
North Macedonia
Hike & Culture North Macedonia
- Tour Details
Macedonia is indeed a beautiful and underrated trekking destination in Europe, with its vast mountain ranges and peaks providing a perfect opportunity for hiking enthusiasts. The western part of North Macedonia boasts of three National Parks, each with its unique landscapes and rails, providing hikers of all levels with and unforgettable experience.
In addition to the beautiful landscapes, North Macedonia is known for its rich history and delicious cuisine. While on the hiking trails, you ill have the opportunity to taste the local food and wine, visit sheep farms and wineries and enjoy farm to table family restaurants, which will undoubtedly enhance your overall experience .
This tour is perfect for those looking for an active holiday combined with relaxation and exploration of a new culture. With the guidance of experienced local guides, you ca fully immerse yourself in the beauty and culture of North Macedonia, creating memories that will last a life time.
Description
1 day Shar mountain National Park hike and overnight
2 days Mavrovo National Park hike and overnights
3 days Ohrid region with a hike at Galicica mountain National park and one free activities day.
1 day Skopje with overnight in Kamnik Hunters Lodge and winery ( special wine degustation dinner )
Day 1 - Arrival and Transfer to Shar Mountains
Arrival at Skopje International Airport and transfer to Popova Shapka ( Shar Mountains National Park ) where we get accommodated in Hotel Scardus & SPA. There we will have a general briefing about the tour and free activities such as SPA and dinner.
If time allows, we will have a city tour of Skopje and lunch in the old bazaar.
The night we will spend it. HOTEL Scardus, a wonderful 4* mountain hotel, owned by people
with real passion for the local products and cuisine. We will have a traditional dinner, a fine
introduction to our amazing food, which is a mixture of Greek and Turkish influence with a local
And the local wine selection is also outstanding.
The Shar Mountain where we spend our first overnight and hikes, is the newest National park in
the country, pronounced only a year ago. The mountain is also the biggest in Macedonia and
Kosovo, and is a home to over 2500 species of plants and various wildlife, like bears, wolves
and even lynx.
Our hotel also has a SPA center free to use.
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Day 2 - Hike to Peak Plat
07:30 Breakfast
09:00 Starting with the Hike to Plat.
15;00 Lunch in Hotel Scardus
Transfer to village Janche Mavrovo National Park with overnight in Hotel Tuto
We start from Popova Shapka, from our hotel at an altitude of 1,700 m (5,577 ft), before
climbing up to 2,100 m (6,890 ft) and proceeding along a dirt road.
On our way we will enjoy spectacular views of Kobilica peak, Piribeg and even Ljuboten peak,
the start of the mountain. We hike up to the saddle leading to the Upper Leshnica valley at
2,200 m (7,218 ft), taking in views to the middle Leshnica rocks and Tito’s peak, the highest
peak of the Shar Mountains and the second highest in the country.
We will descend from Upper to Lower Leshnica, at 1,300 m (4,265 ft), a place where two
mountain rivers join, and take a short hike through a deep forest to a waterfall coming down in a
cave. One of the most scenic areas in the whole mountain. We’ll have a barbecue picnic in this
natural setting and will return to Popova Shapka using all-terrain vehicles.
On return to Popova Sapka we will have a late checkout and drive for approx. 2 hours to our
next destination, Mavrovo National Park.
Our hotel for the night is the unique Hotel Tutto, a clay made hotel with an amazing host. The
owner is an amazing character, dedicated builder and restorer of old houses as well as a
master chef.
We will enjoy the traditional Mavrovo cuisine, including specialities from lamb and beef, local
cheese and the amazing porcini mushrooms.
Hike length: 16km
Positive altitude gain: 800 meters
Day 3 - Hiking Galichnik
07:30 Breakfast
09:00 Start Hike towards the village of Galicnik 15:00 Lunch at local restaurant
GalicÌŒnik is a mountain village in North Macedonia and along with Lazaropole is one of the two
biggest and oldest Mijak villages in the region. GalicÌŒnik has well-preserved traditional
architecture, including an amphitheater in the village square, and is famous for its surrounding
countryside and nature reserve. People from GalicÌŒnik and northwestern North Macedonia
appreciate the local yellow cheese kasÌŒkaval (Kashkaval) that is produced in the region as well
as the local salt brine white cheese "belo sirenje" which is a homemade speciality for this
region.
