Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival at Skopje airport. Your warm ‘welcome to Macedonia’ begins at the airport and continues with a brief sightseeing tour of the city before you arrive at the hotel you chose. After check in and a brief rest, you will visit the Monastery of St. Pantelemon (12th c.), high above Skopje. An English-speaking guide will show you the Monastery church and the famous wall fresco, “Lamentation of Jesus,” considered to be a harbinger of Renaissance painting.
During supper in the Monastery complex’s restaurant, you’ll enjoy a presentation of the “Copper Book” dating from the time of Alexander the Great. The book mentions Alexander as well as others from that period, such as his wife Roxanna and his historian Cliparhus. The presentation by Dr. Dushko Aleksovski, president of the World Rock Art Academy, will include slides and photographs. Return to hotel. Overnight.
Day 2: After breakfast, you’ll enjoy a walking tour (about 1.5 km) of Skopje’s Old Town. Among the sites you’ll visit are the Church of St. Spas (18th – 19th c), known for its unique iconostasis, a masterpiece of wood carving, and a sarcophagus with the remains of one of Macedonia’s greatest heroes, Goce Delcev (1872- 1903), an ideologist of the Macedonian liberation movement against the Ottoman Empire. The walk continues to the old fortress “Kale” (10th – 12th c.), directly above the Old Town. You’ll return to the Old Town for lunch. The remainder of the day you’re free, so you may want to stroll a little longer in the Old Town and buy souvenirs.
Day 3: Breakfast at the hotel, then you’ll visit the Monastery of St. Jovan Bigorski (111 km from Skopje). The countryside in this western part of Macedonia is especially impressive. Located in a picturesque area near the river Radika, the Monastery of St. Jovan Bigorski dates from the 18th – 19th century and is known for its wood-carved iconostasis. After a short break, you will continue to Mavrovo, a well-known ski center (100 km from Skopje). You’ll check in at a hotel of your choice. In the afternoon you’ll travel by chairlift to the Bacilo restaurant on the mountain to sample home made bread, typical white sheep cheese and rakija – traditional Macedonian liquor. The evening will be on your own.
Day 4: Breakfast at the hotel will be followed by travel to Ohrid (98 km) and accommodation in a hotel of your choice. Lunch will be in the hotel. You will have the day to yourself to spend it as you wish, and in summer you can go to the beach.
Day 5: After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll take an organized tour to the St Sofia Cathedral (11th c.), St Jovan Kaneo (13th c.), the renovated Church of St Kliment on Plaoshnik (10th c.) and Samoil’s Fortress. Lunch will be in the hotel, then the rest of the day is free. You may want to try Ohrid trout in one of Ohrid’s restaurants, visit the Old Town and shop for souvenirs or Ohrid pearls.
Day 6: This is a day all for you. Breakfast and lunch are at the hotel.
Day 7: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, the hop a boat for a day-tour of the Monastery of St Naum (about 30 min. across Ohrid Lake). You’ll visit the Monastery Church dating from the 9th century. Lunch will be served at the open-air restaurant on a charming island near the springs of the Crn Drim River. The river flows through Ohrid Lake. (If there are more than 20 persons in the group, we can organize a concert of folk music and dances in this beautiful setting). In the afternoon, you’ll return by boat to Ohrid and have the evening on your own.
Day 8: After breakfast, you’ll depart for Prilep (106 km). Prilep is the birthplace of one of the most significant figures in Macedonian history, King Marko. King Marko, who lived in the 14th century, was a hero and protector of his people and is often compared with England’s King Arthur. Your tour will begin with the unconquerable and powerful Marko’s Towers. Research has shown that the Towers were built long before King Marko’s time, as early as the 4 and 3 century B.C. You’ll also do some sightseeing and lunch in Prilep before returning to Skopje in the afternoon (128 km). You’ll arrive in time to check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening on your own.
Day 9: After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be taken to the airport for your flight home. You’ll take some unforgettable memories and a warm wish for your quick return to Macedonia.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Transfers: airport- hotel- airport
- Transfer by van/ bus during your stay in Macedonia
- 3 overnights in Skopje
- 1 overnight in Mavrovo
- 4 overnights in Ohrid
- Supper in the Monastery of St Pantelejmon (drinks not included);
- 6 lunches
- 1 snack at the “Bacilo” on the Bistra Mountain
- Presentation by Dr. Dushko Aleksovski of the “COPPER BOOK from the time of the Alexander the Macedonian”
- Admission fees for churches and monasteries to be visited
- A professional English-speaking guide
- Program organization and a guide from our travel agency for groups of more than 17 persons
- VAT – 18%.
Price Excludes:
- Suppers, transfers in leisure time, drinks and other services not mentioned in package description above.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Macedonia
Local Culture
Cultural Journey
Archeology/History
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