Join on a discovery of the iconic cities and impressive highlights of the Balkans. Get to discover Sofia, Skopje, Belgrade, Sarajevo and Tirana. Roam the ever-popular and lively Croatian coast while craving the calming serenity and charm of Albania and Montenegro. Chase Alexander the Great from Macedonia to Greece and uncover the mysteries of floating monasteries of Meteora. Meet the Oracle of Delhi before climbing up to the Acropolis to get a panoramic view of a capital of ancient world, Athens. Above all, touch shoulders with countless Balkan civilizations as you witness their beautiful interaction and create lifelong travel memories.
Explore the essential highlights of 7 Balkan countries in 9 days, staying at comfortable 4-star hotels (3-Star in Budva) and travelling on a private modern coach.
Travel with a local guide throughout your trip to get the best insight and tips, plus enjoy professional guided tours in Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Ohrid and Skopje.
Delve into history and greet the colourful Balkan cultures riding from one capital to another, while frequenting popular hotspots and gems off the beaten track.
Swim the Adriatic and walk around the impressive medieval fortresses of Dubrovnik and Kotor, and meet the vibrant nightlife of Budva.
Uncover the stunning natural beauty of Ohrid Lake with an optional trip to the serene St. Naum Monastery.
Head inland to Greece through vibrant Thessaloniki, the floating monasteries of Meteora and the ancient home of Oracle of Delphi before finishing in Athens.
No night drives, however we need to cross multiple borders and customs process may take some time depending on how busy it is.
You will fall in love with the perfect combination of culture, history and the dynamic contemporary life in one of the oldest cities in the world.
Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of the southeast European country of Serbia.
Budva
Budva
Budva is a town in Montenegro and known for best nightlife on the Adriatic Sea.
Delphi
Delphi
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
This complex is one of the most beautiful and strongest fortified systems in Europe, but the lively streets show that there is more! Party in a 13th Century fortress anyone?
Kalambaka
Kalambaka
Kalambaka is a small town in Greece, built on the feet of the Meteora.
Kotor
Kotor
Kotor is a coastal town in Montenegro and well-known for its World heritage medieval structures.
Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and known for the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge).
Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a large town in Macedonia on the shore of Lake Ohrid and a UNESCO heritage site since 1980.
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo is the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its main cultural, economic centre.
Shkodra
Shkodra
Shkodra is the fourth largest city in Albania and one of the oldest places in the Balkan peninsula.
Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of Macedonia and it lies in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula.
Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria.ıt has rich history from Roman and Ottoman Empires.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the second largest city of Greece and has a rich history from the Roman period.
Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and largest city of Albania.It is also culturel and economical center of the country.
Trebinje
Trebinje
Trebinje is the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 28 km far from Dubrovnik.
ITINERARY
1
Day 1: Sofia
Welcome to Sofia! At the airport, keep an eye out for the Travel Talk sign for your transfer to the hotel. At the hotel around 7pm, have an informal welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travellers. After you get all the critical information about the tour, head out for our optional group dinner around 8:15pm and walk the streets of Sofia.
Accommodation Hotel Vega - 4 Star
Included Activities Welcome Meeting
Optional Activities Group Dinner
2
Day 2: Sofia, Belgrade
After a substantial breakfast, hop on the bus and make your way to the Serbian capital, Belgrade. With stunning views over the Danube and Sava rivers by the mighty medieval Belgrade Fortress, head to the heart of the capitol. Starting off at the vibrant pretty shopping street, Knez Mihailova, filled with cafes, shops and charming sites, kick off the walking tour to discover the incredible landmarks Belgrade has in store and their marvellous histories.
Accommodation Abba Hotel - 4 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Belgrade City Tour
3
Day 3: Belgrade, Sarajevo
Next stop Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital, the city that has been through it all! It is where the Western and Eastern Roman Empire split and where people of many nations and religions met, lived and warred. You can still see many reminders of the Yugoslav War in bullet holes and cannon marks all around town. Though, still an oriental beauty with a unique twist, and a delight to discover on your walking tour in the old town. The city offers endless delicacies to taste, but the specialty is lamb.
