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What’s new?
be inspired
why gil travel
Middle East
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
Latin America
Asia/ South Pacific/ Africa
North America
Oceana
From $7,450
OVERVIEW
In collaboration with Jewish Heritage Travel we are excited to offer this tour of The Balkans.
While Jews have lived in the Balkans since Roman times, it was the arrival of Sephardic Jews from Iberia following the 1492 expulsion that gave lasting shape to the region’s Jewish communities. Their songs, cuisine, Ladino language, customs, and folklore defined Jewish life in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Greece for the next 500 years. Together, we will trace this rich tapestry of community and culture through three ancient cities — Sofia, Skopje, and Thessaloniki — each with a lesser-known yet deeply rooted Jewish heritage.
We begin in Sofia, the cultural heart of Bulgaria and one of Europe’s oldest capitals. Here, we will meet with leading members of the Jewish community, visit the city’s magnificent synagogue, and explore other highlights such as the Old Town. Excursions to Plovdiv and the Rila Monastery will further enrich our understanding of Bulgaria’s diverse religious and historical landscape.
Next, we travel to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, where a once-flourishing Jewish community was wiped out by the events of World War II. We will visit the powerful Holocaust Memorial Center and the Beit Yaakov Synagogue, as well as have ample time for strolling through the cobblestone streets of the old bazaar of this ancient, evolving city.
We end our journey in Thessaloniki, Greece—an ancient port city once known as Saloniki and long called the “Jerusalem of the Balkans” for its once-vibrant Jewish life. We will be hosted by members of the local Jewish community and visit the city’s synagogues and the Jewish Museum, while also exploring other sites of historical significance, such as the tomb of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great.
Throughout our travels in Bulgaria, we will benefit from the knowledge of scholar Angel Chorapchiev, who will lecture on Jewish Bulgaria, and, in Greece, Hella Kounio-Matalon, an expert on the Jewish history of Macedonia and Salonika. Alongside immersive learning and cultural encounters, we will also enjoy spectacular countryside landscapes, deluxe accommodations, and opportunities to meet members of the local Jewish communities.
Departures
Duration
Highlights
Notes
Activity Level
Tailor Made
Itinerary
Program cost: $7,450* includes:
9 nights’ accommodations at deluxe hotels
Full breakfast daily; three lunches; five dinners
All group transportation via deluxe air-conditioned coach
All lectures, guided tours, museums and site entrance fees
*Per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $1,500. Fees not included: gratuities: $225. Museum membership for nonmembers.
To reserve your place, a nonrefundable deposit of $1,000 is required.
Travel note: Plan to arrive in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, and depart from Thessaloniki, Greece, on Friday, May 1st, 2026.
Please note that transfers to and from the airport are not included.
Each of our scholars are outstanding experts in their fields and play an active role in helping us design our journeys as well as accompanying us as we travel.
Dr. Angel Chorapchiev is a historian specializing in modern Balkan and Jewish history. He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in general history from Sofia University, Bulgaria, and earned his doctorate at the University of Haifa, Israel. For more than 15 years, he taught in the Program for Modern Hellenic Studies at the University of Haifa, offering courses on 19th- and 20th-century Greek history. He has been researching and lecturing on the Jewish community in Bulgaria during the interwar and World War II periods for more than two decades.
Plan to arrive by the afternoon and settle in.
In the evening, we will gather to get to know one another and meet our local guide and our scholar, who will give a short overview of the trip and some historical context, followed by a welcome dinner.
Meals Included: Dinner
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Sofia
This morning, we board a luxury coach — with oversized windows for clear views of the countryside — and drive to the nearby ancient town of Plovdiv, known as “the City of the Seven Hills.” Plovdiv is the oldest continually inhabited city in Europe, with archaeological remains dating back to 4,000 BC.
In Plovdiv, we visit the Ethnological Museum, which offers an immersive historical journey through the ethnography, folk tradition, architecture, and everyday life of Bulgaria, housed in a beautifully preserved 19th-century residence. We then tour the ancient Roman theater of Philippopolis, one of the most well-preserved in the world, constructed in the 1st-century AD during the reign of Domitian.
