Day 1 arrival Pristina

After arriving at the airport you will be picked up by an English-speaking guide. From the airport you drive to the capital of Kosovo, Pristina. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Kosovo was long part of the Ottoman Empire, then became an autonomous region of Serbia and only since 2008 – after bitter fighting and NATO intervention in the 1990s – did Kosovo declare its independence from its Balkan neighbor and became an independent country.  

Pristina's city center won't win any beauty prizes, but it has plenty of sights and many more nice restaurants and cafes. The NEWBORN war memorial, made of 20,000 military medals, is a special form of street art and recalls the Yugoslav war of the 1990s, after which Pristina was reborn. The letters have a different appearance every year.

Day 2 Pristina - Rugova valley via Peja

Today the exploration of the country begins. During the morning you will drive to Peja with your English-speaking private driver. This is the largest town in western Kosovo, at the foot of the Rugova valley. Together with your guide you will take a walk along the White Drin river with the beautiful White Drin waterfalls. Here you are surrounded by mountains, clear blue water and the Sleeping Beauty caves at the top of the waterfall. This is a very popular spot among the locals. 

Then you drive into the Rugova canyon on the way to the Rugova valley. Here you drive straight through one of the most beautiful nature reserves in the country. 

At the end of the afternoon you will arrive at the guesthouse where you will spend the night. It is located in the mountain village of Reka e Allages and the local villagers will receive you with a warm welcome. You will dine together with the hosts of the guesthouse. Their meals are known as 'the best traditional meals in the region', so that promises something...

Day 3 Rugova - Kula via Visoki Decani

In the morning you can take a walk through the valley and enjoy the view of the 'Cursed Mountains', as the Albanian Alps are also called here.

Then you return to Peja, where you will visit the Patriarchal Monastery. Here you will find well-preserved murals and enjoy the peaceful, serene atmosphere of this place.

The ethnographic museum in Peja is also a nice stop if you want to learn more about the local traditions and history of this region. 

After an extensive, traditional lunch in Peja, you continue towards the Visoki Decani Monastery. Built in the 14th century, this monastery is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and features impressive paintings. These paintings are inspired by Byzantine art, with the church of Saint-Sauveur in Constantinople as the greatest source of inspiration. 

At the end of the day you continue to the village of Junik. This place is known for the many traditional Albanian houses called “kulas”. Tonight you will also spend the night in such a kula, but not before you have joined us for a delicious local dinner.

Day 4 Junik - Gjakova - Velika Hoca / wine and rakia tasting

After breakfast you drive through many picturesque mountain villages towards Lake Radoniq, the second largest lake in Kosovo. Enjoy a nice cup of coffee by the lake after which you continue to Gjakova. 

Gjakova is a charming town that used to serve as a trading center on the route between Shkodra and Constantinople. At that time, Gjakova was even the most developed trade center in the entire Balkans. You will find all kinds of craft stalls where you can get acquainted with old crafts that no longer exist in Western Europe, such as tailors specialized in the “Plis” (a traditional Albanian hat) and furniture makers who make “Diep” (wooden cradles). We can arrange a meeting with one of the local artisans for you, they will be happy to show you what they are working on!

The old bazaar of Gjakova is now home to numerous coffee shops, restaurants and cafes and has a cozy, artistic atmosphere. 

You end the day in Velika Hoca, a Serbian enclave in the heart of Kosovo. You will spend the night here with a local family that has been producing wine here since the 13th century. They give you a warm welcome and are happy to take you on a tour of their vineyards. In the meantime, they are happy to tell you about this small village with no fewer than 12 Orthodox churches and about the history of this place. They show you what their life in Velika Hoca is like and if you like, they will also tell you with love about the production of their local wines. 

During dinner, a tasting with homemade wines and rakia's should not be missed. Cheers!

Day 5 Velika - Hoca - Prizren

From Velika Hoca you can visit the Sharr cheese factory. The organic cheese is made from sheep's and/or cow's milk and is often used in dishes, salads or served with bread. A real local delicacy and definitely worth tasting! 

After the tasting (in addition to the different cheeses, you will also be served all kinds of other local delicacies) you continue the journey to Prizren.

Prizren is the cultural and historical capital of Kosovo. Visit the old Ottoman center of the city here, which is surrounded by mountain landscapes. The cobbled alleys and atmospheric tea houses in the old bazaar give Prizren a unique Ottoman charm. In Prizren every religion is respected and today you can visit the Mosque of Sinan Pasha, St. George's Orthodox Cathedral and the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. 

It will not escape your attention that the city was part of the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years. Most of the residents of Prizren are Islamic and this is reflected in the many mosques (35 of them!) that all call for prayer at the same time. The most impressive mosque is the Sinan Pasha Mosque. 

You can visit a workshop where traditional Albanian jewelry that originated in Egypt is made. Also worth it: a visit to the Prizren Fortress with beautiful views over the city.

Day 6 Prizren - Kukaj

In the morning you drive through impressive mountain landscapes towards the special Marble caves or Gadime caves, where an underground world opens up to you full of formations of stalagmites and stalactites that were formed up to 200 million years ago. 

During the rest of the journey you can visit a Bear Sanctuary along the way, a park where former 'attraction bears' live that have been rescued from harsh conditions in which they served for human entertainment.

After lunch you continue the journey to the Novo Brdo castle. From the car you take a short walk with your guide. This castle is located on the top of a mountain and offers great panoramic views of the mountain landscapes in the region. 

At the end of the afternoon you arrive in the small mountain village of Kukaj where you spend the night in a small-scale guesthouse. Here you will be served various Albanian delicacies, including the delicious flija: a cake made from several layers of pancakes covered with whipped cream. Tasty!

Day 7 Kukaj - Gracanica

On the way to Gracanica you first make a stop at the deserted Croatian village of Janjevo. The mountain village was previously known for its gold and silver mines and between the 12th and 14th centuries the Republic of Dubrovnik opened several mines there, with the associated infrastructure. You will also visit the excavations of the historic city of Ulpiana where you will find remains of the Roman Empire. The ancient city is believed to date back to the first century AD and flourished during the Roman occupation and the early Byzantine period. At that time, the territories of Serbia, Kosovo and parts of Macedonia and Bulgaria were known as the Roman province of Moesia Superior, and Ulpiana was one of the main hubs of this province.

You can look around here with your guide before continuing the journey to Gracanica, a Serbian enclave in Kosovo. Visit the 14th century Serbian Orthodox Monastery Gra?anica, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Of the original building, only the church has survived, the Narthex and the tower were built a few decades later. 

The last evening of your trip you will stay in a lovely hotel in Gracanica with an outdoor swimming pool. Relax, absorb all the impressions and enjoy your last evening in Kosovo!