The Wine Route in Macédoine
Among century-old vineyards and ancient sites, explore the secret terroirs of North Macedonia.
Duration
8 days
From
€700/pers.
Ideal seasons
Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct
Style
Self-drive tour
Comfort
Charm & Character
Travelers
Couple, Solo, With friends, senior
The spirit of travel
Located between the West and the East, close to the Mediterranean, on the remains of ancient times of the first Christian kingdoms and the great Ottoman period, Macédoine represents a country where cultural heritage is incredibly dense and complex. You will discover its ancient history through its well-preserved archaeological sites and its religious monuments of incredible beauty. Added to this, the incredible hospitality of its inhabitants and its traditions kept intact, you will discover a way of life that has become rare in Europe through an exotic journey.
Along the itinerary, explore the must-see sites of Skopje, Ohrid, Bitola and Mavrovo national park. Lake Ohrid, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the oldest and deepest in Europe. Its monasteries, Byzantine churches and traditional villages testify to the historical and cultural importance of the region.
This journey also allows you to discover gastronomy influenced by Balkan and Ottoman cultures, as well as varied landscapes, between mountains, lakes and valleys.
The stages of your journey
Highlights
Day-by-day itinerary
Skopje Airport - Skopje, North Macedonia
Arrival at Skopje airport.
Pick up your rental car and head to the capital of North Macédoine. A city devastated by an earthquake in 1963 that managed to completely rebuild itself and offer a unique experience. You will appreciate a city divided between two cultures and two different lifestyles between Macedonian Albanians and Macedonians.
Skopje - Matka Canyon - Kamnik Vineyard - Skopje, North Macedonia
After breakfast, join the Matka Canyon, an unmissable destination in Macédoine.
Embark on a boat to discover the Vrelo caves, which are considered among the deepest underwater caves in the world.
Visit Kamnik Castle, a vineyard located in the heights of Skopje and offering panoramic views over the Macedonian capital.
Possibility of having lunch in the vineyard and tasting different local wines. Kamnik Castle is the most awarded vineyard in the country. You will discover how local wines are made with its superb bottles created from a beautiful range of grape varieties.
Skopje - Kratovo - Popova Kula, North Macedonia
Skopje → Popova Kula
After breakfast, head to lunch in Kratovo. Known for its Ottoman bridges, medieval towers and 19th century houses, Kratovo is a charming small town perched on the western hills of the Osogovo mountains, on an extinct volcano crater, at an altitude of 600 m.
Visit the vineyard which is the only producer in the world to produce wine from Stanushina, a unique Macedonian grape variety, and discover traditional Macedonian wine production.
Dinner at the vineyard with a tasting of several local wines during the meal.
Overnight at Popova Kula.
Popova Kula - Stobi Winery - Queen Maria Winery - Popova Kula, North Macedonia
Popova Kula → Stobi
After breakfast, head to Stobi, the largest archaeological site in Macédoine. Discover the ruins of an ancient city established in the 4th century BC and learn more about the history of the Romans present on the ancient territory of Macédoine.
Visit the Stobi vineyard to taste its local wine production.
Then head to the Queen Maria vineyard, the oldest vineyard in the country. A vineyard created by King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic and Queen Maria Karadjordjevic of Yugoslavia.
Taste its ancestral wines in an extraordinary setting.
Stobi → Popova Kula
Return to Popova Kula. Many activities are possible there such as dance classes, traditional Macedonian cooking classes, incentive activities dedicated to companies, hiking, a "wine route" day on bikes, etc.
Popova Kula - Tikves Vineyard - Bitola, North Macedonia
Popova Kula → Bitola
After breakfast, head to the Tikves vineyard, one of the oldest in Macédoine created in 1885. You will discover its internationally renowned wine production by tasting several of its specialties.
You head south towards Macédoine to reach Bitola, the second largest city in North Macédoine.
Upon arriving in the city, visit the French Military Cemetery in Bitola where over 13,000 French soldiers who died during the First World War are buried.
Begin your visit of the city of consuls and discover a city with Mediterranean charm featuring its churches, mosques, its old Ottoman bazaar and its beautiful neoclassical houses.
Continue your journey to the city of Ohrid, the cradle of orthodoxy. A city inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage and sublime lakeside town 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 the traditional kingdom of Macédoine.
Bitola - Ohrid, North Macedonia
After breakfast, visit Saint Naum Monastery. Nestled in lush greenery and built in the 10th century, the monastery is a refuge of tranquility on the border between Albania and Macédoine. Lunch at Saint Naum.
