Balkan Trio Tour by Bus
Tour details
Balkan Trio Tour by Bus - 3 Nights 5 Days
Greece - Macedonia – Bulgaria
9 Cities - 2 Capitals
Kavala – Thessaloniki – Bitola (Monastir)- Resen – Ohrid – Tetovo (Kalkandelen)
Skopje – Sofia – Plovdiv
3 Countries in 5 Days
No Mandatory Extra Payment
Day 1 Istanbul – Kavala
On the first day of our tour, we depart at 20:00 from Kadıköy Marriage Office, at 21:00 from in front of Mecidiyeköy Auto Expertise, at 21:30 from in front of İncirli Ömür Plaza, and at 22:00 from in front of Beylikdüzü Marmara Park, reaching the Ipsala border gate via Tekirdağ. After completing passport and customs procedures, we arrive in Kavala via Alexandroupoli, Komotini, and Xanthi.
Day 2 Kavala – Thessaloniki – Monastir – Resen - Ohrid
After arriving in Kavala, we take a break for breakfast and to taste the famous Kavala cookies. After the breakfast break, we take a short photo stop on the beautiful Kavala coastline and set off toward Thessaloniki. Upon arrival in Thessaloniki, we begin our city tour. We start our tour by visiting Thessaloniki Castle, from where we can see Thessaloniki from above. During the Thessaloniki city tour, the promenade, White Tower, Round Tower, Fair Square, Ottoman and Byzantine monuments, Hagios Demetrios Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Greece, the statue of Alexander the Great, Rotunda, Bedesten - Hamza Bey Mosque, Ag. Sophia, Ag. Dimitrios Church, Egnatia and Tsimski boulevards, and the Castle are among the places to be seen. At the end of our tour, we visit the home of Great Leader Atatürk. After the city tour, we depart for Bitola (Monastir) in Macedonia. Among the places to be seen are Shirok Street, the Bedesten, Ishak Mosque, New Mosque, Haydar Kadi Mosque, and the Military High School from which Atatürk graduated, where we will experience the most emotional moments of the trip. After our visit to Bitola, our first stop is Resen, where we visit the Palace of Resneli Niyazi, one of the three most famous figures of the Committee of Union and Progress and who became renowned for his contributions in the Turkish-Greek war, and then we head to our hotel in Ohrid. Overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast: To be taken as an extra at a rest stop in Kavala.
Lunch: To be taken extra during free time in Thessaloniki city center. - You can taste all local delicacies. Guide Recommendation: Seafood and meze.
Dinner: To be taken extra during free time.
Accommodation: Hotel Aqualina etc. – Ohrid
Currencies: Greece - Euro , Macedonia – Denar ( Average 1 Euro : 60 Denar )
Route: Istanbul-Kavala (445 km), Kavala – Thessaloniki (136 km) , Thessaloniki-Bitola (200 km) , Bitola-Resen (32 km) , Resen-Ohrid ( 36 km )
Total Distance to Be Covered: 849 km
Hotel Check-in Time: Depending on customs crossing time, estimated: 20:30
Day 3 Ohrid – Tetovo - Skopje
After breakfast, we begin our Ohrid city tour, the pearl of Macedonia. On our panoramic city tour, we see St. Panteleimon, the most important church of the Byzantine period in Ohrid, the Aya Sofia Church, which is still used today for concerts, and the amphitheater from the Roman period, Car Samuel Castle, St. Bogorodica Perivlerta, the 4th-century churches, Keshanlı İmareti, Kuloğlu and Emin Mahmut Mosques, Çınar Square, and the Ohrid Halveti Lodge. Guests who wish may join the Ohrid Lake Boat Tour organized as an extra. (15 EUR) Guests who wish may join the St. Naum Tour, organized as an extra, to the birthplace of Lake Ohrid and featuring magnificent views. (25 EUR) After our city tour, we set off toward Skopje. On the way, we stop in Tetovo (Kalkandelen) and visit the Painted Mosque and the city center. After our visit, we arrive in Skopje and begin our Skopje city tour. We will take a panoramic tour introducing Skopje, the city where Yahya Kemal Beyatlı was born. Places to be visited include the Old Train Station, the monument and house of the 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, and Gazi Isa Bey Mosques, among the most beautiful architectural legacies of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, as well as the Davut Pasha Bath, Kapan, Sulu and Kurşunlu Inns. Overnight at the hotel. Guests who wish may join our Macedonian Night Tour organized as an extra. (45 EUR)
Breakfast: Taken as an open buffet at the hotel and included in the tour price.
