8 days tour in Kosovo, Macedonia and Bulgaria; where we will visit the capital cities of each country, 2 medieval monasteries in Kosovo, the UNESCO towns of Prizren and Ohrid; take a boat ride in Ohrid lake, one of the deepest and oldest lakes in the world; Enter Rila Monastery, one of the oldest in Europe; and finish the tour exploring Sofia and the delicious Bulgarian culinary.
Arrival in Pristina Airport / Sofia – Return Flight
Pristina city tour, Patriarchate of Peja – Decan Monastery – Peja, Gjakova, Prizren, Skopje, Rila Monastery – Sofia City Tour, Excursion to Plovdiv – Sofia, Sofia – Return Flight
8 Days
All year
Arrival in Pristina Airport – Pristina city tour
Arrival in Prishtina airport and transfer to the hotel in Prishtina city center. In the afternoon guided tour to explore the capital city.
During the city tour of Prishtina, we will walk by the old part of the city, and see the Museum of Kosova, the Stone Mosque, Jashar Pasha Mosque, the Bazaar, the Clock Tower, the Big Mosque, the Hamam (Turkish public bath), Mother Tereza Boulevard, the Independence House, the famous Newborn Monument, the Mother Teresa Cathedral, the Statue of American President Bill Clinton, National Gallery, and the famous building of National Library with its unique architecture. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Prishtina.
Prishtina – Patriarchate of Peja – Decan Monastery – Peja
Today we visit two of the most important monasteries in Kosovo, both located in the city of Peja. Arriving in Peja, we take a walking tour in the city centre, before reaching the Patriarchate of Peja Monastery, a medieval Serbian Orthodox monastery built in the 13th century. The monastery has a beautiful and colourful exterior, as well as some magnificent faded frescoes covering the walls and ceiling.
Further we transfer to Decan. Enter to Decan Monastery; a beautiful monastery of the 14th century located bellow the mountains and surrounded by chestnut and pine trees. The interior has one of the most beautiful churches in Europe, filled with Biblical murals and wooden doors. Dinner and overnight in Peja.
Peja – Gjakova – Prizren
This morning we transfer towards the UNESCO town of Prizren. Along the way we visit Gjakova; a charming, laid back historical town. We spend the morning in the old town, and visit its bazaar, which is also the longest bazaar in the Balkans. Located in the bazaar, we visit also The Hadum Mosque, the first mosque in Gjakova, built in 1594. The Hadum Mosque is also the only large building of the Ottoman period to have partially survived the destruction of March 1999.
Further we reach Prizren, an open air museum, part of UNESCO, with lots of history and a delicious cuisine. Prizren is located on the banks of the Bistrica River. We take a city tour, including a visit to Sinan Pasha Mosque, the Church of Our Lady Ljevis, The Halveti tekke, The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Church of Holy Saviour, Emin pasha mosque, Prizren Fortress, and the Albanian League of Prizren, an archaeological museum boasting many ancient artefacts from the region. Dinner and overnight in Prizren.
Prizren – Skopje
Today we transfer towards North Macedonia and spend time in its capital city Skopje. We start the city tour of Skopje, inhabited since at least 4000 BC. We visit the city center, the old bazaar, Kale Fortress, and the memorial house of Mother Tereza. Dinner and overnight in Skopje.
Skopje – Rila Monastery – Sofia
This morning we drive to the Rila Monastery – the biggest and most important symbol of Bulgarian Orthodox church. The Monastery has been founded in the 10-th century and rebuilt in 13-th and 14-th centuries. It is one of Europe’s oldest and included in UNESCO’S list in 1983. Behind the 20 meters walls lie impressive monastery buildings, a church and a chapel with valuable murals.
In the afternoon, we reach the capital city of Bulgaria, Sofia. Dinner and overnight in Sofia.
Sofia City Tour
We spend a full day exploring Sofia. In the morning we start the city tour which will include the most important sites of Sofia, such as Alexander Nevski Cathedral, which the biggest one in Bulgaria, the Holy Synod, St. Sophia Church, National Gallery for Foreign Art, National Library, National Palace of Culture, Borisova Garden, Eagle’s Bridge, Council of Ministers, Banya Bashi Mosque, St. Nedelya – an old metropolitan church, and the National Assembly Square.
Dinner and overnight in Sofia.
Sofia – Excursion to Plovdiv – Sofia
This morning we transfer to Plovdiv, Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city, and the second biggest city in Bulgaria
City tour of Plovdiv, where we will visit its most important sites, such as the Roman Stadium located in the heart of the city; the Ancient Theatre – one of the best preserved in the World; Roman mosaics in the Small Basilica and the Old Town of Plovdiv with its splendid Bulgarian Revival-style wooden-frame houses dating back to 18th and 19th century. Afternoon return to Sofia, for dinner and overnight.
Sofia – Return Flight
Breakfast at the hotel. Free time in Sofia until airport transfer for the return flight.