After lunch together at an authentic Bulgarian restaurant, we visit the Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis and view the rich magnificence of its ancient Roman mosaics. Our tour ends at the Plovdiv Synagogue, the only other synagogue in Bulgaria, and a hidden gem, with a dazzling interior of Moorish‑inspired hues of green and blue. Located on the site of the former Jewish neighborhood “Orta Mezar,” the synagogue still serves a small yet active population.
Dinner is on your own.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Sofia
We begin with an engaging walking tour of Sofia with our local tour guide. Along the way, we see and learn about the Old Town, Independence Square, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (built in memory of the 200,000 Russian soldiers who died fighting for Bulgaria’s independence during the Russo-Turkish war), the Banya Bashi mosque (built by the Ottomans in the 16th century), and the city’s famous covered market.
After a break for lunch on your own, we visit the pride of the Bulgarian Jewish community, the Sofia Synagogue, which includes the temple itself, a library, and a museum of Bulgarian Jewry. One of the largest and most beautiful synagogues in Europe, it also stands as a symbol of religious tolerance in a country where the majority of the Jewish population survived the Holocaust.
At the end of the day, our scholar will make a presentation that covers Bulgaria’s rich Jewish heritage from the arrival of Sephardic Jews in the 15th century to the survival of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust.
In the evening, we share a festive Shabbat dinner together in Sofia.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Sofia
Today is free for you to rest, attend services at the Sofia synagogue, and/or explore the city on your own. Our scholar will organize an optional visit to one of Sofia’s museums.
In the evening, we enjoy a lecture by our scholar at the hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Sofia
After breakfast at the hotel, we leave Sofia for Skopje in Northern Macedonia. Along the way, we stop in the city of Kyustendil to visit the Dimitar Peshev museum. This is the former home of the Deputy Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly who publicly stood up against the planned deportations of the Bulgarian Jews in 1943. Our visit includes a private talk with the museum’s curator.
We continue our drive, stopping for lunch, and arriving at our hotel right in the heart of Skopje. After checking in to our hotel, we have dinner together.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Skopje Marriott hotel
This morning, we visit the Jewish community of Skopje and the Beit Yaakov Synagogue, which opened on the top floor of Skopje’s Jewish community center in 2000. The only functioning Jewish house of worship in Northern Macedonia, the synagogue is an elegantly simple room, decorated with modern stained-glass windows depicting classic Jewish symbols.
Afterward, we enjoy a walking tour of Skopje’s old market and the Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia, which opened exactly 68 years after German forces deported the Macedonian Jews to the Treblinka extermination camp. The center is located in the former Jewish Quarter of Skopje, once the hub of Jewish life in this city.
The afternoon and evening are free for you to explore, with meals on your own — of interest may be Skopje’s Dardanian and Roman-era archaeological sites or the “blocky,” concrete-heavy Brutalist structures of the Yugoslav era. For those ready for a bit of a climb, the Fortress Kale is in the center of town, on the left bank of the river Vardar.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodations: Skopje Marriott hotel
Today we drive to Greece’s beautiful port city of Thessaloniki. Along the way, we stop in the small town of Vergina, Greece, for lunch together and a private guided tour of the tomb of Philip II of Macedonia, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The discovery of the tomb in 1977 was one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century as it was filled with extraordinary treasures, including a golden larnax (funerary box) and magnificent ceremonial armor — and had never been looted
Once in Thessaloniki, we check in to our hotel to rest and relax before having dinner together.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: MonAsty Hotel
Today, we take an fascinating walking tour of Thessaloniki, that includes the Monastir Synagogue, the city’s only synagogue not destroyed by the Nazis; the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki; and the Jewish Holocaust memorial, built in remembrance of the 50,000 Greek Jews who died in concentration camps. Our local guide, Hella Kounio-Matalon, shares her own family’s story of Nazi-occupied times in Thessaloniki.
We also visit the old train station, where the deportations to Auschwitz took place, and see Thessaloniki’s Old Market and the storied Allatini Bank building, named for the Jewish‑Italian Allatini family. Remarkably, the building survived Thessaloniki’s devastating 1917 fire, making it one of the few remaining Ottoman-era structures in the historic center.
