ITINERARY:
1st Day – Belgrade (SRB)
Arrival in Belgrade (Capital of Serbia) and airport transfer. Check in hotel (or organized city tour for earlier landing) - Belgrade downtown tour (Belgrade city center, Belgrade Fortress with magnificent view over the Sava and Danube confluence and Zemun town, tour continues by visit to Kalemegdan park and Prince Mihailo pedestrian street with main Republic square).
The word that best describes Belgrade is "amazing". This city so little known by Brazilians enchants everyone who visits it for its history, its cuisine, the beauty of the meeting of the Sava and Danube rivers seen from the medieval fortress of Belgrade, but mainly for its positive energy and the hospitality of the people who inhabit it. The former capital and largest city of the former Yugoslavia, the current capital of Serbia is one of the oldest cities in Europe and holds a series of secrets that can only be unraveled by those who visit it. Come and get ready for one of the most authentic trips of your life!
Optional dinner in Skadarlija – Belgrade Bohemian Quarter. Overnight Belgrade.
2nd Day – Belgrade - St. Sava temple - Tito's museum - Boat cruise (SRB)
Breakfast in hotel by 9:00. After breakfast Belgrade downtown tour (for evening landings). Sightseeing of St. Sava temple 1h (the biggest Orthodox church in the Balkans), visit to Museum of history of Yugoslavia with Tito’s tomb.
Located on a gentle hill within a beautiful park from which you can enjoy a spectacular view of Belgrade, the place created by Marshal Tito himself to grow roses and other plants has become one of the most visited spots in the city in the complex known as the Museum of History from Yugoslavia. There, in addition to visiting the tomb of the president of the former Yugoslavia - Tito, one of the most respected leaders of state in the world - the visitor will be able to know firsthand who and how was the man who became almost an epic legend in those already distant years of the Second World War and in the later feat of converting the ruins and desolation inherited from that conflict into prosperity.
Lunch time in the restaurant near the rivers. Belgrade Boat Tour (cruising Danube and Sava rivers with story about Belgrade). After cruise transfer back to hotel. Overnight Belgrade.
3nd Day – Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovci (SRB)
Breakfast in hotel by 9h. Transafer to Novi Sad 9:30-10:45. City tour 1,5h - charming, peaceful and surrounded by a fertile plain, the Fruska Gora mountain and the Danube river, the capital of Vojvodina is a pearl among Serbia's cities. It is also known as the "Serbian Athens", due to its cultural importance. There you will see a multi-ethnic population and great examples of Austro-Hungarian architecture. It was elected European Youth Capital for 2019 and European Capital of Culture for 2021. Sightseeing of Petrovaradin fortress 1h. Short transfer to charming Sremski Karlovci town and wine tasting in local and family run vinery. Lunch time in Sremski Karlovci. Transfer back to Belgrade, arrrival at around 17:00. Overnight Belgrade.
4th Day – Manasija - Resava cave - Lisine - Niš (SRB)
07:00 – 08:00 Breakfast at the hotel and check-out
08:00 – 10:00 Travel from Belgrade to Manasija Monastery
10:00 – 11:00 Visit to Manasija Monastery
Manasija is a Serbian Orthodox monastery founded by Despot Stefan Lazarević between 1406 and 1418. The church dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is one of the most significant monuments of medieval Serbian culture and belongs to the "Morava school". The monastery is surrounded by huge walls and towers, and immediately after its founding it became an important cultural center.
11:00 – 11:30 Trip to Resava Cave
11:30 – 13:00 Visit to Resava Cave
Resava Cave is an incredible natural monument that is around 80 million years old, created before the great ice age by underground rivers that had carved their way through the limestone terrain. It is one of the oldest and most beautiful caves in Serbia. It is 4.5 kilometers long, but only 2,830 meters of the cave system have been explored in detail and about 800 meters are prepared for tourist visits.
1:00 pm – 13:30 Travel to Lisine
13:30 – 16:00 Time to have lunch at the foot of the Veliki Buk waterfall and explore the area
16:00 – 18:00 Travel to Niš
18:00 Arrival in Niš, check-in at the hotel and free time. End of activities with the guide.
5th Day – Niš (SRB) - Skopje (NMK)
08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast at the hotel and check-out
09:00 – 13:00 Time to explore Niš
Niš was the military, commercial and administrative center of several states and empires to which, in its long history, it belonged. Today the third largest city in Serbia, Niš was formerly called Naissus and is the birthplace of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great and Constantius III. Due to its strategic geographical position, Niš has always attracted many conquerors. Throughout history, Dardanians, Thracians, Illyrians, Celts, Romans, Huns, Avars and later Byzantines, Serbs, Bulgarians and Turks have lived there. On several occasions, the city was occupied by Hungarians and Austrians. Liberation from the Turks took place in 1878 and since then it has been part of Serbia, with minor interruptions during World War I and World War II when it was occupied.
