Best of the Balkans

You will begin the tour in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. First, you’ll head out on a walking tour, so you get a feel for the city. You will cover all the main attractions like the Serbian Orthodox church, the Temple of Saint Sava, the Old Palace, which was home to royal dynasties when Serbia was still a monarchy, the gorgeous Skadarlija Street – Belgrade’s very own Montmartre, the mighty National Theatre, the fortress Kalemegdan, and much more. After the comprehensive tour, you will have free time to roam the city on your own or visit one of its many great museums.

You will continue your exploration of Serbia on day two. You will take an hour-long drive north of Belgrade to reach Serbia’s second-largest city, Novi Sad. You will then embark on a walking tour that will allow you to stretch your legs and see the sights. Novi Sad is famous for its cultural diversity, and this is exemplified in its different places of worship which you will see – the Roman Catholic gothic Church of the Name of Mary, the orthodox Bishop’s Palace, and the Novi Sad Synagogue. After covering the rest of Novi Sad’s main attractions like Freedom Square, and the Petrovaradin Fortress, you will drive to Zagreb where you will spend the night.

The third day packs a tour of not just one, but two capital cities. After breakfast, you will begin touring Zagreb, and see some of its most famous attractions like the centuries-old Ban Jelačić Square which is the center of Zagreb’s downtown pedestrian zone. You will also stroll through Zagreb’s beautiful Old Town and take a look at the monumental gothic Zagreb Cathedral. You will rest your feet during the approximately 2-hour long drive to Ljubljana. Ljubljana is a small city full of character and beautiful architecture. You will be able to compare the architectural and cultural influences of Ljubljana with those of Zagreb, as you walk around town and see some of Ljubljana’s most famous sights like the Prešeren Square and the Triple Bridge.

After three days of city tours, it’s time to take a break in nature. After waking up in Ljubljana, you will commence on the picturesque drive to Bled, where you will first marvel at the famously romantic Bled Lake with its Bled Castle and Bled Island. Afterward, you will head even deeper into the Julian Alps, first to the breathtakingly beautiful and breathtakingly cold Lake Bohinj in Triglav National Park, the only national park in Slovenia, which is known for its crystal clear waters, bright green pastures, and monumental mountains. After getting a fair share of fresh air, you will return to Ljubljana to get a good night’s rest.

Our next adventure awaits underground. You will visit one of the most famous caves in the world, the Postojna Cave, and with a bit of luck, you’ll even see the “baby dragons” that rule these underground halls. You will also stop by the Predjama Castle, a medieval castle that was built into the rock face and holds the title of the biggest cave castle in the world. A perfect place to spar up your imagination and revisit your childhood fantasies of knights and princesses. After our fairytale-like adventure, you will head on to Opatija, a seaside resort that was very popular among the 19th-century upper classes who filled the town with pastel bourgeois Habsburg-era villas.

The Plitvice Lakes National Park is famous for its stunning terraced lakes and incredible waterfalls that link them. A day in the serenity of this natural wonderland will recharge your batteries, and offer up views you won’t be able to stop thinking about for days to come.

After our Plitvice adventure, you will continue your journey and head to Zadar, where you will have a free evening to unwind and explore this beautiful historic coastal city.

You will continue your Balkan adventure with another double feature, as you will see not one but two incredible historic harbor cities. You will first head from Zadar to Šibenik, famous for the Cathedral of St. James, a 15th-century stone church decorated with 71 sculptured faces. Trogir’s old city center is known for its Renaissance, baroque and Romanesque architecture. You can also admire parts of the original medieval city wall. Trogir’s historic center is even protected as a UNESCO heritage site, because of its Venetian architecture.

Another day, another unforgettable historic city. On the Split tour, you will walk along the steps of history as you discover the Roman Diocletian’s Palace, the Riva promenade from Napoleon’s time, and Split’s Old Town which tells the story of a city that was under the rule of Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine, the Kingdom of Croatia, the Republic of Venice, the French Empire, the Austrian Empire, and Yugoslavia before it finally became part of independent Croatia.

