-day site that catches people out.
Tickets
Around €8 full / €4 reduced (about £7 / £3.50); quoted prices have ranged €6–€10, so confirm at the kiosk. EU under-25s and under-18s generally free with ID, and Greek state monuments are free on the first Sunday of the month from November to March.
Time needed
20–30 minutes inside — it's a single round chamber. Add 5 minutes for the Arch of Galerius next door.
In short
Visiting Rotunda of Galerius
The Rotunda is a 4th-century domed Roman building Galerius meant as his mausoleum, later a church and then a mosque — which is why it still has a minaret stuck to one side. Go for the surviving gold early-Christian mosaics high in the dome, not for a sprawling site: it's one big circular room you'll cover in 20–30 minutes. Entry is around €8 (€4 reduced, roughly £7/£3.50), it usually closes by mid-afternoon, and it sits 125m from the Arch of Galerius, so do the two together.
How to visit without overplanning it
The Rotunda is a single enormous round room with a brick dome, built around 306 AD as Galerius’s mausoleum and then pressed into service as a church and later a mosque — which is why a stone minaret still leans against one side. There’s no timed ticket, no online booking and no real queue: you turn up, pay around €8 at the door (€4 reduced), and walk in. The catch is the short day. It typically opens about 08:30 and shuts by 15:30, and it’s usually closed on Tuesdays, so it’s easy to wander up in the afternoon and find the gate locked. Check the day before you go.
What you’re actually paying to see is overhead. Look up and let your eyes adjust to the gold early-Christian mosaics ringing the base of the dome — figures of saints standing in front of elaborate fantasy buildings, set in gold tesserae that still catch the light after 1,600 years. Bring nothing more than a phone; flash adds nothing and the room is bright enough by day. The Rotunda sits 125m from the Arch of Galerius on Egnatia, near the Sintrivani metro stop, so the sensible move is to do both in one short loop rather than making a separate trip for each.
Is it worth it?
Honestly, yes — but keep your expectations the right size. This isn’t a half-day attraction; it’s one room you’ll cover in 20 to 30 minutes. The draw is that it’s a genuinely intact late-Roman building with mosaics that survive almost nowhere else, part of Thessaloniki’s UNESCO-listed Paleochristian cluster, and around €8 is fair for that. If you only have a day in the city, slot it between the Arch of Galerius and the church of Agios Dimitrios, then walk down to Aristotelous Square for a coffee. Skip it only if you’ve already done a string of Byzantine churches and mosaic fatigue has set in — otherwise it’s one of the more rewarding quick stops in town.
Planning the rest of your trip? See the Thessaloniki city guide.
More to see in Thessaloniki
Book the essentials
Tours & tickets
Rotunda of Galerius FAQs
Do you need to book Rotunda of Galerius tickets in advance?
Is the Rotunda of Galerius worth visiting?
How do you get to the Rotunda, and what's nearby?
Ready to book?
Check tickets & tours