Art treasures in SouthEast Europe

10-day trip to the UNESCO World Heritage sites 

Tour itinerary

1. Day: Arrival

Flight to Sofia. Transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

2. Day: Sofia – Rila – Bansko

In the morning we explore the Bulgarian capital and of course we will see the landmark, the Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral. Afterwards drive to the UNESCO protected Rila Monastery. Detailed visit of the probably most important monastery in Bulgaria, afterwards we continue to our hotel in the winter sports resort Bansko. Before dinner we take a walk in the lovely village. Dinner and overnight.

3. Day: Bansko – Melnik – Thessaloniki

Drive southwards to the town of Melnik, the smallest town in Bulgaria and on the list of UNESCO cities to be included. Walk through the town followed by an opportunity for wine tasting. Then we cross the border with Greece and continue to Thessaloniki. Extensive sightseeing tour with the landmark of the city, the White Tower. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

4. Day: Thessaloniki – Vergina – Meteora – Kalampaka

After breakfast we drive to the excavations of Vergina. Here is the burial mound of Filip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great. After the sightseeing we continue to the UNESCO protected Meteora monasteries. We will visit one of them, then move into our hotel in Kalampaka. Dinner and overnight.

5. Day: Kalampaka – Ioannina – Butrint – Saranda 

Drive to the town of Ionannina. We visit the old town, which is situated on a peninsula and is surrounded by a city wall. Lake Pamvotida is considered the sister lake of Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. Afterwards we continue to the Albanian border and to the UNESCO protected excavations of Butrint. After a detailed sightseeing we reach our hotel in Saranda. Dinner and overnight.

6. Day: Saranda – Gjirokaster – Korce

Another highlight awaits us. First, we take a photo stop at Mesopotam Monastery, then we continue our way to the UNESCO city of Gjirokaster, also called the city of stones. We visit the fortress and the old town, then we drive further inland in Albania to the town of Korca to our hotel. Dinner and overnight.

7. Day: Korca – Kloster Sv. Naum – Ohrid

Today's route takes us to the UNESCO protected Ohrid Lake. We cross the border to Macedonia and first visit the monastery of St. Naum, the most important monastery for the Macedonian Orthodox religious community. Here are also the underground springs of Lake Ohrid, which we will explore by rowboat. Afterwards we continue to the UNESCO city of Ohrid, detailed city walks. We will also visit the Church of St. Sofia, one of the 365 churches and monasteries in and around Ohrid. It is not for nothing that the city is also called the Jerusalem of the Balkans. Dinner and overnight.

8. Day: Ohrid – Bitola – Prilep – Skopje

Drive from Ohrid to the former diplomatic city of Bitola, also the second largest city in Macedonia. After a stroll through the old town we see the excavations of Heraclea Lincestis, remains of a city once founded by Filip II of Macedonia. Then we drive to the city of Prilep, where we visit the Archangel Michael Monastery. On the way to Skopje we stop at the Stobi winery, where we can taste the excellent Macedonian wines. In the evening we reach our hotel in Skopje, after which a traditional dinner with music awaits us in a restaurant in Skopje. Overnight in the hotel.

9. Day: Skopje – Kriva Palanka – Sofia

In the morning we explore the Macedonian capital Skopje. We see the old town with the Fortress Kale and the big bazaar as well as the new town with the Alexander the Great Fountain and the Mother Teresa Memorial House. Afterwards we continue eastwards to the town of Kriva Palanka, where we visit the monastery of St. Joakim Osogovski. We cross the border with Bulgaria and reach our hotel in the capital Sofia. Dinner and overnight.

10. Day: Transfer to Sofia airport

Country information for tour