Itinerary

Day 1

Day 1: SOFIA
Arrival in Sofia, meeting with the guide. Check in in the hotel. Visit the centre of the capital: Church of St.
Sofia, Aleksandar Nevski Memorial Cathedral and the Museum of the "icons". It is a Bulgarian Orthodox
Cathedral in Sofia, built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the Cathedral of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one
of the largest Eastem Orthodox cathedrals in the world, as well as one of Sofìa's symbols and primary tourist
attractions. Visit the Church of St. Nedelia (XIX century), the Rotunda of St. George (II century),
considered the oldest building in Sofia, the old Mosque and the Synagogue, one of the most important in the
Balkans. After lunch, visit the National Archaeological Museum. Free time. Dinner and overnight stay.

Departure. Meeting on the Sofia airport with our representatives. Accommodation in very nice hotel in the best part of the capital. Having dinner.

Day 2

Day 2: SOFIA – KRIVA PALANKA - SKOPJE (240 km)
Breakfast and departure for Macedonia. In the late morning arrival in the Monastery of St. Osogorski, the
second for importance in Macedonia. Lunch in the restaurant of the monastery. Visit the Monastery.The
monastery hosts two churchs: the first one was med during the XIII century and the other of the XIX century.
Departure for Staro Nagoricane. Visit the Church of St. George, considered as the most significant
historically-architectural sample, in that area. Constructed in 1313 on the grounds of a building from thè XI
century, has the form of long cross. Outside walls are made of stone blocks, and the interior from bricks. In the
middle, the big eight-angled cupola is surrounded with other four smaller. The inside is wholly painted with the
finest well preserved middle-aged paintings, where pictures of saints are presented and the life of Jesus Christ.
It is made by two famous artists: Eftihij and Mihajlo. Arrival in Skopje. Visit the new part of the capital: the
of Cathedral Kliment Ohridski, painted by Slavo Brezovski and consecrated on 12 August 1990, the Feudal
Tower dating from thè XVII century, the Old Railway Station built in 1940, almost destroyed in the earthquake
that hit Skopje on 26 July 1963. Even today, the damages on the outside part of the building, can be seen. The
big clock on the main entrance stopped at 5.17: time when the earthquake began. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3

Day 3: SKOPJE - TETOVO - OHRID (150 km)
Breakfast. Visit the old part of the capital: the Medieval Fortress made in thè middle of the VI century, the
Old Bazar made of narrow streets, flowing into small squares. The pedestrian path is characterized with one
floor houses, all similar, where there are jewelleries, carpet shops, clothes, cotton objects, Isiam books etc, the
Mustafa Pasa Mosque (XVI century) and the Church of St. Spas, probably built between XIII - XIX century.
In side is one of the most beautiful iconostasis in the Balkans. Made for 5 years, from 1819-1824 by the
brothers Marko and Retar Filipovski and Makarije Frckovski, it ìs 10 m. long, 4,5 m. high sides and 7 m. tall in
the middle. After lunch departure for Tetovo. Visit of the Painted Mosque. The colorful mosque, known as the
Mosque Aladza, was built in 1459, with the donation of two noble Muslim families Hursida and Mesure, whose
octagonal coat of Arms is in the mosque's garden. In the afternoon arrival in St. Bigorski Monastery. Visit of
the monastery considered one of thè most important in Macedonia. Departure for Ohrid. Arrivai in the late
afternoon. Transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4

Day 4: OHRID - ST. NAUM – OHRID 50 km)
Breakfast. Visit the old town: the Samoil fortress on the hill above Ohrid, dates from the X century, from the
time of Zar Samoil's ruling, the Roman Theatre built 2.000 years ago, (the total surface is 4.000 mq. From
the discovered written vestiges, it is supposed that at first it was used for theatre plays, while during thè
Roman ruling became gladiator arena), the Cathedral of St. Sofìa, which is considered as one of the greatest
Byzantium Churches from the XI century, the wonderful Church of St.John Bogoslov from Kaneo (XIII
century). In this Church the Byzantium and Armenian style are mixed. It has square foundation with three
absides which carry the octagonal cupola. The outside walls are made of stone, and the inside are of bricks with
ceramic decoration. Lunch. In the afternoon visit the Monastery of St, Naum, sites in the south part of the
lake, in the immediate vicinity of the border Macedonia Albania. In the Church of the Monastery, there are no
preserved frescoes made in the beginning of the XX century. Return to Ohrid. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5

Day 5: OHRID - HERACLEA - MELNIK (340 km)
Breakfast. Departure for the town of Bitola. Visit the archeological site of Heraclea, 4 km from Bitola.
Heraclea was founded by Philip the II, father of Alexander the Great, in the IV century b.C. The site housed: the
amphitheatre with 58,50 m diameter and 20 rows of seating places, magnìficent and picturesque mosaics (V
century), colonates and many other vestiges from the roman period. After lunch visit the centre of Bitola: the
Catholic Cathedral, the Church of St.Dimitrija made in 1830 from local rich traders donation and considered
the most beautiful Christian Church from the Renaissance in Macedonia, the Clock Tower and the Mosque
Isak, made in 1508 for Isak Celibi Ibni Asan. Departure for Bulgaria. In the late afternoon arrival in Melnik, a
rural village in the south west of Bulgaria. Check in the hotel. Visit the little centre and the Kordopulova
kashta House Museum. Made in 1754 from a rich Greek merchant, houses on the ground floor a tipical
"mediana" and the celiar. Dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast. Visiting the oldest monastery in Bulgaria in Rojen. Traveling to Bansko one of the most famous ski resorts in Bulgaria. We leave Bansko and we travel to Plovdiv. Dinner.

