Kosovo and the Great Balkans Tour: Enjoyable Journey with Thy for 7 Nights

After completing our ticket, luggage, and boarding procedures at the International Departures Terminal of Istanbul Airport, we set off for Tirana at 08:00 with Turkish Airlines flight TK1073. After approximately 1.5 hours of flight, we land in Tirana at 08:15 local time. After completing our entry procedures, we set off to explore Tirana, rich in historical and cultural treasures, with our private vehicle waiting for us. First, we visit the Et'hem Bey Mosque, which began construction in 1789 and was completed in 1923. This structure stands out as one of Albania's significant cultural heritages. We take a short break at Skanderbeg Square and see the statue of Skanderbeg proudly rising in the center of the square. Additionally, the Clock Tower, built by Et'hem Bey in 1821, is one of the important points of our tour. During this tour, the modern face of Tirana and its historical past will come together, allowing you to create unforgettable memories. After some free time, we head towards Elbasan and then proceed to Ohrid, the pearl of the Balkans. Stunning views will accompany us along the way. Upon arriving in Ohrid, we will have a tour introducing the historical city of Ohrid, which was one of the important bases during the Ottoman period. Among the places we will see during the tour are the monument of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Byzantine monks who developed the Cyrillic alphabet in the 9th century, and the Church of St. Sophia. We will also have the opportunity to stroll around the Çinar Square, the city center, and visit the old Turkish Bazaar from the Ottoman period. Here, you can closely feel the cultural texture of the city by visiting the Halveti Tekke. Afterward, you will witness the daily life of the locals by exploring the New Bazaar and Ohrid Market. Finally, the famous lake of Ohrid and its breathtaking view will accompany our tour. After the tour, we will have some free time and transfer to our hotel. Overnight and dinner will be at our hotel. After dinner, you can enjoy the enchanting atmosphere of Ohrid in the tranquility of the night, take a short walk by the lake, or retreat to your rooms to rest.

Tirana Tour INCLUDED! | 

 Tirana – Ohrid: 135 km 

After breakfast, we leave our hotel and head towards St. Naum Monastery, known as 'A Piece of Heaven in the Balkans,' which is the source of Lake Ohrid. At this magnificent place, you will have the opportunity to photograph unique views located in the heart of nature. During our free time, we will enjoy exploring this historical and natural beauty. After the Sveti Naum tour, we set off for our tour of Resne and Bitola. Upon arriving in Bitola, an important cultural and trade center during the Ottoman period, we will visit the Military High School where the great leader Atatürk studied and the Atatürk Museum from the outside. In this magical city, you will have the opportunity to explore historical artifacts from the Ottoman period, such as the Turkish Bazaar, Bedesten, Ishak Pasha Mosque, and New Mosque. While feeling the historical texture of Bitola, you will have the chance to take a pleasant walk in the nostalgic streets of the city. After a short break, we continue to Resne, where we will see the Palace of Resneli Niyazi Bey, who made a mark on Balkan history, from a panoramic view. Resne offers a captivating atmosphere with both its nature and Ottoman traces. After the tour, we return to Ohrid. Stunning views will accompany us along the way. Upon arriving in Ohrid, we will transfer to our hotel. Overnight and dinner will be at our hotel. After dinner, you can enjoy the enchanting atmosphere of Ohrid in the tranquility of the night, take a short walk by the lake, or retreat to your rooms to rest.

Sveti Naum Tour INCLUDED! Resne Tour INCLUDED! | Bitola Tour INCLUDED!

Ohrid – Sveti Naum: 29 km | Sveti Naum - Bitola: 80 km | Bitola - Resne: 33 km | Resne - Ohrid: 36 km

