Hiking Western Balkan (Albania-Kosovo-Macedonia)

We will pick you up from Tirana Airport. Later in the afternoon, we have a transfer of 1h 30min to Shkodra. There will be time to explore the oldest city in North Albania. Shkodra is a charming old town with a spectacular location between the mountains, 3 rivers, and a lake. This makes Shkodra a great place for rest/stop in northern Albania. The town is famous for its narrow streets, stone walls, gates, and castle from 4 b.c. Overnight in a camping site.

Our second day will start with breakfast and later short transfer to the village Domen from where we start walking. Today we will walk below the peak or 700 to max 1000m just a few short km from the town of Shkodra. The eponymous peak of the Maranaj Park offers superb views of the tributary system surrounding the city of Shkodra and the surrounding villages. When we come back to the starting point we will transfer to Theth.

Today we will load our bags and luggage on horses and we will climb towards Valbona Pass. The Albanian Alps, or Accursed Mountains as they are more ominously referred to, are one of the country’s most beautiful destinations, and while in winter they lie dormant and largely abandoned beneath a thick blanket of snow, the warmth of summer brings a fresh burst of life and a surge of curious adventurers ready to explore. The trail offers up incredible views and is the sole reason many choose these remote mountains as their ventures. But for those with a little extra will and time to explore, there’s plenty more to the area than just this one hike. From the passage, we descend and after a short transfer, we will get to Kukaj.

Our next day is reserved for a short walking in Montenegro. Pristina’s forest trails and a succession of cols will bring us to the pass located at 2030m of elevation where we will stop for a picnic lunch, surrounded by imposing jagged peaks of grey limestone. From here the trail enters in Montenegro and morphs into a mountain walk of moderate difficulty, on the side of the rocky dome of Zla Kolata – Montenegro’s highest summit. At the Pass of Bori, we re-enter Albania and descent through woods and meadow clearings, reaching the remote village of Çerem, where we will rest after a long and rewarding walking day. From there we descend to the village of Çerem. From here we transfer to Peja, where we will spend the night.

In Peja, we will walk one part of the beautiful trail – Peak of the Balkans and after our good walking, we will go to dinner. Accommodation in Prizren.

Today we have hiking, lunch and free time in the city. Prizren is one of the most authentic towns in the entire Balkan peninsula. Full of mosques, hammams and beautifully preserved Ottoman architecture. Overnight in the hotel in Prizren.

Our 7th day on this trip will be reserved for Pristina – the capital of Kosovo. We will have sightseeing with a local guide and some free time for yourselves. Later we go for a group dinner in a traditional restaurant. After dinner, we transfer to Skopje (2h). Accommodation in Skopje.

Today we are in Skopje – the capital of Macedonia.  After a short transfer to the middle of the mountain Vodno and 30 min transfer with a cable car, we will be on the top of the hill and the Millenium Cross. From there we will walk to canyon Matka, with a short break at the church St.Nicolas. Once we are at the canyon, we have the option to go into the Vrelo cave, one of the deepest underwater caves in Europe. From there we transfer to Mavrovo N.P. for overnight.

Today we have two options. The first option is to start walking from our accommodation facility to Carevec peak or the second option is to have a short transfer to the Carevec viewpoint and from there we start walking in direction to the village of Galicnik, one of the most beautiful and preserved villages in our country with stunning views over lake Debar. After our lunch break in this village, we walk to the village of Jance, and from there we will have our final transfer for the day to the city Ohrid.

Today after a short transfer of 30 min to the village of Velestovo, we start walking in direction south/southwest towards Dears peak from where we can enjoy the views over Lake Ohrid, Wet Mountains, and Albanian coast. On our way, we will pass the village of Upper Konjsko – one unique and abandoned village with great architecture. After a short free time for taking pictures, we will arrive and we finish in the village of Elshani. From there we have a short transfer to our accommodation place and some free time for short walking in the Ohrid before we go for a group dinner.

Departure day from Ohrid.