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4 days - A: Kriva Palanka, Kratovo, Kumanovo / Skopje, Veles, Stobi / Prespa / Ohrid

Day 1: Kriva Palanka, Kratovo, Kumanovo:

This tour begins in Kriva Palanka, an hour and a half drive from Skopje. Start from the monastery of Joakim Osogovski, 20 minutes drive from the city. Spend an hour in the monastery, in order to see the two churches and the monastery lodgings.

At about 10:20 head for the village of Psaca where you will arrive at about 10:50. Spend twenty minutes there, in the church St. Nikola, and then start for Kratovo. You will arrive there about noon. We recommend you to have a walk through the city, to see the medieval towers and bridges and have a lunch there.

At 14:00 hours head for the Kumanovo region and at about 14:30 you will be in the village of Staro Nagoricane, where you can spend about half an hour in the church St. Gjorgji. At about 15 minutes drive from there is the village of Mlado Nagoricane with the churches St. Petka, St. Gjorgji Pobedonosec (The Victorious) and the archaeological site Kostoperski Rid. Spend about half an hour there, and then head for Skopje, where you will arrive about 16:15 hours.

In Skopje, go to the its old part, on the left bank of the river Vardar. There, you can visit the Skopje Fortress (Kale), that offers a panoramic view to the city. In the immediate vicinity of the Fortress are the church Sv. Spas (Holy Salvation) and the Mustafa-Pasha mosque. Near the mosque are the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Macedonia (complex of Museums of History, Ethnology and Archaeology) that hosts the biggest icon collection in our country. In the courtyard of the museum is Kuršumli an (Lead Caravanserai), that connects you to the Old Skopje Bazaar. There you can see many old craftsmen shops, the old houses and, at its entrance from the Stone Bridge, the Daut-Pasha amam (Turkish bath), today the National Art Gallery.

Enjoy your dinner in one of the many restaurants in the Old Bazaar, or cross the Stone Bridge and choose from among the restaurants in the center of the city.

Day 2: Skopje, Veles, Stobi, Prilep or Bitola: 

In the morning in Skopje visit the monastery St. Panteleimon in Nerezi, on the mountain Vodno.

At 11:00 hours start for Veles. On the road there stop by the monasteries Sv. Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God) and St. Jovan Krstitel (St. John the Baptist) by the river Pcinja, where the passengers stop to drink water, make a wish, and donate some money for good luck and a safe trip.

At 11:40 you will be in Veles. Visit  the church St. Panteleimon, walk through the old Veles quarters, see the monastery The church St. Dimitrija and the small churches near it. Our recommendation for your lunch is the famous Veles pastrmajlija. You should choose your restaurant while walking through the streets and getting acquainted with the traditional architecture

At 14:10 hours start for Stobi, an exquisite antique site that was developed for visitors using the funds from the EU Phare CDP. There you can find guide service, and brochures and souvenirs related to this archaeological site.

At 16:30 start for Resen. You can stop at Prilep or Bitola and sightsee one of the old city bazaars.

Day 3, Prespa:

If you decide to visit the Golem Grad island then prepare a lunch package and start for the villages of Stenje or Konjsko, that are the starting points for the boat trip. You have two possibilities: the first is to stop at the village of Stenje and hire a boat (and a boatman) here - the boat trip should last about an hour and a half; or, driving through the woods, get to Konjsko and hire a boat there. The boat trip from Konjsko to the island will last for about half an hour, but we have to warn you that the road from Stenje to Konjsko is rather bad.

At about 12:00 hours you will be at the Golem grad island. Walk around the island, enjoy its natural and cultural treasure - the church of St. Petar, the remnants of the church Sv. Dimitrija, the Early Christian basilica, etc. Here you can eat the lunch that we recommended you to take with you. Before going back to the mainland, take a boat cruise around the island.

At 13:00 start for the shore. If you haven't had your lunch at the island, you can now eat at Krani. From here, start for Kurbinovo. Enjoy the astonishing frescopainting of the church St. Gjorgji in this village. At 16:00 hours, you should be at the Slivnica monastery, near Kurbinovo. Spend half an hour in sightseeing of the monastery and its surroundings.

At 16:30 start for the  village of Brajčino. Between 17:00 and 17:45 pay a visit to the monastery St. Petka and you can also stroll through its picturesque surroundings.

At 17:45 you can visit the village of Dolno Dupeni and decide whether you will have your dinner here, or in Resen or Krani.

Day 4: Ohrid

In the morning, at 8:30 start across the mountain Galicica for Ohrid and its region. The trip should last until 10:00 hours; use the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this National park and see both Ohrid and Prespa lakes from the marked point on one of the slopes.

Spend the time from 10:00 to 14:00 hours at St. Naum. Do not forget to try to hear the heartbeat of the saint who rests in this monastery church. Visit the small chapel of St. Petka and enjoy the tour by a rowing boat around the springs of the river Crni Drim. Have your lunch at St. Naum, or in one of the fishermen's villages Trpejca or Peštani.

Start for the city of Ohrid. On the road, stop by the cave church Sv. Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God) in Gradište, or the cave church St. Nikola in Ljubaništa. In the period between 14:00 and 19:00 hours get acquainted with the cultural monuments in the city. Start with the Samoil's fortress, and then head for the town's square. Visit the church Mother of God Peribleptos first. Do not forget to enter the part of the church where the relicts of Saint Clement are resting, and in the courtyard spend few minutes on the grave of the great poet Grigor Prlicev, the Macedonian Homer. Head towards Plaošnik, where the excavations of the early Christian basilica are located, and the church of St. Panteleimon (St. Clement's university), the first Slavic university, from the 10th century is currently restored. This place offers a magnificent view to the Lake Ohrid.  At the terrace, overviewing the Lake, see the church St. John Theologian, Kaneo. From there, head towards the city, Visit the  Antique Theatre, the cathedral church St. Sophia, the churches St. Nicola Bolnicki and Holy Mother of God Bolnicka ("of Hospital"), the church St. Nicholas Gerakomia, the House of the Robev family , ) today a museum of archeology, and the House of Uranija, today a Museum of ethnology.

Enjoy your dinner, and then stroll through the old Ohrid bazaar (caršija), visit the unofficial museum of Macedonian jewelry - the workshop and store of the master Vangel Dereban (you can treat yourself with a piece of filigree or Ohrid pearls).