Escape from the city into nature on this half-day trip through the woods and pastures of Mount Vodno. Admire the scenic views over the Skopje valley and the nature reserve at Matka Canyon. Start your adventure with pickup at your hotel for the drive up Vodno Mountain. Enjoy a stop at the 576-high summit to take some photographs of the vista. Next, move onto witness the 12th-century Church of Saint Panteleimon. Admire its famous Byzantine-style coloring and dramatic composition. Get ready for nature with your final stop at Matka Canyon. Feel the fresh air and be surrounded by mountains and breathtaking landscapes. While there, complete your experience by taking the opportunity to go an optional boat trip (additional expense).

Discover Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, on this full-day trip from Sofia. During this day tour to Skopje, you will have the chance to explore the city's highlights and hear its rich history and culture from your guide.  Be picked up from your accommodation in Sofia and board an airconditioned vehicle. Relax, and take in the countryside on the transfer to Skopje. Once in Skopje, begin your walking tour of the at Skopje Fortress. Admire sweeping views of the city from the fortress before heading to the Church of the Holy Savior, home to fantastic iconostasis. Continue towards the Sultan Murat Mosque and the Old Bazaar, where you can witness the remnants from Ottoman Period.  Listen as your guide tells you about Skopje's history as one of the main trade centers in the Balkans. Stop a typical Macedonian restaurant where you can purchase a delicious lunch before crossing the Vadar River explore the other side of the city.  Visit the new neo-classical square and continue to the Mother Teresa memorial house. End your walking tour at the newly built triumphal arch Porta Macedonia. Journey back to Sofia and be dropped off at your hotel or accommodation. 

This tour starts with a pick-up from your hotel in Skopje, traveling to Prishtina where your local guide will be waiting for you. First, visit Monastery Gracanica, and then arrive in Pristina where you will start a tour of Pristina. Your first stop in will be the Kosova National Library, an example of modern architectural design. Then make your way to the open air archaeological park with artifacts from the Neolithic period and Kosova Museum built by Austrians for the Turkish army in 1898, which has an extensive collection of archaeological and ethnological artifacts including the Neolithic Goddess on a Throne terracotta. Head to Çarshi Mosque, the oldest building in Pristina constructed in the 15th-century by the Turkish Sultan Bajazit. Afterwards, head to the Academy Building, a 19th-century Ottoman konak style private houses. Visit the Fatih Mosque or Imperial Mosque built in 1461 under the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II Fatih and the  Great Hammam – bath complex built in 1470 graced with 15 domes with small holes to let light stream in. Make your way to the Ethnographic Museum. The Emin Gjiku Complex is a extremely well-preserved building from 18th-century and it’s the only original building left in old bazaar area. The tour will finish with a visit of Gazimestan Tower. Contnue to Prizren for your walking tour of the city includes the attractive Ottoman old town, known for its gold and silver filigree craftsmen, the hammam, the Museum of Prizren League, the Helveti Tekke, Sinia Pasha Mosque and the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis. Prizren has the largest number of preserved Ottoman buildings in Kosovo, so simply wandering around the old cobbled streets admiring the town houses, mosques and tekkes is a delight. After a small break, return back to .

This tour takes you to the city Ohrid from Skopje. The drive from Skopje to Ohrid takes about 2 hours. Upon arrival in Ohrid you"ll start the tour with a visit to the church of St. Sophia,  which dates back to the 11th century. The you'll go up to the Roman amphitheatre, which dates back to the 3rd century B.C. Afterwards, you will continue walking to the Icon Gallery, home to a range of some of the most famous and valuable icons in the world, right after the ones on Athos and in Russia. In the vicinity of the gallery is the Church of St. Clement’s, or the Church of the Holy Mother of God Most Glorious, which dates back to the 13th century and possesses some of the most beautiful and valuable frescoes from the 13th century not only in this country but in the whole of the Balkans. After that you will carry on walking to Tsar Samoil’s Fortress, named after the first tsar of the Macedonian Slavs, who, having conquered Byzantium, brought most of Macedonia under his rule. Then you will walk to Plaoshnik, where you will visit the newly built St. Clement’s Monastery Church. Dedicated to St. Clement - the patron of Ohrid - and St. Panteleimon, it stands beside the original site of St. Clement’s University, the first university of the Macedonian Slavs, founded in the 9th century A.D. Inside the church you can also see the tomb with St. Clement’s relics. Beside the church you can see the foundations of the 5th-century basilica with beautifully preserved mosaic floors and some swastikas also discovered on the floors. From here you will head towards the Church of St. Jovan at Kaneo, which was built at the end of the 13th century, and is one of the most frequently visited churches in Ohrid because of its beautiful location on the cliffs directly above the lake. After this you will go back to the town on foot. Another option is to return to the town by boat and at the same time make a tour of the lake providing you with a great view of the town. After a short break, you will return to Skopje.