After experiencing a whirlwind of different cultures in Split, you will expand your horizons even further with Bosnia’s Turkish influences that are the result of the Ottoman invasions that started in the 14th century. You will start the day by driving through the incredibly scenic Neretva canyon and continue your way to Mostar. You will take a walk through Mostar’s Old Town, which is famous for its unique architecture, as the city is built around (and over) the Neretva River. It is not surprising that the Old Bridge which connects the two river banks is the central part of Mostar. You will end the day by driving to Sarajevo where you will spend the night.

You will wake up in one of the most fascinating places in the Balkans – the city of Sarajevo. Despite its tragic history, Sarajevo is a place that bustles with life, whether you’re just walking down the street or if you’re on the iconic Baščaršija marketplace. You will embark on a tour through Sarajevo’s history and also visit the war tunnels along the way. You will also visit the Svrzo House and see how a typical Muslim family in Sarajevo lived in the time of the Ottoman Empire. After visiting some more museums, the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, and the Cathedral of Jesus’ Heart, you will head back to our hotel to spend another night in Sarajevo.

The next destination is Dubrovnik. You will reach the city by lunchtime. On the walking tour of Dubrovnik, you will explore the beautiful historic architecture and stone-paved streets of the Old Town, and pay a visit to the famous Dubrovnik City Walls. Dubrovnik is most famous for serving as one of the sets for Game of Thrones, so fans of the show are definitely in for a treat, but we are certain everyone will be enthralled by Dubrovnik, regardless of their TV preferences.

The twelfth day of our Balkan tour will be dedicated to wondrous Montenegro. You will start the day off by driving around the Bay of Kotor and taking in the views in a sedentary position before continuing your exploration on foot. Kotor is an ancient city, and it’s even included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list as part of the Venetian works of defense. You will be able to trace the steps of the Venetians as you climb the Walls of Kotor, the shell of this fortified city. As this is quite a demanding tour, only those who feel up to it will tackle the walls, while the rest will have some time off. After getting to know Kotor, you will head off to Budva where you will spend the evening either strolling Budva’s beaches and old town for a relaxed night.

New day, a new country. You will leave Budva in the morning and start your journey to Tirana, the capital of neighboring Albania. On the way, you will stop at Skadar Lake which lies on the border between Montenegro and Albania.

Once you reach Tirana, you will head out on a walking tour to explore this fascinating city. Tirana is a true mixture of influences, from classic roman architecture, and opulent mosques to communist architecture that often borders on brutalism. You will walk through the enormous Skanderbeg Square, pass the brutalist Tirana Pyramid, and the Roman Fortress of Justinian. You will also take some time to relax in the Parku i Madh – the Grad Park of Tirana.

We all know that feeling of becoming completely drained while traveling. You want to go out to explore, and you’re desperate not to miss anything, but even your curiosity doesn’t quite measure up with your weariness. We will try our best to find the right balance between exploration and relaxation throughout our Balkan tour, but after two weeks you will definitely be in need of a chill day. And where better to chill than on a beach? Durres Beach, to be exact. You will spend the day lounging on the sandy Albanian shore and recharging your batteries for the final two days of travel.

After basking in the Albanian sun, you will go to Northern Macedonia to bathe in its lakes. Lake Ohrid, to be exact, an incredibly beautiful lake that has been the destination of holiday-makers for centuries, with a resort town of the same name resting on its shore. Ohrid is a historic little town by the lake, famous for its cobblestone streets, steep staircases, and its preposterous number of churches, like the beautiful Church of Saint John the Theologian, and the ruins of the Church of Saint Sophia. And of course, the Ohrid pearls, known worldwide for their unique production process.

It wouldn’t be a proper “best of” tour if you didn’t finish with a bang. The final day will be spent in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. Skopje is a mighty capital that can compete with the grandest European cities, which you will be able to see for yourself on our tour. You will marvel at monumental architectural landmarks like the Porta Macedonia, the Macedonia Square, and the Stone Bridge, imposing statues of great leaders like Alexander the Great and Phillip II, and incredible historic monuments, like the Skopje Fortress. After our 16-day exploration of the Balkans and final tour of Skopje, you won’t see the Balkans as the periphery of Europe anymore, but as one of its most vital parts – in the past as well as the present.