The Grand Balkans From Skopje To Sarajevo Tour 6N/7D

Day 1: We meet at Istanbul Airport International Terminal. After completing our passport and ticket procedures, we start our journey to Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, with a scheduled flight of Turkish Airlines.

After our arrival in Skopje, we explore the famous Turkish Bazaar. During our tour, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Kuyumcular Street, Arasta Mosque, Taşköprü, Turkish and Jewish Quarters, Davut Pasha Bath, Alexander Statue, Alexander the Great's father Philip II Statue, Macedonian Archeology Museum and Archive building, National Theater Building, Cyril and Methodius. We will visit important points such as the statues of , the 17th-century Church of St. Spas, the Mother Teresa Monument and Museum and the Old Train Station building.

We will climb Vodno Mountain to see the city from above and watch the breathtaking view. Then we set off towards Matka Canyon, famous for its natural beauty. Our guests who wish can join the boat tour and have a pleasant time here. (A visit to Matka Canyon may coincide with Saturday-Sunday or public holidays depending on the density, in which case the program may be changed at the initiative of our guide.) After our tour, we return to Skopje and have dinner at a local restaurant. We go to our hotel for accommodation.

Day 2: After our breakfast, we leave our hotel and head towards Pristina. After our arrival in Pristina, we get on the transfer vehicle waiting for us at the airport to explore the capital of Kosovo. Accompanied by our guide, we visit the tomb where the internal organs of Murad I Hüdavendigar are buried. Afterwards, we will see the Selamlık building next to it. Then, we move to Prizren, the second largest city of Kosovo, where there are many artifacts bearing the traces of the Ottoman Empire.

We are starting our Prizren city tour. In our tour, which we will do on foot with our guide, Halveti Lodge, Gazi Mehmet Pasha Bath, Namazgah where Mehmed the Conqueror prayed with his army, Bayraklı Mosque, Maraş District and Maraş Bridge, 400-year-old large plane tree, Emin Pasha Mosque, TC Prizren Consulate General Building, Bistrica (We will visit important points such as the Stone Bridge on Akdere), Şadırvan Square, Sinan Pasha Mosque, St. Gorgi and Catholic Churches, Arasta Mosque Minaret and the Serbian Quarter, where we can still see the traces of the war.

After free time, we move to our restaurant to have our dinner at the time determined by our guide. After the meal, we return to Skopje and go to our hotel for accommodation.

Day 3: After breakfast, we start our journey to Tetovo by bus. In Tetovo, we visit Harabati Baba Lodge, the center of the Bektashi tradition. We get information from Cemali of Tetovo, the caretaker of the lodge for 20 years, and then we go to the Bektashi dervish Abdulmuttalip and hear from him about the history of the lodge and the work done. Then, we visit the Baroque style Alaca Mosque, whose interior and exterior decorations were made with a special paint created by mixing animal blood, plant roots and egg white.

Then we move towards Ohrid. Upon our arrival in Ohrid, we take a tour introducing the historical city, one of the important bases of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans. During our tour, a plane tree dating back to the 11th century, Zeynel Abidin Pasha Lodge (Halveti Lodge), Ali Pasha Mosque, the famous Ohrid Bazaar, Ohrid Marketplace, St. Clement Statue, shops where you can see the papermaking technique used in China in the 2nd century BC, Hagia Sophia and the Ancient Theatre. After our tour, we have dinner at a local restaurant overlooking Lake Ohrid and go to our hotel in Ohrid to stay.

Day 4: After breakfast at our hotel, our first stop is Struga, located on the western shore of Lake Ohrid. We see the point where the Black Drim River originates and get information about Struga from our guide. Then we set out for Albania, pass through the Kafasan border gate and enter Albania.

As soon as we enter Albania, we see mushroom-shaped concrete shelters called "Bunkers".

Our first stop in Albania is Elbasan. We pass through the city with our bus and take a break at Elbasan Castle. After seeing the Turkish streets around the castle and the Hunkar Mosque, we continue our way to the capital Tirana.

We take a panoramic tour by bus in Tirana, the capital of Albania. Construction of Namazgah Mosque with 4 balconies, statue of Suleiman Pasha, the founder of Tirana, Tirana City Square, Ethem Bey Mosque, Clock Tower, National Museum, University Building, Opera and Ballet Building, statue of Albanian national hero Skender Beg, Parliament and Ministry and the Presidential Mansion are the places we visit.

