Macedonia & Albania tour

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will start the day from mountain Vodno, where we visit the Millennium cross. To visit this landmark of Skopje, we take the cable car up to the top of the hill, a great place to admire the panoramic view of the city and plane of Skopje. The next stop will be the church of St. Panteleimon with rare Renaissance frescoes from the 12th century. From Vodno, we take you to one of the most beautiful canyons in Europe, Matka. We will make a lunch break, on your own, in the restaurant on the bank of the river, possibly river trout, and by small boats, we will set sail 6 km upstream to visit the cave Vrelo, full of cave decorations. Free time in the canyon for individual activities. Back to Skopje and free evening. Overnight in Skopje.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we drive to Ohrid, a town of UNESCO, one of the oldest towns in Europe. On the way to Ohrid, we stop in the town of Tetovo to visit a 15th century built mosque, painted uniquely in the 19th century. We will arrive in Ohrid around noon, and first, we do the check-in. After lunch on your own, we start a walking city tour. We start with a history lecture from the local guide, in the biggest open-air museum of the Byzantium. We will visit famous untouched medieval churches St. Sophia, St. John the Evangelist, the fortress of Tsar Samuel with a beautiful panorama, the ancient Macedonian-Roman theatre… Sailing with small boats, we go back to the center. Free afternoon. Dinner on your own. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. We start driving to the National park Galichitca to visit the extraordinary monument of nature - lake Ohrid springs and the monastery of St. Naum, from the 9th century. The oldest tablets of Cyrillic and Glagolitic alphabet were written in this monastery and they are still standing at the pillars there. Lunch on your own in a restaurant near the springs. On the way back to Ohrid, we stop at the unique reconstruction of a prehistoric settlement on water from the bronze age, called the Bay of Bones. A lecture from the professional curator. In the late afternoon, we arrive in Ohrid. Dinner on your own in one of the beautiful central restaurants in town. Overnight in a hotel.

In the morning, we are driving through the Macedonian-Albanian border, heading to Albania capital, Tirana. Accommodation and a short break before we start the city tour. First, we visit the National Museum of History, which is a great introduction to the history of the country and its people. Walking the central avenue and the central square, we next visit the Ethem Bay Mosque, the Clock-Tower and the remains of the Castle of Tirana. We also go deep underground to visit the Enver Hoxha bunker, a former communistic leader of Albania. We walk on to the Pyramid - mausoleum of Enver Hoxha, designed by his daughter. We will end the tour at Enver Hoxha's house in Blloku. Free evening and overnight in Tirana.

After breakfast in the hotel, we leave to the ancient town and port of Durres, UNESCO site. We walk along the Adriatic sea coast and visit the remains of the ancient amphitheater, which once hold up to 20.000 people making it the largest in the Balkans. Possibility to visit the City Museum of Durres. At noon we can advise lunch at a seaside restaurant for outdoor delicious seafood dishes, other dishes possible. In the afternoon, we drive on to the former medieval capital of Albania, Kruja. High in the mountain cliffs, we will visit the castle of the national hero of Albania, Skender Beg. Exploring the narrow streets, we will walk through the unique ethnic bazaar. After a short break, we drive back to Tirana. Free evening and overnight in Tirana.

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive to Berat, one of the most visited and characteristic towns in Albania, the last UNESCO site in our trip, as a patronage of humanity for its architectural uniqueness. After visiting the fortress of Berat, we will stroll down to the center through the narrow streets in the old part of the town. A great opportunity to meet locals, to mingle with them and talk about life in Albania. In the central street of Berat, where most of the restaurants and cafes are situated, we will have free time for lunch or coffee on your own. Then we drive back to Tirana. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Tirana.

After breakfast transfer to the international airport of Tirana.