Express Balkan Tour 2 Nights 4 Days

Tour details

          EKPRESS BALKAN TOUR
               
3 COUNTRIES – 2 CAPITALS
            2 NIGHTS 4 DAYS
                      Greece - Macedonia – Bulgaria

 
Tour Departure Dates :
January 22 / January 29 / February 12 / March 19 / April 23 / April 30 / May 16 / May 28 / June 11 / June 25 / July 9 / July 23 / August 6 / August 20 / September 3 / September 17 / October 15 / October 29 / November 12 / November 26 / December 10

Special Days :
January Semester: January 22 / January 29

Ramadan Feast and April Semester  : March 19
April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day: April 23
May 1 Labor and Solidarity Day: April 30
May 19 Youth and Sports Day: May 16
Sacrifice Festival: May 28
November Semester: November 12
 
Tour Program

Day 1 Istanbul – Kavala
On the first day of our trip, we depart from Kadıköy Marriage Office at 21:00, from Mecidiyeköy Oto Ekspertiz at 21:30, and from İncirli Ömür Plaza at 22:00, continuing our journey from Beylikdüzü Marmara Park Front.   We proceed to the Ipsala border gate via Tekirdag. After completing passport and customs procedures, we arrive in Kavala via Dedeagac, Gumulcine, and Iskece.

Day 2 Kavala – Thessaloniki - Skopje
After arriving in Kavala, we stop to have breakfast and taste the delicious Kavala cookies. After the breakfast break, we take a brief photo stop along the beautiful Kavala beaches and head towards Thessaloniki. Upon our arrival in Thessaloniki, we begin our panoramic city tour.During our panoramic city tour, we will see the Kordon, White Tower, Rotunda, Fair, Thessaloniki Fortress, and Ottoman and Byzantine artifacts. After visiting the house of Ulu Önder Atatürk, which is currently in the garden of the Turkish consulate, we proceed to Skopje. Upon arrival, we start our Skopje city tour; we will make a half-day panoramic tour of Skopje, the birthplace of Yahya Kemal Beyatlı. Among the places to see are the Old Train Station, the statue and house of Mother Teresa, Stone Bridge, Fortress, Old Town from the Ottoman period, Bazaar, and Mustafa Pasha, Sultan Murad Mosques, Davud Pasha Bath, Kapan, Sulu and Kurshunlu Hancers, which are among the finest architectural heritages of the Ottomans in the Balkans. We will stay at our hotel in Skopje.

Day 3 Skopje (Tetovo - Ohrid) )
After having breakfast at our hotel, we have a full day of free time. Guests who wish can join the optional Tetovo - Ohrid tour including a boat trip (60 EUR). We set off for Ohrid, known as the Pearl of the Balkans. On the way, we stop in Tetovo (Kalkandelen) to visit the Alaca Mosque and city center. After our visits, we make a short journey to Ohrid. During our walking tour, we will see the Historical Plane Tree Square, the Churches of St. Bogorodica Kameusko, St. Sophia (from outside), the Statue of St. Clement of Ohrid and its Square, the Old Turkish Mansions used as a museum, the Ancient Theater from the Roman era, and St. Pantaleon Church. After our city tour, we take a boat trip on Ohrid Lake to explore the city in a different way. After the boat trip and free time, we head back to Skopje. Overnight at our hotel. Guests who wish can join the optional Macedonian Night tour (40 EUR).

 
Day 4 Skopje – Sofia – Istanbul
After breakfast, we depart from Skopje towards Sofia. Guests who wish can join the optional tour of Matka Canyon, which is known for its unique beauty (25 EUR). After the journey, we arrive in Sofia. During our panoramic city tour, we will see the largest church in the Balkans, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, National Library, Sofia University, Old Royal Palace, National Bulgarian Theater built in neoclassical style, Archaeological Museum, Old Sofia - Syndicate city, and Rotunda Church. After visiting, we will walk from the parliament building to have a panoramic view of Sofia Statue and take a photo break; we will visit the landmark Banya Bashi Mosque. After our visits and free time, we head towards Istanbul. After a short free time, we embark on our journey to Istanbul. After passport and customs procedures at Svilengrad border gate, we reach Istanbul via Edirne and bid farewell until our next tour.

