Deep into the Balkans
DAY 1 | BELGRADE
Airport transfer at the arrival time of the flight to be confirmed
12h30 – 14h30 Free time for lunch
14h30 – 17h30 Walking tour of downtown Belgrade
The word that best describes Belgrade is "surprising". Not many people know this city, but it enchants everyone with its history, its gastronomy, the beauty of the meeting of the Sava and Danube rivers seen from the medieval fortress of Belgrade, and mostly with its positive energy and the hospitality of the people who inhabit it. The former capital and largest city of the former Yugoslavia, the current capital of Serbia is one of the oldest cities in Europe and holds a series of secrets that can only be revealed by those who visit it. Come and get ready for one of the most authentic trips of your life!
On this tour we visit the main attractions of the center of Belgrade: the Republic Square, the pedestrian street Knez Mihailova and the fortress of Belgrade.
18h00 Hotel check-in and free time. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 2 | BELGRADE
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel
09h00 – 14h00 Belgrade panorama tour in vintage Yugoslavian cars with visit to craft brewery
We will guide you trough Yugoslavia in what is considered to be a relic of the past - vintage Yugoslavian cars! The fleet has Yugos, Yugo Cabrios (very rare!), Zastava 750s and Zastava 101s. Some of them are up to 40+ years old but none of them look their age. The nostalgia game is very strong with these cars and we will tell you about their history and why people are so attached to these guys even today. This is an experience you will definitely remember!
14h00 – 16h00 Lunch
16h00 – 17h00 Transfer to the helidrome for a helicopter tour
17h00 – 17h30 Panoramic helicopter flight over Belgrade
Get to know Belgrade from the air on an exciting helicopter ride! Fly in modernly equipped helicopters over the Serbian capital and add a third dimension to your trip.
17h30 – 18h00 Transfer back to hotel and free time. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 3 | SUBOTICA AND PALIĆ
07h00 – 08h00 Breakfast at the hotel;
08h00 – 10h00 Transfer to Subotica;
10h00 – 12h00 Explore Subotica;
Architectural pearls in art nouveau style, a relaxed people and a mix of Serbian and Hungarian flavors make this tree-lined city - the second largest in the Vojvodina region - a worthy day trip. Once an important and rich center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Subotica attracted some of the region's most influential architects and artists. Their legacy is very well preserved and is today the biggest business card in the city. It is also one of the most multicultural cities in Serbia, with more Hungarians than Serbs and a sizable population of Croats.
12h00 – 13h00 Guided tour in the City Hall;
Due to its location, size and ornate architecture in Hungarian Art Nouveau, the City Hall building has become a landmark and symbol of Subotica. Built between 1908 and 1910, it has a 76m high viewpoint and an unforgettable view of Subotica and its surroundings. The Grand Hall has sixteen notable stained glass windows in sparkling colors by Miksa Róth and Sándor Nagy, all considered exceptional works of art.
13h00 – 13h15 Transfer to Palić;
13h30 – 15h30 Visit, wine tasting and exclusive lunch at the Zvonko Bogdan winery
The Zvonko Bogdan Winery is one of the most beautiful and modern wineries in Europe, located in the famous fruit and wine growing area around Lake Palic and Ludaš. Its owner, Zvonko Bogdan, is one of Serbia's most famous musicians. The winery is equipped with modern technology to produce high quality wines exclusively from grapes from its own vineyard. Two of his wines won a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London in 2019, beating 160,000 wines from around the world.
15h30 – 17h00 Time to explore the Palić lake
The tourist town of Palić, 8 km away from Subotica, is home to a 5 km² lake, popular with sailors, fishermen and those who enjoy strolling. The park is graced with villas, restaurants and beautiful examples of Hungarian art nouveau, including the 1912 Grand Terrace, the mushroom-shaped water tower and the wooden folk Lido. There is a 3 km birdwatching trail, plus bicycle and boat rentals.
17h00 – 19h00 Travel back to Belgrade and free time. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 4 | ZLATIBOR
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel;
09h00 – 12h30 Transfer to Zlatibor
Zlatibor is the most visited mountain in Serbia and the gateway to the incredible nature of the western region of the country. Located in a "wind rose", Zlatibor is a natural spa with its special microclimate. It is no wonder that on this mountain there are several hospitals that treat lung diseases. Tourism here began to develop in 1893, when Serbian king Aleksandar Obrenović spent a few days on the mountain and erected a fountain. Today, Zlatibor offers visitors a range of attractions and activities ranging from horseback riding, visits to caves and museums to skiing in one of Serbia's best ski centers!