Benefit from pick-up at a location of your choice in Skopje, and then travel by comfortable air-conditioned vehicle to Kosovo. Visit the 14th-century Gračanica Monastery on the way to Pristina, and then take a sightseeing tour of the city to see some of its beautiful attractions on arrival. Discover the new Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa, along with highlights such as the National Library and equestrian statue on Skanderbeg Square. Stroll along pedestrianized Nane Theresa and visit the Old Bazaar. Break for lunch at your own expense, and then spend the afternoon in the small town of Prizren. Learn about its rich cultural heritage on a guided tour of the town center. See highlights such as the Old Stone Bridge and medieval Church of St. George. Pass the 17th-century Sinan Pasha Mosque and Bajrakli Mosque behind the Albanian League Museum. Find fine local handicrafts in the many craft shops, and watch the world go by on Shadervan Square.

The history of Skopje began with the settlements of the Thracians and establishing the fortress of Scupi. Since then, the town has changed its sovereign numerous times, being part of the Roman, Byzanatine, Bulgarian and the Serbian countries for short time.  The Ottomans conquered the city in 1392 and changed the name to Uskub, which became home for numerous Ottomans, Bulgarians and Albanians.  In 1912, the city was liberated from the Ottomans during the First Balkan war, and eventually became a part of the Serbian country. During the two world wars, it was eventually given to Bulgaria, before becoming capital of the Macedonian Federation in the Yugoslavian socialistic republic. The city then started growing rapidly industrially and economically.  Unfortunately a huge earthquake in 1963 destroyed a huge part of the town, leaving more than 100,000 people without homes. Skopje managed to recover quickly from it, just in time to become a capital of the independent country of Macedonia. Your Day in Skopje (North Macedonia) The departure is early, somewhere around 8.00 AM depending on your hotel pick-up time, because the driving time is 4 hours each way, and the border cross may take a while. On the way to Macedonia, you will use the picturesque road via the Osogovo mountains, one of the most beautiful mountain ranges both in Bulgaria and Macedonia. Somewhere around 11.30 AM (10:30 AM local time), you will arrive in Skopje. The walking tour will start with the Museum of History of Skopje, dedicated to the city, housed in the old railway station. From there, you will continue towards the Memorial House of Mother Teresa and learn about the life of the amazing Macedonian women with Albanian origin.  At this moment, your hunger for knowledge will be replaced with some good food, as youl head towards the main square, to see the huge statue of Alexander the Great and find a lovely restaurant on the south bank of Vardar river.  After lunch, you will continue your walking tour on the other side of Vardar, crossing it via the Stone bridge - the oldest and the most famous bridge in Skopje, today marked as the symbol of the city. You will then head towards the Old Fortress, for some remarkable pictures of the city from the top. Then you will end with a visit to the old quarter and its famous church - St Saviour. After a little free time to buy some souvenirs, you'll head towards the car, without forgetting to pass by the huge buildings of Skopje 2014's project.  Around 3:30- 4:00 PM, you will depart from Skopje and arrive back in Sofia at around 7:30-8:00 PM.

During this walking tour, your friendly and knowledgeable guide will lead you through the story of Skopje, beginning with the new Skopje 2014, across the Stone Bridge through the different Old Town and even further back in history up to the Fortress Kale, where you will find the earliest evidence of human existence. The driver/ guide will pick you up from your hotel or any place of your preference in Skopje and take you to the center of Skopje for a walking tour. Walk through the main square of the city, while listening to the story of the town with its well-known fountains, statues and monuments, passing by the Memorial House of Mother Theresa and the old railway station among the fresh products in the green market. Hear the story about the famous park Women Fighters, the Parlaiment building and the old city mall, while preparing yourself to discover the oriental part of the city - The Old Bazaar. Once there, you can feel the mix of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture while witnessing the best preserved part of Skopje with its hundreds of little craftsman shops and tearooms. At the end of the tour, you will be driven back to your hotel or any other location of your preference in Skopje.

