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PRICE FROM: 709 euro
DURATION: 10 days / 9 overnights
ROUTE: Sofia, the Rila monastery, Melnik, Ohrid, Tirana, Kruja, Shkoder, Durres, Apollonia, Berat, Ohrid, Skopie, Sofia
INFO: An impressive tour around Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania. Find out more information about the different activities during each tour day and what are the sights that you are going to visit.
DETAILED ITINERARY:
Day 1 – Arrive at the Sofia airport. Meet and greet by your Bulgarian guide. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight.
Transfer and accommodation in Sofia in hotel Thracia Premier Best Western **** (two nights)
Day 2 – Full Day Sightseeing tour of Sofia
In the morning visit the Boyana Church (Unesco site). Admire its beautiful freascoes dating to 1259. In the National Museum of History you will get acqueinted with the rich history of Bulgaria. Here is the Gold Thracian Treasure dating to the 4th c. BC. Return to the central part. Continue with a walking sightseeing tour of Sofia. Visit the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – the biggest and the most beautiful on the Balkan Peninsula, the Monument of Alexander II – Tzar Liberator, the Parliament, The Statue of St Sofia – the symbol of the city, the Presidency, the National Theater, the Ruins of Serdica and the Rotonda St George 4th c. AC, the Synagogue, the Russian Church, the St. Sophia early Christian basilica, which has given the city its name. Finish the tour at around 2 pm at your hotel. Afternoon at leaisure – time to enjoy the central part of Sofia.
B Accommodation in Sofia in hotel Thracia Premier Best Western ****
Day 3 – Sofia – Rila Monastery – Melnik
Breakfast in the hotel. Departure to the Rila Monastery – Bulgaria’s most famous tourist site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in the 10th century by St. Ivan Rilsky, the monastery was at the center of Bulgarian culture and Orthodox belief for centuries. The monastery is the largest in the Balkans and always have been a center of high religious achievement. Our tour of the monastery includes a visit to the Church, which is of particular artistic value, for it was adorned by the foremost 19-century masters of the Samokov, Bansko and Debar schools of painting and woodcarving. Continue to Melnik, arrive in the late afternoon. Hotel check in and evening at leisure.
B Accommodation in Melnik in hotel Melnik ***
Day 4 – Melnik – Bitola – Ohrid
After breakfast departure to Bitola. Visit the Antique city Heraclea located near the city of Bitola, in the foothills of the Baba mountain. It was built in the middle of the IV century B.C – its beauty and charm testifies to the persistence and superiority through time. Departure to Ohrid. Arrive in the late afternoon. Free time for a pleasant walk along the lake shore.
B Accommodation in Ohrid in villa Dea 3* situated on the lake shore
Day 5 – Ohrid – Elbasan – Tirana
After breakfast leave Elbasan where we will make a short stopover to the city fortification wall. Continue through the Bazaar Gate and the Clock Tower, final stop at the St Mary’s and St Vladimir’s Orthodox Church – the church captivates with its beautiful stone arcades on its walls. Arrival in Tirana. The city is located on remains of a Byzantine fortress and has been the capital since 1920. The city tour includes visits to the Skanderbeg Square, the Mosque of Et’hem Bey, the Clock Tower, the National Museum, the Grand Park and government buildings. Dinner and overnight in Tirana.
B Accommodation in Tirana in hotel Villa 60 ***
Day 6 – Tirana – Kruja – Shkoder – Durres
After breakfast departure to the medieval city of Kruja. Visit the castle, the impressive Scanderbeg Museum and the Ethnographical Museum. Free time for some shopping on the Old Bazaar (market). Continue to Shkodra. Visit the Castle of Rosafa (the legend of Rozafa’s presentation) and the museum inside. From the top of the castle you can enjoy wonderful views to the mountains, Shkodra’s lake, Drini, Buna and Kir rivers with the valleys. Leave to the town of Durres – one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean and the largest sea-port in Albania. Overnight in Durres.
B Accommodation in Dures in hotel Bleart ****
Day 7 – Durres – Apolloni – Berat
After breakfast visit the second largest Roman amphitheater on the Balkans (20000 spectators), the Archaeological museum, the Venetian tower. Continue to Appolonia (antique center dating to 588 BC.) The ancient site of Appolonia was an important port along the route between Rome and Byzantium. Here studied the Emperor Augustus. Aristotle mentioned the town in his “Politics”. Continue to Berat, one of the most important “museum towns” of Albania, also called ‘the city of a thousand windows’ for the many windows of its red-roofed houses. Berat is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. Visit the castle of Berat with Onufri museum, the Church of St. Mary of Vllaherna dating to the 13th century, the Chapel of St Marina of Blachemae along the ridge above the gorge, as well as the Leaden Mosque, the King’s Mosque, the Bachelor’s Mosque and the Alveti Tekke. Overnight.
B Accommodation in Berat in hotel Belgrad Mangalem *** or in hotel White city ***
Day 8 – Berat – Ohrid
Departure to Ohrid. Short sightseeing tour of the town – start from the statue of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, continue to the Lower gate, the National Museum of Ohrid, the Church of St Sophia, the Roman amphitheater, the Upper gate, St Clement’s Church of the Holy Mother of God Most Glorious (Sveta Bogorodica Perivleptos), The Icon Gallery, the Tsar Samuil’s fortress, Plaoshnik. End the tour with a walk through the Ohrid’s marketplace. Overnight.
B Accommodation in Ohrid in villa Dea *** situated on the lake shore
Day 9 – Ohrid – Skopie
After breakfast departure to Skopie. Visit the old Train station – first train station on the Balkans and the most beautiful building in the 19th century in the region, the monument and the house of Mother Teresa, the Stone Bridge – the most imposing monument in Macedonia and on the Balkans, built in the beginning of the VI century, Daut Pasin Imam – monument of the Islam architecture from the XV century, the church St. Spas, built at the end of the XVII century housing the relics of the great Macedonian Revolutionary Goce Delcev (1872-1903), the Kale fortress – the most outstanding tourist attraction in Skopje. Departure to Sofia. Arrive late in the evening. Hotel check in.
B Accommodation in Skopje in hotel Centar ***
Day 10 – Skopie, Macedonia – Sofia, Bulgaria
In the morning departure to Sofia. Drop off at the Sofia airport or in your hotel. End of service.
PRICES AND DATES:
Price per person based on a group of 2 people: 1265 euro
Price per person based on a group of 4 people: 845 euro
Price per person based on a group of 6 people: 709 euro
You will have a Bulgarian driver throughout Macedonia and Albania and local tour guides in Macedonia and Albania. In Bulgaria on day 2 you will have a professional tour guide. In the Rila monastery you will have a local professional tour guide.
Included features in Bulgaria:
Included features in Macedonia:
Included features in Albania:
At all time not included:
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
This tour can be paid by credit card, paypal, bank transfer or cash upon departure.
Please note paying by credit card will apply a supplementary fee of 2,5% for VISA card and 1% for Master Card. Paying by paypal will apply a supplementary fee of 4% for overseas transactions.
BOOKING:
We require 30% downpayment upon booking. In the event of cancellation 14 days prior to date of the tour the downpayment will be fully reimbursed.
CANCELLATION POLICY FOR THIS TOUR:
– 14 days prior to date of activity – Free cancellation
– 13 to 8 days prior to date of activity – 30% Cancellation Fee (70% reimbursement)
– 7 to 4 days prior to date of activity – 70% Cancellation Fee (30% reimbursement)
– 3 days prior to date of activity, on the day of the activity and for now show – 100% cancellation Fee (No reimbursement)