Premium Balkans
Price- $3,236
9 Days | Behind the scenes and beyond the crowds in the Balkans
Discover the beauty and history of the Balkans on nine-day tour that travels from Dubrovnik in Croatia through Bosnia and Herzegovina and onto the lively nightlife of Belgrade in Serbia, an exuberant European city on the up. Along the way you’ll sample excellent Balkans wines, learn about the war years in Sarajevo, stop by the famed Old Bridge of Mostar and discover Tara National Park’s spectacular scenery on foot and riding the rails on a historic steam train. This tour combines battle zones, beaches, bunkers and bars and melds the past with the present, the historic with the euphoric, to create an adventure that ticks all of the boxes.
Trip overview
StartDubrovnik, Croatia
EndBelgrade, Serbia
DestinationsSerbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
StylePremium
AgesMin 15
Group SizeMin 1 - Max 12
ThemeExplorer
Trip CodeZMPB
Itinerary
Dobro Dosli! Welcome to Croatia – the undisputed jewel of the Dalmatian Coast. On arrival, you will be collected from the airport and transferred to your hotel. If you arrive early, you may like to head out and explore Dubrovnik’s old town which is surrounded entirely by city walls and easily covered on foot. Although Dubrovnik experienced devastation during the war in the early 1990s, the restored old town remains as charming as ever. There are many monuments to explore in the city proper, including the 15th century Rector's Palace, monasteries with cloistered gardens, and fine baroque churches with copper domes. After your welcome meeting this evening, join your leader and fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant showcasing Croatia’s traditional cuisine.
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After breakfast, drive from your hotel to the Konavle region south of Dubrovnik. The region is known as the Golden Valley of Dubrovnik as it has the most fertile grounds in the area and is filled with vineyards and fruit trees. Visit the small town of Cavtat with its beautiful architecture, ancient history and pebble beaches. After exploring the town, you’ll head further into the Konavle region for a traditional ‘peka’ lunch featuring lamb and other meats cooked under an iron bell. No meal in this region is complete without a glass of Croatian wine, so toast your hearty meal with a glass of Grk or Plavac Mali local wine. On your return to Dubrovnik, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy your way, perhaps with a walk around the city walls or a swim in the sparkling Adriatic Sea.
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Today you’ll cross the border and travel into Bosnia & Herzegovina, stopping at several beautiful destinations in the Herzegovina region along the way. Your first stop is Trebinje where you’ll join your leader for a walking tour that takes in the compact Old Town and its pretty market square, followed by a stop at an Orthodox monastery to taste the famous Tvrdos wine. After you’ve quenched your thirst, your trip continues to Stolac where you may like to join your leader for a walk to visit the old medieval fortress high on the hill. After you’ve explored the sights of Stolac, you’ll arrive in Mostar in an hour. Here you’ll join an expert local guide for a guided tour around town that reveals why there is such a strong connection between the locals and coffee.
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Leave Mostar and travel towards Sarajevo, but not without a stop at Konjic where you’ll discover one of the best-kept secrets in former Yugoslavia, Tito's nuclear bunker. The military bunker was built to protect Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito and hundreds of his top military personnel and has only recently opened to the public. Go back in time on a guided tour of the bunker and learn about Yugoslav history and how life used to be in not-so-distant past. After touring the bunker, continue to Sarajevo and settle into your hotel before heading out to explore the city with an expert local guide. Tonight you may like to join your group for dinner at a local restaurant.
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Today is yours to explore your way. Taste your way through the market stalls of Bascarsija, visit one of the museums dedicated to the Yugoslav war or perhaps take a cable car up Trebevic mountain to enjoy magnificent views over the city. You’ll finish the day with a memorable home-cooked meal shared with your hosts Mustafa and Mersiha who proudly claim their kitchen has the best view over Sarajevo. Your night begins learning how Bosnian pita is made before a hearty meal of sogan dolma (stuffed onions) and dolam (stuffed paprika). Of course, you’ll get to try the freshly made pita too.