Lunch: To be taken extra during free time in Ohrid city center. - You can taste all local delicacies. Guide Recommendation: Ohrid Recommendation: Ohrid meatballs and dry beans cooked in a casserole.
Dinner: To be taken extra during free time in Skopje city center. Macedonian Night with extra local dishes and music at a place determined by the guide.
Accommodation: Hotel Gold etc. – Skopje
Currencies: Macedonia – Denar ( Average Rate 1 Euro : 60 Denar )
Route: Ohrid - Tetovo (134 km) , Tetovo – Skopje (46 km)
Total Distance to Be Covered: 180 km
Hotel Check-in Time: 19:00
Day 4 Skopje – Sofia
After breakfast, we depart from Skopje to Sofia. Guests who wish may join the Matka Canyon Tour, known for its unique beauty, organized as an extra. (20 EUR). After approximately 5 hours of travel, we arrive in Sofia. During our panoramic city tour, the places to be seen include the Alexsander Nevski 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 Archaeology Museum, Old Sofia - Trade Union City, and the Rotonda Church. Then, walking past the parliament building, we take a panoramic view and photo break at the Sofia Statue, and visit the Banya Bashi Mosque, the city’s symbol. Afterwards, we head to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel. Guests who wish may join our Bulgarian Tavern Tour organized as an extra. (50 EUR)
Breakfast: Taken as an open buffet at the hotel and included in the tour price.
Lunch: Free time with a Turkish restaurant to be determined by the guide in Sofia.
Dinner: Bulgarian Night with extra local dishes and music at a place to be determined by the guide.
Accommodation: Hotel Best Western Terminus etc. - Sofia
Currencies Bulgaria – Leva ( Average Rate 1 Euro : 1.95 Leva )
Route: Skopje - Matka (19 km) , Matka – Sofia ( 248 km )
Total Distance to Be Covered: 267 km
Hotel Check-in Time: Depending on customs crossing time, estimated: 20:00
Day 5 Sofia – Plovdiv - Istanbul
After breakfast at the hotel, we begin our journey to Plovdiv. After a journey of approximately 2 hours, we begin our city tour. With a history of 4000 years, it is a beautiful city that combines modern buildings and the architecture of ancient times. The most attractive place in the city is undoubtedly the oldest part of the city called “Old Plovdiv,” located on Nebet Tepe. Among the places to be seen are the house of Argır Kuyumcuoğlu, which now serves as the Ethnography Museum, the most perfect example of a symmetrical house unique to Plovdiv and, with its original layout, the Balabanov House and the house of Georgi Mavridi, which today host all kinds of cultural activities, the Roman Amphitheater from the ancient Roman era, the Roman Stadium, Hisar Gate, the Kaleiçi District and the Hindliyan Museum, the Friday Mosque, which is highly remarkable for its Turkish architecture, and the Aya Konstantin, Elena and Aya Nedelya churches, among the oldest churches in Plovdiv. After a short free time, we begin our journey back to Istanbul. After passport and customs procedures at the Svilengrad border gate, we arrive in Istanbul via Edirne and bid farewell until our next tour.
Breakfast: Taken as an open buffet at the hotel and included in the tour price.
Lunch: Extra free time in Plovdiv city center.
Dinner: Rest stop on the Edirne – Istanbul highway.
Currencies Bulgaria – Leva ( Average Rate 1 Euro : 1.95 Leva )
Route: Sofia – Plovdiv (145 km) , Plovdiv – Kapıkule (155 km) , Kapıkule – Istanbul ( 258 km)
Total Distance to Be Covered: 558 km
Istanbul Arrival Time: Depending on customs crossing time, estimated: 22:30
What's included
✅ Transportation with luxury buses
✅ Local professional Turkish guiding services
✅ 1 Night Accommodation and Breakfast in Ohrid at 3 or 4* Hotels
✅ 1 Night Accommodation and Breakfast in Skopje at 3 or 4* Hotels
✅ 1 Night Accommodation and Breakfast in Sofia at 3 or 4* Hotels
✅ Panorama city tours of Thessaloniki, Bitola ( Monastir ), Resen, Ohrid, Tetovo ( Kalkandelen ), Skopje, Sofia, Plovdiv
✅ Mandatory local guiding services taken in some cities
✅ All highway check-point and parking fees
✅ City Taxes
✅ Customs Duties
✅ Panorama city tours specified in the program.