12h30 – 13h30 Visit the Stopica cave
The Stopića cave, on the left bank of the Prištavica river, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in western Serbia. The cave entrance is 18 meters high and 35 meters wide. It is a river cave, as the Trnavski stream flows through it. Its main attraction is an underground waterfall 10 meters high. It has incredible natural pools inside, some of which are up to 7 meters deep.
13h30 – 16h00 Visit and lunch in Sirogojno
At the heart of the Zlatibor mountain, surrounded by pine trees and hills, away from the crowds, lies Sirogojno - an authentic mountain village in Serbia, where visitors can see, feel and taste the past. In its open-air museum, we can enter original mountain houses dating from the 19th century. In the restaurant, mountain specialties are prepared following ancient recipes
16h00 – 16h45 Travel to the center of Zlatibor
16h45 – 18h00 Explore the center of Zlatibor
18h00 Check-in hotel and free time. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 5 | PODGORICA AND
SVETI STEFAN
07h00 – 08h00 Breakfast at the hotel and check out
08h00 – 13h00 Travel to Podgorica
13h00 – 16h00 Lunch break and short walk in Podgorica
In addition to being the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica is also the largest city in the country, with a population of around 200 thousand people. The city is located in the center of Montenegro, on the low Montenegrin plains between the Dinaric Alps and Lake Scutari.
The Podgorica area has been inhabited continuously since the Illyrian and Roman eras, with settlement in today's Podgorica site firmly established during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Podgorica was reincorporated in Montenegro in 1878, when the city began to have a more European format. Nazi and Allied bombings during World War II destroyed much of the historic Ottoman and Montenegrin architecture in Podgorica, and the city was reborn as the capital of Montenegro in socialist Yugoslavia. The city was then rebuilt and expanded in a manner typical of the countries of the eastern bloc.
16h00 – 17h00 Travel to Budva
17h00 – 19h00 Visit Sveti Stefan
A major attraction on the Riviera of Budva is Sveti Stefan. The former fishing village on a peninsula became a hotel city 50 years ago and this is how a wonderful place emerged, where even famous people like Claudia Shiffer and Sylvester Stallone like to spend time.
A fortification was built in 1442 on the island of Sveti Stefan and in that period people settled there. A wall was built around the fortification, in order to protect families from the surrounding places before the Turkish and pirate invasion.
19h00 Check-in at the hotel and free time. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 6 | KOTOR
07h30 – 08h00 Breakfast at the hotel;
09h00 – 09h30 Travel to Kotor
09h30 – 12h00 Guided tour by a local guide in Kotor
Located along one of the most beautiful bays in the world is Kotor, a city of famous merchants and sailors, with many stories to tell. The Old Town of Kotor is a well-preserved urbanization typical of the Middle Ages, built between the 12th and 14th centuries. Medieval architecture and countless cultural heritage monuments have made Kotor a UNESCO "World Heritage and Historical Site". Across the entire city, buildings are crossed by narrow streets and squares. In one of these squares is the Cathedral of San Trifone (Sveti Trifun), a monument of Roman culture and one of the most recognizable symbols of the city.
12h00 – 16h00 Free time to have lunch and explore Kotor
16h00 – 17h00 Boat trip to the island of Our Lady of the Rocks
On this comfortable boat ride, you will enjoy panoramic views from the Bay of Kotor to the island of Our Lady of the Rocks, one of the most important places in the bay. It is an artificial island made in the 15th century as a monument to Perast's sailors. Beneath it are 196 shipwrecks sunk by people from Perast while defending Kotor from the Venetian and Ottoman Empire. With its incredible history and spectacular views, we are sure that this is one of the points that you will remember for a long time.
17h00 – 17h30 Return to Budva and free time. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 7 | KRUJA
07h00 – 08h00 Breakfast at the hotel and check out;
08h00 – 12h00 Travel to Kruja
12h00 – 14h00 Visit Kruja Castle, Bazaar and Skanderbeg Museum
The Skanderbeg Museum in Kruja honors Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbei (1405-1468), Albania's national hero. The museum is located in the castle of Kruja and in the restored bazaar. The citadel includes a restored Ottoman-era house that is now the Ethnographic Museum. Kruja Castle, which houses the museum, is a historic citadel. Ottoman troops attacked three times, in 1450, 1466 and 1467, but did not take control. It was this fortress that helped George Kastrioti Skanderbeg to defend Albania from the Ottoman invasion for more than two decades.
