Ajet Airlines Great Balkan Tour 6 Countries (TIA-TIA)

Visa-Free Grand Balkan Tour 

7 Nights 8 Days 

Accommodation in 4* Hotels – Dinner Included

No Extra Tours – All Inclusive

Kosovo Program

Balkan Night and Bosnian Meatballs Included at Local Restaurants

6 Countries – 24 Cities – 5 Capitals

Albania – Kosovo – Macedonia – Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro

Tirana – Elbasan – Ohrid – Sveti Naum -Struga – Resne - Bitola(Manastir) –Matka – Skopje   Prizren –Pristina - Belgrade – Sarajevo– Konjic – Mostar – Blagaj - Trebinje – Herceg Novi – Kotor – Budva – Petrovac – Bar – Shkodra –Tirana

Day 1 Istanbul – Tirana  – Elbasan – Ohrid

Meeting in front of the International Departure Terminal counter at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. After ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, departure for Tirana at 07:10 on Ajet Airlines flight VF367. Arrival in Tirana at 07:55 local time. After passport, baggage, and customs procedures, we depart by our private buses to the center of the capital, Tirana. We will take a panoramic tour introducing this beautiful city, which was caught between wars throughout the 20th century, lived under Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship for 40 years, is a mountainous Balkan country, was developed by Süleyman Pasha in 1614, and became the capital of Albania in 1920. During our tour, we will see the Et'hem Bey Mosque, the Historic Clock Tower, the National History Museum, and the Opera House in Skanderbeg Square. The Parliament and Prime Ministry Buildings, the Presidential Palace, Mother Teresa Square, and the Tirana Pyramid are among the places we will see from our vehicle. After our Tirana tour, free time. Then, via Elbasan, we arrive in Ohrid, a Mediterranean-like town in the Balkans. We begin our tour of Ohrid at the Harbor Square, and after mentioning the statues we will see there, we continue with a walk through the district where the historic Ohrid houses used in the filming of the TV series Elveda Rumeli are located. We see the historic Ottoman houses, the Hagia Sophia Church, and conclude our tour with a presentation of the famous Ohrid Pearl, the biggest symbol of the city. After our tour, we proceed to free time. Transfer to our hotel after free time. Overnight at our hotel.

Lunch: It will be taken during free time at a place to be determined by our guide, as an extra.

Dinner: Will be taken at our hotel or in a restaurant and is included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Hotel Belvedere etc. – Ohrid

Route: Tirana-Ohrid; 395 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated 20:00 depending on the customs crossing duration

Day 2 Ohrid – Sveti Naum – Resne – Bitola (Manastır) – Skopje

After breakfast, we first arrive in St. Naum after an approximately 1-hour journey amid magnificent views. We see the source of the Black Drin, where Lake Ohrid originates. The splendid scenery here will literally take your breath away. Then we head to Resne. In Resne, we see the Palace of Resneli Niyazi, one of the three most famous figures of the Committee of Union and Progress and who became famous for his contributions in the Turkish-Greek War, and continue on to Bitola. During our city tour of Manastir (Bitola), we visit Magnolia Square, the Clock Tower, the New Mosque, the Bedesten, Ishak Pasha Mosque, and the Military High School where Atatürk graduated, as well as the Atatürk Museum, where you will experience the most emotional moments of our tour. After our visit, we continue to the capital, Skopje, where we begin our city tour. We start our tour introducing this city, where two different cultures are separated by the famous Vardar River, with the Macedonian side, which we can call the land of statues. First among the statues we will see will be the gigantic Alexander the Great statue. Then, crossing the Historic Stone Bridge built over the Vardar River, we experience a moment where we witness how cultures instantly change, and move on to Skopje’s Turkish Bazaar, one of the most qualified bazaars of the Ottomans in the Balkans. After talking about the statues at the entrance of the bazaar, we begin our bazaar tour with the historic Davut Pasha Bath. Then we conclude our tour by seeing Kapan Han, one of the most important structures of Ottoman bazaar organization, and Murat Pasha Mosque, which managed to survive despite earthquakes. After our visits, one hour of free time will be given for shopping in the Turkish Bazaar. We can buy Šuşka peppers, Strumica peanuts, and sandals among other things. At the end of our tour, transfer to our hotel and check-in. Overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be taken at our hotel and is included in the tour price.

