Tour Of Albania, Kosovo And Macedonia

Join tour Tirana. Transfer to Kruja.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Dinner

The main highlight in Kruja is the citadel, from where Albania’s greatest hero, Skanderberg, led the resistance against the Ottoman domination. He succeeded in ousting the Turks in 1443 and Albania was free for the next 30 years. Today the fortress is a place of pilgrimage and inspiration for Albanians; it enjoys a classic setting high on a ridge staring out to the Adriatic coast, approached via pine clad hills. We will visit the fortress and the bazaar before continuing to Shkodra. Shkodra is the traditional centre of the Gheg cultural region and is one of the oldest cities in Europe. We visit the Rozafa fortress, which enjoys a panoramic views of the town and lake. The afternoon is free to explore.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we leave Shkodra and head to Milot, where we start a scenic drive through mountains of central-northern Albania on the highway known as "The Road of the Nation". Driving through the small town of Bajram Curri, we enter the fantastic Valbona Valley.  We will check in a mountain hotel located in the centre of the valley, amidst the jagged peaks of the Accursed Mountains and enjoy the afternoon exploring the village on foot.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Valbona is one of the most beautiful alpine valleys of Albania. Today we will hike to the side valley of Kukaj, making our way through forest towards alpine pastures that offer breathtaking views of the valley and the surrounding mountains. We will have a picnic lunch and later visit a shepherd’s family to taste a cup of fresh mountain tea. In the afternoon there is time to relax before a traditional dinner of lamb on the spit is served (vegetarian options also available).

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we cross the border into Kosovo where we spend the next five days. Kosovo is the world’s newest country and has been independent only since 2008. Unfortunately, to most people Kosovo is most known for its war. However, it is a fascinating country boasting lots of treasures from past empires including Greek, Roman, Turkish and Ottoman. Driving through the town of Gjakova, we will than stop to visit the ‘kulla’ of Junik (traditional Albanian mountain houses) before arriving at the beautiful Decani Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Monastery was established in 1327 by the Serb King Stefan Uros III Decanski and is a superbly situated showpiece of Orthodox art. Then, we drive to the town of Peja.  The afternoon will be spent visiting the town’s attractions on foot.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we will visit the highlands of Peja. As we exit the town we stop to visit the church complex of Peja Patriarch, surrounded by the peaks of the Rugova Bjeshke (highlands), the Kosovo part of the Accursed Mountains and boasting amazing frescoes. Our day will continue with an impressive drive through the dramatic Rugova Gorge to the alpine location of Boga, where we will stop and start a short hike to a nearby lake. In the evening, we return to Peja and spend the evening in town.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We leave Peja and visit the waterfall of Drini Bardhe near the Montenegro border. The drive will than continue towards the outskirts of Pristina where we visit the Kosovo battle memorial. The memorial devoted to the martyred Serb knights is located where the Battle of Kosovo took place on 28^th June 1389. Verses praising the heroism of the Serb knights are chiselled in bronze letters on the stone slabs and can be read in the interior of the monument. Next we visit the splendid monastery of Gracanica, one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture. Then we arrive in Pristina, the Kosovo capital which largely escaped damage in the war. Free afternoon to explore and relax in its many bars and restaurants.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We leave the capital driving through rolling hills till we reach the region of Rahovec – the wine cellar of Kosovo. Here we will visit a few wine makers before making our way to the village of Hoqa e Vjeter – a serbian enclave village, where we will visit a monastery that also makes wine.  In the afternoon we drive to Prizren – a town dominated by ottoman villas – perhaps the most typical town of Kosovo, and spend the evening there.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning, we stroll the streets of historic Prizen, an eclectic mix of Mediterranean, Orthodox, Ottoman and Islam flavours. It is a pretty town with many mosques, monasteries and narrow cobbled alleys. There is also some residual damage from firings in 1999 and 2004 which leave a scar upon the town. We will visit the Prizren League Museum, the Turkish Hammam, the old mosques, and the Bogoslavia church. There is then some time to explore at your own pace, perhaps visiting its myriad of small shops selling everything from jewellery to oriental sweets. In the afternoon  we will visit the fortress of Tzar Dushan, located inside a narrow gorge. Then we drive to Sharr National Park where we will spend the night.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

The day will start with a wonderful drive through the forests Sharr National Park till we reach Brezovica which in winter is a skier’s heaven. It also has beautiful trails that can make great walks in the summer with breathtaking views. A short walk on a forest trail will bring us to the meadows of Potok where we can taste a picnic lunch with Sharr mountains fresh produce, and enjoy the stunning scenery around. In the afternoon we will continue to drive on a beautiful forest road that will lead to the border crossing of Globocic, where we will say farewell to Kosovo and hello to Macedonia. We will head for the capital city of Skopje.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we visit the main attractions of the Macedonian Capital including the Kale Fortress, the Ottoman Bazaar and the Sveti Spas monastery. A short transfer will than bring us to the town of Teovo, where we will visit the colored mosque. Drive to the picturesque location  of Mavrovo National Park, where we can have leisurely walks before dinner.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

We leave Mavrovo and take the scenic road towards the Debar region, continuing along the lakes of the Black Drin river that generates most of the hydropower of the country. We stop in Struga to visit the springs of the river and have lunch. In the afternoon a short transfer will bring us to Lake Ohrid. The lake is situated against a dramatic mountain backdrop. Founded over 2,400 years ago, Ohrid has a wealth of heritage and is today an important cultural and spiritual centre. To help its protection both the town and lake were classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest in the world and allegedly there are some 365 churches, monasteries and other religious sites around the lake. We will visit the city’s main attractions and enjoy dinner on the waterfront.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Leaving Ohrid, we visit the monastery of St.Naum, before entering Albania again at Tushemisht. We continue the drive along the lakeshore, making a brief stop at  Pogradec. Before starting the climb of Thana Pass, we will visit the fisherman village of Lin where the ruins of a paleochristian church are found as well as Roman mosaics. We will than continue the drive through the valley of Shkumbin and Elbasan town, until we reach Tirana. Tirana was made the capital of Albania in 1920 in order to provide a power base in the geographical centre of the country. There has been a fortress on the fertile Plain of Tirana since Roman times, although the city only really came in to its own in the 18th century. Today it is Albania’s largest city. Today we will take an escorted walking tour of the government buildings and the mosque. This evening you may wish to visit the sky tower with views of the city.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

The tour ends in Tirana this morning after breakfast.

Included meals: Breakfast