5 DAY MACEDONIA. DAY 1: Private Full Day Tour Best of Ohrid

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1 5 DAY MACEDONIA DAY 1: Private Full Day Tour Best of Ohrid If you are you interested in knowing a bit more about the town situated on the shores of Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest human settlements in Europe, want to feel the place where writing, education and Slavonic culture have spread out from and want to see more than 800 Byzantine-style icons and frescoes, this tour will be ideal. The frescoes are considered one of the most important collections of icons in the world. All of this is located in a natural setting of exceptional, unspoiled beauty in between the Galicica National Park and the Ohrid Lake, inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. This full day tour of Ohrid and its surrounding sites will remark the best of your visit to Macedonia. The driver/guide will pick you up from your hotel or any location of your preference in Ohrid, and take you on an inspiring walk by the lake, through the little narrow cobbled streets of Ohrid hill, among the beautiful Byzantine churches, up to Samoil s fortress and on the most picturesque cliff of St. Jovan Kaneo, where you can grab the chance for a magnificent photo shoots. From Kaneo, you will be taken on a boat to the main port, form where you continue by comfortable A/C car or mini-van for a 45 minutes drive by the shores of Lake Ohrid to visit St. Naum Monastery, another breathtaking scenery and atmosphere. On the way back to Ohrid, visit of the Bay of Bones ancient settlement on water. Some of the places you will most likely pass: Lake Ohrid, St. Sofija church, Robevci house museum, Antic theatre, St. Bogorodica Perivleptos church, Gallery of Icons, Upper Gate, Samoil s fortress, St. Clement Plaosnik church, Church of St. John at Kaneo, The old bazaar Charsija, The 500 years old Chinar tree, St.Naum Monaster, Bay of Bones

2 Day two: Private Full Day Tour Best of Bitola (Heraclea Lyncestis) from Ohrid Your day begins with a 9am pickup from your Ohrid accommodations, or any other preferred location in the city. Board the comfortable air-conditioned car or minivan and drive about 1.5 hours to Bitola. Upon arrival in Bitola your driver/guide offers an introduction to the city s history and leads you to the ancient settlement of Heraclea Lynceststis to admire its well-preserved floor mosaics, fine examples of early Christian art. After the visit to Heraclea Lynceststis, drive by the City Park to the City Museum from where you embark on a walking tour along the pedestrian street of Shirok Sokak. While walking, admire the colorful neoclassical buildings, housing cafes and restaurants. There is time to sample some local bites or just relax with a coffee while people watching (at own expense). The tour continues to the Old Bazaar, from where you walk to the Green Market, passing by such historic sites as the Clock Tower and Yeni Mosque. At the Green Market, where the tour concludes, don't miss your chance to buy a traditional pepper necklace or to stock up on some fresh, organic produce. Your day ends with a drop-off back at your accommodations in Ohrid. The tourists will have to make new accommodation arrangements from Ohrid to Skopje

