Albania, North Macedonia & Kosovo Route Tour (TIA PRN)

30 June 2027 – 4 July 2027 | 4 Nights, 5 Days
Tour details

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENT

This tour is organized with a minimum participation requirement of 20 people.  If sufficient participation is not achieved, the final cancellation notification date will be 20 days prior to the tour start date. Tours cancelled due to insufficient participation will be notified to you through your agency.

VISA

Ordinary Passport  -  Visa not required

Green Passport  -  Visa not required

Service Passport - Visa not required 

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the end date of travel and must not be older than 10 years. 

In destinations requiring a visa, the visa application must be submitted using the documents specified in the "Documents Required for Visa" list that your agency will provide to you.

HEALTH

We do not anticipate any health-threatening issues with meals served at good restaurants and hotels in the region. However, when you are not with the group, we advise you to be cautious regarding food and drink consumption. We strongly recommend drinking only bottled water, avoiding ice, milk, and dairy products, consuming meat and fish products only if you are sure they are well-cooked, and eating fruits such as bananas and pineapples whose peels can be removed. Current vaccination/PCR rules must be followed at country entry and upon return.

OPTIONAL TOURS & ACTIVITIES

Optional tours and activities are organized by our local partner agency with a minimum participation requirement of 20 people and are not mandatory. If the required number is not met, tours may not take place, or optional tour/activity prices, content, and vehicles used may vary based on the number of participants. Additionally, the dates and times of optional tours/activities may be changed by the guide depending on whether museums, historical sites, or venues are open or closed, and according to weather conditions.

ACCOMMODATION

During periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events, sports tournaments, etc., hotels may be located further than the specified kilometers.

Triple rooms are assigned based on hotel availability. In such rooms, the bed provided for the third person may be smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of one large bed and one extra bed. Since extra beds are foldable or coach-style beds, participants (third person and/or children) booking these rooms are deemed to have accepted potential crowding and the type of bed.

Child discounts apply only to one child accompanying two adults and falling within the age group specified in the pricing section. 

Breakfasts included in the tour services are served according to the breakfast culture of the country visited, typically as a limited continental menu consisting of butter, jam, bread, tea, or coffee, and may be served in a separate room allocated for the group.

TIME ZONE

The Balkans share the same time zone as Turkey during summer time, but are one hour behind during winter time.

For example, when it is 18:30 in Turkey during winter, it is 17:30 in the Balkans.

CLOTHING AND ESSENTIAL ITEMS

If traveling in summer, we recommend bringing easily wearable t-shirts, short-sleeved and long-sleeved shirts, cotton trousers, shorts, comfortable walking shoes, a light jacket, and a thin sweater for evenings. Additionally, you may bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, earplugs for possible noise, a camera, a video camera, and their chargers and spare memory cards. During the winter season, we recommend clothing that allows easy movement and keeps you warm.

IMPORTANT NOTES

Having a valid passport and/or having obtained a visa (for destinations/passports where a visa is required) does not guarantee entry into the country. The border police have the authority to deny you entry. The agency is not responsible for this situation; responsibility lies with the traveler.  

The agency acts as an intermediary between the passenger and the airline and is subject to the Hague Protocol of September 28, 1955. There may be risks of delays in scheduled and special flights, or flight times may change prior to the current tour and flight. The agency is obligated to notify passengers of such changes as soon as possible. Passengers purchase the tour knowing and accepting that flight details may change. Children aged 0-2 do not pay airport taxes or airport service fees. 

Panoramic city tours included in the tour package are tours lasting a maximum of 2-3 hours, organized for general introduction to cities, conducted from the vehicle with guide commentary, and do not include entrance fees to museums or historical sites. Panoramic tours, including other tours specified in the program, may not take place if local authorities do not permit visiting or entering on the designated day and time, or due to closed roads caused by any event. Similarly, if weather conditions make it impossible to conduct the tour, the agency is not responsible for the inability to carry out said tours. Some tours may be conducted via public transport or on foot, depending on available options, at points where road access or vehicle entry is restricted.

