10 days ALBANIA - north macedonia - greece
10 days
Services
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- Accommodation in selected 4* hotels on half board basis
- Bus service from/to airport as well as continuous English-speaking guide for the whole trip
- City tax
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Included entrance fees
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- Ohrid, Monastery Sv. Naum Monastery
- Boat trip on Lake Ohrid (approx. 20 minutes)
- Ohrid, Church of Sv. Periblebtos
- Rowing boat trip Sveti Naum & entrance fee Kloser
- Bitola, Heraclea Lincestis
- Wine tasting Ciflik Winery
- Vergina
- Meteora (1 monastery)
- Butrint
- Gjirokaster, Fortress
- Blue Eye
- Berat Fortress
- Wine tasting Cobo Winery
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Dates 2024
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- 29.03. – 07.04.2024
- 18.10. – 27.10.2024
- 03.05. – 12.05.2024
- 24.05. – 02.06.2024
- 14.06. – 23.06.2024
- 06.09. – 15.09.2024
- 27.09. – 06.10.2024
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Tour itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Tirana
Flight to Tirana. Bus and guide are already waiting for us here. Move into our hotel.
Day 2: Tirana - Elbasan - Ohrid
After breakfast we will visit Tirana, the capital of Albania. During the city tour you will have the opportunity to discover a city known for its colorful buildings. At Skanderbek Square you will visit Et'hem Bey Mosque, which thanks to its historical value was preserved even during the communist era. Right next door are other sights such as the Opera House, the so-called Clock Tower and the Palace of Culture, as well as the Orthodox and Catholic Cathedrals. Afterwards, we will move on to the National Martyrs Boulevard. Here you will get to know a piece of the daily life of the former dictator Enver Hoxha by visiting the pyramid. Walk through Blloku neighborhood, the most popular neighborhood for young people, businesses and cafes. Afterwards, we will continue via Elbasan to the Macedonian border, shortly after which we will reach our hotel in the UNESCO city of Ohrid.
Day 3: Ohrid
Today is dedicated to the UNESCO town of Ohrid, situated on the lake of the same name. The lake is the deepest lake in Europe, the second deepest in the world. The city is also called the Jerusalem of the Balkans, there are no less than 365 churches and monasteries in and around the city. A short boat ride on the lake shows us the beauty of this area. In the afternoon we visit the monastery of Sv. Naum. Today we will visit the monastery Sv. Naum, nestled in unique nature. Here are located not only the monastery, but also the springs of Lake Ohrid, which we will explore during a rowing boat trip. On the way back to the hotel we will visit the "Bay of Bones" museum. Hotel in Ohrid.
Day 4: Ohrid - Bitola - Thessaloniki
Drive from Ohrid to Bitola. Here we visit the city as well as the excavations of Heraklea Lincestis, once founded by Filip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great. The city also developed into an important trading post in Roman and Byzantine times. At noon today we will visit the Ciflik Winery, where we will taste the excellent Macedonian wines. Afterwards we will continue our journey to Greece, in the evening we will reach our hotel in Thessaloniki.
Day 5: Thessaloniki - Vergina - Kalambaka
During a city tour you will get to know the sights of Thessaloniki. You will see among other things the thick White Tower, which was once a powerful harbor bastion, the old city wall and some famous old Byzantine churches. Afterwards further to the unique excavations of Vergina, among other things with the burial treasure of Philip II of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great. Still further south lie - wonderful against the backdrop of the "mountain of the gods" Olympus. Afterwards occupation of our hotel.
Day 6: Kalambaka - Ioannina - Saranda
In the morning we will visit the monastery of Meteora and admire the unique panorama.The city of Ioannina is located at an altitude of about 480 meters on the western shore of Lake Pamvotida. Here we will visit the old town, which is situated on a peninsula and surrounded by the walls of the Frourio Fortress. You will also see the Aslan Pasha Mosque (from the outside). Under the mosque are the catacombs and prisons where many resistance fighters were executed during the Turkish period. Then we leave Greece and cross the border to Albania. We will move into our hotel in Saranda.
Day 7: Saranda - Butrint - Ksmail - Saranda
Drive to the UNESCO protected excavations of Butrint (Buthrotum), where one of the most magnificent baptisteries of antiquity in the Eastern Church area has been preserved. The wealth of the local community in Justinian times is evidenced by the finest Proconesian marble and columns of Egyptian granite. On the way back we will make a stop in Ksmail. Hotel in Saranda.
Day 8: Saranda - Gjirokaster - Berat
On the way to Gjirokaster stop at the karst spring "Blue Eye". Continue to the UNESCO city of Gjirokaster and visit the city including the fortress. Continue to Berat and check into our hotel.
Day 9: Berat - Cobo Winery - Tirana
Berat, the city is known for its historical architecture and scenic beauty and is also called the "City of a Thousand Windows" due to the many large windows of the old furnished houses overlooking the city. With over 2,400 years of continuous settlement history, it is considered one of the oldest cities in Albania. You will visit the old town (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The three main quarters of the old town are Mangalemi, Gorica and Kala, where the castle itself is located. Visiting the "Kala" requires a steep walk on a paved path, but those who make it to the top will be rewarded with a beautiful view of the surroundings. You will visit the Museum of Iconography "Onufri", which bears the name of the famous fresco and icon painter Onufri, who left a rich legacy. This museum is located in the Cathedral of St. Mary's Assumption. You will also visit the Red Mosque, recognized by its solitary minaret and the Trinity Church. After the fortress, you will visit the Mangalemi district. On the other side of the Osumi River is the Gorica neighborhood, whose houses approach those of Mangalemi. The arch bridge of Gorica from 1780 is a beautiful monument built between Gorica and Mangelemi. Free time for strolling. On the way back to Tirana, stop at the Cobo winery. The Cobo family has a long tradition in winemaking. The wines are made exclusively from Albanian grapes. At the winery you will have the opportunity to taste these excellent wines and learn some interesting facts about their production. Transfer to our hotel in Tirana.
Day 10: Transfer to the airport
Transfer to Tirana airport and return flight.
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