The rest of the day is free to explore on your own.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodations: MonAsty Hotel
In the morning, we explore the Upper City, a tranquil area with narrow, winding cobblestone streets, colorful houses with overhanging upper stories, and scattered cafes and courtyards. Though not the primary Jewish quarter, the Upper City was home to many of the Romaniote Jews during earlier periods.
We also stop at a new monument commemorating a destroyed Jewish cemetery, drive by Thessaloniki’s iconic White Tower (a 16th-century Ottoman fortress), and visit the Yeni Camii (new mosque), built for the Jewish Dönmeh community, who were followers of Sabbatai Zevi, a 17th-century Jewish mystic who claimed to be the Messiah and who converted to Islam in 1666 under pressure from the Ottoman sultan. Our tour ends at the Byzantine Walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with sweeping views of the city, the deep blue waters of the bay, and, on clear days, Mount Olympus.
You have free time in the afternoon for lunch on your own, exploring, and/or any final shopping.
Our tour comes to a close with a festive farewell dinner together.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodations: MonAsty Hotel
Individual departures to the airport for flights home.
Payment Reserve your space with a nonrefundable deposit of $1,000 per person. Final balance is due 120 days prior to departure.
Membership Participation on these tours is a benefit for active members of JHT museum partners. During the registration process, you will be asked about your membership status with your affiliated museum. If you are not a current member, you will have a chance to activate your membership.
Participation Tour sizes are limited to 28 participants unless otherwise noted. Trips entail considerable walking including over uneven terrain. Participants need to be in good health, be able to keep up with the group, be able to experience group and cultural differences with grace. Please let us know if you have any physical conditions that may require special attention while on tour.
Cancellations All cancellations must be received by Gil Travel in writing. Cancellations received 120 days or more prior to departure: full refund less nonrefundable deposits, per person; 119–90 days prior to departure: 50% refund per person after nonrefundable deposits. 89–0 days before departure: no refund.
Trip Cancellation Insurance Gil Travel Travel strongly urges all participants to purchase travel insurance for coverage of losses necessitated by having to cancel due to illness or accident. For your convenience, we are providing a link to RoamRight, which many past participants have used. When purchasing insurance, please consider the plans carefully to familiarize yourself with what is covered. In this context, do take note that most insurance companies generally will waive exclusion for preexisting conditions only if your application is received by them within 14 days from the date of your program registration. If you have a preexisting medical condition and are interested in taking trip insurance, you should do so either with Roamright or through your own insurance agent within 14 days of registration.
Changes All rights are reserved by Gil Travel and Jewish Heritage Travel to make scholar substitutions and/or to modify the itinerary (including hotels) as needed. Every reasonable effort will be made to operate the program as planned; however, should unforeseen world events and conditions require the itinerary to be altered, Jewish Heritage Travel reserves the right to do so for the safety and best interest of the group. Any extra expenses incurred in this situation are the responsibility of the participant.
Disclaimer of Responsibility By registering for this program, participant specifically waives any and all claims of action against Gil Travel or the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Jewish Heritage Travel office and their respective staffs for damages, loss, injury, accident, or death incurred by any person in connection with this tour. Gil Travel, The Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Jewish Heritage Travel office and their respective staffs assume no responsibility or liability in connection with the service of any train, vessel, carriage, aircraft, or other conveyance that may be used wholly or in part in the performance of their duty to the passengers. Neither will Gil Travel, the Museum of Jewish Heritage or the Jewish Heritage Travel office or their staffs be responsible for any injury, death, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity through neglect or default of any company or person engaged in carrying out the purposes for which tickets, vouchers, or coupons are issued. No responsibility is accepted for losses or expenses due to sickness, viruses, weather, strikes, wars, and other causes. In the event it becomes necessary or advisable for any reason whatsoever to alter the itinerary or arrangements, including hotels or scholars, such alterations may be made without penalty. All rights reserved to require any participant to withdraw from the tour at his/her own expense when such an action is determined by the tour staff to be in the best interest of the participant’s health and safety and that of the group in general. Prices subject to change. Cost in effect at time of registration will be honored.
