When you are planing a trip to Greece, surely you want to visit some museum or archaeological site. Shopping is also a part of every trip to Greece.

Before every trip to Greece, in order to make the best plan that besides resting is consisted of shopping also, take a look at non-working days in Greece and work hours of shops and shopping malls during the week and year.

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All the shops, schools, banks, shopping malls, museums and archaeological sites are closed during national holidays in Greece.

Greek National and Public Holidays 2025

January 1 – Wednesday – New Year’s Day

January 6 – Monday – Epiphany
March 3 – Monday – Clean Monday
March 25 – Tuesday – Independence Day
April 18 – Friday – Good Friday
April 19 – Saturday – Holy Saturday
April 20 – Sunday – Easter
April 21 – Monday – Easter Monday
May 1 – Thursday – Labor Day
June 9 – Monday – Pentecost
August 15 – Friday – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
October 28 – Tuesday – Anniversary of “No” Day
December 25 – Thursday – Christmas Day
December 26 – Friday – Second Day of Christmas

Clean Monday is not always a non-working day, but schools and banks are closed, while the owners of private shops and businesses decide themselves whether to work or not.

Holiday schedule of shops (Greece) - December 2025 and January 2026.

Saturday – 13.12. – 10:00–18:00
Sunday – 14.12. – 11:00–18:00
Monday – 15.12. – 10:00–21:00
Tuesday – 16.12. – 10:00–21:00
Wednesday – 17.12. – 10:00–21:00
Thursday – 18.12. – 10:00–21:00
Friday – 19.12. – 10:00–21:00
Saturday – 20.12. – 10:00–18:00
Sunday – 21.12. – 11:00–18:00
Monday – 22.12. – 10:00–21:00
Tuesday – 23.12. – 10:00–21:00
Wednesday – Christmas Eve (Paravoní Christougénnon) – 24.12. – 10:00–18:00
Thursday – Christmas – 25.12. – CLOSED
Friday – 26.12. – CLOSED
Saturday – 27.12. – 10:00–18:00
Sunday – 28.12. – 11:00–18:00
Monday – 29.12. – 10:00–21:00
Tuesday – 30.12. – 10:00–21:00
Wednesday – New Year’s Eve (Paravoní Protochroniás) – 31.12. – 10:00–18:00
Thursday – New Year’s Day – 1.1. 2026. – CLOSED
Friday – 2.1. 2026. – CLOSED*
* The recommendation of the trade unions and tradition is that January 2nd should remain a non-working day.
Some restaurants and cafes are open on Christmas Day and the following day, but not all, especially not on Christmas Day itself.
On January 1st, in the center of Thessaloniki, some bakeries, as well as cafes and restaurants, will be open.

Special holidays - city celebrations

There are some holidays celebrated just in schools and universities (January 30th and November 17th).

Many cities have their own city patron saint whom they celebrate and on that day, banks, schools and shops are closed. In Thessaloniki, for example, October 26th is a non-working day, since the city’s patron saint, St. Dimitris is being celebrated that day.

Also, there are some exceptions in the working hours. For example, on January 2nd many shops often remain closed. That is the case with Jumbo and some shops in city malls. There are no rules for January 2nd.

Also, even if Sunday is a non-working day during the year, usually, the shops are open during Sunday shortly before Easter. And in December, there are usually as many as three weeks before the New Year, and the exact schedule and working hours can be found here:
Opening hours of shops before Christmas and New Year in Greece.

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Typical opening hours in Greece

Workweek and hours:
The typical workweek in Greece runs from Monday to Friday, 8 hours per day, starting at 8:00 or 9:00. On average, Greeks work 42 hours per week, slightly more than the EU average of 40 hours.
Bank opening hours:

  • Monday–Thursday: 8:00–14:30
  • Friday: 8:00–14:00
  • Sunday: closed

Shop opening hours:

  • Most shops: 9:00–14:30 from Monday to Saturday
  • Afternoon hours: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 17:00–19:00
  • Many large chain stores (Zara, H&M, Stradivarius) and shops in shopping centers operate without an afternoon break.
  • Example in Thessaloniki: shops on Tsimiski Street do not close for a break, while on Egnatia Street the break lasts from 14:00–15:00 until 17:00–18:00.

Sunday and holiday opening hours:

  • By law, shops may open on Sundays only in tourist areas.
  • Large shopping centers usually operate from 9:00 or 10:00 to 21:00 on weekdays, and until 20:00 on Saturdays.
  • Public and major religious holidays (Easter, Christmas, New Year) are generally not suitable for shopping, as most shops are closed.

Shopping tips:
Plan your visits to avoid Sundays and public holidays. Keep in mind that smaller shops may have reduced hours on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Opening hours of museums and archaeological sites

General information:

  • Most museums and archaeological sites in Greece are closed on Mondays and on some public holidays.
  • They are usually open on Sundays.

Holidays with openings:
Museums and sites that remain open on certain holidays include:

  • 28 October
  • 15 August
  • Easter Monday

Special cases:

  • Most museums do not open on Mondays, but the Acropolis in Athens is an exception, operating on Mondays from 13:30 until sunset.

Legal opening hours:
According to the new law on museum and archaeological site hours:

  • Opening: between 8:00 and 9:00
  • Closing: at sunset

Practical hours:

  • Winter: around 15:00–16:00
  • Summer: around 19:00–20:00

Working hours of shopping centers in Greece

Cosmos Shopping Center – Thessaloniki
Shops and boutiques:

  • Monday–Friday: 10:00–21:00
  • Saturday: 10:00–20:00
  • Sunday and public holidays: closed

Special days and holidays:

  • Before major holidays (Easter, Christmas, New Year), shops are also open during the last week(s) before the holiday.
  • Before New Year, shops usually open for three consecutive weeks.
  • On 31 December, shops close earlier, around 18:00.

Cafés and restaurants within the shopping center:

  • Open every day
  • On Sundays and public holidays: reduced hours until 14:00

Jumbo chain stores:

  • Monday–Friday: 9:00–21:00
  • Saturday: 9:00–20:00
  • Sunday and public holidays: closed

You can see the opening hours of shopping centers in Thessaloniki here.

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