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Today you’ll travel onwards to Serbia with a stop in the small town of Višegrad where a magnificent 16th-century bridge dominates the horizon and provided the inspiration for the Nobel Prize winning literary work, The Bridge on the Drina. From Višegrad, you’ll cross the border into Serbia and continue your journey to Tara National Park. Widely regarded as one of the most spectacular destinations in the country, Tara National Park is home to the world’s third largest river canyon and filled with forested slopes and dramatic ravines. Tonight you’ll bed down in Mećavnik in your Feature Stay, a traditional village that Serbian film director Emir Kusturica built for his film Life Is a Miracle. Explore the village before joining your group for a traditional dinner to celebrate your first night in Serbia.
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This morning you'll take an easy two hour hike through Tara National Park followed by a scenic steam train ride through the park’s forest and mountains. This section of the railway is part of the famous Ciro trail that connects Belgrade and the Adriatic Sea. Rattle along the tracks as the narrow gauge engine and historic carriages takes you through the jaw dropping scenery, with four stops along the way so passengers can take photos of the incredible views. After spending a half day exploring Tara National Park on foot and riding the rails, settle back for the four hour drive to Belgrade where you’ll check into your hotel and enjoy a leisurely evening after a long day of travel.
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Start your day with a guided walking tour and discover all that Belgrade has to offer including Republic Square, Knez Mihailova Street which is lined with historic buildings and Kalemegdan Park and the Belgrade Fortress where the Danube and Sava Rivers meet. Immerse yourself in the town’s rich history and perhaps ask your local guide for suggestions on where to experience the best night life in the Balkans as Belgrade is known for its party scene. This afternoon is yours to explore your way, perhaps with a visit to the city market or Nikola Tesla Museum or by catching a trolleybus to Zemun - a bohemian, village like neighbourhood that’s known for its cafes and fish restaurants along the riverside promenade. This evening, join your group for a traditional dinner in the bohemian Skadarska quarter to celebrate the penultimate night of your trip.
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After breakfast, your Balkans adventure comes to an end. If you would like to extend your stay, we would be happy to arrange additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).
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Meals
Meals 8 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinnersTransport
Transport Private vehicleAccommodation
Accommodation Comfortable Hotel (6 nights), Feature Stay (2 nights)Premium Inclusions
- Arrival airport transfer
- Tipping for accommodation, activities and transport
- Luggage transfer
- Daily breakfast and signature local meal experiences
- 24/7 on-ground support
Activities
- Dubrovnik - Cavtat Tour
- Mostar - Guided Tour with Coffee Experience
- Stolac - Town Visit
- Trebinje - Tvrdos Monastery Wine Tasting
- Trebinje - Walking Tour
- Konjic - Armijska Ratna Komanda ARK D-0 (Tito’s Bunker) tour
- Sarajevo - Walking Tour
- Sarajevo - Cooking Demo and Home-made Dinner
- Višegrad - Town Visit
- Tara National Park - Hike
- Tara National Park - Steam Train
- Belgrade - Walking Tour
Add On Activities
- Dubrovnik - Discover Game of Thrones Filming Locations Urban Adventure - EUR99
- Dubrovnik - Hike up Mt Srd - Free
- Dubrovnik - Dubrovnik Card (1 day local transport & entry to sites) - EUR35
- Dubrovnik - Mt Srd Museum of Croatian War of Independence - EUR4
- Dubrovnik - Lokrum Island Boat Trip - EUR27
- Dubrovnik - War Photography Museum - EUR10
- Dubrovnik - Rector's Palace - EUR13
- Dubrovnik - Mt Srd Cable Car - EUR27
- Mostar - Old Bridge Museum - EUR5
- Sarajevo - National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina - BAM8
- Sarajevo - Sarajevo Museum - BAM10
- Sarajevo - War Tunnel - BAM10
- Sarajevo - Trebević Mountain Cable Car - BAM20
- Belgrade - House of Flowers - RSD400
- Belgrade - Saint Sava Temple - Free
- Belgrade - Nikola Tesla Museum - RSD800
- Belgrade - Military Museum - RSD350
- Belgrade - Ethnographic Museum - RSD300
- Belgrade - Danube River Cruise - RSD800
- Belgrade - National Museum - RSD300
- Belgrade - Belgrade Fortress - Free
- Belgrade - Museum of Yugoslav History - RSD400
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