Accommodation Hotel Ibis Styles – 4 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Sarajevo City Tour
Entrance Fees Catholic Church - EUR 1
4
Day 4: Sarajevo, Mostar,Trebinje
Today, we drive for the amazing Adriatic shore, but first a stop at Mostar! As you arrive in this dreamland, walk through the Old Town of this Herzegovina pearl, see the iconic highlights Old Bridge – Stari Most, and the old čaršija (market). Enjoy your lunch with an amazing view at one of the local venues, discover the old town and make sure to try the delicious Turkish coffee. In the afternoon, we ride to Trebinje for our overnight stay.
Accommodation Hotel Central Park – 4 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Mostar City Tour
Optional Activities Kravice Waterfalls - EUR 20
5
Day 5: Trebinje, Dubrovnik, Trebinje
Get ready for a long day at Dubrovnik, the “Pearl of the Adriatic"! With its well-preserved majestic walls encircling the whole town and its sea of terra-cotta roof tiles, giving life to the "King’s Landing", the whole town is an amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site. Even the drive down to town from the mountain-side is a breakth-taking highlight in itself! We start off with a guided walking tour of the Old Town and marvel at the millennial history of this fairy-like town. Walk atop the mighty walls, discover cute narrow streets, taste delicious seafood or jump off into the crystal-blue waters. In the evening, we return to Trebinje for a good night's rest.
Accommodation Hotel Central Park – 4 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Dubrovnik City Tour
Optional Activities Dubrovnik Boat Trip - EUR 35
Entrance Fees Dubronvnik City Walls - EUR 15
6
Day 6: Trebinje, Kotor, Budva
Next stop Montenegro! Arrive in Kotor after a scenic drive an meet its calming natural beauty and characteristic architecture, a less-crowded version of Dubrovnik with its impressive medieval citadel. Following a walking tour of the old town with your expert local guide and some free time, make your way to the popular touristic hub of the region, Budva. Your guide will take you on a brief walking tour of the vibrant summer town with great food, impressive views and lively nightlife.
Accommodation Hotel Park – 3 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Kotor City Tour Budva Walking Tour
7
Day 7: Budva, Tirana, Ohrid
Hit the road after breakfast, next stop Albania! A panoramic city tour of Tirana will introduce the best preserved and most beautiful samples of Albanian architecture, and drop us off at the town centre for some free time to discover the bustling Skenderbeg square. In the afternoon, continue towards Ohrid, Macedonia and check-in to your comfy hotel. You can rest up after a long day, or join the optional Balkan night with dinner.
Accommodation Hotel Sileks – 4 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Panoramic Tour of Tirana Ohrid Walking Tour
Optional Activities Balkan Night With Dinner - EUR 25
8
Day 8: Ohrid, Skopje
Start off the day with a guided city tour of Old Ohrid hosting hundreds of chapels and churches scattered all around. In the afternoon travel to Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, for the night.
Accommodation Hotel Panoramika – 4 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Ohrid City Tour
Optional Activities St. Naum Tour - EUR 15
9
Day 9: Skopje, Thessaloniki
Prepare to discover the beautiful Skopje with a guided sightseeing tour filled with stunning architecture, grand monuments and unique history. Pose with the famous statue of Alexander the Great or walk through the Macedonian Arc de Triumph. The city has countless landmarks and a vibrant street life with many cafes and bars around. In the afternoon cross the border heading towards the second largest Greek city, Thessaloniki, for the night.
Accommodation Hotel ABC – 3 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Skopje City Tour
10
Day 10: Kalambaka, Meteora, Delphi
Starting off the day with a panoramic Thessaloniki tour on the bus, depart for Kalambaka, the gateway to Meteora. Meteora is famous for its breath-taking scenery and ageless monasteries, almost suspended between the earth and sky. The town hosts one of the largest and steepest complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, literally named as “middle of the sky”. The World Heritage-listed site is out-of-this-world with its unique landscape of immense monolithic pillars and huge rounded boulders hosting monasteries on top, and one of the most visited locations in Greece. Each monastery has a central courtyard surrounded by chapels and living cells of monks, who have inhabited the region since the 11th century – for far less than the first inhabitants from 50,000 years ago. Later in the afternoon, hop on the bus for Delphi.
