GRAND BALKAN TOUR DEPARTURE ON MAY 7 7 NIGHTS HALF BOARD HOTEL ACCOMMODATION (1 NIGHT STAY IN THESSALONIKI FOR AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE)
GRAND BALKAN AND GREECE TOUR
EXTRA TOURS INCLUDED !!
GRAND BALKAN TOUR DEPARTURE ON MAY 7 7 NIGHTS HALF BOARD HOTEL ACCOMMODATION (1 NIGHT STAY IN THESSALONIKI FOR AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE)
GRAND BALKAN AND GREECE TOUR
EXTRA TOURS INCLUDED !!
9 COUNTRIES 23 CITIES
GREECE, MACEDONIA, ALBANIA, KOSOVO, MONTENEGRO, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, CROATIA, SERBIA, BULGARIA
📌GREECE THESSALONIKI TAVERNA ENTERTAINMENT INCLUDED IN PRICE!
📌FUN-FILLED BOSNIAN NIGHT INCLUDED IN PRICE !!
📌VRELO BOSNA TOUR INCLUDED IN PRICE !!
📌BALKAN MUSIC AND FOLK DANCE SHOW AT MACEDONIAN NIGHT INCLUDED IN PRICE !!
📌ALL CITY ENTRY FEES INCLUDED IN PRICE !!
📌SVETI NAUM MONASTERY TOUR INCLUDED IN PRICE !!
📌KOSOVO AND SOFIA TOURS INCLUDED IN PRICE !!
📌MATKA CANYON AND BLAGAJ TOUR INCLUDED IN PRICE !!
📌DUBROVNIK AND KOTOR TOURS INCLUDED IN PRICE !!
DAY 1 AND DAY 2
BALIKESIR - BANDIRMA - BIGA - LAPSEKI - GALLIPOLI - KEŞAN - IPSALA BORDER GATE
KAVALA-THESSALONIKI
We welcome our valued guests and start our journey. After suitable breaks on the road, we reach Lapseki. Passing through the 1915 Canakkale Bridge, we arrive at the Ipsala Border Gate in the early morning hours. After completing passport and customs procedures, we pass into Greece. We visit the charming locale of AGIOS NIKOLAOS CHURCH and continue on the road to KAVALA via the Ikonion route. We go to Kavala Confectionery to buy famous Kavala cookies. In Kavala, we visit the AQUEDUCT built by Suleiman the Magnificent, the PORT, the IBRAHIM PASHA MOSQUE, the IMARETHANE, and the HOUSE and STATUE of KAVALALI MEHMET ALI. We move towards THESSALONIKI. We visit AYA DIMITRIOS CHURCH, the HOUSE of MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK, ROTONDA, TRIUMPHAL ARCH, BEYAZ TOWER, HAMZA BEY MOSQUE, and the BAZAAR, the STATUE of ALEXANDER THE GREAT, ARISTOTLE SQUARE, and the STATUE of VENIZELOS. Accommodation at our hotel in Thessaloniki. In the evening, we head out for a TAVERNA NIGHT with our guests.
DAY 3 THESSALONIKI-MONASTIR-RESEN-OHRID
After breakfast at our hotel, we leave THESSALONIKI. We head towards MONASTIR, a cultural gem of Macedonia. We visit our founder's school (Military high school) and get information from our guide, then we explore SHIROK STREET, ISAKIYE MOSQUE, CLOCK TOWER, ELENA'S HOUSE, TELEGRAPH OFFICE, PEKMEZ SQUARE, and the fountain and pool in the center of Monastir that inspired many songs, after which we have free time. On our way, we stop by RESEN, the hometown of Niyazi Bey, a notable figure who was among the leaders of the Young Turk Revolution of 1908. We view the Palace of Niyazi from a panoramic perspective. We then move on to OHRID, the city in Macedonia that boasts one of the world's deepest lakes. We have an option for a boat tour on the stunning OHRID LAKE known as the Blue Pearl. We take a walking tour of the historic city of Ohrid, which was a significant Ottoman base in the Balkans and is described as "when God was making heaven from clay, a piece fell down on Ohrid." We visit the STATUE of SAINT CLEMENT and the SQUARE, AYA SOFIA, the statues of the brothers CIRIL and METHODI, the CENTURY OLD PLANE TREE, ALI PASHA MOSQUE, HALVETIYA TOMB, and the TURKISH BAZAAR, and we make purchases of the famous mother-of-pearl and pearl jewelry. We depart from this beautiful city, which dazzles with its natural beauty and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Accommodation and dinner at our hotel.