Day 6

Day 6: MELNIK - RILA - PLOVDIV (330 km)
Breakfast. Visit the Rozhen Monastery, few km from the vlllage of Melnik. It is the biggest monastery in the
Pirin Mountains. It is one of the few medieval Bulgarian monasteries well preserved until today. According to
sources it was built in 890. Transfer to Rila. After lunch visit the Rila Monastery. Founded in the X century, the
Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural
monuments. It is on account of this also a key tourist attraction in Bulgaria and Southern Europe as a whole. It
is traditionally thought that the monastery was founded by the hermit Ivan Rilski, whose name it bears, during
the rule of Tsar Peter I (927-968). The hermit actually lived in a cave not far from the monastery's location,
while the complex was built by his students, who carne to thè mountains to receive their education. The
complex acted as a depositary of Bulgarian language and culture in the ages of foreign rule. During thè time of
thè Bulgarian National Revival (XVIII - XIX century), it was destroyed by fire in 1833 and then reconstructed
between 1834 and 1862 with the help of wealthy Bulgarians from the whole country, under the famous
architect Alexi Riletz. The erection of the residential buildings began in 1816, while a belfry was added to the
Tower of Hrelyu in 1844. Neofit Rilski founded a school in the monastery during this period. The monastery
complex, regarded as one of the foremost masterpieces of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, was declared
a national historical monument in 1976 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Since 1991 it has
been entirely subordinate to the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Departure for Plovdiv. Transfer
to hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast. Visiting the ethnographic museum, the church St. Constantine and Helena, the roman theater and the center of Plovdiv. We visit the monastery in Bachkovo. Back to Plovdiv. Dinner.

Day 7

Day 7: PLOVDIV - BACHKOVO - PLOVDIV (50 km)
Breakfast and departure for Bachkovo Monastery It is an important monument of Christian architecture and
one of the largest and oldest Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Europe. It is located on the right bank of thè
Chepelare River, 189 km from Sofia and 10 km south of Asenovgrad, and is directly subordinate to the Holy
Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The monastery is known and appreciated for the unique combination
of Byzantine, Georgian and Bulgarian culture, united by the common faith. Visit and lunch. Return to Plovdiv.
In thè afternoon visit the old town: the Nebet Tepe hill, where the most beautiful Houses-Museum in the
city are located, the Ethnographic Museum housed in the wonderful House "Argir Kuiumdsnoglu" built in
1847, the Church of S.S. Costantin and Elena built in 1832, the old Roman amphitheatre dates back from
II century, the "Imaret" Mosque, built in 1444 by the order of sultan Baiyazid. Free time. Dinner and
overnight stay.

Day 8

Day 8: PLOVDIV - KAZANLAK - VELIKO TARNOVO (210 km)
Breakfast. Departure for Kazanlak, the capitai of the roses valley. Visit the Thracian Burial (UNESCO). In the
IV century BC, near the ancient Thracian capital of Seuthopolis and dose to the city, a magnificent Thracian
tomb was built. Consisting of a vaulted brickwork "beehive" tomb, it contains, among other things, painted
murals representing a Thracian couple at a ritual funeral feast. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1979. Visit of the famous Church of the Nativity of Shipka. Lunch in Etura, the famous
Ethnographic open - air reserve. In the afternoon arrival in Veliko Tarnovo Visit the Tzarevez fortress
and the market-place Samovodska Charshiya. Tzarevets is a mediaeval stronghold located on a hill with the
same name. It served as the Second Bulgarian Empire's primary fortress and strongest bulwark from 1185 to
1393, housing the royal and the patriarchal palaces, and is a popular tourist attraction. Transfer to hotel, dinner
and overnight stay.

Day 9

Day 9: VELIKO TARNOVO - TROYAN - SOFIA (250 km)
Breakfast. Visit the village of Arbanassi: the Kostantsaiiev House - Museum and the Church of the
Nativity. Departure for the Troyan Monastery. It is the third largest monastery in Bulgaria. It is located in
the northern part of the country and was founded no later than the end of the XVI century. The main church of
the monastery was reconstructed near the end of Ottoman rule during the Bulgarian National Revival period by
a master-builder called Konstantin in 1835. The ornate interior and exterior of the church were painted between
1847 and 1849 by Zahari Zograf, a popular Bulgarian painter of the time, who also painted the central church
of the Rila Monastery, the largest monastery in Bulgaria. The iconostasis in the central church is a wood carving
dating to 1839. The Troyan Monastery is also, since the XVII century, the home of one of the holiest icons in
Bulgarian Orthodoxy, the Three-Handed Virgin. After lunch visit of the Monastery. In the late afternoon arrival
in Sofìa. Check in the hotel. Free time. Dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast. Traveling to Rila, visiting the most beautiful monastery on the Balkan, dedicatee to Ivan Rilski, with unique frescos and history.

Day 10

Day 10: SOFIA
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Departure from Sofia.

Extra Information

Extras -

Special prices for groups and travel agency's.
The price includes:
Transfert by bus or mini-bus in Bulgaria and Macedonia according the turist number; guide speaking
english during the whole tour; 9 nights accommodations (3+ and 4 stars Hotel); FB treatment (1/2
l. of water); entrance fees and museum tickets.
The price not includes:
Airfare (unless otherwise arranged); departure and custom fees ; transfert in your Country; travel
insurance; trip cancellation; porterages; extra and everything not specifically provided in “The price
includes”