13:00 – 15:00 Free time for lunch
15:00 – 18:00 Travel to Skopje
18:00 Arrival in Skopje, check-in at the hotel and free time. End of activities with the guide.
6th Day – Skopje (NMK)
08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast
09:00 – 12:00 City tour, bazaar and Kale fortress
Skopje is the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. It is in the Povardarie region and is the largest and most diverse city in the country. Skopje has been occupied by many different peoples since its founding. This is evidenced by the various Byzantine churches and monasteries around the city, as well as some Roman sites such as Scupi and Skopje Aqueduct. However, the group that left the biggest mark on Skopje was the Ottomans. The Ottomans ruled Macedonia for hundreds of years and built a large number of mosques and other buildings. Today, Skopje is becoming a modern city. Home to about a quarter of the country's total population, it is also home to many different types of people. In addition to the Macedonian majority, many Albanians, Turks, Romans, Serbs, Bosnians and others call Skopje home.
12:00 – 14:00 Free time for lunch
14:00 – 17:00 Visit to the Archaeological Museum and the Memorial House of Mother Teresa
The Skopje Archaeological Museum is a huge Italian-style marble building built by the government to enhance national pride. Inside, there are three floors displaying the cream of Macedonian archaeological digs under the glow of hundreds of tiny lights. Highlights include Byzantine treasures; sophisticated 3D reconstructions of early Macedonian faces from skulls; a replica of an ancient Christian basilica, showing the stages in the life of mosaic conservation; and a Phoenician royal necropolis.
The Mother Teresa Memorial House is an extraordinary retro-futuristic memorial and the most unique church you will see in North Macedonia. Inside the building, there is a small museum on the first floor, displaying memorabilia related to the famous Catholic nun of Calcutta, born in Skopje in 1910. On the second floor, there is an impressive chapel, with glass walls forged in filigree (the traditional bow of the North Macedonia). Silhouettes of doves are worked in filigree to symbolize peace, as a tribute to Mother Teresa.
17:00 Return to the hotel in Skopje. End of activities with the guide.
7th Day – Ohrid (NMK) - Berat (AL)
08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
09:00 – 12:00 Travel to Ohrid
12:00 – 15:30 Time to explore Ohrid and have lunch
Ohrid is a city of vast history and heritage in southwest Macedonia, on the shore of the lake of the same name. It became a UNESCO heritage site in 1980. Nestled between high mountains of up to 2,800 m and Lake Ohrid, it is not only a place of historical significance, but also of exceptional natural beauty. Ohrid is the crown jewel of Macedonia.
15:30 – 19:00 pm Travel to Berat
19:00 Arrival in Berat. Check-in at the hotel. End of activities with the guide.
8th Day – Berat (AL)
08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast at the hotel
09:00 – 13:00 Free time to explore Berat with visit to Onufri Fortress and Museum
Berat is a city and municipality located in south-central Albania and also one of the largest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In July 2008, the old town called Mangalem district, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city's name in Albanian is "Berat" or "Berati", probably derived from Old Slavic belgrad, which means "white city" in South Slavic languages.
Onufri is the author of some of the most important and wonderful religious paintings in Albania - he was considered the master of Albanian religious art. There's no better place to see its unforgettable shades of color than in the churches of Berat and the museum dedicated to this artistic legend.
13:00 – 15:00 Free time for lunch
15:00 – 17:00 Wine tasting at Çobo winery
The Çobo family has a long tradition of wine making that dates back to the early 1900s. When a communist government was established in Albania in 1945, this family tradition ceased to exist as private companies were not allowed under the new regime. Fortunately, these treasured traditions have been kept alive in the stories and memories of elderly members of the Çobo family. When the Communist government fell in the early 1990s, the family resumed their private wine production. Currently, the Çobo winery produces 100,000 bottles annually, and the family has the capacity to increase production to meet demand without compromising the quality of the wine. Çobo wine is quickly attracting worldwide attention and has been represented in several wine exhibitions.
