6 Countries in 7 Nights: The Balkans by Turkish Airlines, Route and Stop Guide
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Our 6 Countries in the Balkans tour flies from Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. It covers North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo on one route, in eight days and seven nights. It starts with a flight into Skopje and ends with a flight home from Pristina. In between come Lake Ohrid, Tirana, Shkodër, Budva, Kotor, Mostar, Sarajevo and Belgrade. Hotels are 4-star on a half-board basis. It is a packed programme built for travellers who want to get to know the region in a single week. The bookable version departs on 15 and 16 November 2026. A 14 November 2026 departure of the same programme is on sale on a separate page. The current price is on the tour page.
The route, day by day
Day 1, North Macedonia: Skopje, Matka Canyon, Tetovo, Bitola, Ohrid
After the flight from Istanbul to Skopje, the first stop is Matka Canyon. The tour page calls it one of the country's most popular outdoor spots, with prehistoric caves and medieval monasteries. Next is Tetovo and its Painted Mosque, built in 1438 and restored in 1833. The day continues with a city tour of Bitola. You see the old Turkish bazaar, the Bedesten, the Ishakiye Mosque and the Yeni Mosque. You also see the Bitola military academy where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk graduated, with its Atatürk Museum. The last stop is Ohrid, for Tsar Samuel's Fortress, the Church of St. Sophia and the Ancient Theatre, the only Hellenistic theatre surviving in North Macedonia. Overnight in Ohrid.
Day 2, Ohrid: the lake and the monastery
According to the tour page, Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest and deepest lakes in the world. It is home to more than 200 endemic species. North Macedonia's official tourism site says the lake is between 4 and 10 million years old. That makes it the oldest lake on the continent. The site gives its surface as 358.2 square kilometres. A 45-minute drive along the shore takes you to the St. Naum Monastery, whose historic church and frescoes are a fine example of medieval art.
Day 3, Albania: Tirana, Shkodër
A panoramic city tour of Tirana, the Albanian capital, takes in the Et'hem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower, and the Skanderbeg Monument and Square. Then in Shkodër you visit the Ebu Bekir Mosque, Rozafa Castle, Tito Square and the Five Heroes Monument.
Day 4, Montenegro: Sveti Stefan, Budva, Kotor
After crossing into Montenegro, you look out over Sveti Stefan, once a fishing village, from a hilltop viewpoint. In Budva on the Adriatic coast, you explore the Old Town (Stari Grad) and Budva Citadel on foot. The last stop is the old town of Kotor, at the deepest point of the Bay of Kotor. Montenegro's national tourism organisation lists Kotor among its UNESCO sites and notes that it was part of Venice's defence network, the Stato da Mar. The night is spent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, at a hotel in or near Trebinje.
Day 5, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Počitelj, Blagaj, Mostar, Sarajevo
In Počitelj, known as the Turkish Village, you see 16th-century Ottoman buildings and Počitelj Fortress. Next is the Blagaj Tekke, an Ottoman-era dervish lodge set against high cliffs on the Buna River. In Mostar you visit the Mostar Bridge and the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque. The war destroyed the bridge, and it was rebuilt in 2004 with contributions from the Republic of Turkey. The day ends in Sarajevo: the Vijećnica, Inat Kuća, the Latin Bridge, Baščaršija, the Sebilj, Morića Han and the Eternal Flame.
Visit Sarajevo is the official tourism association of Sarajevo Canton. It says Baščaršija was founded in the 15th century by the city's founder Isa Bey Isaković and by Gazi Husrev Bey. The Sebilj fountain was built in 1753. The same source says the Vijećnica was completed in 1896. It also says the corner by the Latin Bridge is where the assassination of 28 June 1914 took place. That event started the First World War.
Day 6, Serbia: Belgrade
On arrival in Belgrade a panoramic city tour begins, passing the bombed former interior ministry building. The walking tour covers the Bayrakli Mosque, Belgrade Fortress, the Tomb of Damat Ali Pasha and the Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Fountain. You then have free time on Knez Mihailova Street, the heart of the city. According to the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, Belgrade Fortress stands where the Sava meets the Danube. Serbian ramparts sit on Roman walls, with Ottoman and Austrian fortifications on top.
