Grand Balkan Tours 7N/8D

Day 1: Tivat - Kotor – Budva - Shkodër (Montenegro)

Meeting at the departure terminal of Istanbul Airport in front of the check-in counter. After ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, departure to Tivat, Montenegro with Turkish Airlines flight number ... at ... o'clock. Arrival in Tivat at local time ... After passport, baggage, and customs procedures, we proceed to Kotor with our private buses. Our first stop is the panoramic road to Perast, a significant historical and natural paradise and a tourist attraction in the Bay of Kotor. We reach the town of Perast, with its medieval palaces and churches, following the panoramic road. We take photos of the islands with St. Georg and Our Lady of the Rocks churches. We then arrive in the historic medieval city of Kotor. You will get to know this charming town with a walk in the StariGrad (Old Town-Castle). After our tour in Kotor, we have a break for prayer in Budva. Later, we take photos of the magnificent St. Stefan island from a point where we can see it from above, which is currently undergoing restoration for tourism after being acquired by a Singaporean billionaire from its original status as a fishing settlement. Afterwards, passing through the cities of Bar and Ulcinj, we reach the city of Shkodër in Albania. Upon arrival in Shkodër, transfer to our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel.

Breakfast: will be served as an offering on the plane. Lunch: Free time to be taken in Kotor. Dinner: Will be served at our hotel and included in the tour price. Accommodation: Rozafa Hotel or similar. Route: Tivat-Perast 15km, Kotor –Shkodër 108 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated depending on customs clearance time: 20:00

Day 2: Shkodër – Tirana – Berat – Elbasan – Ohrid (Albania–North Macedonia)

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the capital, Tirana. During our panoramic tour, we will explore this beautiful city, which has been caught between wars throughout the 20th century and lived under the dictatorship regime of Enver Hoxha for 40 years. We will visit some landmarks such as the Ethem Bey Mosque, historic Clock Tower, National Museum, Opera and Ballet Building, Parliament and Prime Ministry Buildings, Presidential Palace, Tran University Square, and Skanderbeg Square. After the tour of Tirana, we have free time in the city center for lunch and Dhuhr prayer. Then, we head to Berat, known as the museum city of Albania. During our tour of Berat, after seeing its castle panoramically, we walk through the historic city to visit important landmarks such as the Lead Mosque, Halveti Tekke, historic Gorica Bridge, and Muslim and Christian quarters. After lunch and some free time for shopping, we pray in a historical mosque before continuing our journey to another city, Elbasan. After a short break near the castle, we pass through the Shkumbin Valley and head to the gem of the Balkans, Ohrid in North Macedonia. Overnight stay at our hotel in Ohrid.

Accommodation: Hotel Aqualina or similar – OHRID

Breakfast: Included and served at the hotel.

Dinner: Included and will be served at a local restaurant. Route: Shkodër-Tirana: 100 km Tirana-Berat: 120 km Berat-Ohrid: 200 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated depending on customs clearance time: 20:00

Day 3: Ohrid – Sveti Naum – Matka Canyon – Skopje (North Macedonia)

After breakfast, we depart for St. Naum, where one of the largest lakes in the Balkans, Lake Ohrid, originates. With breathtaking views, we arrive at St. Naum after approximately 1 hour of travel. We visit the source of Lake Ohrid, where the scenery will simply take your breath away. Here, we offer you an extraordinary experience: a tranquil boat tour on the lake's springs, allowing you to marvel at the beauty of nature. This boat tour is included in our program as a special gesture for our guests. Then, we head back to Ohrid. During our tour in Ohrid, which takes its name from the lake, we visit significant landmarks such as the Halveti Tekke dating back to the 17th century, the symbol of Ohrid, the Plane Tree, the Turkish Bazaar, the Ali Pasha Mosque, Ohrid Port, the Quarantine Church, Turkish and Horasan Houses, the Ancient Egnatia Road, Keraklea Lynketis, the Clock Tower, the Church of Saint Dimitri, the Church of Saint Sophia, and a panoramic view of Samuel's Fortress. After the tour, we have free time for shopping in the Ohrid Bazaar. Ohrid is famous for its pearls, which have been one of the city's important traditions throughout history. During free time, you will have the opportunity to explore all stages of pearl production and do some shopping. After free time, we pass through Mavrovo National Park and visit the Harabati Baba Tekke and Alaca Mosque in Tetovo (Kalkandelen). Then, we head to the capital, Skopje. Overnight stay at our hotel.

