Balkan Express Tour
Express Balkan Tour by Bus
Greece - Macedonia – Bulgaria
3 Countries – 2 Capitals
2 Nights 4 Days
Day 1 Istanbul – Kavala
On the first day of our tour, we arrive at the İpsala border gate via Tekirdağ, departing at 21:00 from Kadıköy Marriage Office, at 21:30 from in front of Mecidiyeköy Auto Expert, at 22:00 from Incirli Ömür Plaza, and at 22:30 from in front of Beylikdüzü Marmara Park. After completing passport and customs procedures, we arrive in Kavala via Dedeağaç, Gümülcine, and İskeçe.
Day 2 Kavala – Thessaloniki - Skopje
Upon our arrival in Kavala, we stop for breakfast and to taste the delicious Kavala cookies. After the breakfast break, we take a short photo stop on the beautiful Kavala shores and then set off for Thessaloniki. Upon arrival in Thessaloniki, we begin our panoramic city tour. During our panoramic tour, we see the Waterfront, White Tower, Round Tower, Fairgrounds, Thessaloniki Castle, and Ottoman and Byzantine monuments. After visiting the Church of Saint Demetrius, the largest church in Greece, and the house of Great Leader Atatürk, which is currently located in the garden of the Turkish consulate, we depart for Skopje. Then we begin our Skopje city tour; we will take a half-day panoramic tour introducing Skopje, the city where Yahya Kemal Beyatlı was born. Places to visit include the Old Train Station, the monument and house of Skopje-born philanthropist Mother Teresa, the Stone Bridge, the Fortress, the Old Town from the Ottoman period, the Bazaar, and the Mustafa Pasha, Sultan Murad Mosques, Davud Pasha Bath, Kapan, Sulu, and Kurşunlu Inns, which are among the finest architectural legacies of the Ottomans in the Balkans. Accommodation at our hotel in Skopje.
Day 3 Skopje ( Tetova (Kalkandelen) – Ohrid )
After breakfast at our hotel, the whole day is free. Guests who wish can join the Tetova – Ohrid tour including a boat tour. (60 EUR) Departure from the hotel to Ohrid, the Pearl of the Balkans. On the way, we stop in Tetova (Kalkandelen) and visit the Painted Mosque and the city center. After our visits, we continue with a short journey to Ohrid. During this tour, which we will do on foot, the places to be seen include the Historic Plane Tree Square, St. Bogorodica Kameusko, the Churches of St. Sophia (from the outside), the Statue and Square of St. Clement of Ohrid, the Old Turkish Mansions used as museums, the Ancient Theater from the Roman period, and the Church of St. Panteleimon. After our city tour, we take a boat tour on Lake Ohrid, where we can get to know the city from a different perspective. After the boat tour and free time, we depart for Skopje. Overnight at our hotel. Guests who wish can join the extra-organized Macedonian Night Tour. (40 EUR)
Day 4 Skopje – Sofia – Istanbul
After breakfast, we depart from Skopje to Sofia. Guests who wish can join the extra-organized Matka Canyon Tour, known for its unique beauty. (25 EUR). After the journey, we arrive in Sofia. During our panoramic city tour, places to be seen include the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the largest church in the Balkans, the National Library, Sofia University, the Old Royal Palace, the National Bulgarian Theater built in neo-classical style, the Archaeological Museum, Old Sofia - the Union City, and the Rotunda Church. Then, walking along the side of the Parliament building, we enjoy a panoramic view and photo stop at the Sofia Statue, and visit the Banya Bashi Mosque, the city’s symbol. After our visits and free time, we depart for Istanbul. After a short free time, we begin our journey to Istanbul. Following passport and customs procedures at the Svilengrad border gate, we arrive in Istanbul via Edirne and say goodbye, looking forward to meeting again on our next tour.
What's Included
✅ Transportation by luxury buses
✅ Local professional Turkish-language guiding services
✅ 2 Nights Accommodation in Skopje at 3 or 4* Hotels and Breakfast
✅ Mandatory local guiding services taken in some cities
✅ Kavala tour
✅ Thessaloniki tour
✅ Skopje tour
✅ Sofia tour
✅ All highway check-point and parking fees
✅ City taxes
✅ Customs fees
✅ Panoramic city tours specified in the program.
✅ Limited water service on the vehicle
Not Included
❌ Museum and archaeological site entrance fees.
❌ Extras taken at the hotel.
❌ All personal expenses
❌ Breakfast taken during the break in Kavala.
❌ Lunch and dinner
❌ Driver and guide tips
❌ Multi Schengen Visa (Green Passport holders are exempt from visas).
❌ International departure tax
❌ Overseas travel health insurance
INFORMATION
- Our guests participating in the tour must have a valid Multi (Multiple-Entry) Schengen visa for the entire duration of the tour. (Green passport holders are exempt from visas.)
- During the tour, in order to be able to shop and spend in all countries included in the program, having Euros with us is sufficient. In regions where local currency is used, the guide will help with currency exchange.
- Comfortable walking shoes or sneakers should be preferred during the trip. It is advisable to bring a cardigan or similar clothing for the evening.