Accommodation Hermes Hotel - 3 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Meteora Tour
11
Day 11: Delphi, Athens
Eat up at breakfast, you will be discovering Delphi and all its wonders. Built high atop the cliffs with spectacular scenery, the town made its name in ancient Greek mythology. Chosen as the centre of the earth, here is where the famous powerful Oracles of Delphi resided. UNESCO World Heritage Site of Delphi had a tremendous influence in the ancient world, uniting many city-states under the Hellenic spirit as displayed in rich monuments and ancient stories. In the afternoon, embark on a scenic drive to Athens. As you get your bearings and all the information you need about the capital from your guide, arrive at the hotel to freshen up. Prepare to cap off the amazing tour Greek-style; bring in the mezes, it’s time to do some Sirtaki!
Accommodation Arion Hotel - 3 Star
Meals Included Breakfast
Included Activities Delphi Tour
12
Day 12: Athens
Have your final breakfast on us and start bidding farewells to your travel mates before checking out of the hotel (11:00). Time to start counting days for your next adventure with Travel Talk!
Meals Included Breakfast
All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers not wishing to pay a single supplement will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement needs only be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. The supplement must be paid in addition to the tour fee. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
All prices are per person, based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers not wishing to pay a single supplement will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement needs only be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. The supplement must be paid in addition to the tour fee. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
The tour price and the local payment cover the following services:
Accommodation
3 & 4 star hotels
Meals
11 breakfasts
Transportation
Air-conditioned non-smoking coach or mini-bus
Airport Transfer
From Sofia Airport (on day 1)
Guide
Services of experienced Travel Talk local guides licenced by the Ministry of Tourism
What is not included in the tour price and local payment?
Any flights
Travel insurance
Meals not stated in the itinerary
Items of a personal nature
Tips & gestures
Visa fees
Entrance fees to the sights and museums
Optional activities
Other services not stated in the itinerary
Hotels are subject to change depending on the group size.
HOTEL VEGA - SOFIA
ABBA HOTEL - BELGRADE
IBIS STYLE HOTEL - SARAJEVO
HOTEL CENTRAL PARK - TREBINJE
HOTEL PARK- BUDVA
HOTEL AURA - OHRID
SILEKS HOTEL - OHRID
HOTEL PANORAMIKA DESIGN - SKOPJE
ABC HOTEL - THESSALONIKI
HERMES HOTEL - DELPHI
ARION HOTEL - ATHENS
This contemporary, centrally located hotel is situated 2 minute walk-away from Monastiraki Metro Station. The rooms are air-conditioned and equipped with minibar, satellite TV and hairdryer.
Tour Review Scores And Breakdown
At Travel Talk we do not only provide excellent value for premium adventures, but also strive to exceed expectations in every aspect of our trips, which is reflected in an enviable 98.9% customer satisfaction for 2018. We believe that our affordable tours, quality accommodation, transportation and sightseeing tours combined with likeminded people, passionate tour leaders and the overall atmosphere of a Travel Talk tour have made these results. However, we are never ones to rest on our laurels, and we continually try to improve on this year after year; and what do we get out of this? The satisfaction of our travellers!
4
Accomodation
5
Transportation
5
Value for Money
5
Guide
5
Overall
Siva
We went in end of June. The weather was really hot. It was very nice to see the Balkan countries. Our tour guide Bojan was very knowledgeable and explained everything really well. The bus driver Dejan was also really good and drove well on the winding roads. I’ll recommend this trip to whoever likes to explore Balkans. It is worth the money!!
We went in end of June. The weather was really hot. It was very nice to see the Balkan countries. Our tour guide Bojan was very knowledgeable and explained everything really well. The bus driver Dejan was also really good and drove well on the winding roads. I'll recommend this trip to whoever likes to explore Balkans. It is worth the money!!
Croatia
Greece
Balkans
Spain
Portugal
Russia
Iceland
Turkey
Egypt
Jordan
Israel
Morocco
India
Nepal
Africa
Sailing
Anzac Day
Oktoberfest
Ski Bansko
Ski France
Siva
We went in end of June. The weather was really hot. It was very nice to see the Balkan countries. Our tour guide Bojan was very knowledgeable and explained everything really well. The bus driver Dejan was also really good and drove well on the winding roads. I’ll recommend this trip to whoever likes to explore Balkans. It is worth the money!!