Brief photo stop at "Bay of BonesBay of Bones", an authentic reconstruction of part of a settlement dating from 1200 to 700 BC.
Return to Ohrid and discover its well-preserved historical heritage, such as the Church of St Jovan or the ancient theatre dating back to the Roman empire.
At the end of the day, you will head to a wine cellar in the old town of Ohrid to discover traditional Macedonian wine production. Taste several wines from the Ohrid region accompanied by local cheeses.
Dinner and overnight stay in Ohrid.
Possibility to organize an aperitif on Lake Ohrid.
OPTION: Sailing on Lake Ohrid
Set out for four hours of sailing on a sailboat departing from Ohrid and visit Kaneo, Lagadin, Gorica and Kuba Libre beach. The excursion includes 2 glasses of wine and 1 bottle of water, light snacks, coffee and a sandwich.
100 € / person
Ohrid - Mavroro - Skopje, North Macédoine
After breakfast, head towards the Mavrovo National Park, where you can enjoy stunning landscapes such as the Mavrovo Lake and the Radika Canyon.
You will stop at the Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery, located on the heights of the canyon, which represents one of the most beautiful monasteries in Macédoine.
On the way, make a stop in the city of Tetovo and visit its Sarena Dzamija Painted Mosque dating from the 15th century. Painted inside and out, it represents one of the most beautiful mosques in Macédoine.
Arrival in Skopje and free time. Stroll through its new city center with its stone bridge « Kameni Most » which divides the city into two parts with the old Ottoman bazaar « Čaršija». You will have the opportunity to climb up to its fortress « Tvrdina Kale» offering panoramic views of the city.
For the last evening, enjoy a folkloric evening with Macedonian dances and music in a traditional restaurant in Skopje (minimum 15 people).
Skopje - Skopje Airport, North Macédoine
Price per person
Indicative price per person, based on double room. Each trip is customized according to your preferences.
This trip can be tailored to your preferences
This itinerary provides an excellent foundation for discovery, but it can be fully customized. Our local advisors build each trip tailored to your budget, dates and preferences.
Not included
- Full board (lunches and dinners)
- All additional expenses not mentioned in the program
- Tips
- Insurance
- The round-trip flight
- All activities mentioned in the program & entrance fees to monuments
Included
- Car rental from Skopje airport on day 1 until Skopje airport on day 8
- Nights in 3* and 4* hotels with breakfasts (local standards subject to availability)
- Telephone support throughout the circuit
- The travel notebook with essential travel information (addresses, contact details, restaurants)
- Boat Excursion in Matka Canyon
- Wine Tastings in 5 vineyards (Popova Kula, Tivkes, Queen Maria, Stobi, Château Kamnik) and 1 Macedonian winery (Sveti Klement)
Practical Information
Registration is considered firm and final after payment of a deposit of 30% of the total price and acceptance of the specific terms of sale.
The balance must be paid no later than 45 days before the departure date.
See our specific terms of sale for full details.
In the event of cancellation by the traveller, the following fees apply:
- Plus de 60 jours avant le départ : 40 % du prix total (acompte retenu)
- Entre 60 et 30 jours avant le départ : 50 % du prix total
- Moins de 30 jours avant le départ : 100 % du prix total
We strongly recommend taking out cancellation insurance. See our specific terms of sale for full details.
Les informations ci-dessous concernent les voyageurs ressortissants de l'Espace économique européen (EEE), de la Suisse et du Canada se rendant en Macédoine du Nord dans le cadre d'un séjour touristique. Les règles d'entrée pouvant évoluer, nous vous recommandons de vérifier les informations auprès des autorités officielles avant votre départ.
Passeport
Pour entrer en Macédoine du Nord, votre passeport doit être valide au minimum trois mois après la date de fin de séjour prévue et comporter au moins une page vierge pour les tampons d'immigration.
Le document doit être en bon état (pas de pages détériorées, déchirées ou modifiées).
Les ressortissants de l'Union européenne peuvent également entrer en Macédoine du Nord avec une carte d'identité nationale en cours de validité.
Séjour touristique sans visa
Les ressortissants de l'Espace économique européen, de la Suisse et du Canada bénéficient d'une exemption de visa pour les séjours touristiques.
Cette exemption permet un séjour pouvant aller jusqu'à 90 jours sur une période de 180 jours sur le territoire macédonien.