✅ Limited water service on board
Not included
❌ Museum and archaeological site entrance fees
❌ Extras taken at the hotel
❌ All personal expenses
❌ Breakfast taken during the stop in Kavala
❌ Lunch and dinner
❌ Driver and guide tips
❌ Multi Schengen Visa (Green Passport holders are exempt from visa)* International departure tax
❌ Overseas travel health insurance
Need to Know
INFORMATION
- Participating guests must have a valid Schengen visa throughout the tour. (Green Passport holders are exempt from visa requirements.)
- During the tour, to be able to shop and spend in all countries included in the program, it is sufficient to have Euros with us. In regions where local currency is used, the guide will assist 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 Türkiye from abroad, there is a minimum stay requirement of 3 days in order to bring goods (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.).
- Free shop shopping limit when entering Türkiye from abroad: Cigarettes: 3 cartons, Alcoholic Beverages: 1 liter alcoholic drink (alcoholic beverages with more than 22% alcohol, excluding wine and champagne), Alcoholic Beverages: 2 liters alcoholic drink (alcoholic beverages with less than 22% alcohol, including wine and champagne), Perfume: 600 ml, Makeup or Skincare Products: 5 pieces, Chocolate and Confectionery: 2 kg, Coffee: 1 kg, Tea: 1 kg
- In the tour program, the guides may make changes to the flow of the program depending on weather and road conditions, provided that all places specified in the program are shown.
- Our guests who register for the tour have the right to cancel free of charge until 30 days before. If there are less than 30 days left until the tour date, a 30% penalty will apply, and if there are 20 days or less left, a 100% penalty will apply. Unfortunately, hospital reports, workplace leave documents, etc. obtained from authorities in Türkiye and submitted together with the participant's cancellation request are not accepted for the cancellation of the hotel and services to be received outside Türkiye.
- Our tour program is organized with a minimum participation requirement of 25 people. If sufficient participation is not achieved for the trip, the final 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 specified km. In such a case, information will be provided by Lidya Tour 15 days before the departure date of the tour.
- Triple rooms are provided according to the availability of the hotels, and in such rooms, the bed allocated to the 3rd person is smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed + 1 extra bed. Since the extra beds are foldable and called coach beds, tour participants are deemed to have declared that they accept the possible cramped conditions in the rooms and the type of bed in 3rd person and/or child reservations. Child discounts are valid only for one child who fits the age group staying with 2 adults.
- Breakfasts included among the services in the tour program are served in accordance with the breakfast culture of the country visited and generally as a limited menu called 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 the cities, lasting at most 2-3 hours, conducted panoramically with guide narration from inside the vehicle and not including museum or archaeological site entrances. Lidya Tour is not responsible if panoramic tours, including other tours specified in the program, cannot be carried out on the day and time of the tour due to places not permitted to be visited or entered by local authorities, or due to closed roads because of any event, or in cases where the tour becomes impossible due to weather conditions. Some tours may be conducted by public transport or on foot where possible in places with closed roads or where vehicle entry is not permitted.
- Waiting times at border crossings passed by road during the trip may exceed standards, and Lidya Tour cannot be held responsible for any inconveniences 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 vehicles used for extra excursions may vary depending on the number of participants. In addition, the days and times of the tours may be changed by the guide according to 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 join the extra tours organized during the tour are deemed to have accepted waiting at a suitable rest facility on the route. These passengers are dropped off at a roadside rest stop before the extra tour begins and are picked up from the point where they were dropped off after the tour is completed.
- The check-in and boarding procedures required for those participating in flights are personal procedures and must be completed by the guest before the flight at the relevant airline counters at the airports or online on the airlines' websites.
- Lidya Tour is not responsible for the failure of persons who do not arrive 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 them on time but do not board the plane. The costs of new round-trip flight tickets that will be required for persons who miss the plane in order to join the tour, and all expenses related to their transfers in the destination region, shall be borne by them.
- Lidya Tour is an intermediary institution between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol dated 28.09.1955. There may be a risk of delay on scheduled and special flights, or the times may change before the current trip and flight. Lidya Tour is obliged to notify these changes as soon as possible. The passenger has purchased the tour accepting the risk of schedule changes. Children between 0-2 years of age do not pay airport tax and airport service fees.
- The types of vehicles used in our tours are classified as follows according to the number of people. Based on the number of people in each of our tours, the vehicle types below are assigned.
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 sold the tour by accepting the above-mentioned items.