Total distance to be covered: 178 km

After breakfast, we head towards Skopje. On the way, we will have a tour of Tetova (Kalkandelen), one of Macedonia's dazzling towns. Here, we will visit the Alaca Mosque, one of the most colorful mosques in the Balkans. Built in the 15th century, this mosque will enchant you with its vibrant colors and detailed decorations on its exterior. While discovering this rare example of Ottoman architecture, we will embark on a journey into the depths of history. After our visit in Tetova, we continue our way to Skopje. Upon arrival, our city tour begins. Skopje is one of the important cultural centers of the Balkans with its Ottoman heritage and modern structures. We start our tour with the historical sites in Skopje, the birthplace of the famous Turkish poet Yahya Kemal Beyatlı. Our first stop is the Mustafa Pasha Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the city, built in 1492. Then we visit the Murat Pasha Mosque, built in the 15th century. This mosque is notable for its carvings and architecture from the Ottoman period. During the tour, we will see Kapan Han and Sulu Han, located in the heart of Skopje. These structures, beautiful examples of Ottoman period inns, were once important centers where merchants stayed and traded. Next, we visit the Stone Bridge, which has become a symbol of Skopje. This bridge, built in the 15th century, connects both sides of the Vardar River. Walking from the Stone Bridge, we will continue our tour by seeing the Turkish and Jewish neighborhoods along the banks of the Vardar River. During our walk along the river, we pass through Macedonia Square. This square is the largest and central point of Skopje, surrounded by modern buildings. Here, we will encounter the statue of Alexander the Great and other monuments. Then, we see the Ottoman Bridge from the 15th century from the outside and visit the Davut Pasha Bath, once again feeling the grandeur of the Ottoman period. We continue to explore the city by walking towards Skopje's Turkish Bazaar. Before reaching the bazaar, we see the Clock Tower, one of Skopje's symbolic structures built in the 16th century. Here, we will visit the Sultan Murat Mosque and Isa Bey Mosque, which are among the early Ottoman period mosques. These mosques are an important part of the city's Islamic heritage and stand out with their architecture. Finally, we give free time in the Turkish Bazaar. In this bazaar, you can find many products from traditional handicrafts to souvenirs. After spending a pleasant time in the bazaar, we will return to our hotel for the evening.

Dinner: An unforgettable dinner awaits you with traditional Balkan music and local dance performances. While experiencing the entertaining and cultural side of Skopje with this special Balkan night, you will be hosted at Restaurant Gardenia, one of the region's finest venues. With live performances of the best Balkan music and folklore, performed by our artists, who are all conservatory students and teachers, this night will be transformed into an authentic experience. We will be delighted to host you at our own Restaurant Gardenia Skopje. Overnight will be at our hotel in Skopje.

Tetova (Kalkandelen) Tour INCLUDED! | Balkan Night INCLUDED!

Ohrid – Tetova: 130 km | Tetova – Skopje: 42 km

Total distance to be covered: 172 km

After breakfast, we leave our hotel and head towards Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. Upon our arrival in Pristina, we start our panoramic city tour, where we will explore the modern and historical aspects of Kosovo. During the tour, we will also visit many valuable structures from the Ottoman period. We will see the Fatih Sultan Mehmed Mosque and the Yaşar Pasha Mosque from the 18th century. During this tour of the city's historical heritage, we will have the opportunity to commemorate the tomb of Ottoman Sultan I. Murad Hüdavendigâr, who lost his life in the Kosovo Plain as a result of the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. After our tour in Pristina, we head to Prizren, known as the cultural capital of Kosovo. Upon arrival, we begin to explore the narrow streets of Prizren, filled with architecture reminiscent of an Anatolian Ottoman city and shop signs in Turkish. In the city, we will visit the Sinan Pasha Mosque, one of the most important structures of Ottoman architecture. The Halveti Tekke, Bayraklı Mosque, and Mehmet Pasha Bath are also among the other important Ottoman artifacts we will see. After spending some free time in Prizren, we set off for our return journey to Skopje in the evening. Upon arrival, we will transfer to our hotel and after dinner, we will retreat to our rooms. Overnight will be at our hotel in Skopje.

Pristina Tour INCLUDED! | Prizren Tour INCLUDED!