After breakfast we will start hiking from the hotel. We hike the old trading trail, connecting our
village to the village of Galicnik, the architectural wonder of Macedonian mountains. The village
was once even considered to be a city, and it was in the center for the wool business in the
Balkans. Now only the big stone houses are representing the once glorious past. We will arrive
at the small B&B in the village for a short tea, and continue our hike to Medenica peak, the
highest peak in Bistra mountain (2165m).
The peak gives us an amazing view to Shar mountain we just visited a day before, and to
Korab, the highest mountain in both Macedonia and Albania.
We will descend via another path, and get a pick up from our van. On the drive back to Hotel
Tutto, we will stop and visit St. John the Baptist monastery, which just celebrated 1000 years of
existence. We can have an early dinner in the monastery restaurant , chosen to be the best
restaurant in the country. We drive back (10min) to hotel Tutto and relax for one more night
there.
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Day 4 - Hiking Deshat Mountain
07:30 Brekfast
09:00 Start hiking Deshat mountain 16:30 visit of Vevchani village & lunch
Hike length. 16km
Positive altitude gain. 1150 meters
Breakfast and checkout. In 25 minutes driving we are at the base of Deshat mountain and the beautiful peak Krchin (2360. The trails start wiggling through beautiful mountain springs and rich beech forest. It comes to an amazing alpine terrain, opening a view toward Bistra mountain, and our previous hiking challenge. The ridge line we exit on is the border with Albania, and the peak itself has the remains of a church having the entrance on the Albanian side and althar from Macedonian side of the peak.
On our way to Ohrid will make brake in the famous village of Vevcani with visit of the water springs and lunch in a family restaurant.
We descend to our van, and drive towards the amazing UNESCO protected city of Ohrid.
We will settle in our hotel, by Ohrid lake, the oldest lake in Europe, and have a short walk out to dinner.
Hike length. 15km
Positive altitude gain: 1100 meters
Day 5 - Free Activity Day Ohrid
Free activity day in Ohrid
Ohrid is a city in the southwestern part of Macedonia, on the northeast coast of Ohrid Lake.
Ohrid and Lake Ohrid are one of the main tourist destinations in Macedonia. This city is located
in the southwestern part of Macedonia, on the north-eastern coast of the Ohrid Lake. In terms of
traffic it is linked to roads leading to Skopje, Bitola, Debar and the Republic of Albania. The old
road Via Egnatia, linking the Adriatic and the White Sea, also passed in its vicinity, which was
an important circumstance for the development of Ohrid in the past. Traffic on the waters of the
Ohrid Lake is of little importance. It is used in the function of fishing and for tourist purposes.
Free choice activities around city and lake Ohrid
Sailing
Hystorical City Tour Paragliding Wakesurfing
SUP
Day 6 – Hike at Jablanica Mountain
The Yablanica mountain is one of the least visited beauties in Macedonia. Formed as an old
volcano, it is a lively mountain full of small rivers, pastures and high forests. It is also a National
Park from the side of Albania, and gives us one of the best views to the amazing Ohrid lake.
We start from the famous village Gorna Belica and we will have a easy going round trip to the
local peaks with returning back to the village
Hike length 11km
Elevation 600m
Day 7 – Sightseeing & Departure
The two lakes hike up to the peak Magaro on the top of Galicica Mountain National park.
Breakfast and checkout. We will drive up to the high mountain pass between Ohrid and Prespa
lakes, stopping to enjoy the view of the massive lakes beneath us. We start hiking from the
pass, and slowly ascend above the beech and pine forest. As we gain altitude, it becomes clear
why the hike is named The two lakes, and both lakes will appear beneath us. While hiking, apart
from the amazing view, reminiscences of WWI will be around, old bunkers and trenches, now
retaken by nature. We have a circular hike, so we make a round on another path to descend to
our van.
We start driving back to Skopje, and stay in the amazing Chateau Kamnik for a wine tasting
dinner.
Kamnik is a boutique winery, specialized in high quality wines, from local and italian grape
types. They control their whole process of wine making, and have received multiple international
awards for their red and white wines, including Mundus Vini.
Hike length. 12km
Positive altitude gain. 800 meters
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Day 8 - Departure
Breakfast and departure to the Airport
Group Size :
Minimum 4 – 12 persons
Included:
- 7 Overnights
- 7x dinner
- 7x breakfast
- 5x lunch Guiding
- All transfers
- Kamnik Winery special wine tasting dinner
Not included:
- Drinks
- Free activities in Ohrid
- Souvenieers
- Entrance in museums and facilities Tips