Les autorités peuvent également demander :
un billet de sortie du territoire (vol retour ou continuation),
une preuve de ressources financières suffisantes pour la durée du séjour,
une réservation d'hébergement ou une adresse d'hébergement sur place.
Enregistrement auprès des autorités locales
Tout voyageur séjournant en Macédoine du Nord est tenu de s'enregistrer auprès des autorités locales dans les 24 heures suivant son arrivée. En pratique, cette formalité est généralement effectuée automatiquement par l'hôtel ou l'établissement d'hébergement.
En cas de séjour chez un particulier (famille, ami), le voyageur ou son hôte doit procéder à cet enregistrement auprès du bureau de police le plus proche. Le non-respect de cette obligation peut entraîner des difficultés lors du passage à la frontière à la sortie du territoire.
Voyage avec des enfants
Les mineurs doivent être titulaires de leur propre document de voyage valide (passeport ou carte d'identité pour les ressortissants UE) couvrant la durée du séjour.
Dans certains pays européens, lorsqu'un mineur voyage sans l'un de ses parents, une autorisation de sortie du territoire peut être exigée selon la réglementation du pays de résidence.
Autres nationalités
Les conditions d'entrée peuvent varier selon la nationalité. Les voyageurs concernés doivent se renseigner auprès de l'ambassade ou du consulat de Macédoine du Nord de leur pays de résidence.
Pour participer à nos voyages, il est fortement conseillé d'être assuré en assistance-rapatriement et frais médicaux à l’étranger.
Votre agence locale vous encourage à prendre connaissance du contrat spécifique élaboré avec notre partenaire CHAPKA ASSURANCES et AXA ASSISTANCE.
Pour souscrire à une assurance, connaître les garanties et les tarifs, suivez le lien ci-dessous.
CAP EXPLORER : La solution d’assurance complète conçue pour vivre sereinement votre voyage !
Choisissez la formule qui vous correspond le mieux:
Explorer'Multirisque
Explorer'Annulation
Explorer'Assistance
Explorer' Complémentaire Carte Bancaire
Spécifiques à nos voyages, nous suggérons fortement d’y souscrire.
Si vous choisissez de souscrire à l’une de ces formules, la convention détaillant l’ensemble des garanties et les modalités de déclaration du sinistre sont disponibles sur le site Internet de l'assureur.
Votre agence locale en aura connaissance, mais seul le participant est responsable du respect des procédures de déclaration de tout sinistre. Le participant doit donc conserver cette convention avec lui pendant toute la durée de son voyage.
Chapka — Cap Explorer
Our insurance partnerTravel with peace of mind with our partner Chapka. Cancellation, repatriation, medical expenses, baggage… All the coverage for a worry-free trip.
Travel with peace of mind — I'll handle the insuranceFrequently asked questions
To enter North Macedonia, a passport valid for at least 3 months beyond your entry date is required. An identity card may be accepted in certain cases. Check current conditions with the North Macedonian consular authorities before your departure, as requirements depend on your nationality.
Go to the My Trips section to find all your projects.
You can send a message to your host directly from the Tea Lounge.
For a tailor-made quality trip, budget between 100 and 170 euros per day and per person, including accommodation, meals, internal transport and activities. International flights (200-450 euros return) are additional. The country is very affordable, with Lake Ohrid as its cultural jewel.
Your documents are accessible in the Documents tab of your trip.
Absolutely. We tailor each itinerary to match our travelers' profiles. For families, we prioritize relaxed pacing, family-friendly accommodations, engaging educational activities, and comfortable private transfers. Our English-speaking local guides know how to captivate children with age-appropriate anecdotes.
It's simple. You exchange with our local team to define your wishes, budget and dates. You receive a detailed itinerary proposal within 48 hours. You adjust every detail together until it's perfect. You confirm and travel with peace of mind. Your local agency remains available 7 days a week throughout your trip.
In case of emergency, contact your local agency immediately.
Payment is generally made in two installments.
Our agency is part of the Nomadays network, registered in France. You benefit from APST guarantee (Association Professionnelle de Solidarité du Tourisme) which covers 100% of your funds. Secure payment, repatriation insurance included, and English-speaking assistance 24/7 on the ground throughout your stay.
Let's talk about your adventure — Skopje and Surroundings
Explorer of the Pristine Balkans, based in Pristina, Kosovo
North Macedonia is a discreet destination, but very captivating. It reveals itself in the details: a village, a shared meal, a mountain road, an exchange by the lake.
— Quentin
