The Unknown Land Tour: Kosovo & North Macedonia

Located in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, Kosovo is landlocked and is one of the hidden jewels of the region. Visitors, however, have a lot to discover. Indeed, its rolling hills, lush forests, charming old towns, and many local traditions represent the beauty of Kosovo.

A Balkan Party, a Mediterranean air, and a diverse heritage (Greek, Roman, and Ottoman), North Macedonia has a fascinating past and a complex national identity. The sparkling lake of Ohrid and its historic city have carved a place for Macedonia on the tourist map.

Day 1. Pristina, Kosovo

Meet our guide at the airport and join the city center of Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, the youngest country in Europe. Explore the political and economic capital of Kosovo where you will discover an unprecedented architectural contrast in Europe and an ever-evolving effervescent city. Dinner and overnight in Pristina. Hôtel Afa 4*

Day 2. Pristina - Peja, Kosovo

After breakfast, head for Peja, the largest city in western Kosovo at the foot of the Rugova Mountains and gorges.

Join the waterfall of Drin Blanc, and walk to the summit where you will reach the caves "Sleeping Beauty" for an interior visit of galleries carved for centuries by the force of the water

Lunch in a traditional restaurant in Peja.

After lunch, visit the Patriarchal Monastery of Peja, one of the strongholds of the Orthodox religion in the region. Admire its many well-preserved frescoes as well as the calm and serene atmosphere present in this place.

Visit the Ethnological Museum of Peja where you will immerse yourself in the traditional life of the Kosovars of the 20th century. Then drop your bags at the hotel and enjoy the Spa of your hotel.

Traditional dinner accompanied by dance and Albanian music. Overnight in Peja. Hotel Dukagjini & Spa 5 *

Day 3. Peja - Decani - Gjakova - Rahovec - Prizren, Kosovo

After breakfast, head towards Visoki Decani Monastery. A monument dating back to the 14th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can admire these frescoes which constitute one of the peaks of Serbian art, powerfully inspired by Byzantine art, notably by the Church of Saint Savior of Constantinople

You will then go to a "Kula", a traditional Albanian house to discover the ancient culture of the Albanian villages.

Take the road to Gjakova, a charming city of Kosovo with its old authentic center and many craft stalls. Meeting of local artisans according to availability who practice trades that no longer exist in Western Europe. You will discover confectioners of "Plis" (traditional Albanian hat), and "diep" (wooden cradles) as well as for Albanian seamstresses.

Continue to Prizren and make a stop in the town of Rahovec famous for its vineyards. Discover the wine world of Kosovo by visiting a family business and tasting several local wines.

Dinner and overnight in Prizren. Centrum Hotel 4 *

Day 4. Prizren, Kosovo – Skopje, North Macedonia

After breakfast, visit Prizren, the cultural and historical capital of Kosovo. Surrounded by mountainous landscapes, discover the old Ottoman center of the city where the Lumbardhi River flows.

Its cobbled streets and tea rooms in the old bazaar give Prizren a unique Ottoman charm.

You will visit the Sinan Pasha Mosque and the Albanian League of Prizren, the first Albanian defense league established at the end of the 19th century.

Prizren - Kosovo

Lunch in a traditional restaurant in Prizren.

Free time to go to the fortress of Prizren, overlooking the city offering a magnificent panoramic view of the region.

Then take the road through the Sharr Mountains towards North Macedonia with its capital, Skopje.

Arrival in Skopje free time. Dinner and overnight in Skopje. Hotel Bushi Resort & Spa 4*

Day 5. Skopje - Matka Canyon - Skopje, North Macedonia

After breakfast, join the Matka Canyon, a must in Macedonia.

Embark on a boat to discover the caves of Vrelo, which are considered among the deepest sea caves in the world.

Go back to Skopje and have lunch in the city center.

Start a sightseeing tour of an earthquake-ravaged city in 1963 that has completely rebuilt itself and offers a unique experience.

You will enjoy a separate city between two cultures and two different lifestyles between Albanian Macedonian and Macedonian.

Stroll through its new city center to discover its famous fortress "Tvrdina Kale" and its stone bridge "Kameni Most" that separates the city into two parts with the old Ottoman bazaar "Čaršija".

Dinner and overnight in Skopje. Hotel Bushi Resort & Spa 4*

Day 6. Skopje - Mavrovo - Ohrid, North Macedonia

After breakfast leave for the Mavrovo National Park. On the way to Ohrid, you will make a stop at Tetovo to discover its 15th-century painted Mosque of Sarena Dzamija. Painted both indoors and outdoors, it is one of the most beautiful mosques in Macedonia.

