Ohrid, Full Day Trip from Tirana

Overview

Available languages

English

Italian

8 hours

Mobile ticket

Ohrid is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia, on the northeast coast of Ohrid Lake. Ohrid and Lake Ohrid are one of the main tourist destinations in North Macedonia. Due to the large number of churches and monasteries, the city of Ohrid is known as Balkan and European Jerusalem. It is also known as the “City of Light”, a literal translation of its old name, Lychnidos. The Ohrid region is included in the UNESCO World Heritage. According to one legend, written by the Miladinov Brothers, when the Ohrid fortress was made, Emperor Justinian climbed the hills on which the city lies, and, looking at the beautiful surroundings, exclaimed “oh-hill”, which means, a beautiful hill. Since then, the city is called Ohrid. Modern Ohrid is the heir of the ancient Lychnidos. According to the data, the city was first mentioned 2,400 years before the new era. Lihnidos was on the Via Egnatia road, the oldest and most significant Roman traffic route in the Balkans.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Air-conditioned vehicle

Tour Guide

Lunch

All Fees and Taxes

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Lake Ohrid

08.30 am our guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and drive to Ohrid. Starting from your hotel in Tirana, driving to Ohrid for about 2.5 hours, for a full day tour with licensed tour guide. What follows is a tour of the church of St Sophia which dates from the 11th century and then go up to the Roman amphitheater which dates back to the 3rd century BC. Then we continue walking to the Icon Gallery, which shows a range of some of the most famous and valuable icons in the world right after the ones on Athos and in Russia. In the vicinity of the gallery is the church of Sveta Bogorodica Perivleptos (St Clement’s Church of the Holy Mother of God Most Glorious) which dates from the 13th century and possesses some of the most beautiful and valuable frescoes from the 13th century not only in our country but in the Balkans as well.

3 hours • Admission Included

After that, carry on walking to Tsar Samoil’s Fortress which was named after the first tsar of the Macedonian Slavs, who having conquered Byzantium, brought most of Macedonia under his rule. Then walk to Plaoshnik, the place where we visit the newly built St Clement’s Monastery Church which is dedicated to St Clement (the patron of Ohrid) and St Pantelejmon, and which stands beside the original site of St Clement’s University, the first university of the Macedonian Slavs started in the 9th century AD. Inside the church you can also see the tomb with St Clement’s relics. Beside the church you can see the foundations of the 5th-century basilica with beautifully preserved mosaic floors and some swastikas also discovered on the floors. From here head towards the Church of St Jovan at Kaneo, which was built at the end of the 13th century, and is one of the most frequently visited churches in Ohrid because of its beautiful location on the cliffs directly above the lake.

3 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Ohrid, Full Day Trip from Tirana

Pickup included

Reviews

5.00

3 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Great trip
annabR8407JT,
Nov 18, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This trip made visiting Macedonia from Tirana so easy. We enjoyed drinking coffee on the border of Lake Ohrid. The guide was so interesting.
Excellent guide; highly recommended
Emily S,
Mar 1, 2020
- Review from Viator
5.00
Adam picked me up from my Tirana hotel promptly, and immediately made me feel welcome in his country. As a single female traveller getting into the car of a stranger and driving off into the mountains there was potential for unease, or at least of questioning my choices, however there was absolutely no cause for concern with Adam. He knows his Albanian history inside out and is clearly an experienced guide. He made special effort to accommodate whatever it was I wanted from the day (in particular, helping me find postcards/a post office, and lending me the local currency to buy them) and has some great stories to tell - particularly if you’re a Brit. He was kind enough to throw in a walking tour of Tirana and give me a lift to the airport at the end of the day which was highly appreciated. You’ll be in good hands with Adam; he highlights the best of the Albanian people and his love of travelling and meeting people shines through. 10/10 day.
Wonderful day with Adam
kiwibuddy1,
Dec 13, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I had the pleasure of having Adam as my tourguide/driver on a day trip from Tirana to Ohrid. First of all, Adam is a superb driver ... a rarity in Albania! He is vigilant behind the wheel, and I felt completely safe with Adam at all times. He is also an engaging and enjoyable traveling partner, and his knowledge of Albanian history was impressive. He also shared stories about his life in Albania, which I very much appreciated. Adam was always ready to make adjustments in the tour if I made a request. We shared several conversations during the day, and I felt I knew much more about Albania because of this tour. I strongly recommend Adam for any tours you might be considering in Albania (I know he also does longer tours throughout the country). Many thanks, Adam, for such an an enjoyable and interesting day.