17:00 Return to the hotel and end of activities with the guide
9th Day - Gjirokastra and Blue Eye (AL)
07:00 – 08:00 Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
08:00 – 11:00 Travel to Gjirokastra
Defined by its castle, roads paved with limestone and schist, stately slate-tiled houses and views across the Drina valley, Gjirokastra is a magical mountain town beautifully described by Albania's most famous author, Ismail Kadare (b 1936), in Chronicle in stone. There have been settlements here for 2500 years, although there are currently 600 "monumental" Ottoman-era houses in the city that attract visitors. For Albanians, the city is also synonymous with former dictator Enver Hoxha, who was born here and ensured that the city remains relatively well preserved under his rule, although he is not commemorated in any way here today.
11:00 – 13:00 Time to explore Gjirokastra and visit the fortress
13:00 – 14:30 Free time for lunch
14:30 – 17:00 Travel to Saranda including visit to Olho Azul
Perhaps the most stunning location in Albania, the Blue Eye is located around 30 minutes' drive from the coastal town of Saranda, on the road to Gjirokastra. Certainly, the surprise factor adds to the beauty of the whole experience. The Blue Eye is a water source and natural phenomenon that occurs near Muzinë in Vlorë County, Albania. A popular tourist attraction, the clear blue water of the river bubbles up into an impressive pool over 50 meters deep. Divers descended to fifty meters, but it is not yet clear how deep the karst hole actually is.
Saranda is the unofficial capital of the Albanian Riviera, and in the summer months it seems half of Tirana moves here to enjoy the bustling beach and busier nightlife along its crowded seafront promenade. What was once a sleepy fishing village is now a thriving town, and although Saranda has lost much of its uniqueness over the last couple of decades, it has retained much of its charisma.
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17:00 Arrival in Saranda, check-in at the hotel and free time.
End of activities with the guide.
10th Day - Butrint (AL)
07:00 – 08:30 Breakfast at the hotel and check-out
08:30 – 09:00 Travel to Butrint
09:00 – 11:00 Visit to Butrint
Butrint is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Albania. Due to its immense cultural and historical richness, Butrint was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and also a National Park in 2000. It was an ancient Greek and later Roman city. Inhabited since prehistoric times, Buthrotum was a city of the Greek tribe of Chaonians, later a Roman colony and a bishopric. It fell into decline in Late Antiquity before being abandoned during the Middle Ages after a major earthquake flooded most of the city.
11:00 – 12:00 Free time to explore the city of Ksamil
12:00 – 14:00 Visit and lunch at a mussel farm
On this exclusive tour you will have a unique experience. First, we board the typical wooden boat, the same used by farmers. The local guide will take us across the lake and tell us countless stories and legends of the region. During the tour, we will see how mussels are grown, learn more about the details of their growth and, at the end, we will cook our own mussels on the shore of the lake. Raw mussels cooked with olive oil, lemon and parsley served with a glass of house white wine is the perfect match!
14:00 – 19:00 Travel to Tirana
19:00 Arrival in Tirana, check-in at the hotel and end of activities with the guide
11th Day - Tirana (AL)
8:00 – 9:00 Breakfast at the hotel
09:00 – 11:30 Guided tour of Tirana by local guide
Albania has spent most of the last 60 years under a strict and isolationist dictator, Enver Hoxha. After his death, the country moved towards a free market economic model, with mixed results. Today, Tirana is where old and new Albania meet. The unpaved streets give way to new Land Rovers, young people with iPhones bump into street vendors selling all sorts of things, and the gleaming glass towers face abandoned building projects. Travelers generally find Tirana to be a beautiful and charming city, where cosmopolitan and small-town feelings are intertwined with a lively nightlife.
11:30 – 13:30 Visit to the Bunk Art museum
This fantastic transformation – from a huge Cold War bunker on the outskirts of Tirana to a museum of history and contemporary art – is Albania's most sensational new attraction and easily a Tirana highlight. With nearly 3,000 square meters of underground space spread over several floors, the bunker was built for Albania's political elite in the 1970s and remained a secret for much of its existence. It now hosts exhibitions that combine modern Albanian history with contemporary art pieces.
13:30 – 16:30 Cable car ride to Dajti Mountain and lunch
Dajti is a mountain east of the city of Tirana, where the Dajti National Park is also located, whose highest peak is 1,613 meters above sea level. Let's take the longest cable car in the Balkans (4.7 kilometers long) to (almost) the top of Dajti Mountain and enjoy fantastic views!
16:30 – 17:00 Return to your hotel in Tirana. Rest of the day free.
12th Day - Tirana (AL)
Transfer to the airport at a time to be arranged.
End of our services.
The price of the program depends on the number of participants and selected services and usually includes all transfers, all activities and tickets as well as accommodation on a BB basis. Contact us for more information.