Arrive in the Mavrovo National Park and enjoy sumptuous landscapes through, the Mavroro Lake and the Radika Canyon. You will stop at the Monastery of Saint Jovan Bigorski, located on the heights of the canyon, which represents one of the most beautiful monasteries in Macedonia

Two possibilities for lunch (depending on the size of the group) Option 1: You will make a stop in the small village of Janche, in which a resident of the village has invested in the construction of houses using the materials of the time, you will have lunch in his restaurant. Option 2: Lunch at Saint Jovan Bigorski's restaurant.

After lunch, you will head to the waterfall of Duf for a small hike of about twenty minutes.

Then take the road towards Ohrid, the Heart of Orthodoxy. Dinner and overnight in Ohrid. Nova Riviera Hotel 3 *

Day 7. Ohrid, North Macedonia

After breakfast, leave for the south of the Ohird.

Make a quick stop at Bay of Bones, an authentic reconstruction of part of a colony, dating from 1200 to 700 BC.

Visit the Saint Naum Monastery. In the middle of lush greenery, the monastery of St. Naum. Built in the tenth century is a refuge of tranquillity on the border between Albania and Macedonia.

Return to Ohrid and stop at a viewpoint offering a magnificent panoramic view of the Ohrid region. Afternoon free to enjoy the beaches of Ohrid or stroll through the old town.

Dinner at a restaurant on Lake Ohrid with the possibility of being accompanied by Macedonian folk musicians. Overnight in Ohrid. Nova Riviera Hotel 3*

Day 8. Ohrid - Bitola, North Macedonia

After breakfast, visit Ohrid. The city is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site and sublime city by the lake which, for many, represents the culmination of the Macedonian experience, a Kingdom of light and water, and a reference to the ancient ruins from the traditional kingdom of Macedonia.

Discover its historical heritage, well preserved as the church of St Jovan or the ancient theater dating from the Roman Empire. Lunch in Ohrid.

Then go to Bitola, the second-largest city in northern Macedonia.

Before joining Bitola, visit the archaeological site of "Heraclea Lyncestis" and discover the vestiges of this ancient city of the Kingdom of Macedonia whose foundations date back to the 4th century BC.

Dinner and overnight in Bitola. Hotel Epinal & Spa 4*

Day 9. Bitola, North Macedonia – Gračanica, Kosovo

After breakfast, start a sightseeing tour of the city of Consuls. You discover a Mediterranean-style city with its churches, mosques, old Ottoman bazaars, and beautiful neoclassical houses.

Take the road to reach the vineyard, Popova Kula. You will discover the wine culture of a small Macedonian vineyard located on the heights of a hill and offering a magnificent panoramic view of the region. Lunch in its charming building while tasting several local wines.

Take the road again to Kosovo, you will then reach Gračanica, a Serbian village located 10 minutes from Pristina. Drop your luggage at the hotel and have free time in a beautiful natural setting.

Dinner and overnight in Gracanica. Hotel Gračanica 3*

Day 10. Gračanica, Kosovo

After breakfast, visit the UNESCO Gračanica Monastery.

You will drive to the Bear Sanctuary, where many captive bears in private restaurants in Kosovo and Albania were released.

Then leave for Kukaj, a small village originally rebuilt in the mountains where you can enjoy a traditional Albanian meal like Flija (a tart made of several layers of pancakes covered with cream).

After lunch, go to Novo Brdo Castle, located on the heights of a plateau offering a splendid panoramic view of the region. (4 hour hike is possible for a group limited to 20 people).

Return to your hotel in Gračanica at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight in Gračanica. Hotel Gračanica 3*

Day 11. Pristina, Kosovo – Flight Return

After breakfast and according to the schedule of the return flight, you can visit the Gracanica Monastery or have free time until your transfer to Pristina airport for your return flight.

Tour Price Includes:

» Airport - city - airport transfers

» The French tour guide during the tour

» Transport by bus with driver

» Overnights in 3*, 4 * & 5 * hotels with breakfasts (local standards subject to availability)

» Full board dinner from day 1 to breakfast day 11

» The entries in the monuments indicated in the program

» All activities mentioned in the program

» Traditional Albanian night with music and dance in Peja

» Wine tasting in Rahovec

» Boat trip to discover the Vrelo caves at Matka Canyon

» Wine tasting at Popova Kula

Tour Price Does not Include:

» All additional expenses not mentioned in the program

» Tips

» Insurance

» The return flights