Small Group Tour; Gems of Albania, Kosovo & N. Macedonia
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Ngôn ngữ có sẵn
192 giờ
Vé di động
This 8-day tour program is tailored to offer its participants the best combination of historical sites of Albania, Kosovo and N. Macedonia with some of the best national parks of these Balkan countries. During these eight days, you will be able to visit the most important tourist attractions of Albania, Kosovo and N. Macedonia.
Thông tin khác
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please note that prices are calculated on double/twin/triple/quadruple room occupancy in a 3 stars hotel accommodation.
Single room occupancy is possible on 45 Euros extra charge per night per person in a 3 stars hotel accommodation.
Tips are not a must in Albania or the Balkans, however, our recommendation is to tip the tour leader/driver as an international practice to tip good service.
Chính sách hủy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Bao gồm
Private transportation
International car insurance, Road taxes, Petrol
Tourist taxes
BB (Accommodation and Breakfast) for all overnights
Hotel pick up and Hotel drop off in Tirana
Professional Tour Leader
Lunches, Dinners, Drinks & Snacks
Souvenirs, Personal spending
Everything that is not mentioned in the included
Điểm đón trả
Điểm đón
Chọn điểm đón
Cần Quan Tâm
Tirana (Albania) – Kruja – Shkodra
Lưu Trú
Overnight in Shkoder.
Kruje
Our tour leader will come and pick you up at your hotel in Tirana in the morning. Our first destination for today is Kruja, a historical city symbol of the Albanian resistance against the expansion of the Ottoman Empire during the XV century. Kruja is situated in central Albania on a rocky mountainous terrain about 560 meters above sea level, on the slopes of Sarisalltik Mountain.
Kruja Bazaar
Walking through the narrow streets and the wooden houses of Kruja’s Medieval Old Bazaar (one of the biggest and oldest in Balkans) gives you a sense of a passage through the history. This is the best place to shop for souvenir in Albania, from typical to more unique and handmade souvenirs such as carpets, jewelleries etc.
Kruja Castle
The castle of Kruja (built during the 5th century A.D.) is strategically placed on the top of a rocky hill, making it difficult for the enemies to attack. The tour leader will take you through some hidden paths, used by the locals to leave the castle without being noticed during periods when the enemies surrounded the castle
Kruje
You will have some free time to enjoy a tasty traditional lunch, do some souvenir shopping or admire the city.
Shkodra – Decan (Kosovo) – Prizren
Lưu Trú
Overnight in Prizren
Đồ ăn và uống
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Shkoder
Shkodra city is situated in the north-western part of Albania, giving its name to the biggest lake in the Balkans. It is one of the oldest cities in Albania, with a history of a thousand years of habitation. The oldest wall of the Shkodra castle dates from the 1st millennium BCE. The Roman historian Livy cited the town as the capital of the Illyrian king Gent, who fought the Romans in 168 B.C.
Rozafa Castle
We will visit Rozafa castle offering tremendous scenery of the lake and the three rivers melting all together in the Adriatic Sea.
Shkoder
The city’s architecture is highly influenced by the Venetian style and if you are lucky enough to join the tour of Shkodra in February you might experience the carnival festival. Most of the guests are surprised to learn that most of the Venetian masks are handmade and produced in Shkodra. The city’s favourable geographic position has always been an important trading mark through the centuries, making it possible for different civilisations to encounter.
Decan
Later we will cross border towards Kosovo, where we will visit the Monastery of Decan. This one stands out for its white colour, but even more remarkable is the fact that Orthodox monks still inhabit the monastery and make fresh organic food there, such as cheeses. The monastery became part of UNESCO in 2004 because of its frescoes.
Day Tour of Prizren
Lưu Trú
Overnight in Prizren.