DAY 4 OHRID KALKANDELEN (TETOVA) MATKA CANYON –SKOPJE
After breakfast, we depart for KALKANDELEN (Tetova). In this beautiful city with a large Albanian population, we will take a panoramic city tour. We will then visit the ALACA MOSQUE. Afterwards, during our tour of MATKA CANYON, you can see the natural beauty that will amaze you with its unique scenery, where you can take stunning photographs. We then head to SKOPJE, the city of YAHYA KEMAL, located on both sides of the Vardar River. In Skopje, we will see STONE BRIDGE, FYROM SQUARE (Statue of Alexander the Great, Statue of Tsar Samuel, Statue of Justinian I, Statues of King Philip and Queen Olympia), the STATUE and HOUSE of MOTHER TERESA, SKOPJE FORTRESS, KAPAN, and SULU HANS, and MUSTAFA PASHA MOSQUE and MURAD PASHA MOSQUE. We will also visit the DOUBLE BATHHOUSE and the DAVUD PASHA BATHHOUSE. After our enjoyable city tour of Skopje, we transfer to our hotel and check into our rooms. Dinner and accommodation at our hotel in Skopje.
DAY 5 SKOPJE-PRIZREN-SHKODRA
After breakfast and completing our passport and customs procedures, we proceed to PRIZREN. Prizren, the second largest city in Kosovo, has a historical depth dating back to the 2nd century BC and has been under the influence of various cultures including Roman, Bulgarian, Serbian, Ottoman, and Albanian. During our panoramic tour, we will see the main attractions such as the FRIDAY MOSQUE, PRIZREN CLOCK TOWER, SAINT SAVIOR CHURCH, FLAG MOSQUE, and STONE BRIDGE. After a short free time in Prizren, we move towards the city of SHKODRA. Having remained under Ottoman rule for 435 years and once an important base for the Ottoman army, we visit the HISTORICAL FORTRESS in Shkodra. Accommodation will be at our hotels in SHKODRA or Tirana. Dinner at our hotel.
DAY 6–SHKODRA-ST.STEFA (ULCINJ-SHKODRA-TIRANA)–BUDVA-KOTOR-TREBINJE
After breakfast at our hotel, we leave ŠKODRA, situated at the edge of Lake Shkodra, which forms a border between Montenegro and Albania. We capture the breathtaking views of St. Stefan Island. We then head to BUDVA. We enter the Old Town, which is built within the fortress's walls. Upon visiting the Poet's Square and enjoying coffee in the beach area, we arrive at KOTOR, known for its natural beauty and historical significance as the region that could not be conquered by Ottomans due to its geographical conditions. We enter the OLD TOWN through the SEA GATE and visit the SQUARE of SHAME, the HISTORICAL CLOCK TOWER, the RECTOR'S PALACE, BESKUCA, PIMA PALACE, ST. TRIPO KATHEDRAL, GRIGURINA PALACE, ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH, the MUSIC SCHOOL, and ST. LUCAS CHURCH with our guide. We will stay overnight in the Trebinje hotel. After dinner at our hotel, we set off for DUBROVNIK, a holiday paradise in Croatia, as decided by our guide. We conduct panoramic city tours of Dubrovnik. During our tour, we will walk through the old city square, which has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, visiting towers, magnificent walls, the FRANCISCAN MONASTERY, which is home to one of the oldest pharmacies in the world dating back to the 14th century, CITY GATES, TOWERS, and other important sites. Following the tour, we will have free time before returning to our hotel. Accommodation at our hotel in Trebinje.
DAY 7-TREBINJE-DUBROVNIK--POČITELJ- BLAGAJ-MOSTAR-SARAJEVO
After breakfast at our hotel, we proceed to POČITELJ. We visit Počitelj, which is known as the Turkish village with its preserved historical texture and see the works made by the Ottomans in the 16th century. Afterwards, we move to BLAGAJ to visit the SARİ SALTUK TOMB, which is situated near the Buna River, the fastest spring in Europe. After the Ottomans took the region in 1465, this beautiful place was essential in the rapid acceptance of Islam by Bosniaks, the local people of Bosnia. The highlight of our journey is MOSTAR. The MOSTAR BRIDGE, an architectural masterpiece, was built by Mimar Hayreddin in 1557 and was destroyed during the war in 1992 by Croatian artillery. It was reopened in 2004 with significant contributions from the Republic of Turkey. After visiting the Mostar Bridge, we see the KOSKI MEHMET PASHA MOSQUE. Dinner and accommodation at our hotel in Sarajevo.
