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Gay Grand Tour in Albania, Montenegro & Macedonia • Tirana – Podgorica – Skopje
  • Individual & Small Group suggested tour
  • Featuring: Tirana - Podgorica - Skopje
  • LGBT Friendly Tour Guide for Gay Tours and Excursions

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Day 1: SKOPJE

Arrival transfer from Skopje Airport to your hotel. Accommodation at your LGBTQ+ Friendly Hotel. Overnight.
Meals: no

Day 2: SKOPJE – OHRID

Buffet Breakfast and enjoy a LGBT Friendly city tour with a local guide. Enjoy a very special LGBT Friendly Tour in Skopje and learn more about the national heritage history, its legends and the history of Mother Teresa. Visit of the Old Railway station and the Memorial House of Mother Theresa (entrance fee included), City square and many monuments from the project Skopje 2014. After that continue to the old part of Skopje over the Stone Bridge which hides many mosques and speaks of the rich and organized spiritual life of the Muslim community during the Ottoman Empire. Take a look to the Jewish quarter where you will see the Museum of Holocaust. The recently-opened Holocaust Memorial Center in Skopje is an imposing structure, located in what was once a Jewish neighborhood. It is the fourth such memorial worldwide dedicated to Holocaust victims, after Jerusalem, Berlin and Washington and it's a memorial to the holocaust of the 7,148 Jewish people from Macedonia and the history of the Jewish people in the Balkans. It's a multimedia center that consists of several functional parts. After the Momorial, reach the Old Bazaar where you will have time for shopping. Free time for lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon transfer to Ohrid with private car, minivan or minibus. On the way possibility to stop and visit Matka canyons (45 min driving from Skopje). There you can visit the Monastery of Matka dedicated to the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, a religious festival celebrated on 28th August every year. The monastery is located on the left bank of the River Treska and was built around 1337. Afterwards continue to walk along the bank of the River Treska – which is famous for the competitions in kayaking that take place on it. Follow the path that goes by the dam and the man-made lake Matka and we reach the Monastery of St. Andrew. Late afternoon arrival in Ohrid. Accommodation, dinner on your own and overnight in Ohrid.
Meals: B

Day 3: OHRID

Buffet Breakfast and enjoy a very special LGBT Friendly Tour in Ohrid. Start your tour from the square by the lake. Continue through narrow cobblestone streets with white washed houses, typical for the Ohrid architecture and reach the “Lower Gate", one of the two of the preserved entrances of the medieval old town, which has welcomed all passengers. They say there are 365 churches in the city and the surrounding area, making one for each day of the year. Enter Ohrid "Treasury" with its old town and admire the two churches from the Midle Ages – “St. Nicholaj” and “St. Bogorodica”. Then reach "Robevi's House", example of Ohrid architecture and home to a famous trade family. After that Ohrid Archaeological-Historical Museum, the Cathedral church "St. Sofia"  and continue walking along the hill, approaching one of the oldest monuments in Ohrid - amphitheater, build in 200 BC, during the Macedonian-Hellenistic period, even before the Romans. Our tour continues with the next jewel in the Ohrid`s  treasury box - the church of “St. Mary Perivlepta” . Arrive then to Car Samuil`s fortress, on top of the hill like a real crown of the city. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon we suggest to make an optional boat tour in Lake or just relax in the shore of Lake Ohrid. Accommodation, dinner on your own and overnight in Ohrid.
Meals: B

Day 4: OHRID – ELBASAN – BERAT

Buffet Breakfast and leave Macedonia to visit another country, the spelendid Albania. On the way short stop in Elbasan for an individual visit and free time. Located at the Shkumbini River, where it crosses the famous Egnatia Road, the city of Elbasani – ancient Scampini. In ancient times, Scampini was a typical Roman fortification, but in the 4th century it received a new administrative status and, with its new name Hiscampis, it became one of the major cities of the new Epirus, home of the area’s only Roman legion. Today, tourists can visit the Church of Saint Mary, the King Mosque (inside the city walls), the Mosque of Naziresha (very rare because of its feminine name), and the Ethnographic Museum, the newly discovered basilica and the Turkish bath (hammam). Afterwards continue to Berat, check in at your hotel. Afterwards be ready for an extraordinary LGBT Friendly Tour of one of the most beautiful cities in Albania. Berat is one of the oldest cities of Albania, also part of UNESCO heritage. It is famous for its characteristic architecture, which has also given to the city the name ‘the city of 1001 windows’. Through this tour you will discover its rich culture and travel back in time as you stroll through the meandering streets, home to the Ottomans in the 15th century, and at the same time learn more about the architecture of this beautiful city. You will visit the Castle, an inhabited area since the beginnings of its civilization, around 2400 years, which is is reach in history and monuments, especially churches. Then continue to Gorica Bridge, whose primary purpose is to connect the neighborhood of Gorica, over the Osum River, with the beautiful Mangalemi quarter and adjacent neighborhoods. Finally reach the medieval center, built by Sultan Bayazit II at the end of the XV century, and Mangalem & Gorica quarters. During the tour you will learn more about LGBT life in Albania and in Berat city. Dinner on your own and overnight in Berat.
Meals: B