Đồ ăn và uống
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Prizren
Prizren is considered as the cultural capital of Kosovo, mixing its rich history, incredible nature, religious tolerance and gastronomic delights. Prizren has played an important role in the region as an Illyrian settlement and a crossroad for the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, contributing to the unique architecture of the city. The river flows through the heart of the old town and under the many bridges that crisscross the city. If you are looking to experience a lively international experience you should visit Prizren during August when the medieval city becomes home to one of the most famous short film festivals in the world named Dokufest. The best way to explore the town is by wandering through the streets passing by elegant medieval houses that fight for your attention. Filigree artisanal techniques for precious metals are Prizren’s joy and pride
Sinan Pasha Mosque
If you have to choose just one mosque to visit then visit the Sinan Pasha Mosque, rich in arabesque colour and pattern.
Kalaja Fortress
The view from the fortress on the hill above the town offers a great panorama of this astonishing town.
Prizren - Pristine - Skopje (N. Macedonia)
Lưu Trú
Overnight in Skopje
Đồ ăn và uống
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Pristina
Before heading towards N. Macedonia, we will visit the capital of Kosovo, Pristina. We will visit the Newborn monument, symbol of the independence and being a young new country. We will walk towards the main boulevard in the capital. Sheshi Nena Tereza is a nice street to stroll through and enjoy a coffee at one of the bars. Here we will also pass the Skanderberg square with the statue of Skanderberg himself, the national Albanian hero.
Skopje
Our tour continues towards Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. The city has European, Ottoman and even Asian influences.
The Stone Bridge
The Stone Bridge connects the new part to the old part of the city. Impossible to miss in Skopje is the Alexander the Great Statue in the center. Another bridge that stands out is the Art Bridge that leads to the Archaeological Museum. The bridge is lined with flamboyant street lanterns and statues of Macedonian artists and musicians.
Old Bazaar - Skopje
We will wander through the Old Bazaar of Skopje, the biggest one in the Balkans, that combines the modern way of living with centuries of history. The cross on top of the mountain can be seen kilometers away from Skopje and has become a symbol of the city.
Skopje - Matka Canyon - Ohrid
Lưu Trú
Overnight in Ohrid.
Đồ ăn và uống
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Matka Canyon
Our first destination for today will be Matka near Skopje. It is impressive how this beautiful nature paradise is located so close to the bustling capital. Besides the fun boat trip through the canyon, Matka has much more to offer, such as caves, medieval castles, spectacular hiking routes and the option to go swimming in the turquoise waters.
Ohrid
From Matka we will drive towards Ohrid, one of the most seductive destinations in N. Macedonia, indicated as one of the oldest human settlements in all of Europe. Ohrid city and Ohrid Lake are part of UNESCO World Heritage since 1980. Ohrid Lake and its surroundings where inhabited by the Illyrian Tribe of Enkeleys. The Lake was named by the Romans as “Lyhnidas” (the Light Lake). Our tour continues to the city of Ohrid (UNESCO world heritage) an important centre of Orthodoxy. We will continue our tour and visit the famous view point of church of St. John, the church of St. Nicolas and the mosque Halveti Hayati Tekke.
Ohrid - St Naum - Tushemisht (Albania)- Drilon National Park – Berat
Lưu Trú
Overnight in Berat
Đồ ăn và uống
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Monument to St. Naum of Ohrid
We will continue our tour to St Naum near the Albanian border and one of the most beautiful locations in N. Macedonia. On our way there, we will have to go through the Galichitsa National Park, located between the Albanian border, Ohrid Lake and Prespa Lake, with again stunning nature and impressive mountains. The monastery of St. Naum carries the name of a holy place. It is situated right at the source of River Crni Drim, which flows through Lake Ohrid. This monastery complex is part of the National Park Galicica and belongs to one of the strictly protected areas. Crystal clear, spring water reflects both the surrounding greenery and the mountain peaks in the background.
Driloni National Park
We will cross border towards Albania. Our next destination will be the national park of Drilon and Tushemisht. Drilon waters form a small lake, surrounded by beautiful greenery that makes the area and the nearby village of Tushemisht a unique oasis of beauty and tranquillity. The area is also famous for its culinary wonders, such as the traditional fish dishes, especially the baked speckled trout (Koran in Albanian) as well as the famous pickles.
