Tirana to Ohrid Private Tour: UNESCO Oldest Human Settlement in Europe

Embark on a private tour from Tirana to Ohrid, the UNESCO oldest human settlement in Europe. Explore the historic town and its 365 churches, known as the ‘Jerusalem of the Balkan’.

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Tirana - Hotel Pick Up
  • St. Jovan Kaneo - Perched atop a cliff above Kaneo Beach, this church gazes out upon Lake Ohrid in Ohrid, North Macedonia. It is a shrine to John of Patmos, the author of the Book of Revelation, who is sometimes identified with John the Apostle.
  • Ohrid - Explore the heart of the city and the Old Bazaar, where Ohrid’s characteristic dwellings can be seen. The city’s pathways are laid with stone, which is why its original name was Lyhnidas, derived from the Latin term for a luminous precious stone.
  • Monastery of Saint Naum - Following our time in Ohrid, we’ll make our way to the Monastery of Sveti Naum. This sacred site is not only a monastery but also the final resting place of Saint Naum. It’s a pilgrimage destination for believers worldwide. The Monastery Complex was once within Albanian territory from 1912 to 1925 before being reassigned to Yugoslavia.
    Visit at Tushemisht
    Crossing the border from Macedonia into Albania, we’ll visit Tushemisht. Unlike many Albanian villages, it shares similarities with Ohrid, including the predominant Orthodox faith.
    Next, we’ll proceed to Tirana, marking the conclusion of our journey.
  • Tsar Samuel’s Fortress - Departing from Tirana at 09:00, we’ll travel southeastward into Albania. Upon crossing into Macedonia, we encounter Struga, a town named after a local legend involving a young boy.
    Adjacent to Struga is Ohrid, nestled on the lake’s edge, a historical melting pot of various cultures. Inhabited since ancient times by Illyrian and Greek tribes, it has been under the dominion of Romans, Byzantines, Bulgarians, Turks, Serbs, Yugoslavians, and now belongs to the sovereign Republic of North Macedonia.
    Perched on the city’s hills, Tsar Samuel’s Fortress was erected during the 10th century under the Bulgarian Tsar Samuil. It is thought to have been constructed on the site of an earlier fortification dating back to the 4th century BCE, attributed to Philip II.
What's Included
  • Road taxes and car insurance included
  • Air-conditioned vehicles
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off service
  • Included tickets to attractions
  • Expert tour guide provided
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Any Private Expenses or Tips
Additional Information

An article by UNESCO states that Ohrid is among the most ancient human habitats in Europe. It’s situated on the banks of Lake Ohrid, one of the world’s oldest lakes. Over the centuries, it’s been a meeting point for various cultures, traditions, and invasions.

Often referred to as the “Jerusalem of the Balkans”, Ohrid has significantly contributed to the proliferation of Slavic Orthodoxy. It once housed 365 Churches, each representing a day of the year, with origins tracing back to the 11th Century.

