Short Balkan Pearls Tour
Highlights:
• Transportation by bus • 3 Nights AccommodationIstanbul – Ipsala
Meeting Points:
23:00 Kadıköy Marriage Office Parking Lot
23:30 Next to Mecidiyeköy Ziraat Bankası
23:59 Next to İncirli Ömür Plaza
00:30 In front of Silivri Vega Mall
02:00 Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Rest Area
After meeting our guests at the departure points specified in the tour program, we reach the İpsala Land Border Gate, making the necessary breaks along the route. After our passport and customs procedures here, we enter Greece.
Ipsala - Kavala - Thessaloniki
After the breakfast break we will have near Kavala early in the morning, we head towards Kavala. Upon our arrival in Kavala, we begin our panoramic city tour. As we go toward the old town, the first place we will see is St. Nicholas Church. The mosque, built in 1530 by Suleiman the Magnificent in the name of Ibrahim Pasha, was shortened in 1926, converted into a bell tower and turned into a church, and Christian mosaics were added in front of it. Other historical places we will see on our tour are: Kavala Castle, the house of Mehmet Ali Pasha of Kavala, the imaret currently used as a hotel, the aqueduct, and the old town inside the castle. After our panoramic Kavala city tour, we head to Thessaloniki. In our panoramic city tour of Thessaloniki by bus, the White Tower, the statue of Alexander the Great, the Rotating Tower, the International Fair grounds, the Ottoman Bath, the Ottoman Mosque, the Bedesten, the Macedonia Thrace Ministry Building and Hagios Demetrios Church, the largest church in Greece, are among the places to be seen. After visiting the house where the founder of the Republic of Turkey, the great leader Atatürk, was born and lived, we will have free time in the city center, then transfer to our hotel and overnight at our hotel. Guests who wish may join our Greek Tavern tour, organized by your guide, as an extra (55€).
Selanik - Manastir - Resne - Ohrid
After the breakfast we will have at the hotel in the morning, we depart for the city of Manastir (Bitola). Following our arrival in Bitola, on the panoramic tour we will take, we see the New Mosque, Turkish Bazaar, (historic streets from the TV series Elveda Rumeli), Covered Bazaar, Ishak Pasha Mosque, and the Clock Tower. Then we walk through the Bitola bazaar called Şirok Sokak and see the Military High School where Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, studied. After the tour and free time, we depart for Ohrid. On the way, we will have a panoramic view of the palace of Resneli Niyazi, located in Resen, who became famous as one of the three most well-known figures of the Committee of Union and Progress and for his contributions in the Turkish-Greek War. Then we continue towards Ohrid. Upon our arrival in Ohrid, we begin our city tour of Ohrid. Ohrid Mosque, Ohrid Bazaar, Old Ottoman Houses with architecture reminiscent of the Safranbolu houses, Aya Sofia and St. Kaneo Churches, and Ohrid Lake, one of the largest and most popular lakes in the Balkans, are among the places to be seen. After the city tour, our guests who wish may join an optional boat tour on Lake Ohrid (20€). After the tour, free time and transfer to our hotel. Accommodation at our hotel in Ohrid. Our guests who wish may join the Macedonian night program with drinks, dinner, and music (40€).