DAY 8 SARAYBOSNA-BELGRADE
After breakfast at our hotel, we start exploring the capital of BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, SARAYBOSNA. Being the cultural capital of the Balkans for two centuries, Saraybosna is known as the Jerusalem of Europe because of its religious diversity. The city was severely damaged during the wars of 1992 among Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks. We first visit the SEBIL FOUNTAIN, BURSA BEDDESTEN, and BAŞ ÇARŞI MOSQUE, then continue our tour with a stroll through Başçarşı. We see the historical Ottoman inn MORICA HAN, the GAZI HÜSREV BEY MOSQUE, the SYNAGOGUE, and the BEDDESTEN, and proceed to FERHADIYE STREET. Here, we will see Ferhadiye Mosque and architectural buildings styled by the Austro-Hungarians after which we head to see the symbol of independence, the UNQUENCHABLE FIRE. During the free time we will have, we will savor the traditional BOSNIAK BUREK. We complete our visits at the LATIN BRIDGE, where the assassination of Franz Ferdinand occurred in 1914, and the OLD LIBRARY, where innumerable manuscripts were destroyed during the Bosnian war, and head towards BELGRADE. Arriving in the capital of SERBIA, which was also the capital of former YUGOSLAVIA, we greet BELGRADE, meaning "White City" in Serbian. After a panoramic city tour, we also take a walking tour, where we will see KALE SQUARE, MILITARY MUSEUM, ISTANBUL GATE, CLOCK TOWER, DAMAT ALI PASHA TOMB, SOKULLU MEHMET PASHA FOUNTAIN, REPUBLIC SQUARE, TERAZİ SQUARE, STONE SQUARE, STUDENT SQUARE, the flag mosque, the intersection of the SAVA and DANUBE rivers. Finally, we enjoy some free time at KNEZ MIHAILO STREET, known as the Independence Avenue of Belgrade. We then proceed to our hotel. Dinner and accommodation at our hotel in Belgrade.
DAY 9 BELGRADE (Serbia)- SOFIA (Bulgaria)-KAPIKULE
After breakfast at our hotel, we head to SOFIA. Upon arrival in Sofia, we begin our panoramic city tour. We will see ST. NEDJELYA CHURCH, RUSSIAN CHURCH, ROTUNDA CHURCH, SOFIA CHURCH, the PARLIAMENT, NATIONAL LIBRARY, OLD ROYAL PALACE, SOFIA UNIVERSITY, ALEXANDER NEVSKY CATHEDRAL, THE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE, the PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE, and the BANYA BASHI MOSQUE. Additionally, we will also have the opportunity to view the army house, which served as the site for the ball attended by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk wearing his janissary uniform. After our panoramic city tour, we arrive at the KAPIKULE border gate. After completing passport and customs procedures, we pass through Keşan-Gallipoli and the 1915 Canakkale Bridge, reaching Lapseki, then continue to Biga and Bandırma, concluding our tour. We bid farewell until we meet again in another YILCAN TOURISM trip.
• 7 Nights Half Board Accommodation in 4* Hotels
• Turkish Guiding Service
• City Tour as stated in the Program
• Breakfast at 7 Hotels
• 7 Dinners (Including Bosnian and Macedonian Night)
• Dinner at a Tavern in Thessaloniki
• Bosnian Night Included
• Macedonian Entertainment Included
• Hotel and Customs Taxes (35 Euro)
• Professional Liability Insurance
• Agency guarantee
• Bottled water service on the bus
• Kosovo Tour Included
• Dubrovnik Tour Included
• Blagaj Tour Included
*Schengen visa and service fee 180 € (Visa is not required for those with a valid visa or Green Passport.)
*International Exit Tax to be paid by guests to the relevant banks before the tour.
*Lunches, drinks taken during dinner
*Museum, site entrance fees
*All types of hotel extras and all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages taken at local entertainment venues)
*Special Travel Health and Security Insurance 15 €, 20 € for travelers over 65 years old.
*Ohrid Boat Tour (20 €)