Skopje

Food & Drinks

Depart for Stobi Winery where a professional guide will be waiting for you. There is no better way to get to know the wine and history of this region than by being apart of this Stobi Wine Tour.  Let expert guides introduce you to the basics of wine technology, as well as the wine growing and wine drinking tradition from this area. Find out more about the local wine culture while enjoying the culinary masterpieces of the chefs, always ready to surprise you with traditional Macedonian delicacies or international cuisine specials. Leave Stobi richer from this epicurean experience. Enjoy a winery tour with a professional guide, tasting four of the best wines along with cold snacks such as cheese, yellow cheese and meat specialties like Galichnik. Afterwards, return back to Skopje.

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.

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.

Dive into Serbian history on this tour of Niš. Visit significant historical locations like Čegar hill, Skull Tower, Niš Fortress, and Mediana. End the tour with local wine and lunch. To start, go back in time with a visit to Čegar hill and learn about the famous Battle of Čegar, the first Serbian Uprising. While there, visit the remains of the fallen rebels that were built into Skull Tower. Continue to Tsarigrad road to Niška Banja and visit the locations where Agatha Christie was inspired to write "Murder on the Orient Express." Next, visit the Mediana archaeological site and learn about Constantine the Great and Edict of Milan. Admire Niš Fortress and its notable Stambol Gate, Hamam, Bali Bey Mosque, and its unique Lapidarium. To wrap up the tour, end in the oldest street of Niš for a refreshing cup of coffee before making your way to lunch. Enjoy your lunch with a taste of wine from local winery, Malca.

Start with pickup from your hotel or accommodation in Sofia at 8:00 AM. Travel for approximately 3.5 hours to the first destination of the two-day excursion, the city of Skopje, which is the capital of North Macedonia. During the drive, learn of the political history of the region.  Upon arrival in Skopje, enjoy a 2-hour city tour with a Macedonian guide. Explore both the old and the new parts of the city, seeing its major landmarks. After the walking tour, enjoy 1.5 hours of free time during which you will have the chance to rest and taste the local cuisine. Afterwards, continue the journey to Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, which will take approximately 2 hours. When you reach Pristina enjoy some free time to explore the highlights of the city after which you will travel to the cultural capital of the country, Prizen. Stay overnight in a 4-star hotel in the heart of the city.  On the second day, have breakfast in the hotel followed by a walking tour of Prizen at 8:30 AM. Explore the narrow cobblestone streets and authentic Ottoman buildings. Visit Mahmet Pasha Hamam, the 15th century stone bridge and the fortress situated high above the city. From here, get a fantastic view of the whole city. Then, begin the journey back towards Skopje for a lunch break, and subsequently onto Sofia, where you will arrive at approximately 3:00 PM.

Upon arrival at the winery, learn about the winemaking process on a guided tour with one of the owners. Learn more about North Macedonian grape varieties, cuisine, and viticulture throughout the tour.  After the tour, taste a selection of wines produced on-site. Sample some varieties of Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Vranec paired with platters of local cheese, meat, olive oil, and bread.

The driver/ guide will pick you up from your hotel or any location of your preference in Skopje, and take you with an air-conditioned car or van on a private full-day wine tour to Demir Kapija.  You will, first, be taken for a drive of about an hour to one of the best known and preserved archeological sites, Stobi. After your visit to Stobi, continue by car/ van for about a half-hour drive to a winery at Demir Kapija. During your few hours at the winery, an experienced oenologist will take you on a tour through the process of winemaking, walk you through the wine cellars and if it is the “right” time of the year, you will even take part in the grape harvesting. Then, take time to simply relax and enjoy the authentic wines and tasty, fresh, organic food from the region. At the end of the tour, you will be taken back by car/ van to your hotel or any location of your preference in Skopje.  

Tour around the beautiful towns of Kratovo and Lesnovo with a knowledgeable guide, visit a local pottery shop and taste local specialty food at the Ethno restaurant on a trip from Skopje. Visit the stone town of Kuklica, featuring 120 naturally formed volcanic stone pillars. Admire the unique rock formations and learn about their history from your expert guide. See the 14th-century Lesnovo Monastery and gaze at the intricately painted murals and beautifully tiled exterior. Hear about the significance of the monastery in Eastern Macedonia and its Serbian noble past.

After pick up from your accommodation in Skopje, you will begin your tour with a drive to Kratovo, where your local guide will be waiting for you. Your guide will begin to show you the city in his own style, which is bound to be very different from others. You will also have the opportunity to taste plenty of local home-style foods, some of which you will even help prepare. Following this, you will begin a city sightseeing tour where you will visit historical sites such as the church of St. Jovan Pretecha (18th century), the church of St. Nikola Chudotvorec (16th-18th century), the Clock Tower (14th century) the Simkjeva Tower (14th century), the Bazaar Bridge and the Argulichki Bridge. After your city tour visit, you will visit Kuklica, also known as the "Valley of Stone Dolls". According to local lore, a man was once struggling to choose between two women. Not able to make up his mind, he figured he would marry both on the same day and not tell the other. Unluckily for him, during his morning wedding, the second wife came to check out the scene and was horrified upon having to watch her husband’s double-crossing nuptials. In a rage, she cursed the whole wedding party and they turned to stone, where they stood forever and created Kuklica. After finishing your tour, you will return to Skopje.

Discover what many consider to be the most beautiful town in Macedonia, Ohrid, on a full-day tour from Skopje. After pickup at your hotel in Skopje, enjoy the scenic mountain views as your guide drives you for 2.5 hours to Ohrid. Once in Ohrid, take a walk by the lake and savor lunch in a local restaurant. Then, explore Ohrid Old Town on a sightseeing tour with your expert guide. As you walk, find out about the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Macedonia. During your tour, see local landmarks such as Samoil’s Fortress, St. Sofija Church, the Robevi House Museum, St. Bogorodica Perivleptos Church, the Gallery of Icons, the antique theater, and more. As well as sightseeing, visit the “charsija” bazaar and enjoy the chance to do some traditional pearl jewelry shopping. Get the opportunity to see the 1100 years old “Chinar” tree, too. At the end of your day in Ohrid, your guide will drive you back to your accommodation in Skopje.