Macedonia in 7 days

Short tour description: 

Macedonia for 7 days is one of the best ways to see real Macedonia. This tour includes visits to cultural, historical and archeological sites as mush as visits to hidden parts of Macedonia, outdoor excursions to our beautiful nature, enjoying our cuisine and wine and experience new adventures. Driving by Jeeps through old unused roads deep in Macedonian mountains, boat ride through Ohrid and Prespa Lake

Day 1

09:00
We’ll pick you up from airport or place of your accommodation and start with Skopje city tour.
This tour includes visits to: Main city square, The Stone Bridge , The Kale Fortress , Old shopping district , Church of the Holy Ascension , The Besesten, Mustapha Pasha's Mosque , Kuršumli Han ,

Čifte Hammam , Suli Han , Sultan Murats'sMosque , Gazi Issa Bey's Mosque , The Bey’s Tower , monument of Mother Teresa and St. Panteleimon Church located on the Vodno mountain .
Lunch in 14.00 h. in restaurant located on main city square,
Diner in 20:00 h. in St. Panteleimon restaurant located on Vodno Mountain.


22:00
Overnight in Skopje.

        

Day 2

08:00
Breakfast at the Hotel

09:00
Departure from Skopje to Canyon Matka

9:45-10:05
Parking Matka - Monastery of Holy Mother .
There is about 20 min time for a visit and a short walk around the Monastery of Holy Mother - until 10:05.

10:05 - 10:35
Easy walk by the river Treska and the kayaks pat up to the dam of the lake Matka. From the dam to the church of St. Andrew’s we’ll walk on the beautiful path curved in the canyon stone walls.

10:35 – 11:00
Visit the Church of “St. Andrew’s” and the mountaineering house “Matka”, where we’ll stay about 25 min.

11:00 – 12:20
From the small port we’ll take a boat. The trip with the boat is a wonderful experience and the Matka Canyon can be observed from this trip. One way of the boat trip takes about 25 min. Short stop for coffee and refreshment drinks in the beautiful hidden improvised (wood and stones only) restaurant located over the water in beautiful lake lagoon. There we’ll stay for about 30 min. after which we’ll take a boat again and get back to the little St. Andrew’s port.
                                          

12:20 – 12:40
We’ll return to the parking by foot, and after that departure to Tetovo .

13:10
Tetovo. Visit to the Painted mosque in Tetovo , the unique mosque in the Islamic art built in 1675 by Husania Hanuma, daughter of some Pasha in this period.

13:40
Departure to N.P. Mavrovo

14:30
Accommodation and lunch in hotel.

17:00
There are a lot of possible activities for those five afternoon hours in Mavrovo like:
-    Biking
-    Visiting caves
-    Trekking   

20:00
Dinner in the restaurant in Mavrovi Anovi (at the foot of the mountain, on the shore of Mavrovo Lake).


Day 3

07:00  
Breakfast at the hotel.

08:00
Departing to the village Leunovo and driving with 4x4 jeeps to the village Lazaropole on off road in the highest ranges of mountain Bistra with the beautiful view of the whole massif Mavrovo Lake and Debar valley. Visit of the village Gari, coffee brake in the nature and a taste of the best Macedonian home-made cheese.
 (Optional: If the snow in the mountains is to high the route is changing in the direction of monastery St. Jovan Bigorski , with a short visit of the monastery and then on the off road from the village D.Melnicani to Novak and Selci above the Debar lake)

18:00
Arriving in Struga , short coffee break and walk trough the center of the city and along the river Black Drim which running out of Ohrid Lake

19:30
Departing from Struga toward Ohrid.

20:00
Arriving in Ohrid and accommodation in hotel.

21:00
Diner in national restaurant located in the old city.  