Start with a morning departure for Mavrovo. After arriving have a short informational session about Mavrovo and Mavrovo National Park. Visit the Cave Sharko and have a little walk and see ski passes and hotels around the area. After that, visit the village of Galicnik where Galicka Svadba (wedding) takes place. Galichnik is a mountain village in the Republic of Macedonia and along with Lazaropole, it is one of the two largest and oldest Mijak villages in the region. Galichnik has well-preserved traditional architecture, including an amphitheater in the village square, and is famous for its surrounding countryside and nature reserve. People from Galichnik and northwestern Macedonia appreciate the local yellow cheese (Kashkaval) that is produced in the region as well as the local salt brine white cheese "belo sirenje." After visiting Galicnik, drive along Mavrovo Lake and canyon of river Radika to the biggest monastery in Macedonia – Bigorski Monastery with its wood carved iconostasis from 18th century. After that, visit a natural place – Waterfall Duf. This tour then continues to visit the wonderful Monastery Rajcica. After that, have a traditional lunch in Mavrovo and return to Skopje.

Cross the border from Bulgaria and enjoy a day trip in Macedonia. Dive into the past as you explore Skopje's historic neighborhoods and see its attractions. Learn about the history of the Macedonians as you walk through the new part of the city, rebuilt during the Skopje 2013 project. After your visit to Skopje, head to Matka Canyon to take a break in nature. Your day trip begins with an 8:00 AM pickup from your accommodation in Sofia. Drive for approximately 3.5 hours and reach Skopje. During your drive learn about the history of the region from the Bulgarian point of view. Arrive in Skopje and have a 2-hour guided tour of the city from a local Macedonian guide. Learn about Yugoslavia and have the chance to compare the two historic perspectives of the region provided to you on this trip. During your guided tour of Skopje visit Skopje Fortress, Sultan Murat Mosque, and the Old Bazaar. Have the chance to see the caravanserais from the Ottoman period when Skopje was one of the main trade centers in the Balkans. Visit the new neo-classical Macedonia Square and be impressed by the statue of Alexander the Great and his father Phillip II. Continue on to the Mother Teresa Memorial House. In the house museum, learn about Mother Teresa's life story. Afterward, conclude your walking tour of Skopje at Macedonia Gate. Head to Matka Canyon where you will have approximately 1.5-hours to admire the beauty of nature. Have the chance to enjoy a boat trip inside the canyon and pass by one of the deepest underwater caves in the world. At about 4:00 PM, meet with the rest of the group and depart back to Sofia. On the drive back, discuss your day's impressions and ask your guide any remaining questions you may have. Unfortunately, the day trip's itinerary will not allow you to have free time for lunch in Skopje. It is recommended to take some fast food during the walking tour or bring some sandwiches with you. You can buy food from a petrol station before arriving in the city.

Explore all the major landmarks of Skopje on this thorough guided tour through the most iconic areas of the city and beyond. Try some delicious local meals and treats as you discover your surroundings with a local expert. Have a lovely start to your day with a coffee at The Dude Specialty and breakfast at a small bakery, where you'll try the famous burek with yogurt. Begin the tour by heading up to Vodno Mountain. Take a thrilling cable car ride to the top to see the Millennium Cross and admire the spectacular views. Continue your drive to Matka Canyon and walk along the bank of the River Treska to reach the Monastery of St. Andrew. Afterward, take a relaxing boat ride to take in the magnificent scenery. Stop by Cave Vrelo, which is full of amazing stalactites and stalagmites and contains two small lakes. Drive back to Skopje and start the walking city tour with a visit to Kale Fortress, then Mustafa Pasha Mosque, and, finally, a stroll through the Old Skopje Bazaar where three caravanserais can still be seen, along with two Turkish baths dating back to the 15th century. Enjoy lunch at Destan, a great traditional kebab restaurant, and try Skopsko, the local beer. After lunch, the tour continues toward the modern part of the city. Cross the Stone Bridge to see numerous statues and monuments, then end your trip with a visit to the Memorial House of Mother Teresa.