14h00 – 15h30 Lunch
15h30 – 16h30 Transfer to Tirana
16h30 Check-in at the hotel and free time. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 8 | TIRANA
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel
09h00 – 11h30 Guided tour by a local guide in Tirana
Albania has spent most of the past 60 years under a strict and isolationist dictator, Enver Hoxha. After his death, the country moved towards a free-market economic model, with mixed results. Today, Tirana is where old and new Albania meet. The unpaved streets give way to new Land Rovers, young people with iPhones bump into street vendors selling all sorts of things, and the glowing glass towers face abandoned construction projects. Travelers often find Tirana a beautiful and charming city, where cosmopolitan and small-town sentiments are intertwined with a lively nightlife.
11h30 – 13h30 Visit the Bunk Art museum
This fantastic transformation - from a huge Cold War bunker on the outskirts of Tirana to a museum of history and contemporary art - in Albania's most sensational new attraction and easily a highlight of Tirana. With nearly 3,000 square meters of underground space spread over several floors, the bunker was built for Albania's political elite in the 1970s and remained a secret for much of its existence. It now hosts exhibitions that combine the modern history of Albania with pieces of contemporary art.
13h30 – 16h30 Cable car ride to Dajti mountain and lunch
Dajti is a mountain east of the city of Tirana, where the Dajti National Park is also located, whose highest peak is 1,613 meters above sea level. Let's take the longest cable car in the Balkans (4.7 kilometers long) to (almost) the top of Dajti Mountain and enjoy fantastic views!
16h30 – 17h00 Return to the hotel in Tirana and free time. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 9 | OHRID
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel and check-out;
09h00 – 12h30 Travel to Ohrid
12h30 – 15h30 Time to explore Ohrid and have lunch
Ohrid is a city of vast history and heritage in southwest Macedonia, on the bank of the lake of the same name. It became a UNESCO heritage site in 1980. Nestled between high mountains up to 2,800 m and Lake Ohrid, it is not only a place of historical significance but also of exceptional natural beauty. Ohrid is the jewel in the Macedonian crown.
15h30 – 18h00 Travel to Skopje
18h00 Check-in at the hotel and free time. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 10 | SKOPJE
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel
09h00 – 12h00 Tour through the center, bazaar, and Kale fortress
Skopje is the capital of North Macedonia. It is in the Povardarie region and is the largest and most diverse city in the country. Skopje has been occupied by many different peoples since its founding. This is evidenced by the various Byzantine churches and monasteries around the city, also by some Roman sites, such as Scupi and Skopje aqueduct. However, the group that left the biggest mark in Skopje was the Ottomans. The Ottomans ruled Macedonia for hundreds of years and built a large number of mosques and other buildings. Today, Skopje is becoming a modern city. Home to about a quarter of the country's total population, it is also home to many different types of people. In addition to the Macedonian majority, many Albanians, Turks, Romans, Serbs, Bosnians, and others call Skopje home.
12h00 – 14h00 Lunch
14h00 – 17h00 Visit to the Archaeological Museum and the Mother Teresa Memorial House
The Skopje Archaeological Museum is a huge Italian-style marble building built by the government to increase national pride. Inside, there are three floors showing the cream of Macedonia's archaeological excavations under the glow of hundreds of small lights. Highlights include Byzantine treasures; sophisticated 3D reconstructions of the first faces of Macedonia from skulls; a replica of an ancient Christian basilica, showing the life stages of mosaic conservation; and a real Phoenician necropolis.
The Mother Teresa Memorial House is an extraordinary retro-futuristic memorial and the most exclusive church you will see in northern Macedonia. Inside the building, there is a small museum on the first floor, displaying memorabilia related to the famous Catholic nun of Calcutta, born in Skopje in 1910. On the second floor, there is an impressive chapel, with glass walls forged in filigree (the traditional reverence of North Macedonia). Dove silhouettes are worked on the filigree to symbolize peace, as a tribute to Mother Teresa.
