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The Great Balkan Dream From Zagreb To Bucharest
Visit: ZAGREB, PLITVICE, SPLIT, KORČULA, DUBROVNIK, KOTOR, BUDVA, SHKODER, TIRANA, ELBASAN, OHRID, SKOPJE, NIŠ, BELGRADE, SREMSKI KARLOVCI, TIMISOARA, HUNEDOARA, ALBA IULIA, SIBIU, SIGHISOARA, TARGU MURES, BUCOVINA PAINTED MONASTERIES, BRASOV, BRAN, SINAIA AND BUCHAREST
Upon arrival transfer to hotel.
This morning enjoy a city tour featuring the historic Upper Town, St Mark’s Church, St. Catherine’s Church, the Cathedral, Parliament, and the Government Palace. The rest of the day is free to explore the winding streets of the Old Town.
Travel to spectacular Plitvice Lakes National Park. Have your camera ready as you take a walking tour around several of the lower lakes. Enjoy the breathtaking scenery of this natural wonder of 16 terraced lakes surrounded by thickly wooded mountains and lush vegetation. Then we continue our journey to Split.
Enjoy a city tour featuring the historic inner city, built around the Roman Emperor Diocletian's Palace, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Finally, see the remnants of Split's Roman heritage, its Renaissance and Gothic structures, Jupiter's Temple, the Peristyle and the Cathedral.
In the afternoon, we head to the island of Korčula. Upon arrival free time to enjoy this beautiful island.
The beautiful medieval town Korčula has streets arranged in the shape of a fish bone, which ensures the flow of fresh air and protects from strong winds. According to legend, the famous adventurer Marco Polo was born here. After the visit, head to Dubrovnik.
Start the day with a walking tour of Old Dubrovnik this morning. Visit the Rector's Palace, and see the Bell Tower Clock, Orlando's Column and Sponza Palace. Next, see the Dominican Monastery and Franciscan Monastery with its Pharmacy, one of the oldest in the world. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore on your own, enjoy the picturesque setting, shop or simply relax.
First travel to the Bay of Kotor, the deepest fjord in Southern Europe and stop in the city of Kotor to visit this beautiful town. Stroll the Weapons Square and admire the city bulwarks before continuing the journey to Budva. The Budva riviera is the center of Montenegrin tourism, known for its well preserved medieval walled city, sandy beaches and diverse nightlife. Budva is 2,500 years old, which makes it one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast.
Following the Montenegrin coast and its spectacular landscapes we enter Albania and visit Shkoder, a cultural center and one of the oldest cities in Albania. The city tour includes a visit to the Mosque, views of the Rozafa castle, as well as other points of interest in the city. In the afternoon the trip will take us to Tirana, the capital of Albania.
The panoramic city tour of Albania’s capital includes views of 'The Albanians' - the mosaic in front of the Museum of National History, the Statue of Skanderbeg in Skanderbeg Square, the 'Et'hem' Mosque with the Clock tower, the monument to Mother Teresa and other monuments of the city. Rest of the day free at leisure
Today we travel along the old ‘Egnatica’ road to Elbasan to visit the Castle. We continue to Struga, famous for being the place where you can see the Black Drin river flowing out of Lake Ohrid. Then we continue to Ohrid, the city that has its place on the UNESCO list for its natural, cultural and historical values.
In the morning, we visit Ohrid, also known as "the Jerusalem of the Balkans" with its 365 churches. A town of vast history and heritage was honored as UNESCO heritage site in 1980. Nestled between high mountains up to 2,800 m and Lake Ohrid, it is not only a place of historic significance but also of outstanding natural beauty, it is the jewel in North Macedonia's crown. Continue to Skopje where we take a walking tour of the North Macedonian capital city upon arrival. Skopje has been occupied by many different peoples since its foundation. However, the group that left the greatest mark was the Ottomans. The Ottomans ruled North Macedonia for hundreds of years and built a large number of mosques and other buildings. The visit of Skopje includes the Mother Teresa Memorial House, dedicated to the humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mother Teresa.
Today we travel to Serbia. Our first stop is Niš, considered one of the oldest cities in Europe. Niš is a university center but also one of the most important industrial centers in Serbia. Continue to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
With a history dating back more than 7,000 years, Belgrade is a fascinating city to visit. Your morning sightseeing tour includes the city's main attractions: the imposing Kalemegdan Fortress, dramatically situated at the joining of the Sava and Danube Rivers; Republic Square and Mihajlova Street; Saint Sava Temple, the largest Orthodox Church in the city; and Tito's Memorial. The afternoon is free.
In the morning, departure to Sremski Karlovci, the museum-city that was the center of culture and religion in Serbia during the 18th and 19th centuries. After a short stop we continue to Timisoara. Romania’s third-largest city (after Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca) is also one of the country's most attractive urban areas, built around a series of beautifully restored public squares, and lavish parks and gardens. With western Romania's nicest hotels and finest restaurants, it makes a perfect base for exploring the Banat region
In the morning, we travel to Hunedoara, where iron has been extracted since the Iron Age. One of its most memorable buildings is the Corvin Castle, a fine example of secular Gothic architecture with spiky, spooky fantasy topped with asymmetrical pointed towers and turrets. Continue to the city of Alba Iulia, a symbol of national unity in Romania. Built on 13th century foundations, the imposing Habsburg citadel is star-shaped with seven bastions and successive walls. Head to Sibiu for overnight.