Berat
After visiting the National Park, we will drive towards Berat.
Berat – Tirane
Lưu Trú
Overnight in Tirana.
Đồ ăn và uống
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Berat
Berat is known as the town of 1001 windows, part of UNESCO world heritage. Walking through the narrowed stone streets offers a fantastic view of the medieval old houses, with windows that seem to stand on top of each other. The city’s life began in the 6th-5th century B.C. as an Illyrian settlement. Later, in the 3rd century B.C., it was turned into a castle city known as Antipatrea. Uniquely today, residents still live inside of the castle walls.
Berat Castle
Berat has it all; a beautiful medieval castle, ancient churches and mosques, a lively lower town consisting of grand old houses draped on steep hillsides, an old stone bridge, great museums and remains from the communist era in Albania
National Iconographic Museum Onufri
Berat is also known as the birthplace of Onufri, the famous painter of churches all-over the Balkans, distinguished for creating a specific reddish colour still difficult to imitate.
Gorica Bridge
We will continue our tour and visit the Gorica Neighbourhood
Day tour of Tirana
Đồ ăn và uống
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Tirana
We will start today’s adventure by discovering Tirana, the capital of Albania. Tirana offers a great combination of very interesting museums, historic sites, national parks, mountains. Ottoman, Italian and communist style architecture all clashing with each other, but offering a great pleasure to wander through.
Skanderbeg Square
We will walk towards Skanderbeg Square, named after the Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu. The main square is surrounded by the National Museum, the Bank of Albania, the Opera house, Skanderbeg Statue, Ethem Beu Mosque and fancy bars
Bunk'Art 2
After strolling around the bustling streets of Tirana, we will visit BUNKART, one of the most interesting museums in Tirana. Initially designed as a nuclear bunker offering shelter to the Albanian communist supreme leader Enver Hoxha and his close party members during the cold war. The bunker was kept strictly secret to the general public until 2016, when the Albanian government decided to initiate an interesting project that converted the nuclear bunker into a museum. BUNKART is a video museum exhibition dedicated to the history of the Albanian communist army and to the daily lives of Albanians during the regime.
Rruga Murat Toptani
Our tour continues towards Tirana Castle, found in the city center. The castle is now a pedestrian street where modern and tradition perfectly merge creating one of the fanciest areas of modern Tirana.
Blloku
Our last attraction for this tour will be the colorful, lively and vibrant Blloku Neighborhood. Not to be missed is Tirana’s delicious food varieties, from the tasty and cheap street food to the finest gourmet options. This marks the end of this amazing experience through history and culture
Tùy chọn
Gems of Albania, Kosovo & N. Macedonia in Eight Days
Pickup included
Private Tour
Private Tour
Pickup included
Đánh giá
23 đánh giá
Tổng số đánh giá và xếp hạng từ Viator & TripAdvisor
Gems of Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
316carmelc,
18 thg 5, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00We did the tour with our guide Ardit. He has a mountain of knowledge with a good sense of humour. We saw beautiful scenery, experienced local food and learnt so much about the history of the 3 countries that we visited. I would highly recommend this tour and our guide Ardit.
Delightful & Fascinating Balkans Tour
jonathankJ3326VX,
18 thg 6, 2024
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00Our 9 day private tour of Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia was excellent. The itinerary offered a good balance between cultural/historical versus natural history destinations. The trip planning and coordination was top notch. With one exception, the hotels were first class. Our guide, Juljan Bradasheshi, was very warm, knowledgeable, and efficient. Thank you!
Friendly journey
431asiminam,
27 thg 7, 2023
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00This extraordinary journey through the Balkans (Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo)allowed me to explore a diverse range of cultures, experience breathtaking landscapes, and create memories that will last a lifetime. The itinerary was perfectly crafted, offering a well-balanced mix of iconic landmarks, hidden gems, and authentic cultural encounters. We loved st Naum and Prizren and our guide Juxhin was excellent If you're looking for an extraordinary travel experience that combines three Balkans countries into one unforgettable journey, I wholeheartedly recommend this tour and Choose Balkans.