Are Kosher meals available?
While we do not offer Kosher food, we offer fish and/or vegetarian options at every meal included in the trip.
How many people will be on the trip?
On average about 24 people.
What is the age group?
55+
What is the makeup of the participants?
A good mix of singles and couples.
How fit do I need to be? How much walking is there?
You should be able to walk about two miles in a day, though not all at once. Please see the itinerary of the trip(s) you are interested in to get a sense of the schedule for each day. When there is free time, some choose to stay active, others to rest.
If you prefer more activity, many of the hotels we stay in have pools and fitness facilities, and some of our trips do offer the opportunity for more physical activity.
Are the trips accessible for people with canes, walkers, or wheelchairs?
People who use a cane to aid their walking have found our trips accessible. You still need to be able to walk about two miles in a day, though not all at once. Unfortunately, accessibility can be limited in the places we travel, making it too difficult for people in wheelchairs or walkers to participate in our trips.
Is the trip Shabbat Observant?
We normally have a Shabbat dinner together be it at a hotel or restaurant and sometimes at a synagogue. We do not have programming on Saturday other than perhaps a meeting with the scholar. In some destinations we offer walking tours on Saturday. You can refer to the itinerary of your chosen trip for specifics.
When does the program actually begin?
The Itinerary and Program Details section of the trip you are interested in will indicate when to plan to arrive and depart, as well as when the program begins and ends. Every trip includes a welcome session to get oriented and meet each other, the guides, and scholars and a farewell event to celebrate, reflect, and say good-bye to our fellow travelers.
Are airport transfers included?
Airport transfers are not included. Taxis, and often other transportation options, are available from all airports.
Are meals included?
The Itinerary of the trip you are interested in will indicate which meals are included on each day. For meals on your own, suggestions are available from the concierge at the hotels we are staying in. We encourage you to explore the diversity of local and international cuisines in the places we visit.
Are the trips only for Jewish people?
While the majority of our travelers are Jewish, our trips are for anyone interested in exploring the Jewish heritage of the destinations we take you to.
I’d like to explore my genealogy at one of the places you are going to. Is that possible?
Our trips are not designed for genealogical research. If you want to undertake genealogical work, it is necessary to do this on your own and would be best to plan for an extra few days before or after one of our trips.
How much free time will I have?
Please see the itinerary of the trip(s) you are interested in for information on when free time is scheduled for exploring on your own, resting in your room, engaging in conversation with new friends, etc.
Is there Wi-Fi everywhere?
While WiFi is available in most of the world, there are regions or locations where it is not as accessible. Most of the hotels we stay at offer free WiFi.
What Museum Memberships Qualify?
Museum of Jewish Heritage New York: $54
Holocaust Museum LA: $100
Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center – Nassau County: $54
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History: $54
*Membership # will need to be provided upon registration
Accommodation
Dominating the heart of the city, Grand Hotel Sofia is a deluxe five-star hotel that has been home for international business travelers, high-profile events and cosmopolitan society since 2004.
Skopje Marriott Hotel is situated in the heart of the capital, offering a prime location near Macedonia Square, the Old Bazaar, and the Art Bridge. The hotel features spacious accommodations designed for relaxation, with plush beds, ergonomic workspaces, modern entertainment, and thoughtful amenities. Guests can also enjoy a 24-hour fitness center and an indoor swimming pool. The on-site restaurant showcases a unique fusion of Mediterranean and Eastern European flavors prepared in an open kitchen setting.
MonAsty Thessaloniki, Autograph Collection by Marriott International, focuses on contemporary simplicity and refined luxury. Located in the heart of the city, the hotel offers elegantly appointed rooms with a full range of amenities, including WiFi, premium toiletries, and a coffee maker. Its concept restaurant provides innovative cuisine through a blend of Greek traditional recipes infused with a contemporary flair. Guests love the panoramic views of the sea and the sea from the hotel’s rooftop bar.
*Star rating standards vary from country to country.
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