Morning free at leisure. In the afternoon we take a panoramic walk through the city of Sibiu. Sibiu is one of the most important cultural centers of Romania and bears a strong resemblance to a southern German or Austrian town. The old city center has retained a largely Saxon aspect and managed to fuse the Middle Ages with the new.
Today, we travel first to the picturesque city of Sighisoara, the birthplace of Vlad Dracula. It is the only inhabited fortified citadel in Romania and is an enchanting city of sloping roofs, pastel facades and cobbled streets. We continue to Targu Mures
Targu Mures remains a noticeably Hungarian town. Dating back at least to the 14th century it has long been an important commercial and academic center. After the visit that includes the Palace of Culture, we continue to Piatra Neamt through the Bicaz Gorge, the largest gorge in Romania, admiring the beauty of the landscape, the Red Lake and its hill station.
Departure to the Bucovina region to visit its monasteries, the most representative monuments of Moldovan art. Declared a World Heritage Site, these monasteries are one of the most important legacies of Byzantine art in the world, in which their brightly colored interior and exterior fresco paintings stand out. Visit of the Monasteries of Sucevita and the black pottery workshops of Marginea. In the afternoon visit the Voronet Monastery, considered the best architectural and pictorial example in the region, called the "Sistine Chapel" in the East. Return to Piatra Neamt.
In the morning, we leave Piatra Neamt and travel south to Brasov. Arrival in the afternoon, followed by a tour of the fascinating medieval city of Brasov. Visit the old town and see the exterior of the Black Church, the most representative Gothic monument in Romania.
Continuation towards the town of Bran. Visit of its famous Castle, also known as Dracula's Castle. In the afternoon arrival in the city of Sinaia, known as "the pearl of the Carpathians" because of its beauty. In the afternoon we will visit the wonderful Peles Palace, the former summer residence and retreat place of the royal family, built in the second half of the 19th century by the first King of Romania, Carlos I.
We will get to know the Romanian capital, once known under the nickname "Little Paris". The visit will take us to the Romanian Athenaeum, the Opera House, the Military Club of the Nation, the Military Academy and the Arc de Triomphe. Bucharest is Romania's capital and largest city, as well as the most important industrial and commercial center of the country. With 2 million inhabitants in the city proper and more than 2.4 million in the urban area, Bucharest is one of the largest cities in Southeastern Europe.
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight.
Inclusion
4* and 5* hotels
Daily breakfast
Touring by modern air-conditioned motor coach
Airport transfers
Professional English-speaking Tour Director throughout
Licensed local guides
Entrance fees included where indicated in bold letters
Luggage handling at hotels
Service charges and hotel taxes
Sightseeing Tours Included:
Zagreb (Cathedral)
Plitvice (Plitvice Lakes National Park)
Split (Diocletian’s Palace)
Korčula
Dubrovnik (Rector’s Palace, Franciscan Monastery)
Kotor
Shkoder (Mosque)
Tirana (Et’hem Mosque)
Elbasan (Elbasan Castle)
Ohrid
Skopje (Mother Teresa Memorial Center)
Belgrade (Kalemegdan)
Timisoara
Hunedoara (Corvin Castle)
Alba Iulia
Sibiu
Sighisoara
Targu Mures (Palace of Culture)
Painted Monasteries of Bucovina (Sucevita and Voronet Monasteries, Ceramica neagra Marginea)
Brasov
Bran (Dracula’s Castle)
Sinaia (Peles Palace)
Bucharest
Exclusion
International airfares
Optional activities
Other meals, drinks, tips and other personal expenses or services not specified on the program
Personal equipment
Travel insurance
Gratuities
Voluntary tips for guides or drivers
Travel and medical insurance
Any items not mentioned as included
Note
Hotel Accommodation
Zagreb: Hotel Westin 5* / Sheraton 5* / Dubrovnik 4* or similar
Split: Hotel Briig 4* or similar
Korčula: Hotel Liburna 4* / Marko Polo 4* or similar
Dubrovnik: Hotel Valamar Lacroma 4* / Argosy 4* or similar
Budva: Hotel Adria 4* or similar
Tirana: Hotel Tirana International 4* or similar
Ohrid: Hotel Unique Resort & Spa 4* or similar
Skopje: Hotel Marriott 5* or similar
Belgrade: Hotel Moskva 5* / Hotel Prag 4* or similar
Timisoara: Hotel Continental 4* or similar
Sibiu: Hotel Continental Forum 4* or similar
Targu Mures: Hotel Continental Forum 4* or similar
Piatra Neamt: Hotel Central Plaza 4* or similar
Brasov: Hotel Aro Palace 5* / Ambient 4* or similar
Bucharest: Hotel Capitol 4* or similar
Small Group Tour
- Local Guide Service