Best tour ever
stelam713,
26 thg 7, 2023
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00Best trip ever,I and my family enjoyed so much The hotels and the tour guide Eltoni are amazing I reccomended all my friends to come and visit Balkans and especially Albania
10/10 experience
besan2023,
25 thg 7, 2023
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00This tour is a perfect combination of the Balkans countries. Choose Balkans and Sirma were very helpful pre and during the tour
Thank you, Choose Balkans 🇦🇱
emilyhH6897IC,
22 thg 7, 2023
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00We spent three and half weeks in the Balkan countries and we used Choose Balkans to book almost everything. Without a train system or another option for public transit, I felt like it was our best option. During the trip I realized it was the right thing to do - to navigate the roads/cities with a rental car would have been overwhelming. Over the course of our visit we took: 8 Day Gems of Albania,Kosovo and North Macedonia Tour, a day trip to Vlore, we joined at the end of an exisiting tour to Montenegro & Bosnia/Herzogovina and took the 5 day tour of the Albanian Riviera. From the time we started planning in February, Choose Balkans was an incredible resource. Our complicated itinerary changed multiple times over the course of the five months leading up to our trip including a relatively big addition just a few weeks before we arrived. Every reservation, change, update and addition was met with patience and excellent service. Sirma was our contact and she was responsive, kind and very capable. In addition to the tours, we used a Choose Balkans apartment during our time in Tirana and I can highly recommend that as well. The building we were in felt very secure, was in a great location and had a doorman around the clock. It was reasonably priced and we were allowed to use the wash machine in the unit which was so helpful due to our long visit. CB also arranged our transfers from the airport. Sirma checked in with us throughout our tours to make sure all was well. There are always ups and downs when traveling and rarely will everything go according to plan - especially for a trip as long as ours. There were a few times during our trip when we wanted to make changes to the itinerary or there were issues with hotels/vehicles…CB and Sirma were responsive to the issues we faced. I am GRATEFUL for their flexibility and willingness to figure out solutions with us. Room for improvement and a word about the hotels: some of the accommodations were very nice and some were not. When booking, go ahead and get a quote for the regular “3 star” rooms and also for the upgraded rooms. Choose Balkans was very receptive to my feedback regarding the quality of the accommodations. I think they are a young company and are still perfecting their partnerships with hotels. I appreciated their willingness to take constructive feedback and going forward I hope they will make adjustments for other visitors. One other issue was the pricing differentiation between the different tours. The Balkans are very affordable countries to travel to, however, the prices of the different tours we took were disproportinately priced - I think this is based on when we booked them. Try to book as far in advance as possible to avoid price fluctuations. The Balkans are amazing and I am so happy we were able to visit.