Ohrid - Skopje
After breakfast at the hotel in the morning, our guests who wish may join the extra Sv. Naum tour (20€). Here we visit Sv. Naum Monastery and take a boat tour on the spring where Lake Ohrid is born. After the tour, we depart for Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. We head to Skopje and begin our city tour. At the entrance to Skopje, Bit Bazaar, Sultan Murat Mosque, Isa Bey Mosque, and the Skopje Courthouse are among the places we will first see from the bus. Upon our arrival in the city center, we start our panoramic Skopje walking tour from New Skopje. First, we see the Old Train Station, which is now used as a museum. We continue our walking tour with the memorial house built in honor of the world-renowned humanitarian Mother Teresa, and we see the works that have changed and will change the face of Skopje under the name of the Skopje 2014 Project. At the forefront of these works is the Statue of Alexander the Great, completed in September 2011. Then the Statue of Philip II, the Archaeological Museum, the Triumph Arch, the Statue of Tsar Samuel, and the Statue of Justinian I are other works we will see as part of this project. Crossing the Vardar River over the Stone Bridge, which was built during the Ottoman period and is the symbol of Skopje, we arrive in the Old Skopje area. After the free time we will give here for lunch and shopping, we gather at the meeting point shown by our guide and continue our panoramic walking tour. Walking through the streets of Ottoman architecture inside the Turkish Bazaar, we take a pleasant walk and see Davut Pasha Bath, Kapan Han, Chifte Bath, Sulu Han, Kurshunlu Han, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Skopje Fortress (from outside), and the Vardar River, then board our bus and depart for our hotel. Overnight in Skopje at our hotel.
Skopje - Sofia - Plovdiv - Istanbul
After our breakfast, guests who wish may join the optional Matka Canyon tour (15€) . After free time in Matka Canyon, which has been listed by National Geographic among the top 100 places in the world to see, we depart for Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. On our city tour upon arrival, the places to be seen include St. Nedelya Church, the Rotunda Church, the Russian Church, the Church of St. Sophia, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Prime Ministry and Parliament buildings, Sofia University, the National Palace of Culture, and the Banyabaşı Mosque designed by Mimar Sinan. After the city tour, we depart for Plovdiv. Upon our arrival in the city, we begin our Plovdiv city tour. The Friday Mosque, Roman Amphitheater, Roman Stadium, and Old Plovdiv are among the places to be seen. After a meal break and free time, we depart for Istanbul. Following passport and customs procedures at the Kapıkule border gate and a free shop shopping break, we arrive in Istanbul via Edirne and reach the end of our tour.
What's Included
✅ Transportation by luxury buses
✅ 3 Nights Accommodation including Breakfast
✅ Panoramic city tours and transfers included in the program
✅ Professional Turkish guidance service
✅ Customs duties
✅ All highway and parking expenses
Not Included
❌ Exit tax for overseas travel (It is recommended to pay to banks before the travel date.)
❌ Visa fee and service charge (Our guests with Green Passports are exempt from visas)
❌ Overseas Travel Health Insurance
❌ Lunches and dinners
❌ Extras taken at the hotel
❌ Tours specified as extra in the program
❌ All personal expenses
❌ Driver and guide tips (Optional)
❌ All hotel and city taxes
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1- The General Terms and Conditions are an integral part of the tour program and cannot be considered independently from the tour program.
2- If sufficient participation is not achieved for the trip; Lidya Tour may cancel the tour up to 21 days before the departure date. In such a case, the cancellation information is communicated to the guest. The full tour fee is refunded to the guest. For the refund of additional services purchased outside the tour; the domestic connecting flight purchased from Lidya Tour is also refunded to the guest, but if a visa application has been made on behalf of the guest using the visa service and travel health insurance, these services cannot be refunded as they will have been used; if no visa application has been made, the visa and travel health insurance are also canceled and the fee is refunded. If the guest purchased the domestic connecting flight from a different product provider independent of Lidya Tour, in the event that the trip is canceled by Lidya Tour, the guest cannot request any refund from Lidya Tour. The guest accepts in advance, at the time of purchasing the tour, any financial and moral losses that may arise from the cancellation of the tour, and Lidya Tour cannot be held responsible.
3- If sufficient participation is not achieved for the trip, Lidya Tour has the right to not cancel the tour in good faith. In this case, since the tour will be provided individually for the guest, the guiding service included in the package will only cover the round-trip airport transfer abroad.
Cancellation and Changes
4- In our tours, tickets for transportation are issued at the time of reservation. For cancellations made more than 30 days before the tour departure date, the non-cancelable, non-changeable, and non-refundable flight ticket amounts will be charged as a penalty.