3 DAY THREE: Skopje Full-Day Tour Including Millennium Cross and Matka Canyon Discover Skopje's top attractions and it s surroundings. Follow your friendly and knowledgeable guide through the street of Skopje, beginning with the new Skopje 2014th, across the Stone Bridge, through the Old Town and then up to the fortress Kale. Enjoy a ride up to the Millennium Cross at the top of Mount Vodno for a spectacular panoramic view on Skopje. Visit St. Pantelejmon church, before heading to Matka canyon. Discover Skopje on a walking tour. Meet your guide at Gate Macedonia, near the main Macedonia square, and explore the new and old part of the town, all the way to the fortress Kale. Then, from fortress Kale the tour continues to Mount Vodno and, by cable-car, to the Millennium Cross. Once back at middle Vodno you continue by organized transport to the village Gorno Nerezi to see St. Pantelejmon church. Next, head to Matka canyon, about 17 km from Skopje. Tour's top attractions: Gate Macedonia/ Macedonia Square, Grand fountain of Alexander the Great, Pedestrian shopping street Makedonija, Memorial House of Mother Theresa, Green market, House of Parliament, Archeological Museum, Stone Bridge, The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Independence, The Holocaust Memorial Center, Square Philip II, Daut Pasha Hammam, The Old Bazaar, with its mix of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture and hundreds of little craftsman shops and tearooms, Kapan Han, Chifte Hammam, Suli Han, St. Holy Salvation, Mustapha Pasha Mosque, Skopje s fortress Kale, Cablecar system to Millennium Cross, St. Pantelejmon church, Matka canyon, St. Andrew church. ($39) What s Included: Local English speaking guide Cable-car system to Millennium Cross Transportation (from fortress Kale to the cable-car at Mount Vodno, then transportation to Gorno Nerezi St. Pantelejmon church, and then to canyon Matka and back at drop-off point Gate Macedonia) All taxes, fuel surcharges, and service fees included What s not included: Hotel pick-up and drop-off Meals and drinks Entrance tickets Optional entrance at St. Pantelejmon (2EUR) and St. Andrew (1EUR) payable on spot Optional boat ride on canyon Matka (7 EUR) payable on spot Personal expenses Tips and gratuities (optional)

4 DAY FOUR: Transfer Skopje to MAVROVO Depart in the morning from your central Skopje hotel. After arriving in Mavrovo, you will get a briefing with information about the city and its National Park. Here you will see Sharko cave, an underground beauty which has beautiful stalactite, stalagmite and corals and other cave ornaments that create a picture of untouched beauty. After that you will visit the village of Galicnik where Galicka svadba (wedding) takes place on 12th July each year. After visiting Galicnik, drive along Mavrovo Lake and the canyon of the river Radika to the biggest monastery in Macedonia, St. Jovan Bigorski, 2km from Rostushe village, Debar, at an altitude of 740m. Placed on the impressionable Bigor rocks on canyon valley of the river Radika, in the embrace of the exuberant forests implanted in the north, are the west slopes of Bistra Mountain. The monastery complex includes a church, charnel house, defense tower, complex of monastery shelters, and the newly-built guests shelters. Next comes a natural place called Waterfall Duff. Your tour continues with the visit of the wonderful monastery Rajcica. After that, enjoy a traditional lunch in Mavrovo before returning to Skopje. Departure Point Your hotel in central Skopje Departure Time 9:00am Return Details Returns to original departure point

5 Inclusions: Lunch, Driver/guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off, Private tour, Transport by private vehicles, All taxes, fuel surcharges and service fees included DAY FIVE: Tikves Winery Private Wine Tour from Skopje Morning departure from Skopje towards Tikves wine region (1.5 h drive). Visit of the Tikves Winery with a local guide and a short presentation of the Winery's production facilities, technology used and the process itself of producing the famous Macedonian wines. After that you will have a tasting a 4 type of wines and lunch. Tikves, is the most famous wine area in the Republic of Macedonia. Whether is red or white, sweet or dry, Macedonian wine is one of the best in the region. Drink of the gods made of the most beautiful grapes grown under the Macedonian sun in still untouched nature. Have the honor to experience the flavor of the Macedonian wines. The Tikves winery is one of the oldest wineries in the Republic of Macedonia producing approximately 35 million liters of wine each year. Tikves Winery offers a complete enjoyment for those who wish to explore the beauties of the wine world. Enjoy a narrative on the winery s history and a stroll through the wine cellar, and get a feel of the locality s spirit and character by tasting the finest wines by Tikves. Departure Point Skopje central location Departure Time Flexible

6 Inclusions Lunch, Wine tasting, 3-course lunch, Driver/guide, Local guide, Private tour, Round-trip private transfer, Transport by air-conditioned coach/minivan, Transport by private vehicle Exclusions Souvenir photos (available to purchases), Gratuities (optional)