Location
Tirana
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(60 Ratings)
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Ts_h
Aug 4, 2024
Wonderful day in Ohrud - Fabulous one day tour to Ohrid. Very comfortable ride and such a knowledgeable guide. I cannot believe how much I learned about Albania and its history. Highly recommend this day tour.
Review provided by Viator
328jasond
Jun 15, 2024
Wonderful Ohrid - This trip was simply amazing,the guide /driver Endri was very knowledgeable about the places we visited.Endri was very patient on the routes as my wife has asthma and we never felt rushed going up the hilly parts of the excursion.Ohrid was a beautiful town where we stopped for lunch,then onto to Struga.I definately would recommend this trip
Review provided by Tripadvisor
476jamesaw
Jun 15, 2024
Ohrid's far from horrid! - All the logistics with Go as Local were fine - initial communication by email, later by WhatsApp in Albania, hotel pickup, driving and drop-off. The guide Xhulio was very friendly, informative and accommodating throughout the day. As for Ohrid itself, this place is a real gem, one of the nicest spots in the Balkans. The view over the St John the Theologian church onto Lake Ohrid is possibly the most picturesque view of a church you could ever see, and the downtown area has a nice 'sea'side vibe. Our other stop at the Monastery of Saint Naum round the lake was pretty good too. If you like Byzantine church architecture, and you have a day to spare whilst in Tirana, go on this trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Danielf9392
Jun 14, 2024
Wonderful - X-hulio was my guide and he was lovely! Took me in a beautiful scenary and he was very explainatory, it was fun seeing so much in so little time! Dont forget your passport! Go as Local were amazing!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O1713uclouisl
Jun 12, 2024
Recommend - Nice day trip to Lake Ohrid and Struga from Tirana! Enjoyed the convenience of the driver and the scenic views. I recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amal_t
May 29, 2024
Interesting, Insightful and good views - Excellent guides, we did a tour to Ohrid and also to Kosovo on a separate day. Good overview of the history of the balkans as well as some splendid views.
Review provided by Viator
321st_phanies
May 19, 2024
PERFECT ! - It was very good and interesting day. It was wonderful and very nice Endri is a professionnal and lovely person. It was a perfect day ! Thank you again for this experience ! !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Suzanne_k
May 12, 2024
Wonderful day trip to Ohrid - Was amazing,the very friendly and knowlegable guide Angjel showed us around Ohrid and the monastries and amphitheatre at our own pace. We avoided all the crowds and found it a really enjoyable day. Angjel explained the history and knew in detail about each site and we were able to spend enough time in each place which we loved. We even were able to enjoy a delicious lunch that he advised us about. Was a wonderful day out we just loved the lake and how he was always ready for us to stop or spend time to taie photos i would highly recommend this trip you wont be disappointed
Review provided by Viator
Coastal28027683765
Jun 15, 2024
Great - Wonderful tour of ohrid. The guide was knowledgable and allowed us time to walk and take as many pictures as we wanted. Never felt rushed at any time. Wish we could have swam by the lake but everything was great.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lindaeryan
Aug 16, 2024
A waste of $163. per person. Book with someone else - This excursion was the biggest waste of money. There were several options for this same tour offered through Viator and Trip Advisor; however, we chose this one even though it was more costly than some of the others. Since there seemed to be some contradictions in the description (i.e. private tour versus cancellation if not enough participants as well as sites visited), I requested information from the provider. The following is the email that I sent: I am hoping that you can answer a few questions. The details given for the trip seem to contradict one another. First, it says, “Only your group will participate.” The it says, “Requires a minimum number of travelers.” How many travelers are required for the trip to run? Will this be cancelled due to an insufficient number? Will the hour between 8-9 be designated for pick up? Will we be returned to the hotel at which we were picked up or is there a designated pick-up spot for the return? The time designated for the visit to Ohrid is 1 hour. Other tours suggest three hours. Do you visit any sites while we are there? If so, how many? My preference is to not visit several churches, but at least one that is representative of the city. What do other tours include that yours doesn’t? Many tours with the three hour stops in Ohrid are also ten hours. What is included in your tour that is not included in others to account for the time discrepancy? The details do not say, but the reviews say that you stop for lunch. Is this a long stop? Where is it? Are there other options for those that do not want to sit and eat a long lunch? One review indicated that the tour guide allowed them to choose how long to spend at each location. Who makes that decision? Another review indicated that there was time for swimming. What do other participants do while some are swimming? How many people are currently registered for this activity? Is there a possibility that it will be cancelled? What is the estimated time of return to the Hotel Rogner? I received a detailed accounting of the sites visited and was told that the tour was a private tour and that we could adjust the itinerary to our liking. I was also told that the maximum number was four, and if two more joined us, we would receive a $50. rebate. Again, this seemed to be a contradiction; however, I had read on previous reviews that this had occurred and the company had refunded the $50. in a timely manner. This gave me confidence in the integrity of the company. I inquired about the length of the tour as well as the return time. I did so because we were scheduled to have a welcome meeting with our tour group at 6:00pm. I was told that the return would be at approximately 7:00pm. Regardless, we decided to book the trip. Things started on a positive note. We were picked up at our hotel at the precise time of 8:00 am. We were happy that we were the only two participants. At the onset, we told the guide, a 27 year old young man, that we would like to return by 6:00 pm if possible. We drove directly to Ohrid, approximately 2 ½ hours with one stop at a coffee shop where we were told we could use the ladies’ room while the guide purchased a coffee for himself. We also had to stop for gas while on the tour. I thought this unusual and felt this should have been addressed prior to pick-up. One of the participants used this as an opportunity to purchase water. I could not believe that no bottled water was provided. When we arrived in Ohrid, the guide parked at the top of an incline near the fort pictured on the brochure. When we asked about it, the guide said there was nothing inside, that it wasn’t worth seeing, and that we would see many more forts during the guided tour. We passed by an amphitheater but no information was provided. We then walked past a rather lovely church along the water’s edge. When I asked if that was the church that was featured on most brochures touting Ohrid as a place to visit, I was told no. We were given no further information on that church, nor did we stop to explore or visit it. We descended a wooded incline and reached the church that I had seen in many brochures. I asked the name and age of the church. We were told that it was built in the 1300’s and was Byzantine in design. The guide sat on the wall as we watched several helicopters scooping water to douse a near-by fire. I asked if we could go in the church. I was told that we would have to pay entrance. No other information was given regarding this most important icon. We then walked a lovely path down to the town center. There we strolled though the bazaar, and down to the pier which we were told was the port for the city. We took a few pictures. Information? Nothing. We then walked to the edge of the main street which we had taken to ascend the incline near the fort. We were told to wait there as the guide could more quickly retrieve the vehicle. I am sure that at this point the readers of this review might think that such a shortened itinerary may have been due to our age or inability to navigate the inclines. Despite our age, we are both quite healthy and were very capable of keeping up with the guide very easily. The guide was very knowledgeable about American and Albanian politics. He could name politicians and cabinet members serving under the Trump and Biden administrations, but when it came to the city of Ohrid, we came away knowing nothing but the fact the church was built in the 1300’s and was Byzantine in design. No history was provided. The young man was very nice, but hardly attentive to anything but current political climates. We had told the driver that we were not really interested in having a long lunch, but we were never given the opportunity to even buy a snack. No reference whatsoever was made regarding time for swimming if that was what we chose. Once the car was retrieved, we drove to Struga (which I only know because my photos of those diving from the banks of the river are labeled as such) where we parked. We walked a very short distance to a river bank where many men were diving into the flowing river and floating with the current to nearby stairs. That was it. Again, no information was provided. The guide stopped at a little shop to buy a snack for himself. He never suggested our purchasing anything, never referenced lunch, never offered even a bottle of water. We got back in the car and drove back to the hotel. We arrived at 4pm, not 7 pm as offered as the suggested time of return provided in my email and not 6pm as requested. Unfortunately for us, I had not brought the expected itinerary with me. My fault. As a result it was difficult to question the failure to visit the Monastery or the Tsar Samuel’s Fortress. We never visited Tushemisht referenced in the itinerary. We were told that this our early arrival back at the hotel was because the border crossing was not crowded. The guide was a very nice young guy very interested in politics, but as a guide providing historic information he failed. I know nothing about Ohrid. This was, in my opinion, the biggest waste of $163.per person when booked in November of 2023 and is now considerably more. Save your money and book with someone else.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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