Itinerary

1. Day 1: Pristina Airport – Pristina - Prizren (1 hour drive)

   • We welcome you to Pristina Airport and transfer to Prizren overnight. 

   Overnight at Hotel Kacinari Prizren 4* or similar

   Clarification: If your arrival flight is in the evening, the itinerary will remain as it is, while if your arrival flight is in the morning and return in the morning, the last day will be relayed on the first day.

2. Day 2: Prizren - Decan Monastery - Peja Patriarchate - Prizren (3.5 hour drive)

   • After breakfast, we continue to the Monastery complex of Decan, part of Kosovo’s UNESCO monuments. It is considered the largest medieval church in the Balkans and contains beautifully preserved fresco decorations. 
   • Continue to visit the Patriarchate of Peja constructed in the XIII century. It is composed of three small churches with beautiful frescoes. The complex of churches for the architectural and cultural values it represents is part of UNESCO. 
   • After these visits, we drive back to Prizren, which is known for the arts and crafts, something which becomes obvious as soon as you approach the centre, with cobblestone streets, beautifully crafted shops, bars and restaurants built in a typical Ottoman architecture Stone Bridge and Museum dedicated to the League of Prizren an Albanian political organization founded on January 5, 1877, taking official form on June 18, 1878. The League’s main scope was the protection of the rights of the Albanian nation during the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. It was a crucial step in raising Albanian national awareness and paving the way to Albania’s Independence in 1912. The Mosque of Sinan Pasha, built in 1615, is also an interesting monument. 
   • Welcome dinner in a traditional restaurant in Prizren. Overnight at Hotel Kacinari Prizren 4* or similar

3. Day 3: Prizren – Gjakova - Koman Ferry –Tirana (approx. 5 hours’ drive)

   • After breakfast, we drive to Gjakova, a town offering an old quarter called Çarshi full of old houses, shops, bars and the 16th-century Hadum Aga Mosque. 
   • Continue on to the Fierza ferry terminal, where you will take the ferry to Koman on the lake with the same name. A magnificent two-hour ride where the beauty of the high-pointed mountains falling sharply into the waters of the artificial lake of opal green waters forms a natural panorama which will leave you gasping for air.
   • After this spectacle of nature, drive to Albania’s vibrant capital Tirana where we will have a traditional Albanian dinner and spend the night.

   Hotel Oxford 4*. or similar

4. Day 4: Tirana – Berat (UNESCO) – Tirana (approx. 4 hours’ drive)

   • After breakfast, take a driven tour of the major monuments and visit the National History Museum, which offers a great introduction to Albania and its people. 
   • Proceed to Berat, one of the most visited and characteristic towns in Albania, under the protection of UNESCO as a patronage of humanity for its architectural uniqueness. 
   • We visit the Castle and the Onufri Museum, and the Ethnographic museum. Berat castle is of particular interest as people still live within its walls in their traditional houses, as have their ancestors for centuries. The castle used to have over 40 churches, of which 7 still remain, including St. Mary’s church, which turned into the Onufri Museum. Onufri was a famous Albanian Icon master painter of the 16th century who painted many orthodox churches in Albania and Greece, using a special red colour. 
   • After the planned visit, return to Tirana overnight. 

   Hotel Oxford 4* or similar

5. Day 5: Tirana – Ohrid (UNESCO) (approx. 3 hours’ drive)

   • After breakfast, depart to the city of Ohrid in neighbouring Macedonia. 
   • On the way, we drive through rural villages with incredible countryside landscapes. 
   • We stop at Elbasan for a short break. 
   • Afterwards, proceed to Ohrid, proclaimed UNESCO World Heritage area for its cultural and natural legacy. 
   • Visits include Saint Sophia, Plashonik, Saint Painteleimon Church, the Holy Virgin of Peribleptos Church, also a scenic trip by boat to see the best view of the city of Ohrid and Ohrid Lake.
   • After that, we visit the old Bazaar.

   Overnight in Ohrid. Hotel Sky corner 4* or similar. This evening we will have a Macedonian welcome dinner.

