Peaks of the Balkans
- Hike Hajla mountain-KS, for a scenic view over the mountain range.
- Hike to beautiful Liqenati mountain lakes-KS.
- Pass through Ropojana valley-MNE.
- Visit Thethi mountain village-AL
- Thethi Waterfall-AL.
- Nderlysa Blu Eye-AL.
- Hike through Valbona valley-AL
- Hike through Qerrem & Doberdol remote mountain villages-AL.
- Hike through three border peak.
- Hike through the valleys of Roshkodoli and Milishec.
- Organic farm and guesthouse food tasting in Rugova Valley.
- Hike through Great Highlands of Rugova region.
Duration
10 days / 9 nights
Difficulty
Moderate
Travel Diary
Essential info
More details about the trip
Arrive in Prishtina international airport, Kosovo.
Your trip leader will meet you outside of the customs and immigration area at the airport. He or she will answer questions, brief you on the immediate arrangements and you’ll take transport 1h close to Peja town best known for outdoor activities and adventures.
Visit White Drini natural park with biggest waterfall in the region and Sleeping Beauty touristic cave. Transport through Rugova Canyon-top attraction in Kosovo to your starting point – Guesthouse in Rreka Allages 21km from Peja.
- Starting point from Rreka Allages mountain village at 1300m altitude.
The first stage in Hajla mountain, from where you will have magnificent and panoramic views towards the rest of Accursed mountains peaks and Rugova valley.
You’ll be walking through a pine forest and open mountainous terrain towards Drelaj mountain village. Accommodation and dinner at guesthouse in Drelaj with a view towards Red Rock peak 2522m.
- Moderate walk
- 4-5hrs walk
- +530m, -710m
- 12.5km. (optional climbing top of Hajla mountain 2403m, extra 2hrs 30min, 3km, +500m, -500m)
In this beautiful stage you’ll hike by two attractive Liqenati Mountain Lakes and Shkodra overpass, passing from Kosovo side to Montenegro, continuing through blueberry fields of Jelenku mountain ridge stopping at Babino Polje (Grandma’s Field) mountain, next to Temnjacka stream and close to small city of Plav. -
- Moderate hike
- +1150m, -1110m
- 7-8hrs,
- 16km.
Up to the start of this section short transport of 1h. You’ll hike through the magical Ropojana valley for amazing views on both sides of the valley.
Passing from Montenegro side to Albania by Gshtarsi Lake. This used to be border patrol path, passing by some old bunkers and border posts, arriving in magical Thethi village.
- Moderate walk
- +1110m, -1440m
- 8hrs walk
- 19.5km
Edith Durham prominent English writer and traveller once said about Thethi village:
I think no place where human beings live has given me such an impression of majestic isolation from all the world.
The village is at the centre of Thethi national park, an area of outstanding beauty.
Epic hike from Thethi to Valbona valley passing over Valbona Pass at 1759m for great unrestricted views over the high mountain peaks will give you a feeling of being very small comparing to those.
- Moderate hike
- Start at Theth 728m, finish at Valbona 935m
- 7-8hrs walk
- +1070m, -850m, 19.5km. (optional transport last 5km of hike).
Transport 1hrs from Valbona to Qerrem mountain village in Valbona Valley, and from here you’ll hike towards Doberdol village passing by scenic route next to the border line with Montenegro. Overnight stay and dinner at the guesthouse in Doberdol. Qerrem 1220m, Doberdol 1820m.
- Moderate walk.
- 6-7hrs walk
- +1030m, -440m /
- 16.5km.
Hike through entire Doberdol valley, over Qafa Doberdolit-Neck and next to the Heart Lake, climbing to the top of Gjeravica peak at 2656m highest peak in Kosovo, continuing by the highest lakes in the Balkans just to finish by Gacaferri mountain huts at around 1800m altitude.
Transfer with 4×4 to Gjakova town for overnight stay and dinner at iconic family-owned hotel and restaurant. Doberdol 1820m, Gacaferri Mountain huts 1800m.
- Moderate walk. 7-8hrs walk
- +900m, -920m /
- 19.5km.
Today you will explore Gjakova and we’ll drive to next city of Prizren, which is known as a museum city, seated at the foot of the Shar mountains, Kosovo’s second city packs a heavy punch with its rich history, traditional handicraft shops and gastronomic delights.
Situated at a major crossroad on the Balkan peninsula, the town hosted a handful of empires, with Byzantine and Ottoman architecture leaving the most distinctive marks on the cityscape. Ottoman vibes can be felt especially around Shadervan – near this main, cobbled square you’ll find a great selection of bars and restaurants, as well as the lovely Sinan Pasha Mosque (one of over 44 mosques in the city) and the Old Stone Bridge, which dates back to the 16th century but was reconstructed in the 1980s after was destroyed by flooding.