What's included
  • THY economy class flight ticket Istanbul (IST) – Tirana outbound / Pristina - Istanbul (IST) return
  • 1 night bed & breakfast accommodation in Skopje, 1 night in Ohrid, 1 night in Tirana
  • Airport taxes and transfers included
  • City tours of Skopje, Ohrid, Tirana, and Pristina
  • Airport-Hotel-Airport transfers and intercity bus transfers
  • Professional guide services
  • Travel health insurance
Not included
  • Exit fee (It is recommended to make the payment at relevant banks before the travel date and keep the receipt with you during the trip.)
  • All personal expenses
  • Extra tours organized by the guide
  • All visits and tours not specified in the program
  • Lunch and dinner meals
  • Museum, historical site, etc. entrance fees
  • Driver tip
Tour Program
ISTANBUL – TIRANA – OHRID
We will meet our valued guests three hours before departure at Istanbul Airport. We will depart for Tirana on Turkish Airlines flight number *** at *** and arrive at ***. Upon arrival, we will leave the airport and travel via Elbasan to reach Ohrid, North Macedonia. During this tour, panoramic sightseeing will include St. Panteleimon, the most important Byzantine church in Ohrid; the Hagia Sophia Church, still used today for concerts; the Roman-era amphitheater; Car Samuel Castle; St. Bogorodica Perivlerta; 4th-century churches; Keşanlı İmareti; Kuloğlu and Emin Mahmut Mosques; Çınar Square; and the Ohrid Halveti Tekke. After the tour, you will have free time for shopping and personal needs. Transfers to our hotel will take place at the time designated by our guide. Overnight stay at our hotel in Ohrid.
Ohrid
After breakfast at the hotel in the morning, you will have free time for the rest of the day. Guests who wish may join optional tours organized by our guide. Our first stop is Resne, where we visit the mansion of Niyazi from Resne, one of the three most prominent figures of the Committee of Union and Progress, who gained fame for his contributions during the Turkish-Greek War. Our second stop is Bitola (Manastir). Upon arrival in Bitola, we will visit the Turkish Bazaar, Bedesten, Ishak Mosque, Yeni Mosque, Haydar Pasha Mosque, as well as the Military High School where Atatürk graduated and the Atatürk Museum (entrance fees included: 50 EUR), followed by free time. Guests who wish may also join an optional tour to St. Naum arranged by our guide (30 EUR) or an optional boat tour on Lake Ohrid organized by our guide (30 EUR). Overnight stay at our hotel. Guests who wish may also participate in an optional Macedonian Night organized by our guide, featuring local music and traditional cuisine (40 EUR).
OHRID – RESNE – BITOLA (MANASTIR) – SKOPJE
After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Bitola (Manastir). On the way, we will enjoy a panoramic view of Niyazi Bey's mansion in Resne, one of the three most prominent figures of the Committee of Union and Progress, who gained fame for his contributions during the Turkish-Greek War. Upon arriving in Bitola, our city tour includes visits to the Turkish Bazaar, the Bedesten, the Ishakiye Mosque, the New Mosque, as well as the Military High School where Atatürk graduated and the Atatürk Museum—moments that will surely be among the most emotional highlights of our journey. Afterward, we proceed to Skopje. Guests who wish may join an optional excursion to Matka Canyon with boat tour included, organized by our guide at an additional cost of 30 euros. We then transfer to our hotel and check into our rooms. Overnight stay at our hotel in Skopje.
SKOPJE – PRISTINA
We will depart from our hotel early in the morning and head to Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. Upon arrival, our panoramic city tour will include notable sites such as the 19th-century Clock Tower, the Kosovo Museum, the Fatih Sultan Mehmed Complex, the Yasar Pasha Mosque, and the tomb of Ottoman Sultan Murad I Hüdavendigâr, who fell as a martyr during the Battle of Kosovo in 1389.
PRISTINA-PRIZREN-ISTANBUL
After breakfast at our hotel, guests who wish may join an optional excursion to Prizren. Departure for Prizren (€40) is followed by a one-hour journey to the city. During our city tour of Prizren, Kosovo's other major center known for its numerous Ottoman-era monuments, we will visit the Halveti Tekke, Gazi Mehmet Pasha Hamam, the Ottoman cemetery, Sinan Pasha Mosque—one of the finest examples of period architecture—the Serbian neighborhood where the destructive effects of war are still visible, and the City Fortress dating back to Roman times. After the tour, we transfer to Pristina Airport. Following baggage and passport procedures, we depart on Turkish Airlines flight number ** to Istanbul Airport. Upon arrival in Istanbul, our tour concludes.