5- Our guests have the right to cancel without penalty, provided that they notify Lidya Tour in writing up to 30 days before the tour departure date, except for plane tickets that have been paid to and/or committed to the airline by Lidya Tour. If there are fewer than 31 days remaining until the trip start date, they may cancel by paying a penalty equal to 50% of the remaining tour fee after the flight ticket amount; if there are 15 days or fewer remaining until the trip start date, they may cancel by paying the full tour fee as a penalty. In the event of a cancellation request, because the cancellation/refund conditions for additional services such as domestic connection flights, visa services, and travel health insurance may vary depending on the requested cancellation period, prior information should be obtained regarding refunds. Lidya Tour cannot make any commitment regarding the cancellation and refund of additional services.
Guiding Services and Optional Tours
6- The days and times of the tours specified in the program may be changed by the guide depending on whether museums and historical sites at the destinations are open or closed and according to weather conditions. Different guides may accompany our guests during the tours.
7- The panoramic city tours included in the tour package are tours of up to 2-3 hours, organized to introduce the cities in general and conducted panoramically with guide commentary from the vehicle, without museum or historical site प्रवेश. If panoramic tours, including the other tours specified in the program, cannot be carried out because, on the relevant day and time of the tour, they are not permitted to be visited or entered by local authorities, or because of closed roads due to any event, or if weather conditions make it impossible to conduct the tour, Lidya Tour is not responsible for the inability to carry out the said tours. Some tours may, where possible, be conducted by public transport or on foot at closed roads or at points where vehicle access is not permitted.
8- Our guide may make changes to the days of the city tour and/or additional tours, depending on the content of our tours, the number of participants, and whether museums and historical sites are closed. This also applies in the event of changes that may occur in flight times.
9- If participation is not made in the tour or meal services stated in the services included in the price, there is no refund.
About Flights
10- Lidya Tour is an intermediary institution between the airline and the passenger, and in possible disputes, the relevant provisions of Turkish legislation as well as the Hague Protocol and the Warsaw Convention will apply.
11- On scheduled and special flights, delays or changes in flight times may occur. Lidya Tour is obliged to notify these changes as soon as possible. The passenger has purchased the trip accepting the risk of a change/cancellation of the flight time.
12- Children aged 0-2 only pay the airport tax fee.
13- Pursuant to airline rules; if the outbound flight of round-trip tickets purchased as return tickets is not used, the return flight is canceled by the airline.
14- Check-in and boarding procedures required for those participating in tours with flights are personal procedures, and it is mandatory for the guest to complete these procedures before the flight at airports, from the relevant airline counters, or online on the airlines’ websites.
15- Last-minute delays and gate changes that may occur on flights are announced audibly at airports and displayed on information boards in the area. This information must be followed personally by the guests.
16- Lidya Tour is not responsible if guests who are not present at the specified airport at the times announced in accordance with airline rules for participation in the tour, who do not complete check-in and boarding procedures on time, or who have completed check-in and boarding on time but do not board the plane, cannot make the flight. All expenses arising from the provision of new round-trip tickets required for guests who miss the plane to join the tour, as well as transfers in the destination region, etc., are their own responsibility.
17- The standard baggage weight for flights departing from Turkey is generally 20 kg. This weight may vary depending on the airline and the destination country. If there are domestic flights in the destination country, the baggage weight on these domestic flights may be reduced to 15 kg. Excess baggage weight/price rules are determined by the airlines and are not under the responsibility of Lidya Tour.
18- For our guests who wish to upgrade their flight tickets with miles (to business or first class); after the tickets are issued, upgrade transactions can be carried out depending on the airline’s availability (check the airline with which you have membership). There is no mileage guarantee for each flight. Please check whether the tickets in the program are in an upgradeable class.
19- On some airlines, food, beverages, and online check-in services may be subject to an extra fee.
Other Matters
20- Lidya Tour will not accept responsibility for any changes or cancellations made by the guest by contacting the hotel directly. In this case, Lidya Tour cancellation conditions will apply.