The same official source says the fortress had its golden age in the 15th century under Despot Stefan Lazarević. Belgrade was then fortified with the walls of the Upper Town and Lower Town. Kalemegdan Park, a favourite walking spot for locals, lies inside the fortress, and the Military Museum is in the park too.
Day 7, back to North Macedonia: Skopje
You return to Skopje on the Vardar River. The stops are the Mustafa Pasha Mosque, the Isa Bey Mosque, Kapan Han and the old Turkish bazaar. You also see the Stone Bridge over the Vardar and Macedonia Square.
Day 8, Kosovo and home: Prizren, Pristina
In Prizren, at the foot of the Šar Mountains, you visit the Sinan Pasha Mosque, Shadervan square and the Prizren Hammam. The last stop is Pristina, Europe's youngest capital, for Germia Park, the National Museum of Kosovo and the tomb of Sultan Murad I. The tour ends with a flight from Pristina to Istanbul.
6 Countries in the Balkans Tour | 7 Nights, Turkish Airlines, 15 and 16 November Departure, November Semester Break Special
- Included: Turkish Airlines flights, Istanbul to Skopje and Pristina to Istanbul. Airport taxes. Airport and cross-border transfers. 7 nights in 4-star hotels on half board (breakfast and dinner). The city tours on the route. A Turkish-speaking guide.
- Not included: The Turkish departure tax, excursions not on the programme, museum and archaeological site entries, lunches and personal expenses. City taxes and tips for the guide and driver are collected as a fixed amount paid to the guide on the first day.
Land borders and coach travel
Because the route covers six countries in one go, you cross several land borders by coach. Customs and passport checks take place on entry to Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo. The tour page treats these crossings as part of each day's programme. Check your passport validity and visa status before you book.
Two shorter tours for a slower look at part of the route
If you would rather explore one country at a slower pace, our site has two shorter tours in the same region. Both fly from Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, last four days and three nights, and include a 4-star hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3 nights
A Sarajevo-based programme: you stay three nights in the same hotel and take day trips to Počitelj, Blagaj, Mostar and Travnik. It covers the stops of day 5 on the six-country route. It adds Travnik, known as the 'City of Viziers' because many Ottoman viziers came from there. According to the tour page, this tour has one departure, from 29 October to 1 November 2026.
Bosnia's Cultural Treasures Tour | 3 Nights, Turkish Airlines, 29 October 29 October Special
Belgrade, 3 nights
This tour covers Belgrade, Novi Sad, Sremski Karlovci, the Nikola Tesla Museum, Tito's mausoleum and Zemun. On day two you visit Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina. You also visit the town of Sremski Karlovci, known for the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz. Day three covers the Nikola Tesla Museum, founded in 1952, Tito's mausoleum, known as the House of Flowers, and Zemun on the Danube. Current departure dates are on the tour page.
Belgrade's Traces Tour 2026 | 3 Nights, Turkish Airlines, Autumn and Winter Season
Why six countries in one tour
The six-country route makes use of how close the border areas are. The route runs from Skopje to Ohrid and on to Tirana. It then goes to the Montenegrin coast and to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It shows the region's history and geography in a single trip. The cost is less time at each stop. You see thirteen cities and towns in eight days, so most stops get between half a day and a full day. If you would rather see one country slowly, the two shorter tours above suit you better.
When to go
The route is mostly outdoor walking tours at different altitudes, from Budva and Kotor on the Adriatic coast to inland Sarajevo and Skopje. The tour page does not give temperature averages for each stop. For the November departure, pack layers, and bring comfortable shoes for the stone streets of the old towns.
For our multi-centre holidays and Bosnia and Herzegovina guide:
How many countries does the Balkans tour visit?
Six: North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo, in eight days and seven nights.
Where does the tour start and end?
It starts with a flight into Skopje and ends with a flight home from Pristina, with Turkish Airlines both ways.
Are meals included?
According to the tour page, breakfast and dinner at the 4-star hotels are included. Lunches are not.
When does the tour depart?
The bookable version departs on 15 and 16 November 2026, and a 14 November 2026 departure of the same programme is on a separate page. Current dates are on the tour page.
Is there a way to see part of the route in less time?
Yes. The Bosnia and Herzegovina (3 nights) and Belgrade (3 nights) tours cover part of the same region.