17h00 Return to the hotel in Skopje and the rest of the day at leisure. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 11 | RILA MONASTERY
07h00 – 08h00 Breakfast at the hotel
09h00 – 13h00 Travel to Rila
13h00 – 16h00 Time to visit the Rila Monastery and have lunch
The monastery of St. Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the mountains southwest of Rila, 117 km south of the capital, Sofia, in the deep valley of the Rilska River, at an altitude of 1,147 m above sea level, within the Natural Park of the Rila Monastery. The monastery was named after its founder, the hermit Ivan de Rila (876 - 946 AD), and today houses about 60 monks. Founded in the 10th century, the Rila monastery is considered one of Bulgaria's main cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is an important tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and southern Europe. In 2008 alone, it attracted 900 thousand visitors. The monastery is pictured on the back of the 1 lev banknote, issued in 1999.
16h00 – 18h00 Travel to Sofia
18h00 Arrival in Sofia, check-in at the hotel, and the rest of the day at leisure. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 12 | SOFIA AND PLOVDIV
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel
09h00 – 11h30 Guided tour with a local guide in Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city in Bulgaria. 1.26 million people live in the city and 1.68 million people live in its metropolitan region. The city is at the foot of Vitosha Mountain, in the western part of the country. Being in the center of the Balkan peninsula, it is halfway between the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea, while the Aegean Sea is the closest. Sofia has been an area of human habitation since at least 7000 BC. As the primary city in Bulgaria, Sofia is home to many of the main local universities, cultural institutions, and commercial companies. Sofia is one of the 10 best places for start-ups in the world, especially in the area of information technology.
11h30 – 13h00 Travel to Plovdiv
13h00 – 17h00 Time to explore Plovdiv and have lunch
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, with a population of 341,567 inhabitants. It is an important economic, transport, cultural and educational center. Plovdiv has evidence of housing since the 6th millennium BC when the first Neolithic settlements were established. It is said to be one of the oldest cities in Europe. Plovdiv was known in the West for most of its history by the name of Philippopolis ("City of Philip") because Philip II of Macedonia conquered it in the fourth century BC. The city was originally a Thracian settlement, later being invaded by Persians, Greeks, Celts, Romans, Goths, Huns, Bulgarians, Slavic-Vikings, Crusaders, and Turks. On January 4, 1878, Plovdiv was released from the Ottoman government by the Russian army. It remained within Bulgaria's borders until July of the same year when it became the capital of the Ottoman autonomous region of Eastern Rumelia. In 1885, Plovdiv joined Bulgaria.
17h00 – 18h30 Travel back to Sofia
18h30 Arrival in Sofia and the rest of the day at leisure. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 13 | VELIKO TARNOVO
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel and check-out
09h00 – 13h00 Travel to Veliko Tarnovo
13h00 – 16h00 Time to have lunch and explore Veliko Tarnovo
Often referred to as the "City of Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is known as the historic capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists with its unique architecture. The old part of the city is located on the three hills: Tsarevets, Trapezitsa, and Sveta Gora, which rise amid the meanders of the Yantra. In Tsarevets are the palaces of the Bulgarian emperors and the Patriarchate, the Patriarchal Cathedral, as well as a series of administrative and residential buildings surrounded by thick walls. Trapezitsa is known for its many churches and as the former main residence of the nobility. During the Middle Ages, the city was one of the main centers of European culture and gave its name to the architecture of the Artistic School of Tarnovo, to the painting of the Artistic School of Tarnovo and to literature. Veliko Tarnovo is an important administrative, economic, educational, and cultural center in northern Bulgaria.
16h00 – 19h00 Travel to Bucharest
19h00 Arrival in Bucharest, check-in at the hotel, and the rest of the day at leisure. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 14 | BUCHAREST
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel
09h00 – 11h30 Bucharest tour with local guide
Located on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, Bucharest is the capital and largest city in Romania. According to 2011 estimates, Bucharest had a population of 1,883,425, making it the sixth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits.
By European standards, Bucharest is not an ancient city, as its existence was first mentioned by scholars in 1459. Since then, it has undergone a wide variety of changes, becoming Romania's state capital in 1862 and consolidating steadily its position as the center of Romanian mass communication, culture, and art. Its eclectic architecture is a mixture of historical, interwar, communist, and modern eras. In the period between the two World Wars, the elegant architecture and sophistication of its elite gave Bucharest the nickname "Paris of the East" or "Little Paris".