Lunch: It will be taken during free time at a place to be determined by our guide, as an extra.

Dinner: Will be taken at our hotel or in a restaurant and is included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Gold Hotel etc. – Skopje

Route: Ohrid – Sv Naum; 30 KM, Sv Naum – Resne; 70 KM , Resne – Manastır; 35 KM , Manastır – Skopje; 170 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated 20:00 depending on road conditions

Day 3 Skopje – Matka Canyon – Kosovo (Prizren) – Skopje (Balkan Night)

After breakfast at our hotel, we head to Matka Canyon, known for its unique beauty. After the magnificent photos we will take during our pleasant walk and a short free time, we meet back at our vehicle and set off to visit the 19th-century Ottoman Mansion located near the capital of Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, one of the youngest states in the world, and the Tomb of Murad I (Hüdavendigar), who was martyred by Obilic in the Battle of Kosovo, one of the greatest victories the Ottomans won in the Balkans. After our visit, following an approximately 100 km journey, we arrive in Prizren, considered one of the most charming cities of the Balkans and Kosovo, established on the banks of the Bistrica (Akdere) River. During our panoramic tour in Prizren, perhaps one of the most charming cities in the Balkans, the 17th-century Turkish Bath, the Sinan Pasha Mosque built in 1615, and Prizren Castle are among the sights to be seen. End of the tour and free time, then return to Skopje. Overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be taken at our hotel and is included in the tour price.

Lunch: It will be taken during free time at a place to be determined by our guide, as an extra.

Dinner: Balkan Night with local dishes and music at a place to be determined by our guide. (Included in the Tour Price)

Accommodation: Gold Hotel etc. – Skopje

Route: Skopje – Pristina; 100 KM, Pristina – Prizren; 100 KM, Prizren – Skopje; 170 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated 19:30 depending on customs crossing duration

 Day 4 Skopje – Belgrade

After breakfast, departure for Belgrade. After our journey, we begin our Belgrade city tour, one of Europe’s oldest cities and a new symbol of vibrancy and activity, with Knez Mihailova Street, the city’s most elegant avenue. Then we move on to Belgrade Fortress, one of the supply centers of the Ottoman navy, where Fatih Sultan Mehmed was wounded for its sake but whose conquest came to Suleiman the Magnificent. Inside the fortress, we conclude our tour at the terrace area where we will see the Surrender Monument, the French monument, the Istanbul Gate, the Military Museum, the tomb of Damat Ali Pasha, Sokullu Fountain, and the meeting point of the Danube and Sava rivers, the city’s most beautiful view. After our tour, we proceed to free time. Overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be taken at our hotel and is included in the tour price.

Lunch: It will be taken during free time at a place to be determined by the guide, as an extra.

Dinner: Will be taken at our hotel or in a restaurant and is included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Abba Hotel etc. – Belgrade

Route: Skopje – Belgrade; 450 km

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated 20:00 depending on customs crossing duration

 Day 5 Belgrade – Sarajevo

After breakfast at our hotel, we head to Sarajevo. Following the journey through mountainous Balkan roads, accompanied by magnificent scenery, we begin our panoramic city tour upon arrival. We stroll through Baščaršija, Europe’s most exceptional bazaar. In this tour introducing the cultural city, we begin with the Sarajevo Sebilj Fountain, which has become almost a symbol of the bazaar, and then see Morica Han, one of the city’s most authentic spots. Afterwards, we visit the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque, a relative of Suleiman the Magnificent. Continuing our tour, we see the Clock Tower, the famous fountain that has become a ritual, and the meeting point of cultures; this street is also where the symbolic Eternal Flame monument is located. Then we proceed to free time. Guests who wish may photograph the Latin Bridge, where World War I began, during free time. After our tour and free time, transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be taken at our hotel and is included in the tour price.

