Day 1Skopje airport – Skopje (20 km)
Flight to Skopje. Pick up from the airport in Skopje. We will accommodate in the hotel. Orientation walks through Skopje. Visit of Macedonian archiepiscopal church of St. Clement of Ohrid. You will have optional dinner in a restaurant. Overnight.
Day 2 Skopje – Nerezi - Skopje (30 km) (B)
Breakfast at hotel. We will start city stroll through the Old City: Old Bazar, Daut Pasha haman, Chifte haman, Bezisten covered market, Suli Han, Kapan Han: caravan serails, Fortress Kale, Mustafa Pasha mosque, Church St Savior. Lunch in restaurant in the city center. After that, we will continue our tour with visits of the famous Stone Bridge, Central Square, New Archeological Museum, Museum Mother Theresa, Old Train Station, walk through Makedonija street, river Vardar, statues... In the afternoon, we will visit St. Pantaleimon in village Nerezi (15 km) from 1164 from the time of Komnen Byzantine dynasty. The most impressive fresco in St. Panteleimon created under the influence of apocryphal religious literature is the Lamentation of Christ. Art historians consider it a masterpiece as it displays traits associated with renaissance art at a much earlier stage than the blossoming of the Italian Renaissance. Back to Skopje (15 km). You will have the option for dinner in a restaurant. Overnight.
Day 3Skopje - Matka -Bigorski – Ohrid (220 km) (B, L)
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Matka region (15 km) and there we will visit Lake Matka by boat – cave Vrelo and monastery “St. Andrew”. We will have option for lunch in the restaurant in Matka. Bus transfer to Ohrid with visit of one of the most beautiful monasteries in Macedonia – St. John the Baptist Bigorski (110 km). Monastery was built 1020 and restored 1743. We will see wood-carved iconostases and icon dating from 1020 with miraculous healing power. We are heading to the city of UNESCO – Ohrid. After the accommodation, we have an evening orientation walk throughout this lovely town. The dinner with a Macedonian folk dances ensemble is optional tonight.
Day 4Ohrid (B)
We start a walking tour through the old city of Ohrid, one of the oldest towns in Europe, full of history with traces of four thousand years of civilization. We will visit famous medieval churches – the Holly Mother of God Perivleptos and the church St. Clement of Ohrid at Plaoshnik, the fortress of Tsar Samuel with a beautiful panorama, the ancient Macedonian-Roman theatre, sailing with small boats on the way back to the center. Explanation of the history, the biggest open-air museum of the Byzantheum. Next we will visit the medieval church of St. Sophia and further on we will stop at a pearl shop store, where the workers will give us a short explanation on the famous Ohrid pearl making process. Free time to explore more of this UNESCO site. Lake cruising by big boat is an option for the afternoon. Free evening.
Day 5Ohrid – Dihovo - Bitola (125 km) (B, L)
We continue our tour to Bitola, but first we are headed to the National park and mountain of Galichica to admire the nature from few view points in the mountain. On the other site of the National park, we will have another stop to see Lake Prespa with hundreds of species of birds, pelicans and cormorants among them. We drive onward to Dihovo, a little village sitting in the foothills of Mountain Baba and National Park Pelister. Local Guest House Dihovo is member of the Slow Food organization for healthy food and produces home-made wine, brandy and beer as well as home-made organic food. Our lunch here will consists of variety of home-cooked Macedonian specialties, made with fruits and vegetables coming from its own private gardens, followed by domestic brandy and wine in wooden barrels, as well as a range of home-brewed beers. Accommodation in hotel in Bitola. You will have option for dinner in restaurant for a cheese fondue. Overnight.
Day 6Bitola – Prilep – wine region – Popova Kula (130 km) (B)
Breakfast at hotel. We are starting our city tour through Bitola. Visit of the “Institute and Museum” of Bitola – remember Atatürk. Visit center of Bitola: old houses along Main Street, orthodox cathedral St. Demetrius. Visit of the ancient Macedonian city Heraclea near Bitola. Free time for lunch. After that, we are driving to Prilep (45 km). There we will visit monastery Archangel Michael from XIII century and see frescos of medieval Macedonian kings Volkashin and Marko. Visit of city center and clock tower. Our last stop will be winery Popova Kula (85 km), see the winery and have optional dinner with wine tasting. Accommodation in hotel the “Popova Kula”. Overnight.