Day 4

08:00
Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00
Start Ohrid city tour. This tour will include visits to: St.Sophia church 11th c. - Cathedral of Ohrid archbishops; St.Bogorodica Perivlepta 13th c. - The church was built and painted in 1295; St.Jovan Kaneo church 13th c. – most known for its scenic location, standing on a cliff over Lake Ohrid; St.Pantelejmon – Plaoshnik , it is the site of the first university in Europe, opened in the 10th c. and it is the place where the cyrillic alphabet was created. Other significant cultural and historical objects like: Old bazaar, Kaneo settlement, Ohrid fortifications and Ancient theatre.

13:00
Departure from Ohrid towards village Trpejca

13:30
Arriving in the village Trpejca, from were we’ll take a        
boat and after 20 min. boat ride we’ll be at the little  
St.Bogorodica Zahumska (St.Zaum) port. There is about
30 min time for a visit and a short walk around the
church.


14:30
Departure to St. Naum Monastery . There will be another 30 min. boat ride until we reach St.Naum Monastery. Boat trip is wonderful opportunity to see the deepest spot in Ohrid Lake 321 m, as well as beautiful crystal clear springs rising from the rocky isolated beaches.

15:00
Lunch in St.Naum restoarant

16:30
Visit to St.Naum monastery.

17:15  
A rowboat tour to the springs of Black Drim River

17:45
Departure towards Otesevo, located on the shore of Prespa Lake , through high pass of N.P. Galitzica
 
19:00
Otesevo. Accommodation, diner and overnight at hotel

Day 5

08:00  
Breakfast at the Hotel

09:00  
Departing toward village Konjsko by 4x4 jeeps on off road and from there by boat to the Snake Island where from 15 of May until 20 of July during the reproduction time hundreds of water snakes are coming to the shore. It’s also a place where more than 30 species of birds are nesting.

11:00
Departing towards N.P. Pelister

13:00
Arriving at hotel Molika at the slopes of Mt. Baba.

13:30
With 4X4 cars into the Pelister NP and after a ride of 1h30 we’ll arrive at the top of the mountain, where we’ll visit little and big lake also known like “Pelister eyes”.

15:30
Lunch outdoor. Barbecue prepared on the big lake shore
2 218 m.
                                            
20:00
Arriving at hotel Molika at the slopes of Mt. Pelister. Diner and overnight in hotel.  


Day 6

08:00
Breakfast at Molika Hotel

09:00
Departure to Bitola

09:30
Arrival in Bitola and visit to the archaeological location “Heraklea”. Walk through famous Bitola’s “Shirok Sokak”. Also visits to: “clock tower”, Orthodox Church St.Dimitrija, Catholic Church, the Bezisten and the mosque of Yahdar-Kadi  

13:00
Departing toward Prilep and from there on off road to the monastery Treskavec , one of the most beautiful monastery in our country, placed between the rocks of Mt. Zlato Vrv.

14:30  
Arriving at monastery Treskavec.

16:30
Lunch in Prilep.

18:00
Long journey to Strumica .

20:30
Arriving in Stumica, diner and overnight.
 

Day 7

08:00
Breakfast at the hotel.

08:30
Village Smolare and Smolare waterfalls . This waterfall is the unique existing waterfall in Macedonia, where the water falls from the high of 36 meters. It can be found above the village of Smolare, at an elevation of 630 meters, located deep into the mountain of Belasica, where the river Lomnica springs hidden among the hundred-years-old beech wood.

10:00
Village Kolesino, Kolesino waterfalls . It’s enchanting in every season during the summer it will freshen you up and in the winter it will astonish you with its frozen beauty. It can be found at an elevation of 610 meters, on the river Baba and in the bosoms of the mountain Belasica, surrounded by maple trees and stone cliffs. The water of this waterfall falls from the height of 16 meters.

11:30
Departure towards the monastery Vodocha and monastery Veljusa .

12:30
Visit to the Monastery of Vodocha and the Monastery of Veljusa. There is about 30 min time for itch, for a visit and a short walk around the Monasteries.

14:00
Departure towards Berovo .

15:30
Arrival in Berovo and Lunch in the restaurant on the Shore of Berovo Lake.

18:00
Departure to Skopje.