Balkans off the Beaten Track

Overview

Unlock the beauty of the Balkans as you make your way through the dramatic landscapes and culture-rich communities of Albania and North Macedonia. Relatively undiscovered by UK visitors, you’ll be veering off the well-worn tourist trail – and your reward will be spectacular national parks, World Heritage Sites and centuries-old mosques, churches and monasteries. We’ll tick off the two capital cities and meander through unspoilt countryside. In North Macedonia, we’ll base ourselves in Ohrid – a lakeside resort with a church-filled old town.

Day 1: UK – Tirana

• VIP door-to-door travel service to the airport
• Flight to Tirana
• Coach transfer to hotel

Accommodation: Tirana International Hotel (4-star)
Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Tirana

• Morning guided tour of Tirana, visiting:
  • Presidential Palace
  • National Arts Gallery
  • Skanderbeg Square
  • Et’hem Bey Mosque
  • Palace of Culture
  • Archaeological Museum
• Afternoon free to explore (optional: Mount Dajti National Park)

Accommodation: Tirana International Hotel (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3: Tirana (Free Day or Optional Excursion to Shkodra)

• Free day to explore Tirana at your leisure
• Optional excursion to Shkodra, one of Albania’s oldest cities

Accommodation: Tirana International Hotel (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4: Berat

• Guided tour of Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Explore Ottoman architecture, mosques, and Byzantine churches
  • Visit Berat Castle
• Afternoon wine tasting at Cobo Winery

Accommodation: Tirana International Hotel (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: Kruja

• Visit the medieval town of Kruja
  • History and Ethnographic Museum (or receive a bottle of Raki if closed)
  • Browse traditional crafts in the old bazaar

Accommodation: Tirana International Hotel (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: Tirana – Ohrid

• Travel to Ohrid, North Macedonia
• Free afternoon to explore the lakeside town

Accommodation: Hotel Tino Sveti Stefan, Ohrid (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7: Ohrid

• Morning guided tour of Ohrid, visiting:
  • Church of St Jovan Kaneo (clifftop view over Lake Ohrid)
  • Icon Gallery (Byzantine icon collection)
• Afternoon free to explore the old town

Accommodation: Hotel Tino Sveti Stefan, Ohrid (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: Skopje

• Full-day guided tour of North Macedonia’s capital
  • Old Skopje Bazaar
  • Macedonia Square
• Free time in the afternoon

Accommodation: Hotel Tino Sveti Stefan, Ohrid (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9: St Naum Monastery

• Scenic boat ride along Lake Ohrid’s shores
• Visit St Naum Monastery (16th-century frescoes & iconostases)
• Stop at ‘Bay of the Bones’ (ancient settlement reconstruction)
• Leisure time by the lake

Accommodation: Hotel Tino Sveti Stefan, Ohrid (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10: Mavrovo National Park

• Explore Mavrovo National Park, home to:
  • Macedonia’s highest mountains
  • Rivers, lakes, and dramatic gorges
• Visit monasteries:
  • St Jovan Bigorski
  • St Georgi Pobedonosec

Accommodation: Hotel Tino Sveti Stefan, Ohrid (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 11: Ohrid (Free Day)

• Free day to explore Ohrid
  • Visit the small bazaar
  • Traditional paper-making demonstration
  • Cultura 365 gallery

Accommodation: Hotel Tino Sveti Stefan, Ohrid (4-star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 12: Ohrid – Tirana – UK

• Transfer to the airport for return flight to the UK
• VIP vehicle transfer home

Meals: Breakfast