Express Balkan Tour by Bus, Including Extra Tours and Dinner 2026
Tour Detail
1st Day: Istanbul - Edirne
Meeting at Kadıköy Tepe Nautilus Shopping Center opposite (Ayrılıkçeşme Metro Parking) at 21:00 and after our departure at 21:30 from Mecidiyeköy Polat Holding Front - 22:00 from İncirli Ömür Plaza, we reach Kapıkule Border Gate by following the highway to Çorlu-Edirne. After passport and customs procedures, we enter Bulgaria and continue our journey towards Sofia.
2nd Day: Plovdiv - Sofia – Skopje
In the early morning hours, we pass through Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria, and arrive in Sofia, starting our panoramic city tour. The places to be visited include St. Nedelya Church, Rotunda Church, Russian Church, Aya Sofya Church, Aleksander Nevski Cathedral, Prime Minister's Office, Parliament, Sofia University, NDK National Culture Palace, and the Army House where our Great Leader Atatürk attended the famous ball wearing a Janissary costume. After the city tour, we move to Skopje. Once we arrive, our panoramic city tour of Skopje begins. The places to be visited include the Old Bazaar, the Vardar River, the Fortress, the 6th-century Stone Bridge, Davut Pasha Complex, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Sultan Murat Mosque, Isa Bey Mosque, Kapan Han, Kurşunlu Han, Clock Tower, Macedonia Square, the old and new train stations, government building, parliament, St. Spas Church from the 17th century, and the Mother Teresa Monument. After free time, we head to our hotel. In the evening, we will have fun at our Balkan night tour decorated with local dances and shows, which includes dinner. You will experience an unforgettable Balkan night. Overnight at our hotel.
Dinner and Entertainment Balkan Night Tour INCLUDED!
Breakfast: Will be taken extra at the rest area in Plovdiv.
Lunch: Will be taken extra at a Turkish restaurant determined by the guide in Sofia city center. Free time.
Dinner: Local dishes and music will be served at a location determined by the guide and is INCLUDED in the price!
Accommodation: Hotel Karpos, Hotel Vlaho, etc. - Skopje
Currencies: Bulgaria - Lev, Macedonia - Denar (Average 1 Euro: 1.95 Lev / 1 Euro: 60 Denar)
Route: Istanbul - Sofia (567 km), Sofia - Skopje (244 km)
Total Distance to be Covered: 811 km
Hotel Check-In Time: Estimated: 20:00 depending on customs clearance time.
3rd Day: Skopje - Matka Canyon - Tetovo (Kalkandelen) - Ohrid
After breakfast at our hotel, we head to Matka Canyon, a natural wonder covering approximately 5 thousand hectares where the Treska and Vardar rivers meet. After free time, we head to Ohrid, known as the Pearl of the Balkans. On the way, we stop in Tetovo and visit the Alaca Mosque and the 500-year-old Hacı Bektaş Harabati Baba Tekkesi built in the 16th century by Sersem Ali Baba, one of Kanuni's ministers on the Silk Road. After these visits, we will travel a short distance and arrive in Ohrid. During our walking tour, we will see the Historical Chinar Square, the Churches of St. Bogorodica Kameusko, Aya Sofya (from outside), the statue and square of St. Clement of Ohrid, the Old Turkish Houses used as a museum, the Ancient Theater from Roman times, and the Church of St. Pantaleon. After the city tour, we will take a boat tour on Lake Ohrid to see the city from a different perspective. After the boat tour and free time, we head to our hotel. Overnight and dinner at our hotel.
Matka Canyon INCLUDED!
Breakfast: Will be taken at the hotel and is included in the tour price.
Lunch: Will be taken as free choice.
Dinner: Will be taken at the hotel and is included in the price.
Accommodation: Hotel International, etc. – Hotel Sileks, etc. – Ohrid
Currency: Macedonia – Denar (Average 1 Euro: 60 Denar)
Route: Skopje - Matka (16 km), Matka - Tetovo (38 km), Tetovo - Ohrid (130 km)
Total Distance to be Covered: 184 km
Hotel Check-In Time: 19:00 – 20:00
4th Day: Ohrid - Thessaloniki - Kavala - Istanbul
After breakfast, we head to Thessaloniki, where we will see the waterfront, the White Tower, the Rotunda, the exhibition square, Ottoman and Byzantine artifacts, the biggest cathedral in Greece, Aya Dimitros Cathedral, the statue of Alexander the Great, and the statues of Hamza Bey, E. Venizelos, and P. Konstantin, and the squares of Vardar, Macedonia, Aristotle, Eleftherios. After free time, we head towards Kavala. We will have a panoramic city tour of Kavala, which includes the Mehmet Ali Pasha Complex, Kavala Fortress (panoramic), aqueducts, municipal building, and harbor. After approximately 2 hours of travel, we arrive at the border. After passport and customs procedures and entering Turkey at Ipsala border gate, we travel for about 3 hours and arrive in Istanbul late in the evening, concluding our tour. We hope to see you at the next organization.
Breakfast: Will be taken as an open buffet at the hotel and is included in the tour price.
Lunch: Free time in Kavala city center for lunch.
Dinner: At a rest area on the Edirne - Istanbul highway.
Currency: Greece – Euro
Route: Ohrid - Thessaloniki (285 km), Thessaloniki - Kavala (153 km) - Kavala - Ipsala Border Gate (196 km), Ipsala Border Gate - Istanbul (255 km)
Total Distance to be Covered: 630 km
Estimated Istanbul Arrival Time: Depending on customs clearance time: approximately 23:00.
What's Included
• Turkish Guidance Service
• Transportation with luxury buses
• 2 Nights Accommodation in 4* Hotels, 1 Night in Skopje, 1 Night in Ohrid
• City tours specified in the program
• Dinner specified in the program
• Matka Canyon Tour
• Ohrid Boat Tour
• Dinner Entertainment Balkan Night
• Professional Liability Insurance
• Customs Taxes
• All highway, parking, and checkpoint expenses
• Limited Water Service on the Vehicle
Not Included
• Visa Fee
• Private Travel Health Insurance
• International Exit Tax Stamp
• Lunches
• Extras at the Hotel
• Personal Expenses
• Optional Driver Tips (2 Euro)
• City and hotel taxes (including city tax, checkpoint fees, local service charges, handling fee, bus entry fees, and operational service costs, a mandatory payment of 20 Euros per person will be collected in cash by the guide before the tour starts.)
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