21- In cases where only category information is provided without specifying the hotel(s) by name in the tour program and/or options are offered for the same destination, it will be notified to the guest by Lidya Tour 48 hours before departure.
22- During special periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events, sports tournaments, etc., hotels may be used at a greater distance than the specified locations or kilometers. In such a case, information will be provided by Lidya Tour 15 days before the departure date of the tour.
23- During registration for the purchased tour; the name, date of birth, and passport number as shown in the passport must be entered/disclosed correctly into the system by the guest. Air tickets are issued according to this information. The penalty for cancellation or changes of air tickets resulting from incorrect information will be charged to the guests.
24- In order to use your mobile phones abroad, before leaving Turkey, please check by contacting the company your line belongs to whether your phone is open for international use.
25- The hotel check-in time for accommodation is 15:00, and check-out time is 12:00.
26- Requests regarding the room (high floor, close to common areas, smoking/non-smoking, bed type) are communicated to the hotel by Lidya Tour. The reserved rooms are selected according to the guest’s preferences, depending on the hotel’s availability. Fulfilling these requests depends on availability at check-in and cannot be guaranteed by Lidya Tour.
27- The breakfast offered in hotels differs from the rich breakfast customary in Turkish cuisine. It is generally served as a continental breakfast with limited options consisting of butter, jam, bread, tea, or coffee, and may be served in a separate hall allocated to the group.
28- In some cases, a double bed may be provided instead of twin beds. Most European hotels offer twin-bedded rooms that can be joined together if necessary.
29- The child and extra bed policy may vary according to each hotel and room type.
30- Any extra bed and crib are provided upon request and subject to hotel availability, and must be approved by the hotel.
31- The capacity for an extra bed or crib in the room is 1 (maximum).
32- There is an extra bed practice in 3-person rooms; in such rooms, the bed assigned to the 3rd person is smaller than standard beds. 3-person rooms consist of 1 large bed + 1 extra bed. Extra beds are foldable and coach bed-type beds. Our guests are deemed to have declared that they accept the possible cramped conditions in the rooms and the bed type due to the extra bed added to the standard room in 3-person room and/or child reservations.
33- If the number of children staying with adults and the ages of the children stated in hotel reservations are incorrectly declared by our guests, the relevant hotels may charge an additional fee. In such a case, responsibility lies with the guest who made the incorrect declaration. The hotel may request identification to verify the ages of children.
34- In reservations of 2 adults + 1 child, there may not be a separate bed for the child. Child prices are valid only if the child stays with two adults. Child discounts are valid for the “single child” who falls within the age group staying with 2 adults.
35- Exchange rate changes during the day are reflected in TL prices. The rates at the time of payment apply. Your additional requests, and some extra services you may receive at the hotel (minibar, ironing, etc.) are subject to extra charges by the hotel. These expenses are not included in the price at the time of purchase and are paid directly to the hotel during your stay.
36- Some countries have different practices regarding city, tourism, or local taxes. Any such city, tourism, or other taxes applied in this manner are collected by the hotel from the guest at check-in or check-out.
37- Road distances given in the programs are map-based. Travel times may be extended due to traffic, weather conditions, the geographic location of the country visited, roadworks, and road conditions.
38- Lidya Tour may, in mandatory situations or when deemed necessary, change the order of the cities in the program and the main airline to be flown, without altering the content of the program.
39- The personal belongings, bags, suitcases, passports/IDs of those participating in the tour are under their own responsibility, and Lidya Tour is not responsible for forgotten/lost/stolen items. In cases where forgotten items are found, the costs incurred in delivering them to the country and/or person shall be borne by the owner of the item.
40- Participants in the tour are required to have their travel health insurance policies with them, and if they have any health issues, the relevant medications and reports.
For possible extra expenses, a photo ID/passport issued by official institutions and a credit card or cash deposit may be requested by the hotel at check-in. The refund of the deposit requested at check-out is a transaction between the hotel and the guest, and Lidya Tour has no involvement.