Do you want to discover Eastern Europe, maybe visiting places that are still unknown to mass tourism? We suggest an interesting tailormade tour and holiday across Macedonia and Albania, among charming art cities and ancient archaeological sites.

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Do you want to discover Eastern Europe, maybe visiting places that are still unknown to mass tourism? We suggest an interesting tailormade tour and holiday across Macedonia and Albania, among charming art cities and ancient archaeological sites.

Here are the highlights of your trip:

  • Tour of Skopje, fascinating capital of Macedonia
  • Tour of Tirana, the capital of Albania, full of monuments including majestic Skenderberg statue
  • Visit to the archaeological sites in Berat and Apollonia
  • Tour of the marvellous towns of Saranda and Butrinti, Unesco heritage
  • Tour of Ohrid, regarded as the most beautiful town in Macedonia, and St. Naum Monastery, to be reached on a boat
Richard
Trip offered by Richard - Virtual Travel Spoken languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish Travel expert in Macedonia

Trip summary

  • Travel style Group departure
  • Departure Skopje
  • End Skopje
  • Countries
    • Macedonia
    • Albania
  • City
    • Skopje
    • Tirana
    • Vlorë
    • Saranda
    • Ohrid
  • Theme Art, history and cultural trips
  • Accommodation Standard
  • Flight Excluded
  • Guide Included
  • The tour has met our highest standards

Detailed itinerary

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  • 1
    Skopje
    Day 1

    Arriving in Skopje.
    Meeting with the local guide. According to the time of arrival visit the city center.
    Accommodation in a hotel in the center of Skopje. Dinner and overnight. 

    Visited places:
    • Skopje
  • 2
    Skopje - Tetovo - Tirana
    Day 2

    Departure for Tetovo.
    Visit the Painted Mosque built in the seventeenth century, also known as Aladzha Mosque. This gem of Islamic Art was built in 1459 with donations of two muslim noblewomen - Hurshida and Mensure, whose tombs are located inside the garden. The mosque looks cube-shaped, entirely decorated both outside and inside with floral and geometric motifs. The frescoes and wooden decor, all in excellent condition, date back to 1833 when the building was rebuilt and enlarged by Abdurahman Pasha.
    Departure for Tirana, the most popular city of Albania (80,000 residents). Established by the Turks in the year 600 it is roughly halfway between Rome and Istanbul. Tirana became the capital of Albania in 1920. From 1939 to 1944 it was occupied by Italian troops; in 1944 it was liberated by resistance forces headed by Enver Hoxha. The main monuments of the city overlooking the large central square dedicated to Skanderbeg (that's the name of Prince Gjergj Kastrioti, called Skanderbeg,1405-1468) who led a successful uprising of the Albanian people against the Turks. Visit the most representative monuments of the city center: the main square with the statue of Skenderbeg, Hadzhi Ethem Bey Mosque, the center of culture and business. 

    Visited places:
    • Skopje
    • Tirana
  • 3
    Tirana - Berat - Apollonia - Valona
    Day 3

    Departure to the museum-town of Berat, also called  "the city of a thousand and one window ", as the facades of houses, side by side, are simply windows. Bright white, the houses of Berat are perched on steep slopes, along both banks of the river.
    Visit the Castle of Berat which is the Museum of Onufri: the largest Albanian painter of the sixteenth century. In the old part of the city there are some important religious buildings.
    Continue to Apollonia and visit one of the most important archaeological sites in Albania. Within the walls of Illyrian origin you can visit Bouleteron from the Hellenistic period with six Corinthian columns of the second century BC, the Odeon complex, the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, the Library, the Fountain and the House with the Mosaic.
    Arrival in Vlora. Hotel accommodation.  

    Visited places:
    • Tirana
    • Vlorë
  • 4
    Valona - Porto Palermo - Butrinti - Saranda
    Day 4

    Drive to Saranda along the Bay of Vlora to the village of Orikum.
    Stop to visit the castle of Porto Palermo.
    Afternoon arrival in Saranda and transfer to Butrint, which is in the UNESCO list, located almost at the southern border with Greece. Ciceron has lived here once and called Butrint a wonderful city but later left it because of its huge traffic. The view of the fortifications, dating from the sixth century BC, evokes the military and economic potential of the city at that time. The hill on which the city is built is surrounded by wall blocks, each more than 2 meters wide and 3.5 m high.
    Accommodation in Saranda. Full board.

    Visited places:
    • Vlorë
    • Saranda
  • 5
    Saranda - Bkue Eye- Argirocastro - Ohrid
    Day 5

    Departure for the visit of the Blue Eye - attractive resort where you can admire a beautiful freshwater spring.
    Departure for the city - museum Gjirokaster, protected by UNESCO. Visit the Ethnographic Museum, the Fortress with the prisons and the War Museum.
    Continue to the Republic of Macedonia and accommodation in a hotel in Ohrid.

    Visited places:
    • Saranda
    • Ohrid
  • 6
    Ohrid
    Day 6

    Visit Ohrid: it is the most beautiful city in Macedonia and one of the most fascinating of the Balkan Peninsula declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Located on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid it is characterized by its pretty white houses with wooden doors, for its winding streets and for the prestige of the art treasures.
    We visit the Cathedral of St. Sophia, built in 1037-1056 with the interesting frescoes of the 14th century, the church of St. Bogorodica Perivlepta, built in 1259 with Byzantine forms. After the tour, visit the Church - symbol of Ohrid: St. Joan Kaneo.
    In the afternoon - boat trip to the Monastery of St. Naum located at the southern end of Lake Ohrid.  

    Visited places:
    • Ohrid
  • 7
    Ohrid - Stobi - Skopje
    Day 7

    Departure to visit the Roman city of Stobi.
    Situated along the via Axia, Stobi was one of the largest Roman cities in the region. Currently about 15 hectares have been brought to light by the archeologists. The route extends for several hundred meters along the ancient road surfaces surrounded by the foundations of the walls of public buildings, houses, public toilets and some churches. Eventually you get to the amphitheater (2nd century) and the Basilica. The baptistery is connected to the church, completely paved with beautiful mosaics.
    Continue to the Macedonian capital Skopje.
    Visit the Church of St. Kliment Ohridski, the Mosque, the Fortress,  the Church of St. Spas with the incredible iconostasis six meters high and ten meters long, made entirely with the carving by Filipovski brothers between 1819-1824. Visit the Memorial dedicated to Mother Teresa and the place where her birth house once stood. Visit the ancient Muslim quarter.  

    Visited places:
    • Ohrid
    • Skopje
  • 8
    Skopje
    Day 8

    Breakfast.
    Transfer to the airport.  

    Visited places:
    • Skopje
  • Prices and conditions

    Price includes
    • Options and activities included in the travel package
    Price does not include
    • Tips
    • Extras
    • Optional excursions
    • Everything not shown under "The price includes"