Breakfast: Served at the hotel and included in the tour price.

Lunch: Will be taken at a place determined by the guide during free time at an additional cost.

Dinner: Served at our hotel and included in the tour price. Accommodation: Bushi Hotel or similar.

Route: Ohrid – St. Naum: 23 KM, St. Naum – Matka: 194 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated depending on road conditions: 19:00

Day 4: Skopje – Kosovo (Prizren) – Skopje (North Macedonia)

After breakfast at our hotel, we begin our city tour in the capital, Skopje. During our panoramic tour, we explore Skopje, the city where Yahya Kemal Beyatlı was born. Some of the landmarks we will visit include the Old Train Station, the monument and house of Mother Teresa, the Stone Bridge, the Fortress Walls, the Old Bazaar, and some of the most beautiful architectural legacies of the Ottoman period in the Balkans, such as the Mustafa Pasha, Sultan Murad, and Gazi Isa Bey Mosques, Davud Pasha Hamam, Kapan Han, Sulu Han, and Kurşunlu Han. After our visits, we depart for Kosovo, a country where the majority of the population consists of Muslim Albanians, one of the youngest states in the world. We will have an emotionally charged day in the former Ottoman territories where a humanitarian tragedy occurred not long ago. After a panoramic view of Pristina, we first visit the Murad Hüdavendigar Tomb. Then, we arrive in one of the most charming cities in the Balkans, Prizren. During our tour in Prizren, we will visit landmarks such as the Turkish Bath dating back to the 17th century, the Sinan Pasha Mosque built in 1615, Prizren Castle, the historic plane tree, Bayraklı Mosque, the Fountain Square, Orthodox Church, and Christ Saviour Church. After the tour, we return to Skopje. Overnight stay at our hotel.

Breakfast: Served at the hotel and included in the tour price.

Lunch: Will be taken at a place determined by the guide during free time at an additional cost.

Dinner: Dinner will be served at our hotel and included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Bushi Hotel or similar.

Route: Skopje – Pristina 92 KM, Pristina – Prizren 85 KM, Prizren – Skopje 161 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated depending on customs clearance time: 19:00

Day 5: Matka Canyon – Belgrade (Serbia)

After breakfast at our hotel, we visit the magnificent Matka Canyon near the capital, Skopje. We will enjoy a canyon walk with motorized boats on the reservoir, savoring the breathtaking nature of the canyon. This boat tour is included in our program for our valued guests. After our visit here, we head towards the capital of Serbia, Belgrade. We will take a break at a suitable venue on the way for lunch and Dhuhr prayer. Upon our arrival in Belgrade, we start our panoramic tour of the city. During our panoramic tour of Belgrade, we will see landmarks such as the Saint Sava Cathedral, Slavia Square, bombed military buildings, the Parliament Building, the former Royal Palace and current Presidential Palace, the Moscow Hotel, Terazije Square, Republic Square, the National Museum, and Opera House. Then, we will continue with a guided walking tour, where we will see Student Square, Knez Mihailova Street, Kalemegdan Square, the Military Museum, Istanbul Gate, the Clock Tower, Damat Ali Pasha Mausoleum, Zindan Gate, Leopold Gate, Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Fountain, and the Stefan Lazarevic Monument. Our tour concludes with a visit to the only active Turkish mosque in Belgrade, the Bayraklı Mosque. After some free time in the city center, we transfer to our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel.

Breakfast: Served at the hotel and included in the tour price.

Lunch: Will be taken at a place determined by the guide during free time at an additional cost.

Dinner: Dinner will be served at our hotel and included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Holiday Inn or similar - BELGRADE

Route: Skopje – Belgrade 432 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated depending on customs clearance time: 20:00

Day 6: Belgrade - Srebrenica - Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

After breakfast at our hotel, we embark on a 1-hour boat tour on the rivers of Danube and Sava, enjoying magnificent views. Our boat tour is included in the program as a courtesy of our company. During this unique experience, we will witness the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and have the opportunity to see War Island up close. Later, we proceed to Sarajevo. Passing through Serbian and Bosniak villages, we reach the Bosnia and Herzegovina border crossing. After completing customs and passport procedures, we enter the Serbian canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our first visit is to Srebrenica, the center of the massacre that occurred on July 11, 1995. Here, we pay our respects by visiting the camp area and the martyrdom where the innocent Bosniak people were held. We commemorate their memory. Lunch and Dhuhr prayer will be at a suitable venue. After our break, we cross the Drina Alps and pass through the plateaus to reach the capital, Sarajevo.