6. Day 6: Ohrid – Stobi - Popova Kula Winery – Skopje (approx. 4 hours drive)

   • After breakfast, we transfer to the famous Popova Kula Winery just west of Demir Kapija on the slopes of Veliko Brdo (the Grand Hill). 
   • On the road, we will stop to visit Stobi archaeological site, the most crucial excavation in Macedonia. This crossroad of ancient civilizations has left a rich legacy of antique theatres, palace ruins, brightly-coloured mosaics and religious relics for visitors to enjoy today. The city of Stobi is first mentioned in documents from the 2nd century B.C. 
   • However, archaeologists believe the town had been inhabited at least 400 years earlier. Stobi became a prosperous city due to its location at the crossroads of important trade routes. Popova Kula Winery is undoubtedly one of the success stories of Macedonian viticulture. 
   • Here, it is sometimes possible to taste from the fermentation tanks wine varieties such as; Stanushina, a local grape variety found only in the Tikves region and Temjanika, Zilavka and Vranac, which grew in the ex-Yugoslavia territories. We will enjoy wine tasting degustation in Popova Kula. 
   • Then drive to Skopje, a modern, political, economic and cultural centre. We will visit the memorial house of Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, winner of the Nobel peace in 1979, born in Skopje in 1910), Macedonia Square with numerous monuments like the monumental statue of Alexander The Great, the Stone Bridge, the old bazaar, overnight in Skopje, at Sulltan Hotel 4* or Similar

7. Day 7: Skopje - Matka Canyon - Gadima Cave - Gracanica Monastery - Ulpiana - Pristina (approx. 3 hours’ drive)

   • After breakfast, we drive to Pristina. On the road, we stop at Matka Canyon, which is situated close to the capital Skopje, in one of the oldest artificial lakes in Macedonia and spreads over 5000 hectares making it one of the most popular natural destinations for nature lovers. It is also referred to as the Butterfly Canyon. Vrelo Cave Located on the right bank of the Treska River, Vrelo Cave was listed as one of the top 77 natural sites in the world in the New7Wonders of Nature project and made it to the semi-finals. Vrelo Cave has many stalactites and two lakes, making this an exciting site. Though the exact depth of the cave is unknown, some speculate that it could be one of the deepest underwater caves in the world. 
   • Afterwards, we drive to Gadime Cave, a karst limestone cave called Marble Cave. It was discovered by chance by a villager cutting stone in 1966 and remains largely unexplored. After that, we proceed to the ancient remains of Ulpiana, a roman town in the province of Dardania, home top to the Illyrian tribe of Dardanoi, also known as Justiniana Secunda have been unearthed, testimony to Kosovo’s ancient past. 
   • Just nearby is Gracanica Monastery, a beautifully preserved Orthodox Church of Byzantine architecture founded by King Stefan Milutin in 1321, which is part of the Kosovo Medieval Monuments protected by UNESCO. After this, we visit the Battle of Kosovo monument dedicated to the battle of 1389 between Balkan Alliance forces led by prince Lazar against an Ottoman army led by Sultan Murad I. The battle was fierce, and both leaders of the armies were killed in battle. 
   • Then continue to visit the monument and the Tomb of Sultan Murad I. Proceed to Prishtina, where we check in and overnight.

   Hotel Parlament 4* or similar

8. Day 8: Pristina - Battle of Kosovo - Sultan Murad I Tomb - Pristina International Airport (approx. 45 min)

   • After breakfast, we start with a walking tour of Pristina through the capital, exploring its main attractions, including the National Library, Mother Teresa Cathedral, the “New Born” monument, which is becoming the symbol of this new state, the main pedestal area known as Mother Teresa Boulevard, the Mother Teresa monument and the Monument of Scanderbeg (Albanian National Hero) as well as Kosovo Government buildings. 
   • Just close by, we have the old part of Pristina, starting with the monument of the brotherhood, a monument constructed during the Yugoslavian time, the National Museum, The Clock Tower, the Imperial Mosque, probably the most beautiful, being the Fatih Mosque dating back in 1460 during the golden era of Sultan Mehmet II. Its huge ceiling domed cupola crowns a splendidly painted floral interior of Arabesque design. 
   • Our services end after you transfer to Pristina International Airport according to your flight schedule.