Serbia and Macedonia Cultural Tour B 1

Day 1 Belgrade – Palic Lake
Arrival to Belgrade Airport and meeting with Panacomp Tour Escort. Transfer to Palic Lake and hotel accommodation. Wine tasting with wine-knight presentation in authentic wine cellar. Traditional dinner at the comfortable salash-farm restaurant. Overnight.

Day 2 Palic Lake – Novi Sad – Belgrade
After breakfast drive to Belgrade with stop over in Novi Sad for sightseeing city tour of the historical core: City Hall, Cathedral, Liberty Square, pedestrian-shopping zone… Upon arrival to Belgrade sightseeing tour – the Parliament, Republic Square, National Theater, Saint Sava Orthodox Cathedral, Kalemegdan fortress... Hotel accommodation. Free evening, overnight.

Day 3 Belgrade – Manasija Monastery – Ravanica Monastery – Felix Romuliana – Mediana Nis
After breakfast drive along the highway to Manasija Monastery, built by Despot Stefan Lazarevic in the 15th century, who was buried here. Stefan Lazarevic possessed commander skills and knights manners, and was diplomat and one of most dignified among 24 knights /ritters/ of the Dragon order, highly respected among the European nobility. Drive on to Ravanica Monastery, the principal endowment of Prince Lazar who was buried here after the tragic Battle on the Kosovo Field held on 28 June 1389 between the Serbian and the Ottoman armies. Break for medicinal herbs tea refreshment. Tour of the Felix Romuliana Archaeological Site in Gamzigrad, UNESCO Heritage. Drive to Nis and tour of Mediana Archaeological site. Hotel accommodation. Traditional dinner – Serbian grilled meat “rostilj”. Overnight.

Day 4 Nis – Kalenic Monastery – Lazarica Church Krusevac – Zica Monastery – Studenica Monastery
After breakfast drive to Kalenic Monastery and sightseeing. Continue to Krusevac and tour of the old fortified town and the Lazarica Church, built at the end of the 14th century. Drive on to Kraljevo and tour of Zica Monastery, 13th century, where 6 Serbian Medieval Kings were crowned. Continue along the Ibar River Valley known as the Kings Valley for numerous medieval monasteries built by Serbian kings and accommodation in comfortable Studenica Monastery. “Monastic” or traditional dinner, overnight.

Day 5 Studenica Monastery – SS Peter’s Church – Sopocani Monastery – Sokolica Monastery – Pristina
After breakfast tour of Studenica Monastery complex, UNESCO Heritage site, whose main beautiful marble church combines the features of the Romanesque West and Byzantine East and contains some of the best preserved and most beautiful frescoes from the 12th and 14th centuries. Drive to Novi Pazar and tour of SS Apostles Peter and Paul Church, and Sopocani Monastery, both UNESCO Heritage sites featuring well preserved and monumental frescoes that are considered the pinnacle of the Medieval fresco-paintings. Continue to Pristina with stop over for Sokolica Monastery tour, situated high on the cliff dominating Kosovska Mitrovica. Short fresco-icon painting introduction by experienced local fresco/icon painter. Pristina hotel accommodation, dinner, overnight.

Day 6 Gracanica Monastery Pristina – Pec Patriarchate Pec – Decani Monastery – Skopje
After breakfast tour of Prishtina center. Tour of Gracanica Monastery, a masterpiece of the late Byzantine architecture with well-preserved frescoes. Drive to Pec and tour of the Pec Patriarchate complex of four Medieval churches, UNESCO Heritage site. Continue to Visoki Decani Monastery, the most magnificent Serbian monastery from the 14th century and sightseeing. Drive further to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. Hotel accommodation, dinner, overnight.

Day 7 Skopje – St George Staro Church Nagoricane – Bigorski Monastery – St Panteleimon Gorno Nerezi – Ohrid
After breakfast drive to Staro Nagoricane and tour of St George Chruch, one of the most beautiful and best preserved Byzantine churches in the Balkans. Return to Skopje and tour of St Panteleimon Church, on the slopes of Vodno Mt, featuring magnificent frescoes, among which is the famous fresco of Moving from the Cross. Drive on to Ohrid, a town-museum and UNESCO Heritage. Hotel accommodation. Traditional dinner, overnight.

Day 8 Ohrid – St Naum Monastery
After breakfast morning tour of the historical core of Ohrid and its most prominent and significant well-preserved Byzantine churches – Bogorodica Perevlepta Church, Icon Gallery, St. Demetrius and Mali Vrachi Church, St. Sophia Church, St. Clement’s monastery, St. Panteleimon, St. John in Kaneo village, St. Nicholas, Bogorodica Bolnicka. Tour of Saint Naum Monastery. Optional visit to the filigree shop in the old town. Traditional dinner with folklore performance. Overnight.

Day 9 Ohrid – Heraclea Lyncestis – Krusevo – Skopje
After breakfast drive to Bitola and tour of Heraclea Lyncestis Archaeological site, a most vividly preserved city from the Ancient Macedonian Empire. Continue to Krushevo, a living museum famous for its traditional architecture, cultural sites as the site of the great 1903 Ilinden uprising against Ottoman domination. Drive on to Skopje, capital of Macedonia and city tour – The Clock Tower /Saat kula/, Daut Pasha’s Bath, The Aqueduct, The Stone Bridge, the Kale Fortress, Mustafa Pasha’s Mosque, the old bazaar, Saint Savior Church. Hotel accommodation. Farewell traditional dinner with folklore performance. Overnight.

Day 10 Skopje departure – after breakfast time at leisure until transfer to Skopje airport. Departure flight and end of tour and services.

PACKAGE PRICE PER PERSON – DBL/TW rooms:  EUR Minimum 15 participants,    EUR Minimum 12 participants;
Single supplement    EUR

Included : high-tourist-class, fully-equipped AD mini-coach – bus transportation/with large luggage compartment/, 1 night with breakfast in 4 stars Palic Lake hotel; wine tasting with wine-knight presentation; traditional dinner at salash-farm; 1 night with breakfast in 4 stars central Belgrade hotel; medicinal-natural tea refreshment; 1 night with breakfast in 4 stars Nis hotel; traditional dinner in Nis; 1 half-board at Studenica Monastery Dormitory; 1 night with breakfast in Pristina 4 stars hotel; traditional dinner in Pristina; 2 nights with breakfast in Skopje 4 stars hotel; 1 traditional dinner in Skopje; 1 night with breakfast in 4 stars Ohrid hotel; traditional dinner in Ohrid; 1 festive farewell dinner with folklore performance in Skopje; entrance fees for all sites and monasteries included in the program; English speaking professional tour escort-guidance; professional English-speaking local guidance in Belgrade, Nis, Ohrid and Skopje, 24 hours PANACOMP Wonderland Travel Logistics and support

APPLICATION DEADLINE : 90 DAYS PRIOR DEPARTURE