11h30 – 14h30 Free time to explore Bucharest and have lunch
15h00 – 16h00 Guided tour of the Palace of Parliament
The Palace of the Parliament is a building with multiple functions where both chambers of the Romanian Parliament are installed. With 350,000 m², it is the largest palace in the world and the second-largest building after the Pentagon. The palace was originally commissioned and designed in the late 1970s by the communist regime of dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu to be the seat of all political and administrative power in Romania. Its chief architect was Anca Petreşcu. Construction began in 1980 and lasted until 1989 when Ceauşescu was overthrown. Until then, less than 80% of the building had been built, but the work was interrupted because it was too expensive for Romanian public coffers. Nicolae Ceauşescu called it the House of the Republic, but many Romanians called it the People's House. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the palace is the largest civilian administrative building in the world (The Pentagon is the largest in absolute terms), the most expensive administrative building, and the heaviest building.
16h00 Rest of the day at leisure. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 15 | BRAN CASTLE
AND BRASOV
07h00 – 08h00 Breakfast at the hotel
08h00 – 11h00 Travel to Dracula's castle (Bran)
11h00 – 15h00 Time to explore the castle and have lunch
Bran Castle, located in the vicinity of the city of Brasov, is a national monument and historical landmark of Romania. The fortress is located on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, nestled in the forest at the foot of the Carpathians. Known as the "Dracula's Castle", it is promoted as the residence of the character who gives title to Dracula by Bram Stoker. Currently, the castle houses a museum open to the public, displaying pieces of art and furniture collected by Queen Maria. At the bottom of the hill is a small open-air museum park, which displays traditional peasant structures from Romania, such as huts and barns, representing the whole country.
15h00 – 15h45 Transfer to Brasov
15h45 – 17h00 Arrival in Brasov, hotel check-in and quick rest
17h00 – 19h00 Explore Brasov
The center of Brasov was founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 in an ancient Dacian site and inhabited by the Saxons as one of the seven walled citadels. Brasov exudes a distinctly medieval atmosphere and has been used as a backdrop in many films of the recent period. The city's location at the intersection of the trade routes connecting the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe, together with certain tax breaks, allowed Saxon traders to obtain considerable wealth and exercise strong political influence in the region. This was reflected in the German name of the city, Kronstadt, as well as in its brass name, Corona, which means Crown City (hence, the coat of arms of the city which is a crown with oak roots). Fortifications were built around the city and continuously expanded, with several towers maintained by different artisanal guilds, according to medieval custom.
19h00 Return to the hotel, and the rest of the day at leisure. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 16 | SIBIU
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel
09h00 – 12h00 Travel to Sibiu
12h00 – 16h00 Time to explore Sibiu and have lunch
Sibiu was the largest and richest of the seven walled citadels built in the 12th century by German colonists known as the Transylvanian Saxons. The wealth accumulated by their alliances paid for the construction of impressive buildings and the necessary fortifications to protect them.
The Old Town of Sibiu retains the grandeur of its earlier days when the rich and powerful dominated regional commerce. Like Sighisoara and Brasov, it has a clearly Germanic feeling. The sections of the medieval wall still guard the historic area, where the narrow streets pass through 17th-century buildings with steep roofs before opening into vast squares dominated by the church.
16h00 – 19h00 Travel back to Brasov and the rest of the day at leisure. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 17 | SINAIA
08h00 – 09h00 Breakfast at the hotel
09h00 – 10h00 Travel to Sinaia
10h00 – 14h00 Time to explore Peles Castle and have lunch
Over 40 years ago, dozens of builders, artists, and wooden sculptors built Peles Castle. The neo-Renaissance masterpiece was commissioned by Romania's first king, Carol I, and its first stone laid in 1875. Today, this former royal summer residence is a very popular tourist attraction. Visits are made by a mandatory 40-minute guided tour. Inside, every corner is filled with silk rugs, Murano glass, carved walnut, or polished marble.
14h00 – 16h00 Travel to Bucharest
16h00 Check-in at the hotel, and the rest of the day at leisure. Guide and driver at the client’s disposal for dinner transfer.
DAY 18 | DEPARTURE
FROM BUCHAREST
Transfer to Bucharest airport at a time to be arranged.
End of our services.