Macedonia Experience ~ May 27 - June 6, 2023
When Apostle Paul was in Troas, he dreamt of a tall impressive Macedonian man who stood in front of him and begged him to “come to Macedonia and help them”. Lydia, of Thyatira and seller of purple, was a foreign woman who became the foundation member of the Philippian Church. Macedonia was also home of Alexander III the Great, the King of Macedonia and conqueror of the Persian Empire and considered one of the greatest military geniuses of all times. We will visit the memorial of a woman who will forever be remembered for her life of servitude, Mother Teresa who was born in Skopje.
Now, you as well can leave your footprints in Macedonia and see this beautiful land that has inspired so many mighty men and women throughout the centuries of time. Today Macedonia is a thriving, modern and vibrant country still hidden from the touristy crowds. We can embrace the natural preserved beauty, food and culture of the Republic of Macedonia as it is meant to be.
The guides and tour planners from Macedonia Experience craft their trips carefully, and always combine them with culinary, wine, art and cultural immersions, with the locals themselves promoting the customs and traditions of their areas. It is their hope to not only nourish your soul, but to turn you into the engine that drives their dream of letting the world know about the beauties of Macedonia. “You are our future ambassadors – the link between Macedonia and the rest of the world.”
ITINERARY
Departure date from USA is Saturday May 27, 2023 - ask about group air out of Chicago, O’Hare
Bags are packed and we are off for an adventure of a lifetime.
-“Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” ~Gustave Flaubert
“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” ~Henry David Thoreau
Tour Description: Guided cultural, food and wine discovery tour of Macedonia
Driver and guide: Yes
Accommodation: Hotels
Land Dates: May 28 - June 6, 2023
Group size: 10 - 14 people
Alexander the great at Skopje
Day 1 ~ Sunday, May 28th
Arrival in Skopje Welcome to The Republic of North Macedonia!!!! After we go through customs and collect our luggage we will have a meet/greet with the tour leader at the Skopje International Airport, followed by transfer to the hotel. Skopje is the capital of the Republic of North Macedonia, the City that lies in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, at the crossroad of important communications, a city with a 2000 years old tradition. Skopje is a modern city with population of almost one million and presents Macedonia’s major political, economical, educational and cultural center. It continues to be a focus for new residents, economic development, construction and refurbishment. Take time to rest and unwind from the flight. A tour briefing followed by a welcome dinner are arranged at a local restaurant within walking distance from hotel. Overnight in Skopje.
Hotel: Skopje -Tims or similar
Meals: D (local restaurant)
Day 2 ~Monday, May 29th ~ Exploration of Skopje and the Matka canyon
Matka Canyon
After breakfast we will have an exploration of the old and new part of Skopje, including visit to of one of the green markets. Morning sightseeing tour which includes visit of the most important amenities of Skopje: The old railway station – the first railway station of the Balkans; the Memorial House of Mother Teresa (she was born in Skopje); The Stone Bridge – a monumental construction in the centre of the city and symbol of Skopje; The Church of St Spas (Holy Salvation), which was built at the end of the 17th century and which is famous for housing the remains of the great Macedonian revolutionary Goce Delcev (1872-1903). The Fortress Kale – an outstanding tourist attraction of Skopje. .
We will continue our exploration in the Matka canyon, located 20 km away from Skopje. In the area of the canyon we will visit the Monastery of St. Andreja (est. 14th century), on of most prominent amenities in the area. The frescoes painted on the walls of this church differ from any others by their stylistic and artistic qualities and their iconography peculiarities. After the visit of the monastery, we will embark on boats for picturesque boat trip along the Matka lake, all the way to the “Vrelo” cave, another unique highlight. The cave is easily accessible for tourists. Lunch is arranged at outdoor location inside the canyon, where our guests will enjoy the beautiful nature and the tranquility of the canyon. If weather conditions are not conducive for outdoor dining, lunch will be arranged at a small farm-to-table restaurant in the nearby village of Shishevo.
