Farm Holidays | Ecotours Macedonia

WELCOME TO FARM HOLIDAYS MACEDONIA & BEYOND

Welcome to Farm Holidays Kompas, your perfect portal explore the beauty of nature and meet Macedonia's delightful farm animals—stress-free! Picture this: adorable chicks and hens strutting in their pen like royalty, while playful lambs bounce alongside their mothers, plotting their next big adventure! Discover how cows produce milk where it truly originates. This isn’t just any trip; it your chance to dive into the charming world of farm life, filled all the moos, clucks, and bleats you can dream of. Prepare for an unforgettable experience that will leave you smiling from ear to ear!

FAMILY FARM HOLIDAYS

“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, and he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.”― George Orwell, Animal Farm.

We are here to change that. Our unforgettable farm holidays are a special experience, where you can immerse yourself in various enjoyable activities catered to all ages. Our farms are home to a delightful array of local animals, including gentle cows, fluffy sheep, playful goats, adorable chicks, and our lively pigs. Throughout your stay, you’ll have the unique opportunity to participate in daily farm chores, such as milking the cows and feeding the sheep, which adds an authentic touch to your experience. Also experience hippotherapy with horses & professionally trained Maria Duda on her ranch in the village Rankovce, which is the first Green Comfort Center for animal therapy in Macedonia. This is a wonderful chance for families to come together, strengthen their bonds, and create lasting memories while appreciating the stunning beauty of the natural environment that surrounds us.

11-Day Eco-Farm Itinerary: “Orwell's Animal Farm Tour”

The tour includes the following service:

Private transfer with a driver / professional English speaking Eco tour leader for the full tour.
Accommodation in Double / Twin or Single rooms upon request and demand.
All meals ( breakfast, lunch & dinner ) home made cooked by host or self cooked.
Cooking classes, utensils, working farm gear needed for enjoying your stay on the farm.
All entrance fees for places of interest included in the program ( churches, monasteries or museums)

Day 1-2: Arrival in Skopje & transfer to Kratovo

Horse Therapy at "The Countryside" ranch Rankovce

Day 1: Welcome to Skopje

Arrival and check-in hotel in Skopje depending on flight arrival you will have following activities:
Afternoon : Short sightseeing of the capital of Macedonia, downtown and old Turkish market
Evening: optional dinner in a local tavern or in the old Turkish market

Day 2: Day on a Ranch

Morning: Departing for "The Countryside" ranch to meet our host Maria Duda. The ranch in Rankovce offers hippotherapy, vegan food, and a unique green comfort center experience. This is a new offering for the country, with proponents aiming to introduce the benefits of horse therapy for both physical and mental health. We will spend the day with the six horses, two of which are foals, then there is the donkey Matilda, two pygmy goats, eight dogs and 12 cats. They all roam free around the ranch and enjoy hanging out with visitors.
Cooking workshop: Learn to prepare traditional vegetarian dishes such as "turlitava" with freshly picked ingredients.
Afternoon: Guided nature walk through nearby hills to forage for wild herbs and learn about local biodiversity. Depart to the town of Kratovo for overnight & dinner.
Evening: Rustic dinner with folk music from the region.

Day 3-4: Kratovo – Berovo / Manastir hotel

Exploration of cattle hurdling and sheep grazing in the East

Day 3: Kratovo - Berovo

Morning sightseeing of Kratovo. Visit the towers of Kratovo, hear about the legends surrounding the unique bridges. Spend time in Etno House Shancheva with its host Stevce explaining the history of the town.
Lunch: Enjoy a meal made from seasonal produce from the Ethno house Shancheva
Afternoon: depart for Berovo. On route we will stop in the village of Budinarci to walk through the village streets learning about the lifestyle of this small village.
Evening: dinner with local specialties in the Monastir hotel in Berovo.

Day 4: Berovo - enjoy a day with the animals

Morning: Depart to the cattle farm in the Budinarci to learn about the process of grazing, milking and feeding the local cattle. Enjoy the surrounding and meet the local hosts.
Afternoon: Hike around the Berovo Lake and enjoy the surrounding mountains. A short cooking class at the river front of the hotel where we will learn how to make a local delicacy, a dessert called halva. Lunch with domestic pies, and different specialties.
Evening: We will leave to a sheepfold to see the gathering od the sheep as they arrive from the grazing fields. We will learn about milking and sheering the sheep. Also we will learn about the production of cheese. Dinner in hotel.

