Serbia and Macedonia Cultural Tour B 2

Day 1 Belgrade
Arrival to Belgrade Airport and welcome by with Panacomp Tour Escort. Transfer with high tourist class bus to Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina, the northern Province of Serbia. Walking tour along the historical core of Novi Sad : the Liberty Square, the City Hall, the Cathedral, pedestrian-shopping zone… Hotel accommodation. Welcome dinner. Overnight.

Day 2 Novi Sad – Fruska Gora – Belgrade
After breakfast drive to Belgrade with stop over in Sremski Karlovci for walking tour along the beautiful Baroque center : the Patriarchal Residence, the Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church, the Gymnasium, Four Lions fountain… Break for homemade refreshment brunch at the rustically appointed original farm house that best and truly represents the authentic lifestyle and well-preserved customs. Belgrade sightseeing tour – Republic Square, National Theater, Saint Sava Orthodox Cathedral /second largest Orthodox church in the world/, Kalemegdan fortress… Hotel accommodation. Free evening, overnight.

Day 3 Ravanica Monastery – Felix Romuliana – Mediana Nis
After breakfast drive to Ravanica Monastery, the principal endowment of Prince Lazar who was buried in his mausoleum church after the tragic Battle on the Kosovo Field in June 1389 between the Serbian and the Ottoman armies. Continue to the Felix Romuliana Archaeological UNESCO Heritage Site in Gamzigrad. Break for authentic Wallachian brunch/refreshment. Drive to Nis and optional tour of the Mediana Archaeological site/the Cele Kula Scull Tower site. Hotel accommodation in center of Nis. Serbian grilled meat “rostilj” dinner. Overnight.

Day 4 Nis – Aleksandrovac – Zica Monastery – Studenica Monastery
After breakfast drive to Aleksandrovac, the center of the Zhupa wine region. Visit to the famous winery and easy walk along the vast vineyards, while enjoying in the magic panorama of the surrounding mountains of Jastrebac and Kopaonik. Big traditional lunch and tasting of best Zhupa wines, among which is the reputed Prokupac Wine. Drive on to Kraljevo and tour of Zica Monastery, 13th century, where six Serbian Medieval Kings were crowned. Continue along the picturesque Ibar River Valley known as the Kings Valley, for numerous medieval Monasteries built by the Serbian kings. Accommodation in Studenica Monastery Dormitory /double-triple rooms with facilities/. “Monastic” or traditional dinner, overnight.

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

Day 6 Gracanica Monastery – Pec Patriarchate complex – Decani Monastery – Prizren
After breakfast tour 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 beatuifully decorated Medieval churches, UNESCO Heritage site. Continue to Decani Monastery, the most magnificent Serbian Monastery from the 14th century and sightseeing. Drive on to Prizren, the most beautiful town in Kosovo and Metochia and hotel accommodation. Walk along the Prizren oriental center – historical charshia – old bazaar /market place/ with numerous souvenir and filigree shops and the famous shadrvan /fountain/. Traditional dinner, overnight.

Day 7 Prizren – Skopje – Bigorski – Ohrid
After breakfast tour of Bogorodica Ljevishka – Holy Virgin of Ljevish Church, UNESCO site. Drive via Kachanik Gorge to Skopje and further on to Mavrovo National Park. Stop over for touring the wonderful Sveti Jovan Bigorski Monastery, one of the most beautiful and the oldest monasteries in the Balkans. Break for delicious Macedonian brunch. Continue along the gorgeous Radika River Gorge to Ohrid, a breathtaking town-museum and the UNESCO Heritage site of rich cultural sites in the beautiful south-western part of Macedonia, on the shore of the Ohrid Lake. Hotel accommodation. Traditional dinner, overnight.

Day 8 Ohrid – Bitola
After breakfast morning tour of old town of Ohrid and its most prominent and significant well-preserved Byzantine churches and sites : the Holy Virgin Church – Bogorodica Perivlepta Church, Icon Gallery, Saint Sophia Church, St. Clement’s monastery, Saint Panteleimon, Saint John in Kaneo village,.… Tour of the Saint Naum Monastery, one of the oldest shrines in the Balkans. Continue to Bitola, known as the city of consuls, and walk along the nicely appointed historical core of the city with beautiful promenade and numerous restaurants and coffee shops. Hotel accommodation. Traditional dinner, overnight.

Day 9 Heraclea Lyncestis Bitola – Krusevo – Skopje
After breakfast tour of the Heraclea Lyncestis Archaeological site, a most vividly preserved city from the powerful Ancient Macedonian Empire. Drive to Krushevo, a picturesque living museum, famous for its traditional architecture, cultural sites as the site of the great 1903 Ilinden uprising against Ottoman domination. Continue to Skopje, the appealing capital of Macedonia and tour of St Panteleimon Monastery in Gorno Nerezi village, followed by the city tour – The Clock Tower /Saat kula/, Daut Pasha’s Bath, The Stone Bridge, Kale Fortress, Mustafa Pasha’s Mosque, Saint Savior Church. Hotel accommodation. Big farewell traditional dinner with folklore performance. Overnight.

Day 10 Skopje departure – after breakfast 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 : transportation with high tourist class, fully-equipped AC van or mini-coach /large luggage compartment/, 1 night with buffet breakfast in 4 stars centrally located Novi Sad hotel, welcome dinner, homemade brunch at traditional salash-farm, 1 night with buffet breakfast at Belgrade 4 stars centrally located hotel, entrance fee for the Felix Romuliana site, traditional Wallachian brunch, 1 night with buffet breakfast at 3+/4 stars Nis centrally located hotel, traditional dinner in Nis, big traditional lunch with wine tasting in Aleksandrovac winery, 1  half-board in Studenica Monastery Dormitory /rooms with bathrooms/, 1 night with buffet breakfast in Grachanica/Pristina 4 stars hotel, traditional dinner on Day 5, 1 night with rich breakfast at Prizren 4 stars centrally located hotel, traditional dinner in Prizren, traditional Macedonian brunch on Day 7, 1 night with buffet breakfast at 3+/4 stars Ohrid hotel, traditional dinner in Ohrid, 1 half-board in Bitola hotel, entrance fee for the Heraclea Lyncestis site in Bitola, 1 night with buffet breakfast at 4 stars centrally located Skopje hotel, festive farewell dinner with folklore performance, entrance fees-donations for all sites and monasteries included in the tour, English speaking professional tour escort-guidance, professional English-speaking local guidance in Belgrade, Nis, Prizren, Ohrid and Skopje, 24 hours Panacomp Wonderland Travel LCC Serbia and Macedonia Travel Macedonia Logistics and
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APPLICATION DEADLINE : 90 DAYS PRIOR DEPARTURE