Return to Skopje in the late afternoon hours. For dinner we will head to Debar Maalo, bohemian district of Skopje, where another selection of traditional local dishes awaits us to be combined with premium wines from the Skopje wine district. Overnight in Skopje. Tims Hotel: Skopje - /Meals - local restaurant
Day 3 ~ Tuesday, May 30th ~ Skopje to Mavrovo National Park / Village of Janche
After a relaxed breakfast and checkout – we head west to Mavrovo. Exploration of Mavrovo National Park, which represents one of the most attractive tourist areas of Macedonia. We will explore the southern areas of the national park, where we walk to the Duf waterfall, afterwards enjoy traditional lunch at family home in the nearby village of Rostushe. After lunch, we will have time to just relax and enjoy the view from our hotel to the Radika river valley or walk around Janche and admire the centuries old architecture.
Another highlight of the day will be an afternoon walk to the nearby Monastery of Jovan Bigorski (the group members who don’t want to walk will be transferred with a van). There is even a possibility to attend the evening service at the monastery.
Our accommodation at the Hotel Tutto will be a welcome sight after our event filled day. You can unwind with beautiful views of mountains and canyons before we have dinner in the vicinity of the monastery.
Hotel Mavrovo National Park - Tutto
Meals: B (hotel), L (cooking demo, D (local restaurant)
Activities: Walk to Duf waterfall; cooking demo in Janche; visit of Bigorski monastery
Day 4 ~ Wednesday, May 31st ~ Struga / Ohrid - the “Pearl of the Balkans”
We will enjoy our breakfast before departing to Struga (around 1/5 hours drive) to a beautiful coastal town on Lake Ohrid. After walking around the center, we will have lunch by the banks of the river Crn Drim. After lunch we will transfer to Ohrid. We will check in to our hotel and then do a short guided walking sightseeing around the UNESCo protected old town of Ohrid. We will visit St. Sofia, King Samuil’s Fortress, and the Theatre. Dinner and overnight take place in Ohrid
Hotel: Ohrid - Vila Mal Sveti Kliment (http://vilamalsvetikliment.com/)
Meals: B (hotel), L (local restaurant), D (local restaurant)
Activities: Sightseeing in old towns of Struga and Ohrid
Day 5 ~ Thursday, June 1st ~ Exploring the surroundings of Ohrid (boat cruise to St. Naum, the Bay of Bones and Trpejca)/ Dinner in Kuratica
Ohrid , Macedonia
Enjoy breakfast and get ready for adventure. So much natural beauty awaits us today - be sure to bring sunscreen. . We will take a morning lake cruise along the eastern shores of the stunning Lake Ohrid traveling from Ohrid to the monastery comples of St. Naum. We will make an en-route boat stop at the Museum on Water located in the Bay of Bones in Gradishte (replica of a neolithic fisherman village recently discovered in the coastal waters.). The St. Naum monastery complex is one of the most remarkable amenities of the Ohrid area, unique for its architecture, artistic and historical legacy. Guests will also enjoy short boat trips in the nearby springs of St. Naum and explore this unique wonder of nature. Lunch is arranged at Nikola’s fish restaurant located at the waterfront in the small coastal village of Trpejca, where the guests will have the opportunity to try the famous Ohrid trout and enjoy the scenic view.
We will return to Ohrid in the late afternoon hours. The rest of the day is free, to rest and relax. In the evening we will transfer to the. nearby village of Kuratica for dinner at the family. home of Goran. Prepare yourselves for a unique experience of hospitality, great food and entertainment.
Hotel: Ohrid - Vila Mal Sveti Kliment (http://vilamalsvetikliment.com/)
Meals: B (hotel), L (local restaurant), D (family home)
Activities: Boat cruise to the Monastery of St. Naum; boat trip in the springs of St. Naum; visit of the village of Trpejca, dinner in village of Kuratica
Day 6, Friday , June 2nd ~ The Prespa Experience
Checkout and depart to the green market in Ohrid for breakfast ( the leader can recommend traditional “gjomleze” pie with selection of local cheese and homemade sour ilk and yogurt)
Today, we head to the area of Prespa Lake, one of the largest and oldest sweet water lakes in Europe. En route we will stop at the village of CarevDvor, where we will visit local agriturismo and get familiar with the traditional apple farming in the area of Prespa - which is the largest apple producing region of southeast Europe. There will be time to taste homemade products ( jams, marmalades, juice, cake) over our snack break.
En-route, we will also visit and walk around the beautiful mountain villages of Brajchino and Ljubojno. Soak in these picturesque mountain villages with long immigrant tradition, located in the foothills of Pelister National Park, not far from our Villa. Notice the remarkable traditional architecture, the beauty of local churches and extravagant monasteries that were settled long ago. Breathtaking views of surrounding nature is just steps away .