Skopje – Pristina: 90 km | Pristina – Prizren: 85 km | Prizren – Skopje: 165 km  

Total distance to be covered: 340 km

After breakfast, we set off on a pleasant journey to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Throughout history, Belgrade has been one of the most important cultural and strategic centers of the Balkans, and today it stands out with its liveliness, dynamism, and historical texture. In this enchanting city, we will have the opportunity to explore the intersection of Ottoman and European cultures. Upon our arrival in Belgrade, a panoramic city tour begins, where we will discover the city's grandeur. Here, you can feel the historical atmosphere and explore the texture that brings together Belgrade's past and present. Then, we head to one of the most impressive points of the city, where the Sava River meets the Danube River. It will be a great pleasure to explore this unique view, which has been the focal point of many conquests and victories throughout history. Fatih Sultan Mehmed’s journey was wounded for this city, but its conquest was granted to Kanuni Sultan Süleyman. While continuing to discover this ancient city, where the Ottoman navy was supplied, you will encounter the Belgrade Fortress. While tracing the traces of history in this fortress, we will see important points such as Kale Square and Stone Square. During the tour, we will visit the tomb of Şehit Ali Pasha, one of the important figures of the Ottoman period. During these visits, you will deeply explore Belgrade’s rich history and gain insight into the cultural heritage left from the Ottoman period. At the end of the tour, we leave behind the city’s history and vibrant atmosphere and head to our hotel. Dinner and overnight will be at our hotel.

Skopje – Belgrade: 430 km      

After breakfast, we head towards Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Upon our arrival in Sarajevo, we will embark on a panoramic city tour, which has been the cultural capital of the Balkans for centuries and is historically known as the place where World War I broke out after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by Serbs in 1914. During the 1992 war, Sarajevo suffered great devastation due to the destructive wars between Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks, but it has largely managed to preserve its beauty. During our panoramic city tour, we will see the famous Baščaršija, the historical Ottoman inn Morica Han, the Catholic Cathedral reflecting the city’s religious cosmopolitanism, the Synagogue, Hüsrev Bey and Ferhadiye Mosques, the Latin Bridge where the assassination of Franz Ferdinand took place in 1914, the Old Library, and the western-style buildings that emerged during the 40 years of Austro-Hungarian rule in the city. After the tour, we will transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight will be at our hotel.

Belgrade - Sarajevo: 294 km           

After breakfast, we depart from Sarajevo. Our first stop will be Mostar, famous for its historical, cultural, and architectural richness. Here, we will see the Mostar Bridge, built in 1557 by Mimar Hayreddin, one of the students of Mimar Sinan, and considered one of the most beautiful examples of Ottoman architecture. This bridge was destroyed during the war in 1992, but with the significant contributions of the Republic of Turkey, it was reconstructed in 2004 in its original form and has since become the symbol of Mostar. Surrounding this elegantly arching bridge that connects both sides of the Neretva River, we will have the opportunity to explore the historical bazaar and stone streets. After discovering the enchanting atmosphere of Mostar, we will visit the Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque, one of the most important religious structures in the city. Here, we will examine the architectural details from the Ottoman period and enjoy the magnificent view of the Mostar Bridge from the mosque’s courtyard. Next, we head to Blagaj, known for its natural beauty and tranquil environment. Blagaj is an impressive settlement established at the source of the Buna River, the strongest water source in Europe, where history and nature intertwine. After a short free time here, we proceed to Počitelj, which carries the past to the present with its stone houses and historical texture. In Počitelj, known as the Turkish Village, which has largely preserved its historical texture, we will have the opportunity to closely see the works built by the Ottomans in the 16th century and feel the unique atmosphere of the region. After our tour, we will transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight will be at our hotel.

Počitelj Tour Included! | Blagaj Tour INCLUDED! | Mostar Tour INCLUDED! 

Sarajevo - Mostar: 120 km | Mostar - Blagaj: 12 km | Blagaj – Počitelj: 22 km | Počitelj - Sarajevo: 150 km

Total distance to be covered: 304 km

After breakfast, we have free time until the transfer time after checking out of the rooms. Transfer to Sarajevo Airport. After completing the boarding procedures, we fly to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines scheduled flight TK1026 at 20:35. Our tour ends with our arrival at Istanbul Airport at 23:35. We bid you farewell, hoping to see you on your next journey.

*Balkan Special Cancellation Assurance Package: 50 Euro*

(With the cancellation assurance package application, we offer our guests the right to cancel their reservations without penalty under any circumstances. With this application, it is possible to cancel your reservation up to 9 days before the tour departure date. In case of cancellation, the full tour fee is refunded, while the cancellation assurance package fee and any additional service fees (Visa, insurance, etc.) are not refunded.)

**The specified cancellation assurance package is not valid for group reservations.**

**There are a limited number of seats available for each tour.**