Lunch: It will be taken during free time at a place to be determined by the guide, as an extra.

Dinner: Bosnian Meatballs at a Local Restaurant, included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Holiday Hotel etc. – Sarajevo

Route: Belgrade – Sarajevo; 295 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated 20:00 depending on customs crossing duration

Day 6 Sarajevo – Konjic – Mostar – Blagaj – Trebinje

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Mostar amid beautiful scenery within the ecosystem of the Neretva River. Along the way, we take a short break in the small, charming town known in sources as Konjic (Konyitz), referred to by Evliya Çelebi in his Travelogue as a place where horses rested/drank water. After seeing and photographing the Konjic Bridge built by Mehmed IV, we continue via Jablanica. On this route, we will have the chance to see the most beautiful natural landscapes formed by the Neretva River. Upon arrival in Mostar, during our walking city tour, we first see the Mostar Bridge. (Built by Architect Hayreddin in 1557, the bridge is a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture.) The bridge was destroyed by Croatian artillery during the war in 1992, but was reopened in 2004 with major contributions from the Republic of Turkey. We tour the old city bazaar. After free time, we head to Blagaj, the land of the Alperens. After a short journey, we get off at the parking area in Blagaj, and after our walk, during the free time we will have in the area where the Buna River originates and where the Alperen Tekke is located, guests who wish may visit the Tekke, while those who wish may take the best exterior photo of the lodge. After our visits, transfer to our hotel. Depending on the crowd, accommodation in Trebinje or in the surrounding Medjugorje or Blagaj area. Overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be taken at our hotel and is included in the tour price.

Lunch: It will be taken during free time at a place to be determined by the guide, as an extra.

Dinner: Will be taken at our hotel or in a restaurant and is included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Leotar Hotel etc. – Trebinje

Route: Sarajevo – Konjic; 60 KM, Konjic – Mostar; 70 KM, Mostar – Blagaj 20 KM, Blagaj – Trebinje 100 KM

Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated 19:30 depending on road conditions

Day 7 Trebinje – Kotor – Budva – Shkodra - Tirana

After breakfast at our hotel, we cross into Montenegro, one of the world’s youngest states. Our first stop is Kotor, an important paradise of history and nature and a tourist attraction. Here we get to know this charming city through a walking tour in Stari Grad (Old Town-Fortress). After external explanations of historic highlights such as Arsenal Square, the Clock Tower, the Monument of Shame, the Government Palace, the Guard Tower, St. Tryphon Church and Square, Kalambaka (Tulumba) Square, and the Churches of St. Luke and St. Nicholas, we give free time. After the free time, passing through Budva, we take a break where we can view the magnificent St. Stefan from above and Budva panoramically, which is now in the process of being brought into tourism through restoration work after the expropriation of an island once used as a fishing settlement and its subsequent sale to a Singaporean multibillionaire, depending on parking availability, then head to the Albanian city of Shkodra. After arriving in Tirana via Shkodra, transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be taken at our hotel and is included in the tour price.

Lunch: It will be taken during free time at a place to be determined by the guide, as an extra.

Dinner: Will be taken at our hotel and is included in the tour price.

Accommodation: Te Stela Hotel etc. – Tirana

Route: Trebinje – Kotor; 95 KM, Kotor – Tıran ; 110 KM

 Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated 20:00 depending on customs crossing duration

Day 8 Tirana – Istanbul

After breakfast at our hotel, we transfer to Tirana Airport. After ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, departure for Istanbul at 08:55 on Ajet Airlines flight VF368, arriving in Istanbul at 11:35. 

Breakfast: Will be taken at our hotel and is included in the tour price.