- When entering Turkey from abroad, there is a minimum 3-day stay requirement in order to bring items (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.).
- Duty-free shopping limit when entering Turkey from abroad: Cigarettes: 3 cartons, Alcoholic Beverages: 1 liter of alcoholic beverage (alcoholic beverages containing more than 22% alcohol, excluding wine and champagne), Alcoholic Beverages: 2 liters of alcoholic beverage (alcoholic beverages containing less than 22% alcohol, including wine and champagne), Perfume: 600 ml, Makeup or Skincare Products: 5 items, Chocolate and Confectionery: 2 kg, Coffee: 1 kg, Tea: 1 kg
- In the tour program, guides may make changes to the flow of the program depending on weather and road conditions, provided that all places stated in the program are shown.
- Guests who register for the tour have the right to cancel free of charge until 30 days before departure. If there are fewer than 30 days remaining until the tour date, a 30% penalty applies, and if there are 20 days or less remaining, a 100% penalty applies. Unfortunately, hospital reports, workplace leave documents, etc. issued by authorities in Turkey and submitted together with the cancellation request are not accepted for the cancellation of hotels and services to be received outside Turkey.
- Our tour program is organized with a minimum participation requirement of 25 people. If sufficient participation is not achieved for the trip, the latest cancellation notification date is 20 days before the tour departure. The tour canceled due to insufficient participation will be announced by Lidya Tour.
- In cases where only category information is provided without specifying names in the tour program and/or there are options for the same destination, the hotel(s) will be announced by Lidya Tour 2 days before the tour departure.
- During periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events, sports tournaments, etc., hotels may be used at distances greater than the stated kilometers. In such a case, information will be provided by Lidya Tour 15 days before the departure date of the tour.
- Triple rooms may be provided depending on hotel availability, and the bed assigned to the third person in such rooms is smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed + 1 extra bed. Since extra beds are foldable or coach beds, tour participants making reservations for a 3rd person and/or child are deemed to have accepted the possible crowding in the rooms and the bed type. Child discounts are valid only for one child staying with 2 adults - in the applicable age group.
- Breakfasts included in the tour services and taken at the hotel are served in accordance with the breakfast culture of the country being visited and generally as a limited menu known as continental breakfast, consisting of butter, jam, bread, tea, or coffee, and may be served in a separate hall allocated to the group.
- Panoramic city tours included in the tour package are tours organized for the general introduction of cities, lasting at most 2-3 hours, conducted panoramically from inside the vehicle with guide narration, and do not include museum or archaeological site entrance fees. Lidya Tour is not responsible for the inability to carry out the mentioned tours, including other tours specified in the program, if on the day and time corresponding to the tour, the tour cannot take place because local authorities do not allow visits or entry, or due to closed roads because of any event, or if weather conditions make the tour impossible. Some tours may be conducted by public transportation or on foot where possible at closed roads or points where vehicle access is not permitted.
- During travel, waiting times at border gates crossed by road may exceed standards, and Lidya Tour cannot be held responsible for any problems arising from these waiting times.
- Extra tours are organized by the local Lidya Tour service provider with a minimum participation requirement of 20 people. If the required number is not reached, the excursions cannot be carried out, or the prices, content, and vehicle used for extra excursions may vary according to the number of participants. In addition, the days and times of the tours may be changed by the guide depending on the open/closed status of museums and archaeological sites at the destinations and weather conditions.
- Extra tours are optional and not mandatory. Passengers who do not want to participate in extra tours organized during the tour are deemed to have accepted waiting at a suitable rest facility along the route. These passengers are dropped off at a roadside rest facility before the extra tour starts and picked up from the point where they were left after the tour is completed.
- For people participating in tours with flights, the required check-in and boarding procedures are personal procedures and must be completed by the guest before the flight at the relevant airline counters at the airport or online on the airlines' websites.
- Lidya Tour is not responsible for the failure of people who are not present at the airport at the times announced by Lidya Tour for participation in the tour, who do not complete their check-in and boarding procedures on time, or who complete their check-in and boarding procedures on time but do not board the plane. The cost of new round-trip plane tickets required for people who miss the plane to join the tour and all expenses for their transfers in the destination region are their responsibility.
- Lidya Tour is an intermediary institution between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the 28.09.1955 Hague Protocol. There may be a risk of delay on scheduled and special flights, or the times of the current trip and before the flight may change. Lidya Tour is obliged to notify these changes as soon as possible. The passenger has purchased the trip accepting the risk of schedule changes. Children aged 0-2 do not pay airport tax and airport service fees.
- The vehicle types used in our tours are classified as follows according to the number of people. The vehicle types below are assigned according to the number of people in each tour.
Buses: (Used for 25 - 46 people) *Mercedes Travego/Tourismo *NEOPLAN Cityliner/Tourliner -*Temsa Safir/Maraton *Man Fortuna
Midibuses: (Used for 17 - 24 people) *Isuzu Turkuaz , *Otokar Mega
Minibuses: (Used for up to 16 people) *Vw Volt , *Mercedes Sprinter
- All guests are deemed to have completed the sale of the tour by accepting the above-mentioned items.