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Available dates for 2025
This is an easy hiking vacation and that is a perfect way to ensure you deeply experience a new corner of the world. Sometimes the greatest beauty can only be appreciated at a slow pace—on two feet, immersed in the stories and the places around you. Old villages, mountains, valleys, stunning views, world heritage sites, and gracious local hosts await you on this walking tour. No experience is required, but you are healthy enough to walk 2-4 hours combined walking with wine tasting and traditional food. There’s nothing better than sitting down to an indulgent meal after a day on the trail, so relax and enjoy these gently invigorating tours.
Meet the guide at Skopje airport transfer to the hotel in the city, accommodation, overnight at a hotel in Skopje.
After breakfast, we drive to Mount Vodno, where we board a cable car to reach the peak at 1060 m above sea level. Enjoy a good panoramic view of Skopje city. From here, we start the descent hike to the valley of Matka Canyon. On the way, we stop at the 14th-century monastery high on the cliff offering amazing canyon views, after 2 to 3 hours. We finish hiking at Matka Lake. With a boat ride across Lake Matka, we visit Vrelo cave, one of Europe’s largest natural underground cave networks. The distance of the hike is 12 km. Ascend: 0 meters, Descend: 740 meters, Hiking Time: 3 hours. After finishing the tour, we have 2 hours. transfer to Skopje City. Before dinner we will have a guided tour to explore Skopje.
We leave for Ohrid after breakfast, along the way we will visit Duf waterfalls, St.John Bigorski monastery one of the oldest and most important religious objects in Macedonia. Today we will hike to the peak Sokolica, 1460m, and visit the mountain village Lazaropole. After we drive to Ohrid City and settle into a hotel by the Ohrid Lake. On the way to Ohrid, we will visit the cave church of St. Archangel close to the Stryga city. Today’s hiking distance: 5 km. ascend: 200 meters, descend: 200 meters, hiking Time: 2 hours.
Today we will explore Ohrid’s old town, narrow cobbled streets and the illuminated Byzantine churches add to its charm. The guide will explain the mixture of Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, medieval, and modern influences on this unique town. After we visit the monastery of St.Naum close to the Albanian border by the lake, from the monastery we have the option to get back to the city of Ohrid with a boat. In the evening we will have an optional wine-tasting session over dinner to familiarize you with four different Macedonian wines from different local wineries.
After breakfast, we checked out from the hotel, we had a half-hour transfer to the village of Velestovo at 1070m above sea level. From here, we go to the viewpoint Elen kamen 1200m. with a view of the lake and Ohrid. We will be walking for 10 km to the village of Elshani at 890m. above sea level. This easy walk through old villages with stone houses offers views of the Ohrid Lake throughout. The walk will take around 3 hours and afterwards we will head to the Bay of Bones, a perfect spot for a picnic lunch. Bay of Bones is a reconstructed Neolithic settlement, where you will learn about life in prehistoric times. From the Bay thought Galicica pass we will transfer to Bitola city, where we will spend the next two nights. Distance: 10 km. ascend, 130 meters descend, 310 meters hiking Time, 3 hours.
We have 20min. Drive to the village of Maloviste start point for today’s hike. It is a mountain village at the foot of Baba Mountain and is the only settlement within the National Park Pelister.village has beautiful large houses built of stone in the traditional way. Fingerprint old architecture preserved old cobbled streets it looks like time had stopped here. Maloviste village has many venerable Christian Orthodox churches and invaluable historical landmarks. These regions have numerous recreational activities. With easy hiking we can visit all the old churches in the village and its area, with moderate hiking we can climb the surrounding mountain peaks St.Spas and Vrteska Peak 2010m. With beautiful views of Pelister mountain, and from the other side, Prespansko lake with views of the Albanian and Greek part of the lake. After the hike, we go back to the city and visited the ancient city of Heraklea.
After breakfast, and check out from the hotel, we have a 20-minute transfer to the start point of the info center NP. Pelister, the trail will take us to the dense Molika pine forest. The unique 5-needled pine (Pinus peuce) is typical of this National Park. We will enjoy the peace and scent of the pines discovering beautiful scenery from the viewpoints called Jorgov Stone and Red Rocks at 1800m. After we end the tour, we go to the local village, visit the local bee farm and taste homemade honey. Later, we transferred to a Hotel in Skopje City and got ready for the last dinner of this trip.
Guests will need to arrive in Skopje or Ohrid airport on or before the Start date.
Requirements
We’ll be hiking mostly on good trails. You’ll need to have the fitness, stamina for hiking stages of up to 2 to 3 hours. No previous technical experience is required. A certain sense of adventure, flexibility, and a willingness to forgo comfort are also important.
Weather and touring conditions
The weather can be very changeable, meaning fog, rain, and sunshine can alternate on the same day. The tour program will be adapted to the conditions.
Accommodation
In the cities, we stay in three-star hotels with comfortable rooms.
Culinary delights
We enjoy full board during these days. In the cities, we enjoy meals either in a hotel or in a restaurant in the city. At hiking time, we will have a picnic lunch. The cuisine in this region is hearty and plentiful. If you have any food intolerances, we ask that you organize your meals. Vegetarian meals are possible.
Money
In Macedonia, the denar is the currency used. You can exchange money at a local exchange office you can bring euros with you. ATMs are in cities. You can pay in restaurants and stores with a credit card.
Equipment
Complete hiking equipment and casual clothing for the evenings in the cities.
Тhe program can be changed according to your preferences to add more or fewer hiking days, or different combinations previously agreed with the guide.