Albania, Macedonia & Kosovo Route Tour (TIA-TIA)

9 March 2027 – 12 March 2027 | 3 Nights, 4 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 not 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 provided by your agency.

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 with food and drink, strictly consume bottled water, avoid ice, milk, and dairy products, eat only meat and fish that you are sure are well-cooked, and recommend eating fruits like bananas and pineapples whose peels can be removed. Current vaccination/PCR rules must be followed at country entry and upon return.

FLIGHT DURATIONS

Istanbul > Tirana 1 hour 50 minutes

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 sufficient numbers are 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 days and times of optional tours/activities may be changed by the guide depending on whether museums, historical sites, or venues are open/closed and 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 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 to a single (1) child accompanying two adults and falling within the age group specified in the pricing section. 

Breakfasts included in the tour package are served according to the local breakfast culture, 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 1 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 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, video camera, and their chargers and spare memory cards. For the winter season, we recommend clothing that allows easy movement and keeps you warm.

IMPORTANT NOTES

Having a valid passport and/or 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 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 existing 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 maximum 2-3 hour tours designed for general city introduction, conducted from the vehicle with a guide's 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 visits or entry on the scheduled 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 perform these specific 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 for Istanbul (IST) – TIRAN outbound / TIRAN – Istanbul (IST) return
  • 1 night accommodation with breakfast in Skopje, 1 night in Ohrid, 1 night in Pristina
  • Morning breakfast included at the hotels
  • Airport taxes and transfers fees
  • City tours of Skopje, Ohrid, Pristina, and Tirana
  • Airport-Hotel-Airport transfers and intercity bus transfers
  • Professional guide services
  • Travel Health Insurance
Not included
  • Departure tax, (It is recommended to make payment to the 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 – Prizren – Pristina
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, our journey to Kosovo begins. During our panoramic tour, we will visit the 19th-century Clock Tower, the Kosovo Museum, the Fatih Sultan Mehmed Complex built by the Ottomans in the 15th century, the Yasar Pasha Mosque, and the tomb of Ottoman Sultan Murad I Hudavendigar, who was killed during the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. After this tour, we will continue to Prizren, another important center of Kosovo with numerous artifacts from the Ottoman era, where we will enjoy a city tour including the Halveti Tekke, Gazi Mehmet Pasha Hamam, the Ottoman cemetery, the 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 the Roman period. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Pristina-Skopje
After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Skopje. Upon arrival, we begin a city tour that includes the historic Turkish Bazaar, once the commercial heart of the city and still vibrant today, with its stone-paved streets and historic buildings. Other highlights include the Vardar River, the Fortress, the Stone Bridge dating from the 6th century, the Turkish and Jewish quarters, the Davut Pasha Complex, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Sultan Murat Mosque, Isa Bey Mosque, the Double Bath (Çifte Hamam), Sulu Han, Kapan Han, Kurşunlu Han, the Clock Tower, Macedonia Square, the old and new train stations, the government building, the parliament, the 17th-century St. Spas Church, viewpoints offering panoramic views of Skopje ideal for photography, the Mother Teresa Memorial House, and the Mother Teresa Museum. After the tour concludes, we return to our hotel for overnight accommodation. Guests wishing may optionally join a guided excursion to Matka Canyon (30 EUR).
Skopje-Bitola (Monastir)-Struga-Ohrid
After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Ohrid. Upon arrival in Bitola, a city of monasteries along the route, we begin a panoramic city tour featuring the New Mosque, Turkish Bazaar, Covered Bazaar, Ishakiye Pasha Mosque, and the Clock Tower. Next, we stroll through Bitola's market area known as Shirok Sokak and visit the Military High School where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, once studied. After some free time, we proceed to Resne. Our tour continues with a panoramic view of Niyazi Bey's mansion in Resne; he was one of the three most prominent figures of the Committee of Union and Progress and gained fame for his contributions during the Turkish-Greek War. En route to Ohrid, we see Ohrid Fortress from the bus. Upon arrival in Ohrid, a short walking tour includes Ohrid Mosque, Ohrid Bazaar, the Old Ottoman Houses with architecture reminiscent of Safranbolu, Ayasofya Church, and Lake Ohrid—one of the largest and most popular lakes in the Balkans. During the free time provided here, you will have the opportunity to purchase the world-famous Ohrid Pearl. Guests who wish may join an additional boat tour on Lake Ohrid organized by our guide (30 EUR). Others may opt to visit St. Naum National Park, including a boat ride (30 EUR). We then transfer back to our hotel. In the evening, guests interested can participate in an extra Makedonian Taverna Night arranged by our guide, offering a chance to taste local Macedonian cuisine and experience Macedonian music and folklore performances, providing an immersive introduction to Macedonian culture (45 EUR). Overnight stay at our hotel in Ohrid.
Ohrid-Tirana-Istanbul
After breakfast at the hotel, our journey to Tirana begins. Our panoramic city tour of Tirana includes visits to Skanderbeg Square, Ethem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower, the National History Museum, the Parliament Building, the Presidential and Prime Ministerial Buildings, the Pyramid Building, as well as the city's bustling streets. Following the tour, during the free time provided, guests may spend time in the city center and go shopping. Afterwards, we will transfer to the airport. After completing baggage and ticket procedures, we will depart for Istanbul on a scheduled flight by *** Airlines. We will arrive at Istanbul Airport at *** local time, concluding our tour.