Day 1. Airport Transfer – Tirana.
Start at Mother Theresa Airport and transfer to the hotel to check-in. After a short rest we will take a guided walk of Tirana, Albania’s capital city. Most of Tirana’s main public monuments were built during the 30′ by Italian designers following the architectural philosophy present in Italy during the same period.
Day 2. Tirana – Marikaj – Berat.
We start the day by visiting BunkArt Museum. Opened in 2014 inside the former Dictator’s Atomic Shelter it showcases artefacts, pictures and installation about the daily life in Albania during the communist period. Next we travel for lunch to the Agr-Tourist farm of Marikaj where we will sample a variety of dished typical to central Albania. After lunch we travel to Berat, the UNESCO Town where we will take a guided walk of Mangalem and Gorica quarters. These quarter give that distinctive ottoman look to the city for which it was enlisted in the UNESCO heritage list.
Day 3. Berat – Elbasan – Ohrid (MAC).
This morning we start with the castle of Berat which dates back from the 4th century BC. The imposing castle has been a dwelling place from the antiquity being inhabited even nowadays. After the visit we head to the city of Ohrid in Macedonia.
Day 4. Ohrid – Saint Naum – Ohrid.
Today we start with a guided tour of Ohrid old town. Ohrid is as well enlisted in the UNESCO Heritage List since 1979. Some of the sites we will visit are: Tsar Samuel Castle, Ohrid Amphitheatre, St. Caneo Church and St. Sophia Church. Our next stop after lunch will be Saint Naum monastery, a venerated place for the Macedonias. The remainder of the day will be enjoyed at group leisure.
Day 5. Ohrid – Skopje.
We will be transferred to Skopje the capital of Macedonia today. It will take about 3.30 min to reach Skopje. After lunch we will begin our guided visit from the hotel. The guided walk will take us through Skopje Old Town were we will visit the Old Bazaar and Mustafa Pasha Mosque. Next we continue through the Stone Bridge to the Macedonian Square and Mother Theresa memorial house. Our tour ends at the old train station where the clock still shows the moment when the earthquake devastated the city in 1963.
Day 6. Skopje – Prizren – Gjakovë – Pejë (Kos)
We travel to Kosovo today passing through the small towns of Štrpce, and the ski resort of Prevalla as we drive down to the city of Prizren. Prizren is an ethnically mixed city where the Serbs, Albanian and Turkish community now live peacefully with one another. As we visit the city the Ottoman culture still is visible through the towns architectural and local living. Next we travel to Decani to visit the Serbian Orthodox Monastery enlisted in UNESCO list. Visoki Dečani is one of the largest medieval churches in the Balkan beautifully preserved to nowadays. It stores many frescos dating to the 14th century. Accommodation and dinner in Peja.
Day 7. Peja – Višegrad (BiH)
Today we start early since we will be covering a long distance toward Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Višegrad was made known through the Nobel Prize Winner Ivo Andric and his masterpiece “The Bridge over Drina River”.
Day 8. Višgrad – Sarajevo
This morning we will visit, Ivo Andric Housea and Andrictown or the Stone Town dedicated to Ivo Andric. Another site we will visit is the Bridge over Drina river which dates back to 1571. After these visit we travel toward Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Day 9. Sarajevo
Our guide will take us through the old part of Sarajevo and first will take us to the famous site where the assassination of Franz Ferdinand happened in 1914. Next we will visit Baščaršija and the bazaar where we have the possibility to buy interesting local crafts. After the visit of Sarajevo Old Town we drive to the Tunnel of Hope where we will learn about the siege of Sarajevo. There we will watch a visual presentation of the attack happened to the city by the Yugoslavian Army and the clever ways the citizens of Sarajevo had to invent in order to withstand the siege.
Day 10. Sarajevo – Jabllanica – Blagaj – Mostar
On the way to Mostar we visit Jablanica, a symbol of World War II for the ex-yugoslavian partizans. Next we travel to Blagaj for lunch. First we visit the Dervish House and the sources of river Buna. After lunch we head to Mostar where we visit the Catholic church, Old bridge and old town. The remainder of the day is at group leisure to enjoy.
Day 11. Mostar – Poćitelj – Dubrovnik – Tivat (HR)
Today we travel to Dubrovnik, Croatia and before crossing the border we take a break in the small town of Počitelj. The city used to be a very important military fort and watch post during the Ottoman and Austro Hungarian periods. Today the town holds annual events such as the Painting Colony where painters from different countries showcase their work. After lunch in Dubrovnik we will take a guided tour through the main pedestrian street of the old town called Stradun. Our guide will walk us through the main monuments and explain their history. After the guided walk we will take some free time in the old town and enjoy a relaxed afternoon. Next we will drive to Montengro to reach the city of Tivat where we will be accommodated for the day.
Day 12. Tivat – Kotor – Podgorica Airport (MNE)
We start the day visiting Kotor the UNESCO town. In Kotor we will enjoy a 1 hour guided tour of the old town. After the guided tour we will spend some more time in this fascinating city to explore it at our own pace. Next we continue for lunch passing through Budva and Sveti Stefan. We finish the tour in Podgorica Airport.