 
What's included
* Transportation with Lux Buses
* Local professional Turkish guiding services
* 2 Nights accommodation in Skopje in 3 or 4* Hotels and breakfast
* Mandatory local guiding services in some cities
* Kavala tour
* Thessaloniki tour
* Skopje tour
* Sofia tour
* All highway check-point and parking fees
* City Taxes
* Customs Fees
* Panoramic city tours specified in the program.
* Limited water service on the bus
Not included
* Museum and historical site entrance fees. * Extras purchased at the hotel. * All personal expenses * Breakfast taken during the break in Kavala. * Lunch and dinner * Tips for the driver and guide * MULTI SCHENGEN VISA (HOLDERS OF GREEN PASSPORTS ARE EXEMPT FROM VISA). * International departure fee * International travel health insurance
Need to Know
INFORMATION - Guests participating in the tour must have a valid Multi-entry Schengen visa for the entire duration of the tour. (Holders of Green Passports are exempt from visa requirements.) - To make purchases and expenditures in all countries included in the program during the tour, having euros is sufficient. In regions where local currency is used, the guide will assist with currency exchange. - Comfortable walking shoes or sports shoes should be preferred throughout the trip. It is advisable to bring a sweater or similar clothing for the evening. - When entering Turkey from abroad, a minimum stay of 3 days is required in order to bring in items (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.). - Duty-free shopping limits when entering Turkey from abroad: Cigarettes: 3 cartons, Alcoholic beverages: 1 liter of alcoholic beverage (excluding alcoholic drinks containing more than 22% alcohol, wine and champagne), Alcoholic beverages: 2 liters of alcoholic beverage (including alcoholic drinks containing less than 22% alcohol, wine and champagne), Perfume: 600 ml, Makeup or skincare products: 5 items, Chocolate and confectionery: 2 kg, Coffee: 1 kg, Tea: 1 kg. - The guide may make changes to the flow of the program depending on weather and road conditions, provided that all places mentioned in the program are shown. - Registered guests have the right to cancel free of charge up to 30 days before the tour. If there are fewer than 30 days remaining before the tour date, a 30% penalty applies; if there are 20 days or less remaining, a 100% penalty applies. Medical reports, workplace leave documents, etc. obtained from authorities in Turkey submitted together with the cancellation request will unfortunately not be accepted for cancellation of hotel and service reservations outside Turkey. - Our tour program is organized with a minimum participation of 25 people. If sufficient participation is not achieved, the latest cancellation notice date is 20 days before the tour departure. Cancellation due to insufficient participation will be notified by Viyatravel. - In cases where only category information is provided without specifying names, and/or options are available for the same destination, the hotel(s) will be announced by Viyatravel 2 days before departure. - During periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events, sports tournaments, etc., hotels may be used at a greater distance than the stated kilometers. In such a case, information will be provided by Viyatravel 15 days before the departure date. - Triple rooms are subject to hotel availability, and in such rooms the bed assigned to the third person is smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed + 1 extra bed. Since extra beds are foldable and/or coach beds, guests making reservations for a third person and/or child are deemed to have accepted the possible cramped conditions in the room and the bed type. Child discounts are valid only for a single child in the appropriate age group staying with 2 adults. - Breakfasts included in the tour program are served in accordance with the breakfast culture of the country visited and are generally limited continental breakfasts consisting of butter, jam, bread, tea, or coffee. For groups, they may be served in a separate hall allocated to the group. - Panoramic city tours included in the tour package are tours organized for general introduction of the cities, lasting at most 2-3 hours, conducted by the guide from inside the vehicle, and do not include museum or archaeological site admissions. Viyatravel is not responsible if panoramic tours, including other tours stated in the program, cannot be carried out on the day and time of the tour due to roads closed by local authorities, places not permitted to be visited/opened, or weather conditions making the tour impossible. Some tours may be carried out by public transport or on foot where roads are closed or vehicle access is not permitted. - Waiting times at customs checkpoints crossed by road during the trip may exceed standard times; Viyatravel cannot be held responsible for any inconveniences caused by such waiting times. - Extra tours are organized by the local company we work with, with a minimum participation requirement of 20 people. If sufficient numbers are not reached, the tours cannot be carried out, or extra tour prices, content, and vehicles used may change depending on the number of participants. In addition, the days and times of the tours may be changed by the guide according to the opening/closing status of museums and archaeological sites at the destination and weather conditions. - Participation in extra tours is optional and not mandatory. Passengers who do not wish to join extra tours organized during the trip are deemed to have accepted waiting at a suitable rest area on the route. These passengers will be dropped off at a roadside rest area before the extra tour begins and picked up from the same point after the tour is completed. - For guests participating in flights, check-in and boarding procedures are personal responsibilities and must be completed before the flight either at the relevant airline counters at the airport or online on the airline’s website. - Viyatravel is not responsible for passengers who do not arrive at the airport at the times announced by Viyatravel for participation in the tour, do not complete check-in and boarding procedures on time, or complete them on time but do not board the aircraft. Passengers who miss the flight are responsible for all costs of new round-trip tickets and transfers required to join the tour. - Viyatravel acts as an intermediary between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol dated 28.09.1955. There may be a risk of delay on scheduled and special flights, or times may change before the current trip and flight. Viyatravel is obliged to inform you of such changes as soon as possible. The passenger has purchased the tour accepting the risk of schedule changes. Children aged 0-2 do not pay airport taxes and airport service fees. - The types of vehicles used in our tours are classified according to the number of participants as follows. The vehicle type is assigned according to the number of people in each tour. Buses: (used for 25-46 people) *Mercedes Travego/Tourismo *NEOPLAN Cityliner/Tourliner *Temsa Safir/Maraton *Man Fortuna Midibuses: (used for 17-24 people) *Isuzu Turkuaz, *Otokar Mega Minibuses: (used for up to 16 people) *VW Volt, *Mercedes Sprinter - All guests are deemed to have completed the purchase of the tour by accepting the above-mentioned terms.