Eastern Macedonia tour
April 18, 2019
Skopje city break
April 18, 2019
Macedonia real food adventure
Day 1
Skopje (L, D) (20 km)
Pick up from Skopje Airport and transfer to the hotel. We start the walking tour from the centuries-old Kale – Skopje Fortress. We continue to the Old Turkish Bazaar, mingling with the locals, meeting different cultures and religions, and seeing old forgotten crafts. After that, we go to the Museum of Macedonian Struggle or the Archaeological Museum of Macedonia. We will walk across the Stone Bridge, the landmark of the city, and admire the biggest monument and fountain of Alexander the Great. The next stop will be the Memorial House of Mother Teresa. Did you know that she was born in Skopje in 1910? After that, we will have lunch in a national restaurant. Accommodation in a hotel. Free time for exploring Skopje, on your own. Dinner in the winery restaurant Kamnik, with wine tasting. Overnight in the hotel.
Day 2
Skopje – Kratovo slow food lunch - Berovo (B, L, D) (205 km)
Breakfast in the hotel. We are driving to Kratovo (95 km), a small medieval town founded in the middle of a once-volcano crater. First, we will have a guided walking tour around the town, crossing many medieval bridges and towers. We will see a unique small museum with artifacts from the 20th century B.C. to nowadays. Then, we will have a chance to taste slowly-cooked food by the locals and a chance to taste the local homemade wine and rakija (Macedonian brandy). After that, we will drive to Berovo (110 km). Accommodation in a hotel. Dinner in a local national restaurant. Overnight.
Day 3
Berovo (B, L) (20km)
Breakfast at the hotel. We are driving (8km) close to Bacilo (tea hut), then we have the option to walk to Bacilo about (800 m) steep terrain or to use a tractor from the main road to the tea hut. It is a private property in the middle of the mountain and the owners grow their own fruits and vegetables around the hut and also have their own cattle. They will take us around the property and serve us homemade food. After that, we come back to Berovo and you will have free time to stroll around Berovo Lake. Overnight.
Day 4
Berovo - Strumica - Demir Kapija (B, L, D) (140 km)
Breakfast. We are driving to the village of Koleshino (70 km). There, we will visit the beautiful Koleshino waterfall. Just 4 km from the waterfall is a small village named Gabrovo, where we will have home-hosted lunch accompanied with a music performance by local musicians. After that, we are driving to Demir Kapija (70 km), where we will be accommodated in the winery hotel, Popova Kula. Dinner with wine tasting, in the winery restaurant. Overnight.
Day 5
Demir Kapija - Stobi - Tikvesh - Demir Kapija (B, L, D) (140 km)
Breakfast. We drive to the biggest archaeological site in Macedonia, Stobi (38 km). The oldest synagogue in Europe, from the 1st century A.D., is found in this archaeological site. We continue driving to the next winery that has the same name as the archaeological site, Stobi Winery. We will take an organized tour around the winery, then we have lunch and the possibility to taste some of the wines. We drive back to the hotel in Demir Kapija (38 km). Free time. We are driving towards the biggest and the oldest winery in Macedonia, and one of the biggest in Europe, winery Tikvesh (32 km). The professionals from the winery will take us through the cellars, they will explain the history of the winery and the whole process. We will then have a chance to taste some of their wine in its own restaurant in a beautiful atmosphere, with some specialties cooked from their chef just for us. Overnight in the hotel.
Day 6
Demir Kapija – Dihovo - Ohrid (B, L, D) (200 km)
Breakfast. We are driving to visit Bitola (130 km), the city of consuls where we will see the ancient city, Heraclea Linkestis. After that, we will go to the village Dihovo (5 km) to a home-hosted lunch. After lunch, we are driving to the town of UNESCO, Ohrid (70 km). Accommodation in a hotel. Lunch in a restaurant. Start of the Ohrid city tour, one of the oldest towns in Europe. We will visit famous untouched medieval churches, the fortress of King Samuel with a beautiful panorama, the ancient Macedonian-Roman theatre, we will be sailing with small boats on the way back to the center. Free time on your own. Dinner in a national restaurant with a folk ensemble and traditional Macedonian songs and dances. Overnight in the hotel.
Day 7
Ohrid - Elshani - Bay of bones - St. Naum - Ohrid (B, L) (73 km)
Breakfast. We are driving to Elshani (12 km), a beautiful mountain village with an excellent view of Ohrid Lake. There, we will have the chance to ride donkeys and to mingle with the locals. After that, we will have a home-hosted meal. In the afternoon, we will visit the reconstruction of a unique prehistoric settlement on water from the Bronze Age – Bay of Bones (8 km). We will continue to drive to the extraordinary monument of nature - lake springs and the monastery of St. Naum (14 km) from the 9-th century. Transfer to the hotel (29 km). Free time. Dinner on your own. Overnight.
Day 8
Ohrid – Vevchani – Janche – Bigorski - Matka - Skopje (220 km) (B, L, D)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to visit the village Vevchani and have the chance to enjoy nature around the Vevchani springs. Continue our tour to the village Janche for lunch. The next stop will be the monastery “St. Jovan Bigorski”, where you will see wooden carved iconostasis. After that, we are driving close to the capital Skopje, to visit one of the most beautiful canyons in Europe, Matka (90 km). With small boats, we will set sail 6 km upstream to visit the cave Vrelo, full of natural cave decorations. Accommodation in a hotel in Skopje (18 km). Farewell dinner in a national restaurant. Overnight.
Day9
Transfer to Skopje Airport (B) (20 km)
Breakfast at the hotel. Free time. Drive to Skopje International Airport, about 40 minutes from the hotel.
Services for the tour
- Professional local tour guide
- All transfers with our vehicle
- Accommodation in hotels on BB basis
- Meals in restaurants according the program
- All entrance fees for museums and churches
- Rates depend on the number of travelers