Day 5-6: Berovo - Gevgelija

Experience the professional side of animal razing

Day 5: Berovo - Vladimirovo - sound of local folk music

Depart after breakfast to village Vladimirovo for a educational adventure into Macedonian folk music. with maestro Goran Alachki. We will learn about the sounds and beat of this unique music. We will have lunch with maestro cooking.
Depart to Strumica for some sights in the city. Coffee break and some sweets.
Evening arrival in Gevgelija to accommodate and head out to dinner.

Day 6: Gevgelija a day spend in production lines

Today we will spend the day with one of the biggest producer of live stock and food products with three farms, pigs, cattle and poultry for production of eggs. We will learn the process from production of stock food for the animals, to the do & don'ts of free range and caged production of animal products. We will travel to three different locations to visit the three different facilities.
Afternoon: Lunch in the village of Mrzenci
Depart the region to the wine area of Macedonia-Tikveshija. Overnight and dinner in one of the best wineries in the region.

Day 7-8: Bitola - Ohrid the pearl of Macedonia

Modernization combined with old traditions

Day 7: Bitola - village Mogila

Moring: After breakfast a scenic tour around the winery and the region to learn about our wine traditions. Transfer to BItola and the village of Mogila to spend time in a eco sustainable farm with modern facilities but using free range grazing and old traditional upbringing of cattle. We will accommodate there and head of to Bitola.
Lunch: We will have homemade lunch in the village of Dihovo where we will also visit the bee hives of Blagoj and Naco. Learn about honey production and all its healthy abilities.
Afternoon: Sightseeing of the city of Bitola and time for some free strolling and coffee.
Evening: Return to the village of Mogila for some relaxation and overnight

Day 8: Bitola - Ohrid

Morning: Say goodbye to our hosts and depart for Ohrid. We will take the route to lake Prespa and over the National Park Galichica. We will witness one of the most spectacular views of lake Ohrid from above.
Lunch: Arrive in St. Naum monastery for boat ride and lunch. Visit the monastery and learn about the many legends and stories of St. Naum. .
Afternoon: Ohrid sightseeing. We will have a chance to visit the castle of Tsar Samoul and visit St. Kaneo. Enjoy a sightseeing stroll through the tight streets of the town. Free time before dinner.
Evening: Dinner with local music and dancing.

Day 9-10: Ohrid - Mavrovo National Park

The oasis of sheepfolds, grazing fields and, in one time, over 200,000 sheep

Day 9: Ohrid - Mavorovo National Park

Moring: After breakfast visit a local farm in the villages surrounding lake Ohrid. Botun, Lakocharej or Orman are just few names where you will learn about local breeding, feeding and upbringing of farm animals.
Afternoon: Arrive in Mavrovo to accommodate and do exploration of the lake front with lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch visit the village of Vrben to meet with the locals and see the free range chickens, cows and sheep running through the village.
Evening: Return to the hotel for a fireplace dinner.

Day 8: Mavrovo - Gaichnik - Skopje

Morning: Depart to the mount Bistra to spend full day exploring the largest grazing fields in Macedonia. We will visit several sheepfolds to learn about production of cheese, maintaining of the animals and hear stories and legends of the trade.
Lunch: Arrive in the village of Galichnik and learn about the stories. Have homemade lunch with local cheese and specialties. Continue to Sherpa horse-riding coral and enjoy a optional tour on horseback through the vast fields of the mountain.
Afternoon: Depart Mavrovo to the capital Skopje. Time permitted, optional visit of the canyon Matka with a boat ride.
Evening: Farewell dinner with local music and evoking tour memories.

Day 11: Skopje -Farewell to all - famous Animal Far

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Price may vary on season, availability or number of explorers joining the tour.
Accommodations are limited with beds so suitable replacements will be provided if needed.
Regardless of accommodations all events, cooking classes and working with your hands will be done on the locations as mentioned in the itinerary.