The Cultural Capital of Europe 2019

Hissarya - We will start our tour on one of the most popular scenic moto road in Bulgaria. It is right next to the Central Balkan mountain. After a couple of hours, we will reach our first stop, where you will have a guided visit of ancient “Diocletianopolis”. The town is still an active SPA resort with well preserved Roman remains, where we will have our lunch.

Plovdiv Old Town - Our final destination is Plovdiv, the cultural capital of Europe for 2019th, where we will overnight. After checking in the hotel you will have a guided walking tour of the historical part of the oldest cities in Europe. Heritage from all periods is preserved around the cobblestone streets. The main highlights we will visit are: Revival period wealthy houses, Roman Theater, early 20th-century pharmacy, Medieval remains and fortifications, Roman stadium, 14th-century beautiful mosque and many more. For the evening we recommend the area called “The Trap”, full of bars, restaurants and craft shops.

Riding time for the day approximately 5 hours / ~350 km.

Trigrad Gorge

Bachkovo Monastery - After breakfast, we will keep our course South. We will visit a Medieval fortress, on a top of a cliff, giving a nice view of the area. Then the second biggest monastery in Bulgaria – Bachkovo monastery. It was established in 11 century by Georgian, very close to the Imperial power of the Byzantine empire. This place is also important for the history of the Jewish community in Bulgaria, because the main figures, responsible for saving them during the Second World War are buried there.

Trigrad - After a guided visit of those pleases we will head toward Trigrad. It is situated in the heart of the Rhodope mountain. We will pass through amazing mountain roads and gorge. We will overnight there, enjoying the local cosine and traditions.

Riding time for the day approximately 5 hours / ~260 km.

Reaching Greece

Kavala - After breakfast, we will continue towards Greece on nice mountain roads. We will avoid as much as we can highways for a better experience. We will pass through many Greek villages. Our final destination is the city of Kavala. It has a fortress on the seaside and one of the best-preserved Roman Aqueducts. We will overnight in the town. We can have a great dinner at the marina.

Riding time for the day approximately 5 hours / ~345 km.

Thessaloniki

Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai (Vergina) - In the morning we will start our journey west. Our first visit will be in the tomb of Philp II, father of Alexander the Great. The tomb is very close to Pela, the capital of the Macedonian dynasty and it is part of a big ancient necropolis. You will have a guided visit to the historical site.

Thessaloniki - After this, we will go a bit back and enter Thessaloniki, the second biggest city in Greece. We will check in the hotel there, leave the bikes and enjoy the city’s center. The main highlights are The white tower, the Roman terms, the Roman arch, the Medieval town, and a big, rich archaeological museum.

Note: Thessaloniki is famous for its nightlife.

Riding time for the day approximately 4 hours / 260 km.

Ohrid-North Macedonia

Ohrid - After breakfast, we will start our trip to North Macedonia. We will ride to the most beautiful area of the country - the Ohrid lake. We will enjoy the beautiful nature on the way. Our final destination for the day is the city of Ohrid. It is a very important historical city for the Bulgarians and also for the people of Macedonia. This is the place where in the 10th century the Cyrillic was invented. You will hear about more historical periods and events while we are walking in the historical part of the city and enjoying the traditional cuisine.

Overnight in Ohrid.
Riding time for the day approximately 4 hours / ~280km.

Kosovo

Prizren - In the morning we will start our trip to our next country in the schedule-Kosovo. This territory is still heavily disputed and center of tension between Serbia and the Albanian population. It is a dramatic aftermath of the collapse of Yugoslavia. We will ride trough a very beautiful mountain road. Our destination is Prizren. It is the second biggest city but historically the most important and beautiful. It will take us around 2 hours to reach Prizren. We will leave the bikes and start our historical walk by visiting the top of the city - the fortress from where you will have a stunning view of the whole region. Then we will walk trough the cobblestone streets with buildings from the Ottoman period and nice authentic bazaars.

Riding time for the day approximately 5 hours / ~290km.

Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia

Matka Canyon - After breakfast, we will start our ride back to North Macedonia. We will ride to its capital - Skopje. Before we get there we will stop one of the most beautiful natural parks in Europe – Matka. We will spend some time there. Also, if you like, we can rent a small boat and enjoy nature. Also, we can reach a beautiful cave deep into the canyon and some medieval Bulgarian monasteries.

Skopje - After a half of an hour ride, we will reach Skopje-the capital of Macedonia. During the guided visit of the city, you will have the chance to visit one of the most bizarre cities on the Balkan Peninsula. Skopje is a mixture of authentic monuments from the Ottoman period, and new neo-classical buildings, complete with ornate columns and rooftop figures of nymphs.

After the reconstruction of the new center has been done, as per the “Skopje 2014” project, the city became one of the popular destinations in Eastern Europe. Despite the highly divisive opinions on the new appearance, Skopje definitely is a must-see place.
In the afternoon we will relax in Skopje and enjoy the city’s atmosphere.

Overnight in the city.

Riding time for the day approximately 3 hours / ~150km.

Getting back to Sofia

Monastery of St Joakim Osogovski - This is the last day of your guided tour. In the morning we will start our return journey to Sofia. On the way, we will stop at one of the UNESCO sites in Macedonia– the Osogovo monastery – the biggest in the country. It is still an active one and monks are still living there. The history of the place could be tracked in the 12th century. You will have a guided visit to the complex. If you are hungry when we finish with it there are some nice restaurants in the area.

Sofia - After that, we will ride to Sofia. You will return the rented bikes and check in the hotel (if your flight is on that day we will transfer you the airport directly. If you depart the next day, also airport transfer is included).

Riding time for the day approximately 5 hours / ~240km.

• Experienced English-speaking guide
• Convenient airport transfers
• Daily breakfast included
• All entrance fees to scheduled attractions covered
• 8 nights in comfortable 3* accommodations

• Gratuities
• Fuel charges
• Support vehicle (we can provide upon request - 120 Euro per day)
• Rental Motorbikes (we can provide upon request)

This tour offers you an exploratory journey across Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, and Kosovo. The trip is abundant in historical, archaeological, and natural attractions. You will gain a deeper understanding of the area’s complexity and sensitivity. The adventure will educate you about the numerous conflicts and turbulence in this comparatively small region with a dense and extensive history. Apart from antiquity, we’ll also delve into one of the most disputed and dramatic periods in modern history - the fall of Yugoslavia. One of our highly knowledgeable and professional tour guides will accompany you.

Your route will take you via handpicked roads, and you’ll lodge in our recommended 3-star hotels.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.