Grand Tour Of Macedonia

DAY 1 – DAY 3: Kokino – Village Tour – Museum Tour

Walk back to the Early Bronze Age and beyond in North Macedonia: visit Kokino, the fourth-oldest megalithic observatory in the world recognized by NASA, and the Valley of the Stone Dolls. Take a relaxing spa break in a village setting and see how they crush the tasty local spice “K’cana sol” in a small ethnic museum.

Take a walk by the emerald-green lake in the Maleshevo Mountains and sample local pure pine honey and forest fruit jams. Visit local artisans — the weaver, the blacksmith, and the woodcarver. Enjoy a picnic by the waterfalls of the Bregalnica River, deep in nature, far from industry and pollution.

DAY 4 – DAY 5: Byzantine Temples – Tribal Tour – Wine Area Tour

Take a tour of the most valuable Byzantine temples of East Macedonia: Vodocha and Veljusa. High in the mountains, visit the colorful Yuruk tribes who have lived in isolation there for the last six centuries and taste their unique, traditionally prepared poppy-seed specialty.

Continue to the wine region for a historical tour of winemaking, starting from the wine museum and the ancient city of Stobi to the wine cellars of some of the best Macedonian wineries.

You will taste the original Macedonian rosé Stanushina and the full-bodied red Vranec, along with premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grown under the Macedonian sun.

DAY 6 – DAY 7: Tobacco Museum – Heraclea Lyncestis Tour

Drive past the tobacco fields near Prilep and visit the tobacco museum, the leaning clock tower, and the grand Orthodox church of St. Archangel Michael perched on the rocks by the medieval city walls of King Marko. Take a tour of the ancient city of Heraclea, founded by Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great.

Walk in the nature reserve of cormorants, pelicans, herons, cranes, and swans, and taste fishermen’s dishes in a village by Lake Prespa. Visit the small church of Kurbinovo and see its preserved 12th-century frescoes that make this Orthodox jewel one of the most important sites in the world’s cultural heritage.

DAY 8 – DAY 9: Orthodox Churches – Heritage Sites – Lake Tour

Take a tour of Ohrid — a place with 365 Orthodox churches, a Roman amphitheater, the medieval walls of Tsar Samoil, and a world-famous icon gallery. Both Ohrid and Lake Ohrid are under UNESCO protection: the former for its outstanding cultural value, and the latter for being one of the oldest lakes in Europe with exceptional biodiversity.

Visit the monk cells carved into the rocks above Lake Ohrid and drive along the Albanian border for a tour of some of the most important Muslim and Bektashi heritage sites in Macedonia.

DAY 10 – DAY 11: Mount Vodno – Market Tour – Departure

Back in the capital, take the cable car to the top of Mount Vodno for fantastic views of the city and surrounding mountains. In the city, continue with a guided tour of the Mother Teresa Memorial House, Macedonia Square with the grand fountain of Alexander the Great, and numerous monuments, baroque-style buildings, and bridges.

Cross the Vardar River via the old Stone Bridge and walk into the oriental Old Bazaar, a maze of narrow cobblestoned alleys lined with mosques, Turkish baths converted into art galleries, and many handicraft, carpet, and jewelry shops. The farewell dinner will be in a restored Ottoman inn in the Old Town.

Depart Skopje on Day 11.

Included in the Price

Accommodation: 2 × 4★ hotel, 4 × boutique hotel, 3 × 3★ hotel, 1 × ethno-village hotel
Meals: 10 × breakfast, 6 × lunch, 9 × dinner
Wine tasting (4 wines) with dinner at Popova Kula Winery
Wine tasting (4 wines) with lunch at Stobi Winery
Transport with an air-conditioned tourist van/minivan
Full escort by a professional tourist guide
Crushed salt demonstration and tasting in the Ethno Museum
Poppy-seed specialty tasting
Boat ride in the lagoon at St. Naum Monastery
Cable car ride on Mount Vodno
All entrance fees
Reforestation certificate for one tree planted in your name in Macedonia
Full organization and logistics by Macedonia Travel

Not Included in the Price

Drinks with meals
Any extra expenses not mentioned under “Included in the Price.”