Our final destination in Prespa is the village of Dolno Dupeni, a stunning rustic village located on the east coast of Lake Prespa, where our hosts will deliver a cooking demo over lunch. Our host family from Villa Prespa have been pioneering upscale rural tourism in the area, and they will be glad to teach us how to prepare a few local antipasti (such as pinjur - roasted pepper dip, pituli - local fried pastry stuffed with white cheese, also enjoy exceptional lamb roast as our main dish. These delicacies will be combined with local premium wines and spirits.
After a leisurely lunch, we will have a short break to explore the area of the village of Dolno Dupeni, where w will spend the night. A light dinner will be arranged by the campfire.
Accommodation: Dolno Dupeni ( Vila Prespa ) up to 8 pax or combined capacity with venue of similar standard in the vicinity ( 9-14 pax)
Meals: B (green market) L (cooking class), DD (rural setting) Activities: Visit of agriturismo in Prespa, visit of the monastery of Slivnica, cooking class at Villa Prespa
Day 7, Saturday, June 3rd ~ Prespa to Bitola / Heraclea Lyncestis/ beekeepers of Dihovo
Enjoy a lovely breakfast followed by checkout and transfer to the city of Bitola, where we visit Heraclea Lyncestis - city founded by Philip II of Macedon and explore other amenities in the Old Bazaar of Macedonia’s second biggest city. For lunch we transfer to the village of Dihovo, where we will be given presentation of traditional and modern beekeeping by our friends Bale and Naco, while lunch is arranged in their family home. Be sure to pick up some of the Bee Balm to take back home. The afternoon is free in Bitola, while for dinner we will visit a traditional restaurant located on the “Shirok Sokak” alley, most famous amenity in the center of Bitola. Overnight in Bitola.
Hotel: Bitola -Ciflik Hotel or similar
Meals: B (hotel), L (family home), D (local restaurant)
Activities: Beekeeping presentation in village of Dihovo; visit of Bitola and Heraclea Lyncestis
Day 8 ( Thursday,June 9th,) Stobi / Tikvesh wine region
Day 8, Sunday, June 4th ~ Tikves wine region / Kratovo
We will checkout after breakfast followed by transfer from Bitola to the Tikvesh wine region, largest in Macedonia and the Balkans. Our first stop today is the Stobi archaeological site. The oldest written sources of Stobi is found in Titus Livius with mention of the victory of Philip V, king of Macedonia, over the Dardanians in 197 BC. According to archaeological data the city was built in the Hellenistic period, but not long before the reign of Philip V. It is assumed that the city was founded in 359, the BC At 168g. BC, the Romans victory over King Perseus, Macedonia was divided into four areas. Stobi then becomes the center of trade in the third district. In 148, the BC Macedonia became a Roman province. During the rule of Augustus (31-14 BC) the city spread west and south, as witnessed by the 55 graves from the western necropolis from the time of Augustus. The expansion of the city are linked to raising the status of the city to the rank of municipium, 69BC. when starting to mint coins with the inscription "Municipium Stobensium". Stobi has beautifully preserved ruins which depict how life was lived in Macedonia during the Roman Empire.
Wine culture has taken a central role in Macedonia since the Roman times, when the ruling emperors favored its grapes. Since the times of the Roman Empire it has been written that Macedonia produces amazingly powerful wines with scent of the south, the taste of songs and laughter of the people living in this region. Thanks to an abundance of sunshine, Mediterranean and continental breezes and rich rocky soil, wine grapes thrive in Macedonia. We will arrange wine tastings at several family owned micro wineries, which offer outstanding quality wines (focus will be put on the local varieties). You can purchase some of these wines to take back home and share with family and friends. onwards transfer to Kratovo where we will spend the night.
Hotel: Kratovo - Hotel Kratis or similar
Meals: B (hotel), L (micro wineries - wine & charcuterie), D local restaurant
Activities: Wine tasting in Tikves wine district; visit of Stobi archaeological site
Day 9, Monday, June 5th ~ kratovo / Kuklica / Monastery of Osogovski / Skopje
Making Kcana ( crushed salt)
Stretch, enjoy your morning coffee and get ready for another day of culture. We will take a walking sightseeing tour in the center of Kratovo and afterwards enjoy the traditional demonstration of how “kcana” or crushed salt is made. Lunch will be arranged in one of the most famous medieval towers of Kratovo. After lunch we will transfer to the area of Kuklici, famous for its geological rock formations. The highlight of the day is the monastery of St. Joakim Osogovski, located in the small town of Kriva Palanka.
