Itinerary

1. Day 1: Departure from Bitola

   • We will pick up at Bitola and proceed to our first stop in Podmocani (Prespa Lake) village. Here, we will have the opportunity to visit the private museum of folk costumes, which has over 500 different men's and mostly women's folk costumes from all over the country.
   • After visiting the museum, we will continue to the village of Kurbinovo, where we will visit the church of St. Gorgi (XII century), where the first signs of the Renaissance and the famous fresco "The Angel of Kurbinovo" were found—coffee break at the Prespa Lake.
   • Through the National Park Galicica, we continue to the most visited monastery complex in our country, the monastery of St. Naum.
   • Optional boat cruising in one of the most protected ecological areas, where the most powerful springs of Ohrid Lake and the river Crn (Black) Drim are located.
   • In the afternoon we go to Ohrid. On the way to the former Lychnidos (City of Light), we visit the water Museum "Bay of Bones," a complex where a replica of the houses is built on platforms over the lake between the XII and VII centuries BC. Overnight in Ohrid.

2. Day 2: Walking Tour in the Old Part of Ohrid

   • We start the second day with a walking tour of the old part of Ohrid. The gallery of icons, the imposing Samuil's fortress, the Antique theatre, the cathedral church "St. Sofia", the St. Clements church at Plaosnik, etc., are only part of the wealth that Ohrid offers and which will be part of our agenda.
   • At the end of the half-day walking tour, we visit the craft workshop where the original Ohrid Pearls are on sale, and we will hear the story of how their work began. Free time at the centre for viewing the bazaar or boat ride along the Ohrid Lake.
   • From here, we leave for Vevcani, the village known for the oldest carnival in these areas, the Vevcani springs, the masters of the mason craft and, of course, the excellent traditional home-made Macedonian food.
   • In the afternoon, first, we go to the monastery complex in the village Kalista and then continue to Struga, the city host of the Struga Poetry Evenings, the place where the river Drim flows from Ohrid Lake. In the late afternoon we return to Ohrid. Overnight in Ohrid.

3. Day 3: Debar Lake and Mavrovo Lake

   • After breakfast, we leave for Debar Lake. We ride along the most picturesque terrain in Macedonia, along the flows of the rivers “Crn Drim” and “Radika”.
   • Our first stop is the female monastery "St.  Gorgi Pobedonosec"(St. George the Victorious) in the village Rajcica, a place where the famous mitras (decorated hats that the bishops wore during the liturgy)  for the whole Christian Orthodox world are made.
   • From there, the road leads us to the second most visited monastery in Macedonia, "St. Jovan Bigorski "(St. John the Baptist). We visit the church and have a small break in the cafe restaurant below the monastery.
   • In the afternoon, we continue through the national park Mavrovo and the Mavrovo Lake, and then head to another magical place - the canyon Matka. The place is known as the natural refuge of many endemic species of butterflies, underwater caves and churches from the XII-XIV century, as well as a paradise for rock climbers.
   • Sail with a boat through artificial accumulation to the deepest underwater cave in Europe is optional (Cave “Vrelo”). Overnight in Skopje.

4. Day 4: Skopje City Tour

   • After breakfast, we start with a walking tour at the Fortress Kale, the oldest populated part of the Skopje basin, a place from which we have a wonderful panorama view of the new part of the city, the renovated football national stadium, the US Embassy, etc.
   • We continue to the old bazaar, once one of the largest in the Balkans.
   • Next, we visit the Mustafa-Pasha Mosque, the church of St. Spas( The Holy Salvation), Kapan -, etc. 
   • From here, we head to the square “Karposevo Vostanie"(Karpos Uprising Square), where we have the opportunity to see the new monuments, the Archeological Museum of the Republic of Macedonia, the Museum of the Holocaust, the new Theater Building.
   • Going across the “Stone bridge” we continue to the Central square and the monument of Alexander the Great. Next, we visit the memorial house of the world-famous humanist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa. The city tour will end at the former railway station, which is today the Museum of the City of Skopje.
   • From Skopje, we continue to the central part of Macedonia, visiting the Tikvesh region and one wine cellar. Free time for degustation and lunch.
   • In the afternoon, we head to the southeast part of the country to visit the Smolare and Koleshino waterfalls near Strumica, the highest and most picturesque ones in our country. Overnight in Strumica.

5. Day 5: Vodoca and Veljusa Monasteries

   • We start the last day of our journey by visiting the monasteries Vodoca and Veljusa in the immediate vicinity of Strumica.
   • Around 13:00, we will visit the “City hero” - Prilep.
   • After the walk through the bazaar, we head to the tobacco museum, where we will look at the extremely important exhibits and objects related to "yellow gold" and hear the story of the tradition related to the cultivation of tobacco in these areas.
   • Our next destination is Krushevo, city recognizable for dozens of specificities, unique in its location(1250m above sea level),  and pure mountain air. Here we visit the monument Ilinden/Makedonium, memorial house of our great artist, singer and above all a humanist, the unique and unforgettable Tose Proeski.
   • In the centre we will visit the city bazaar, the church of “St. Nikola” and several workshops. After tasting the local delicious “Kruševo locom”(traditional sweet), in the afternoon, we return to Bitola.