Day 7Popova Kula – Stobi – Strumica - Berovo (175 km) (B)
Breakfast at hotel. After that we will visit Stobi (30 km), the ancient city and archeological site. We are driving to Strumica (95 km) and visit two medieval monasteries from XI century: Veljusa and Vodocha. In the monastery of Veljusa, you will see a fresco of Jesus Christ as 11 years old child. After that, we are driving to Berovo (50 km), small Macedonian town, situated in Maleshevo Mountain. Visit of monastery “Archangel Michael” from XIX century. Check in a hotel. You will have option for dinner in restaurant. Overnight.
Day 8Berovo – Vinica - Lesnovo – Kratovo - Kriva Palanka (180 km) (B)
Breakfast at hotel. We will visit the Museum in Vinica (45 km), where we can see terracotta icons made from IV till VII century. We are driving to medieval monastery – Lesnovo (50 km) built at XIV century. We will see wood-carved iconostases dating back from early XIX century. Afterwards, we will visit Kratovo (30 km), small town with medieval look with many bridges and towers. Also we will visit Kuklici (12 km), site with stone dolls. Then we are driving to Kriva Palanka and visit monastery St. Joakim Osogovski (43 km). Monastery is established at XII century at 825 meters above sea level. We will accommodate in monastery hotel. You will have option for dinner in restaurant. Overnight.
Day 9Kriva Palanka - Studenica – Zica –Vrnjacka Banja (405 km) (B)
Breakfast at hotel and check out. We will drive 4 hours and 30 minutes until the monastery of Studenica (325 km). Monastery is built at 1190 by the first Serbian ruler, Stefan Nemanja. Next, we will go to Zica monastery (55 km), near Kraljevo. Zica is a medieval monastery built (1207-1217) by the sons of Stefan Nemanja (Stefan the First-Crowned and the first head of Serbian church, St. Sava). Accommodation in a hotel in Vrnjacka Banja (25 km). Free time for walking through Vrnjacka Banja, which is the oldest tourist place in Serbia. You will have the option for dinner in a restaurant. Overnight.
Day 10Vrnjacka Banja – Topola – Novi Sad (270 km) (B)
Breakfast at hotel. We drive to Topola (100 km) and there we will visit church St. George, where is the mausoleum of Serbian royal dynasty, Karadjordjevikji. We will see the church and the Museum of Karadjordje. After that, we will continue our tour to Novi Sad (170 km). We will check in the hotel. Free time for lunch and after that we will have a city tour and visit of Petrovaradin fortress. You will have option for dinner in restaurant. Overnight.
Day 11Novi Sad – Sremski Karlovci – Fruska Gora – Belgrade (85 km) (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Visit of small and very beautiful town Sremski Karlovci (13 km). We will have a two-hour city tour. Later, we are driving to Fruska Gora and we will visit the most famous monastery there – Krusedol (12 km). Transfer to Belgrade (70 km). Check in. Free time for lunch on Knez Mihajlova street. Visit of Serbian Patriarchy and walk through the fortress Kalemegdan and place where river Danube meets river Sava. You will have option for dinner in restaurant in Skadarlija street. Overnight.
Day 12Belgrad (20 km) (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Start with panoramic Belgrade sightseeing by bus followed by a walking tour of the city centre. The tour includes the following sights: Assembly of the City of Belgrade, National Assembly, Republic Square, Terazije Square, Old and New Court, Slavija Square, Temple of Saint Sava (largest Orthodox Church on the Balkans). Visit to the House of Flowers, the resting place of former Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito and a part of the Museum of Yugoslav History Complex. While visiting the House of Flowers, we will see Tito’s tomb, collections of Tito’s army uniforms and batons used to transfer birthday greetings from all parts of Yugoslavia as well as gifts that he received from all over the world during his rule. In the afternoon hours, you will have the option to have river cruises on Danube and Sava River 91 hour and 30 minutes, 12 euros per person). You will have the option for dinner in a restaurant. Overnight.
Day 13Belgrad – Belgrad airport
Breakfast at hotel. You will have free time for individual stroll until the time of transfer to the airport. Transfer to the airport “Nikola Tesla” – Belgrade.