Day 5: BERAT – DURRES – TIRANA

Buffet Breakfast and transfer to Durres, the second largest city in Albania and a chief seaport. Some 21 miles (33km) west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Founded in the 7th century BC by Greek colonists from Corinth and Corfu it was initially known as Epidamnos, and has been continuously inhabited for the subsequent 2700 years. The remains of its city walls and amphitheater are still to be seen. Free time to explore the city and for shopping. If you like, you can also stop at a Local Beach in Durres. In the late afternoon, continue to Tirana. Accommodation, dinner on your own and overnight in Tirana.
Meals: B

Day 6: TIRANA

Buffet Breakfast and be ready for the history of one of the most interesting capitals of Europe. The LGBT Friendly tour will lead you to Skanderbeg square and two typical Albanian bazaars where you can shop like the locals do and gaze at all the clothes and delicious fresh Albanian fruits, vegetables, nuts, olives and herbs. As well as for other hidden corners of the city. We explore the famous “Blloku” area, which used to be the most restricted area of the city but can now be defined as the small “Soho” of Tirana. Continue towards the National Historical Museum, the country’s largest museum with displays of all aspects of Albania’s history. The tour will end at the Tirana park at the lake; the place where Tirana inhabitants come to work out, make a walk, or relax in the shadow of the trees on a hot summer day. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon free time to continue exploring the city and for shopping. Accommodation, dinner on your own and overnight in Tirana.
Meals: B

Day 7: TIRANA KRUJA – SHKODER

Buffet Breakfast and transfer to the Albanian historical city of Kruja. This is a medieval town located 32 km northwest of Tirana and 20 minutes from Tirana international Airport. In Kruja you can visit national ethnographic museum and Skanderbeg museum, both located in Kruja castle. It was from this fortress that Albania’s hero – George Kastrioti Skanderbeg – defended the country from Ottoman invasion over a period spanning three decades. From the castle you can enjoy a beautiful view towards the Adriatic Sea. Kruja is one of Albania’s most important and popular tourist attractions. After free time for lunch in one of the local restaurant enjoying traditional food. Afterwards we will continue to Shkoder, known as the “capital of north Albania” is one of the oldest cities in the country, founded in the 4th century B.C. as the center of the Labeat tribe of Illyrians. Shkoder’s main tourist attraction is Rozafa Castle. Rising majestically upon a rocky hill west of the city, the outcroppings and battlements paint a blazing picture against the setting sun. It is surrounded by the waters of three rivers; the Drini, Buna, and Kiri. Accommodation, dinner on your own and overnight in Shkoder.
Meals: B

Day 8: SHKODER – KOTOR – BUDVA

Buffet Breakfast and be ready to explore another Balkan country, Montenegro. Transfer to border and after procedures continue to Kotor. On the way stop and admire from outside the small island of Sveti Stefan. We will arrive to Kotor where you will enjoy a very special LGBT Friendly Tour in Kotor. Starts at the Main Gate and after short introduction about history of this UNESCO enlisted town we proceed towards the main square called Square of Arms. The charm of Kotor’s squares and old family homes of local aristocracy is as a travel through time to the golden age of Kotor. After getting familiar with LGBT life and community of Montenegro, strolling through the narrow streets, you will reach the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, one of the best preserved monuments from 12th century. Kotor is also known for the long seafaring tradition so after the Cathedral, a great visit of the Maritime Museum and enjoy the rich and well preserved collection of weapons, models of vessels, jewelry and more. The tour will continue towards the square where we will learn about the orthodox churches of St. Nicolas and St. Luke and this will be the final touch that will make the story about Kotor complete. In the afternoon transfer to Budva for check in at the hotel and free time to explore the Old Town, the Fortress Citadel, the Church of St. Ivan and St. Trinity. Accommodation, dinner on your own and overnight in Budva.
Meals: B

Day 9: BUDVA  PODGORICA

Breakfast in the hotel and transfer to the Podgorica airport.
Meals: B