Kuklici Rock formations.
In the afternoon we will transfer back to Skopje where we will check in to our hotel and then enjoy one more delicious dinner together before we depart to our homeland tomorrow.
Hotel: Hotel: Skopje -Tims or similar
Meals: B(hotel), L(medieval tower), D(local restaurant)
Activities: Sightseeing and “kcana” salt production presentation in Kratovo
Day 10 ) Tuesday, June 6th ~ Day of Departure
What a journey of exploration, food and culture we have had together. Our time in Macedonia has gone by so quickly. So much history, culture, food, wine, new friends and memories that we will cherish forever. We will have a morning airport transfer to Skopje Airport for our return flight home..
Price Per person Sharing room: $2927.00 Based on 10 - 12 people
Single Supplement: $350.00
Group Air Available up Request
Ask about Pre-tour day arrival into Skopje with transfers, hotel and meals included
The price includes:
- Transportation with comfortable minibus as per program
- Single timed arrival and departure airport transfers from Skopje Airport
- English speaking tour leader
- Accommodation at DBL/TWIN occupancy ( 9 overnights) at nice 3*/4* properties as per program
- All meals as per program (selection of traditional dishes arranged at local restaurants, family homes and outdoor locations; meal tips are included; beverages of choice are NOT included unless stated in itinerary
- All activities (boat trips, wine tasting..)
- Entrance fees at archaeological sites and national parks
- Trip organization and 24/7 support from Macedonia Experience and Martha’s Travel Corner
Not included:
- Flights to Macedonia - Can be arranged through Martha’s Travel Corner
- Individual airport transfers ( 40 Euro per airport transfer for 1-3 pax)
- Travel insurance - available upon request through Martha’s Travel Corner
- Tips to drivers/guides (detailed tipping guide available upon request)
Additional info:
The restaurants, accommodation and activity providers on our trips are small family owned businesses which were carefully selected for their premium quality and service, and their involvement on our trips is crucial for their existence. By working with these suppliers, we make true local impact and enforce responsible travel around Macedonia and the Balkans
Questions and Answers for travel to Macedonia
1. Question: Is the water safe to drink in Macedonia or should we expect to purchase bottled water?
Answer: Yes, tap water is safe to drink everywhere around Macedonia, however, bottled water is also available.
2. Question: Should I advise people to take extra Euro or Denar to pay for comfort stops along the way?
Answer: No, we'd use the toilets at petrol stations, which are free.
3. Question: Can people use Credit cards at local shops for gifts and such, which ones are acceptable, are there places such as shops that prefer they use cash (in Euro or local currency)
Answer: Yes, many malls/shops accept the major cards (Visa, Master, Maestro), so You shouldn't be having any issues with payments. Also, once you land at the airport, there is a bank where You can exchange USD or EUR to Macedonian Denars, but there are plenty of exchange offices around Skopje where you can do it. Also, the exchange offices in Macedonia don't have service charge.
4. Question: How do I advise people who want to come on the tour but have limited walking issues,- or if they cannot walk very far - will they still be ok with something else to do or a place to rest while the rest of us are exploring.
Answer: The tour is very easy and we are able to accommodate people with limited walking issues. Exceptions from this are the walk to the Duf Waterfall on day 3 (it's a 20 minutes climb in one direction) and some parts of the Ohrid old town during the sightseeing on day 4. However, should anybody not feel able to walk on some days, we will find them the perfect spot with a view where they can rest and enjoy coffee:)
5. Question: Also, a big question is always "How is the weather and how should they dress".
Answer: Usually June is very pleasant month to travel with lots of sun. Here's more info on the averages in Macedonia in June: https://www.holiday-weather.com/skopje/averages/june/ Anyway, please advise the people to bring summer jackets in case we get some rain:)
Airlines to Macedonia:
Turkish Air and Austrian Air seem to be the best that I have found.
I like the air schedule with Austrian air, although not confirmed until I request group space.
I can hold group air out of Chicago, or if everyone wants to book their own flights that is fine as well, just let me know. Pricing will depend on when I hold the air.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please fill out the form below. A printer friendly reservation and booking form is available upon request.