Another interesting monument is Albanian League of Prizren from 1878, Prizren castle over the old city, and many more. Overnight stay at 3-star Hotel and free evening.
Transfer to Prishtina International Airport (1hrs) will be provided for your homeward-bound flight.
More details about the trip
Day 1
Day 1 : Pristina airport > Pristina
Meet our local agent at Pristina airport then depart for the city center and drop off your luggage at your hotel.
Overnight in Pristina.
Airport transfer
Overnight
Day 2
Pristina > Mirusha waterfall > Peja
After breakfast, start a sightseeing tour of Pristina, the newest and smallest capital of the Balkans. It already has everything of a large metropolis with a lively city center with its many cafes and restaurants.
Join the Mirusha waterfalls one of the most visited landscape place in Kosovo. You will admire a nature effect of the water which over ages, created canyons and caves, and are now famous all over the country. The river carved a 10 kilometres canyon and created 13 lakes with waterfalls between them.
Join Peja, the largest city in western Kosovo located at the foot of the mountains and the Rugova gorges.
Drop off your luggage in your hotel with indoor pool and jacuzzi.
Overnight in Peja.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Overnight
Day 3
Peja
After breakfast, visit the Patriarchal Monastery of Peja, one of the strongholds of the Orthodox religion in the region. Admire its many well-preserved frescoes as well as the calm and serene atmosphere present in this place.
Visit the Ethnological Museum of Peja where you will immerse yourself in the traditional life of the kosovars of the 20th century.
You will then join the Rugova Valley, to discover one of Europe longest canyon.
Possibility to hike in the Rugova Valley to Kuqishte Lake (3 hours way and return).
Possibility to sleep at local guest house in the mountain.
Overnight in Peja.
Day 4 - Day 4 : Peja > Decani > Gjakova > Prizren
After breakfast, collect your rental car and reach the Drin Blanc waterfall, stroll to the top where you will reach the « Sleeping Beauty » caves for an interior visit of the galleries sculpted for centuries by the force of water.
Head towards the Monastery of Visoki Decani. A monument dating from the 14th century and listed as a UNESCO heritage site, you can admire these frescoes which constitute one of the peaks of Serbian art, powerfully inspired by Byzantine art, in particular by the Church of Saint-Sauveur in Constantinople. .
Take the road to Gjakova, a charming town in Kosovo with its authentic old center and its many craft stalls. Visit Gjakova old mosque.
Join then Prizren, cultural capital of Kosovo.
Possibility to sleep at local house in the small village of Velika Hoca with wine tasting.
Overnight in Prizren.
Breakfast
Overnight
Day 5 - Prizren
After breakfast, visit the cultural and historical capital of Kosovo. Surrounded by mountainous landscapes, discover the old Ottoman center of the city where the Lumbardhi River passes.
Its cobbled streets and teahouses in the old bazaar, give Prizren a unique Ottoman charm with its three religious enclosures nearby: the Sinan Pasha Mosque, the Saint George Orthodox Cathedral and the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Relief.
Visit the Albanian League of Prizren, the first league for the defense of Albanian rights established at the end of the 19th century.
Free time to drive to Prizren Fortress for stunning views of the city.
Possibility to visit of fabric of bio cheese outside Prizren.
Overnight in Prizren.
Breakfast
Overnight
Day 6 - Prizren > Skopje
After breakfast, then take the road through the Sharr Mountains towards North Macedonia with its Capital city, Skopje.
Start the visit of an earthquake-ravaged city in 1963 that has completely rebuilt itself and offers a unique experience.
You will enjoy a separate city between two cultures and two different lifestyles between Albanian Macedonian and Macedonian.
Stroll through its new city centre to discover its famous fortress “Tvrdina Kale” and its stone bridge “Kameni Most” that separates the city into two parts with the old Ottoman bazaar “Čaršija”.
Overnight in Skopje.
Day 7 - Skopje > Matka Canyon > Skopje
After breakfast, join the Matka Canyon, a must-see place in Macedonia.
Embark on a boat to discover the Vrelo Caves, which are considered among the deepest underwater caves in the world.
Go back to Skopje in the afternoon and free time.
Overnight in Ohrid.
Breakfast
Overnight
Day 8 - Skopje > Tetovo > Mavrovo > Ohrid
After breakfast leave for the Mavrovo National Park.
On the way to Ohrid you will make a stop at Tetovo to discover its 15th century painted Mosque of Sarena Dzamija. Painted both indoors and outdoors, it is one of the most beautiful mosques in Macedonia.
Arrival in the Mavrovo National Park and enjoy sumptuous landscapes through, the Mavroro Lake and the Radika Canyon.
You will stop at the Monastery of Saint Jovan Bigorski, located on the heights of the canyon, which represents one of the most beautiful monasteries in Macedonia.