8-Day of 5 Countries in Balkans plus 2-Day Valbona Hiking Tour
Kai Wah,
24 thg 5, 2023
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
3.00We booked two tours which include 8-Day of 5 Countries in Balkans (Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia & Albania) and 2-Day Valbona Valley Hiking Tour. It was a mixed experience with good and bad ones as below: 1. Tour Guides (3-Star Rating). Our 8-Day tour guide (Sokol) was exceptional. He drove carefully to ensure we arrived our destinations safely. He was passionate and knowledgeable to share the history and culture of the places we visited. On top of that, he gave good recommendations to try out the local traditional cuisine. He was witty with good sense of humour as we enjoyed his company throughout the journey. He deserves a 5-Star Rating. Sadly, our second tour guide for 2-Day Valbona Valley tour (Ervis) was a great disappointment. Upon arrival after the boat ride, he left two of us behind and let us figure out ourselves in the rain on which bus to get in. Worse still, he did not even realise one of the nine people in the tour was absent before starting our hiking after our lunch till we prompted him. He seemed like a nice guy, but his carelessness and haphazard way in guiding the tour was unacceptable. Hence, the rating for tour guide was pulled down by him despite excellent job done by Sokol. 2. Customer Service (4-Star Rating). Sirma was helpful and responsive whenever we needed her assistance. The arrangement to pick us up using a taxi driver to the Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina border should inform us in advance so that we were not caught by surprise as we were in foreign country in an unfamiliar place. Also, the hiccup that we were not allowed to enter the ferry could have been prevented. Despite Sirma had solved these issue immediately, it was after the discounted experiences. 3. Tour Itinerary (3-Star Rating). Some of the destinations were lovely and interesting. Those we enjoyed very much include Mostar, Sajevo, Kotor, Prizren, Shkoder and Valbona Valleys. But some feedback for future improvements to include nature/ scenery sightseeing instead of visiting all cities in the 8-Day Tour in Balkans. For example, Kravica Waterfall could have been included in the itinerary when visiting Bosnia & Herzegovina. 4. Accommodation (2-Star Rating). Most of the accommodations provided were with staircase without elevator which is very inconvenient for us with 3 medium luggage and 1 small luggage even though the tour guides did help to carry some of the luggage. Place at Ulcinj was the worst with broken toilet seats for both rooms we stayed. Overall, the accommodation arrangement was below our expectation. 5. Overall Experience (3-Star Rating). Since the expedience was mixed with good and bad ones. Hence, our overall experience would be an average one as we did enjoy majority parts of the tour, but the hiccups and inconveniences during the tour could be spoilers during the tour too.
Choose Balkans made our Trip Fun, Interesting and a Good Value. Go with Experience!.
Judy P,
15 thg 6, 2022
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00If you are contemplating visiting Albania, we would like to highly recommend Choose Balkans (choosebalkans.com) as your tour guide. We just returned from their 8-day “Visit 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sights” tour and cannot endorse them enough. This tour which gave us a wonderful overview of the country and showed us fabulous scenery. We went from mountainous areas to beaches. The tour included transportation, hotel rooms, breakfast and all entry fees. The hotels were high quality and very clean. Alban, the CEO of Choose Balkans, is impeccably honest and held our deposit for two years while we waited for Covid to settle down. We are in our early 70’s and had to be careful, but wanted to make sure we completed this bucket-list trip. Mandi, our tour guide, went out of his way to make sure we understood the historical aspects of every sight and the general history of the country. He also went out of his way to help us as we visited sights that were more of a challenge at our age. In short, Choose Balkans will cater the trip to your needs. This tour far exceeded our expectations, and we cannot recommend ChooseBalkans.com more highly or recommend more highly that you visit Albania. It would be difficult to do this tour on your own as the driving would be a challenge, many Albanians speak very little English, and the transportation infrastructure is still limited (no trains and few buses). Choose Balkans made this tour fun, interesting and a good value.
One of the top tour companies in Europe! Maybe on the Planet!
MileHiRob,
7 thg 6, 2022
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00Alban and his professional team organized an incredible group tour for 23 guests. The hotels, and tours all exceeded our guests expectations. Our local guide Lecko was the crown jewel of the trip. He is the ultimate storyteller and does an excellent job keeping our guests informed and entertained. He is a true ambassador to his country. Any one considering a small or group trip should 100% book with this company. They listen to every detail and customized our trip to fit our needs. Alban and Sirma communicated daily with me to make sure we were all satisfied. If we needed anything all we had to do is make a phone call. Our group left very happy and I look forward to working with this professional team again for future trips.
It was a wonderful experience.
bojkens2022,
16 thg 3, 2022
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00What a brilliant tour! As an Albanian myself, I went on this tour with friends visiting from Germany and Austria, and learned so much more about my home country and the Blakans. We were within a small tour group of 6, with Sokol as our tour guide. It was such an enjoyable eight days in the UNESCO Sites that exceeded our expectations. I would definitely recommend this tour!
Từ €1,987.18
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