After our Tirana tour, our next stop is the city of Shkodra, built next to Lake Shkodra. We will see the city castle and walls in this city, which is one of the most important cities of the Balkans. We will take a short walking tour during our break in the city center.

After free time in the center, we move to Montenegro. We have dinner at a local restaurant in the capital Podgorica and go to our hotel.

Note: Accommodation can be made in Shkodra. If it is to be done, Podgorica will not be visited.

Day 5: After breakfast, we go on a panoramic city tour by bus in the capital Podgorica. We see important points such as the Presidential building, the city park built by Azerbaijan, the Millennium Bridge and the King Nikola Statue. Then, we move towards the coastline and arrive at St. Stefan Island. Here we take a short break to photograph the magnificent view and continue our journey, reaching Budva. During our pedestrian tour in Budva, we explore the Budva Castle, the fortress built by Napoleon, shops preserved since the Middle Ages, Catholic and Orthodox Churches and the Marina. We can shop in our free time in Budva.

Then we move to the medieval city of Kotor, which is protected by UNESCO. Here, accompanied by our local guide, we visit important points such as Weapons Square, Clock Tower, Column of Shame, St. Trifun Cathedral, Craftsmen's Street, Tulumba Fountains, River Gate and St. Luke's Square.

After free time, we move towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the 12-minute ferry ride, we enjoy the view of the Bay of Kotor and enter Bosnia and Herzegovina, passing through the towns of Trebinje, Ljubinje and Stolac and arriving in Mostar. After having our dinner at a local restaurant, we go to our hotel in Mostar for accommodation.

Day 6: We leave our hotel and start our Mostar tour. We visit places such as the Martyr Mosque and the cemetery in its courtyard, the Mostar Bazaar paved with stones collected from the river specific to the region, and the Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque. Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque is known as the place where the most beautiful photograph of the bridge was taken. We will also visit the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Mostar, Mostar Bridge, Tara Tower and Kriva Cuprija – Eğri Bridge.

Then we move to Alperenler Lodge. During our journey, we see Mostar Airport and the military shelter built opposite the airport during the Yugoslavia period. Afterwards, we visit Sarı Saltuk Lodge. We visit this building built in the form of a typical Anatolian house to see the Tomb of Ali Pasha and the Tomb of Sarı Saltuk located within the lodge.

Then we go to the city of Jablanica. Here, we visit the bridge that Tito destroyed in his fight against the German Nazi forces in 1943 and the area where the incident took place. Then we arrive in the city of Konjic. In this small city built on the banks of the Neretva River, we see the Ottoman bridge, which was damaged and restored during World War II and the 92-95 wars, the Broken Minaret Mosque and the mini bazaar, which has been restored to its original form. After our photo break, we continue our journey and arrive at the last stop of the day, Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Upon our arrival, we have dinner at a local restaurant and go to our hotel to stay.

Day 7: After breakfast, we check out of our hotel and hit the road. Our first stop will be the Tunnel of Life. Then we will proceed to Bascarsija. Along the way, we will see buildings whose traces can still be seen during the war, Europe's first electric motorized tram line, the former Yugoslavian People's Army buildings used as the Sarajevo University Campus, and the second largest embassy building of the USA. Our first stop after our arrival in Bascarsija will be the martyrs' cemetery where the mausoleum of Aliya Izetbegovic and the martyrs of the war between 1992-1995 is located. Here, we will recite Fatiha to the war martyrs and get information about the first President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegovic and his life.

Then, we will start walking in Bascarsija, passing through the Bosnian-Turkish neighborhood with cobblestones from the Ottoman period. Sebil built with 18th century Bosnian architecture, Bakırcılar Street, Çarşı Mosque, Moriça Han, Gazi Hüsrev Bey Mosque and tomb, Clock Tower, Kurşunlu Madrasa, Gazi Hüsrev Bey Museum and Library, Ferhadiye Mosque, Ferhadiye Street, Jewish Synagogue, Catholic Church, Sarajevo Roses. We will visit places such as the Bakery Place Massacre Point, the Eternal Fire, which is the monument of Sarajevo liberated from the German occupation by the Yugoslav army on April 6, 1945, the Marketplace Massacre that took place on February 5, 1994, and the Vjecnica Library built during the Austro-Hungarian period. After our walking tour in Bascarsija, our guests can sip their coffee and buy historical Bosnian coffee at the famous historical coffeehouse with a view of the 'Sebil', the symbol of Sarajevo. Then we end our tour by moving to Sarajevo Airport.