You will make a stop in the small village of Janche, in which a resident of the village has invested in the construction of houses using the materials of the time, you will have lunch in his restaurant.
Then take the road towards Ohrid, the Heart of Orthodoxy.
Overnight in Ohrid.
Day 9 - Ohrid
After breakfast, explore the wonders of Lake Ohrid.
Short photo stop at “Bay of bones“, an authentic reconstruction of part of a settlement, dating from 1200 to 700 BC. J.-C.
Visit the Saint Naum Monastery. Amidst lush greenery and built in the 10th century, the monastery is a haven of tranquility on the border between Albania and Macedonia.
Go back to Ohrid, the cradle of Orthodoxy. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and sublime lakeside city which for many represents the culmination of the Macedonian experience, a Kingdom of light and water as well as a reference to the ancient ruins of traditional kingdom of Macedonia.
Discover its well-preserved historical heritage such as the church of St Jovan or the ancient theater dating from the Roman Empire.
Overnight in Ohrid.
Day 10 - Ohrid
After breakfast, free day in Ohrid to enjoy the city’s beaches and stroll through the old town. Opportunity to visit Ohrid.
- OPTION: DIVING (€60.00/pax)
Meet your scuba instructor and set out to explore the oldest and deepest lake in Europe which contains around 200 different species. Discover the underwater fauna and flora of Lake Ohrid, also famous internationally for the discovery of remains dating from the Bronze Age.
- OPTION: Kayaking (€45.00/pax)
Departure for the day of kayaking, during which you will be accompanied by a professional guide who will take you to the most sumptuous natural spaces of Lake Ohrid.
- OPTION: VEVCHANI
Join the village of Vevtchani located at the foot of the mountain of Jablanica. Join the heights of the village for a short walk through its picturesque water sources.
Overnight in Ohrid.
Day 11 - Ohrid > Stenje > Bitola
After breakfast, possivility to leave for a half day of hiking in the splendid Galichitsa National Park.
Reach the starting point of the hike and start an ascent to Magaro Peak, the highest point in Galichitsa, which rises to 2,255 meters above sea level.
From 2,000 meters above sea level you can enjoy a superb view of the two lakes in southern North Macedonia, Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa, also known as the “eyes of Galichitsa”.
Depart for Stenje and possibilty to embark on a boat on Lake Prespa, the second lake in southern Macedonia, which shares the borders between Macedonia, Albania and Greece.
You will discover Golem Grad, “Pelican Island” which has an important wildlife of turtles, great cormorants, snakes and pelicans. Ruins, birds, and otherworldly beauty make this a must-see place to explore
Depart for Bitola, the second largest city in Northern Macedonia. Sighseeing tour of the city of the consuls. You will discover a city with a Mediterranean feel with its churches, mosques, old Ottoman bazaar and beautiful neoclassical houses.
Overnight in Bitola.
Day 12 - Bitola > Popova Kula
After the breakfast, visit the archaeological site of “Heraclea Lyncestis” and discover the vestiges of this ancient city of the Kingdom of Macedonia whose foundations date back to the 4th century BC.
Take the road to Popova Kula vineyard.
You will discover the wine culture of a small Macedonian vineyard located on the heights of a hill and offering a magnificent panoramic view of the region.
Visit the vineyard and discover the traditional Macedonian wine production.
Free time during the afternoon in the beautiful scenery or explore the city of Demir Kapija.
Overnight in Demir Kapjia.
Day 13 - Popova Kula > Stobi > Gracanica
After the breakfast, join Stobi, the largest archaeological site in North Macedonia.
Discover the ruins of an ancient city established in the 4th century BC. AD and learn more about the history of the Romans present in the ancient territory of Macedonia.
Take the road again to Kosovo, you will then reach Gračanica, a Serbian village located 10 minutes from Pristina.
Drop your luggages at the hotel and free time in a beautiful natural setting.
Overnight in Gracanica.
Day 14 - Gračanica
After breakfast, visit the UNESCO Gračanica Monastery.
You will drive to the Bear Sanctuary, where many captive bears in private restaurants in Kosovo and Albania were released.
Go to Novo Brdo Castle, located on the heights of a plateau offering a splendid panoramic view of the region.
Return to your hotel in Gračanica at the end of the day.
Day 15 - Flight back
After breakfast, depart for Pristina airport for your return flight.
Breakfast
In the price included
- Accommodation
- All meals (breakfast, picnic, lunch, dinner)
- Transport during entire trip (incl. Airport)
- All fees and taxes for cross border permits
- English and some other languages guides
- Guided tour with experienced local guides
In the price not included
- International travel insurance
- Bag transport daily
- Optional tipping to guides and local staff
- Flight to Prishtina and back
- Souvenirs and items of a personal nature
