| Duration: | 8 Day(s) - 7 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Gourmet Tours |
DAY 1: Arrival – Skopje
Meet your guide over dinner in the Bohemian district of Skopje and discuss the tour logistics and Macedonian customs while sampling Macedonian grilled cheese, peppers, and courgettes.
Overnight in Skopje.
DAY 2: Market Tour – Matka Canyon Nature Reserve Tour
Rise early so you can buy the best ingredients at the green market. Your chef will guide you through the colorful booths of fruits and spices and teach you how to use them during your Balkan-style lunch cooking class. Afternoon walk in the Matka Canyon nature reserve.
Overnight in Skopje.
DAY 3: Skopje Sightseeing Tour
Explore Skopje on foot: from the Mother Teresa monument in the busy center to the maze of narrow cobblestoned streets of the Old Bazaar, lined with handicraft shops and oriental restaurants. Visit the Painted Mosque and the Dervish convent in Tetovo and stay overnight in Mavrovo.
DAY 4: National Park Tour
Join the shepherds on Mt. Bistra and learn how they produce their sharp sheep cheese. We will spend the day walking in the national park with a few stops in old mountain villages to taste and learn the recipes of their natural homemade products. Dinner on the balcony with the best view over the Radika River valley.
Overnight in Jance.
DAY 5: Ohrid
Morning coffee with local Turkish women in their home, where we will learn about their traditional lifestyle and their colorful handmade accessories. On our way to Ohrid, we will visit the cave churches and monk cells carved into the rocks above Lake Ohrid. Afternoon guided tour of Ohrid Old Town — the cultural capital of Macedonia, protected by UNESCO and the birthplace of the Cyrillic script.
Overnight in Ohrid.
DAY 6: Monastery Tour
Boat ride along the lakeshore, with a few stops to visit the Bay of Bones, the monastery complex of St. Naum Monastery, and for a swim on a hidden beach near St. Naum. After lunch in a fishermen’s village, we will drive to Dihovo for a relaxing evening with our lovely hosts over a delicious dinner paired with their homemade beer and wine.
Overnight in Dihovo or Bitola.
DAY 7: City Tour – Wine Tasting
Morning walk and coffee in one of the cafés on the main pedestrian street of Bitola. Visit the lively old town and bazaar in Prilep to taste the famous “bieno” (beaten) cheese made by Mariovo farmers. Afternoon drive through the wine region with a visit to the Royal Winery and a small communist-style winery — once the main supplier of wine to Marshal Josip Broz Tito. Dinner with wine tasting and a tour of the cellars of Chateau Popova Kula.
Overnight in Popova Kula Hotel.
DAY 8: Museum Tour – Departure
After breakfast, visit the wine museum in Demir Kapija and continue to Skopje Airport for your flight home, or extend your tour at a rural household or in Serbia. If time allows, we will visit Stobi on the way — the ancient trading city built at the sunset of the great Macedonian kingdom.
Included in the Price:
Accommodation: 2 × 5★ hotel, 2 × 4★ hotel, 1 × guesthouse, 1 × boutique hotel, 1 × winery château
Meals: 7 × breakfast, 6 × lunch, 6 × dinner
Transport by air-conditioned van/minibus
Full escort by a professional tourist guide
Cooking class (Day 2)
Boat rides in Matka and Ohrid
Cheese farm visit in Mavrovo National Park
Tasting of homemade products in Galicnik
Traditional welcome by women artisans in Mavrovo
Hiking guide in Mavrovo
Entrance fees for cultural sites
Reforestation certificate for one tree planted in your name in Macedonia
Organization and logistics by Macedonia Travel
Not Included in the Price
Drinks during meals
Travel insurance
Any extra expenses not mentioned under “Included in the Price.”