Breakfast: Served at the hotel and included in the tour price.

Lunch: Will be taken at a place determined by the guide during free time at an additional cost.

Dinner: Traditional Bosnian meatballs at a local restaurant, included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Holiday Inn, Hollywood Hotel, or similar - SARAJEVO

Route: Belgrade – Srebrenica - Sarajevo 360 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated depending on customs clearance time: 20:00

Day 7: Sarajevo - Konjic - Mostar - Blagaj - Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

After breakfast at our hotel and checking out of the rooms, we depart from our hotel in private buses towards Mostar. Our journey to Mostar will take approximately 2.5 hours, with several stops along the way. Our first stop is in Konjic, where we will see the famous Ottoman bridge restored by Turkey and take a photo break by the Neretva River. Next, in Jablanica, we will have a short coffee break and learn about the story of the bombed Nazi train taken by the Partisans during World War II. As we continue our panoramic journey along the Neretva River, we will be accompanied by magnificent views. Upon arrival in Mostar, we will begin our walking city tour, starting with the iconic Mostar Bridge (built in 1557 by the Ottoman architect Hayreddin). Although destroyed during the war in 1992, with significant contributions from the Republic of Turkey, it was rebuilt and reopened in 2004. We will also visit the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, the Little Mostar Bridge, and the Tabhana Mosque and Hamam. After our Mostar tour, we will visit the last Ottoman village, Počitelj, where we will have a break in this 15th-century Ottoman border village. Following our break, we will visit one of the maqams of Sarı Saltuk, Blagaj, before returning to Sarajevo. On the return journey, we will enjoy a traditional lamb roast at a local restaurant famous for its views of the Neretva River in the Jablanica region.

Breakfast: Served at the hotel and included in the tour price.

Lunch: Will be taken at a place determined by the guide during free time at an additional cost.

Dinner: Enjoying a traditional lamb roast in the Jablanica region. Included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Sarajevo Holiday Inn, Hollywood Hotel, or similar.

Route: Sarajevo - Konjic 62 KM, Konjic - Mostar 64 KM, Mostar - Blagaj 13 KM, Blagaj - Sarajevo 120 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated depending on road conditions: 20:00

Day 8: Sarajevo - War Tunnel (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

After breakfast at our hotel, our first visit will undoubtedly be the War Tunnel Museum, also known as the Tunnel of Hope, near the airport, to understand the struggle of the Bosnian people. We will have the opportunity to see the original section of the Tunnel of Hope that remains today, which is one of the symbolic points of the independence struggle, through special videos and photographs. Today, it serves as a military museum. Afterwards, we will head to the city center of Sarajevo.

First, during our panoramic city tour, we will explore Sarajevo, often called the "Jerusalem of Europe." We will see the buildings bombed during the independence war, structures remaining from 19th-century Austro-Hungarian Sarajevo, the Latin Bridge where the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated, the horse square, and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Mosque built in memory of Sultan Mehmet II's conquest of the city. We will disembark from our vehicle near the National Library to continue our city tour on foot. Our first stop will be at the Kovači Martyrs' Cemetery, where the first president of independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović, is buried. Next, we will take a stroll through the historic Baščaršija, the main market square of Sarajevo, where we will visit the Kuršumli Madrasa, the Baščaršija Mosque, the iconic Sebilj fountain, Morića Han, Hüsrev Bey Mosque and its complex, including the imaret, and the bedesten. Continuing our tour, we will see the Clock Tower, the Catholic Cathedral, Orthodox Churches, and the Jewish Synagogue. After visiting the Latin Bridge, where World War I began, we will pass through the gate where Fatih Sultan Mehmet entered the city, and drink water from the Ottoman Fountain. Free time will be provided for shopping and prayer in the market. After the free time, we will meet at the designated location specified by our guide and head to Sarajevo Airport. Our Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul departs at 20:45.

Breakfast: Served at the hotel and included in the tour price.

Lunch: Will be taken at a place determined by the guide during free time at an additional cost.