Balkan Explorer

  • Best price guaranteed
  • No booking fees
4.5 Based on 2 Reviews
  • duration 10 days
  • tour type Small group Request as private
  • age requirement 16-95 yrs
  • max group size 14
  • guiding method Fully guided
  • Tour Code BM-9523
  • Footprint Carbonneutral CO2 emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
  • Operated in English
map
  • Starts Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Ends Sofia, Bulgaria
  • +5
HIGHLIGHTS Download trip notes
  • Discover Skopje and Sofia, two of the most vibrant capitals in the Balkans
  • Visit the Unesco-listed Rila Monastery in Bulgaria
  • Discover the Tikvesh wine region and alluring Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia
  • Explore Prizren, the culture capital of Kosovo
  • Enjoy natural beauty, ancient sites and traditional Balkan cuisine
The "Balkan Explorer" trip starts from and ends in Sofia. The "Balkan Explorer" trip is a food trip that takes 10 days. You will travel through Kosovo, Bulgaria and Macedonia and visit Ohrid, Bitola, Melnik and 4 other destinations. This is a guided small group trip that includes accommodation in hotels, transport, meals and others.

Unlock the central Balkans, where influences from the East and West collide. This trip showcases the cultural highlights of Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Kosovo, home to an invigorating mix of ancient civilisations, Unesco World Heritage landmarks and laidback cities such as Sofia and Skopje. Additionally, a visit to this region of the Balkan Peninsula would not be complete without experiencing the contrasting natural beauty on offer: national parks, high mountains, fertile valleys, wine regions and the peaceful lakes Ohrid and Prespa – all part of this comprehensive itinerary.
ITINERARY Expand All
  • Day 1: Start in Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Day 2: Transfer to Melnik, stopping at the Unesco-listed sites of Boyana Church and Rila Monastery. Free afternoon in Melnik
  • Day 3: Transfer to North Macedonia. Visit the ancient city of Stobi; enjoy wine tasting over dinner in a winery of the Tikvesh wine region
  • Day 4: Drive to Bitola to visit the archaeological site of Heraclea and enjoy a walking tour of the city with free time in the evening
  • Day 5: Pelister National Park walk, beekeepers farm and lunch in Dihovo, transfer to Lake Ohrid via Lake Prespa and Galičica National Park
  • Day 6: Full day in Ohrid, a Unesco World Heritage city. Dinner in a family home in Kuratica village
  • Day 7: Transfer to Kosovo via Tetovo and Šar Planina National Park. Lunch in Varvara and a walking tour in Prizren
  • Day 8: Visit the Unesco-listed Gračanica Monastery before Skopje, followed by a city tour
  • Day 9: Osogovo Monastery visit while transferring back to Sofia for a farewell dinner
  • Day 10: End Sofia
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Accommodation
  • All accommodation
Meals
  • All breakfasts, three lunches and two dinners
Transport
  • Free group arrival and departure transfers available
WHAT'S EXCLUDED
  • Travel insurance
  • Visas and vaccinations
  • Single supplement
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
4.5 - Excellent
Based on 2 reviews
  • Anonymous
  • On Sep 05 2018
5 - Excellent
Great way to explore the region
This is a very nice trip, with no time to get bored. We visited 3 counties in 10 days from the biggest to the smallest cities in the region. It was an interesting contrast. We explored several, churches, monasteries, mosques,... Read more
  • Anonymous
  • On Jun 28 2018
4 - Very Good
Great trip
As the trip title suggests, this is great way to explore Macedonia, with a couple of days in Bulgaria and a day in Kosovo thrown in. The trip took in a good mix of cities, small towns, national parks and lakes (and a lot of... Read more
REQUEST A PRIVATE, CUSTOMIZABLE DEPARTURE By design, this is a group tour. You can however request a private, customized version of this tour for yourself or your private group of people. Private departures are usually more expensive, but come with these benefits:
  • Personal Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
  • Protected Travel within your own bubble.
  • Professional Access our Travel Specialists' insider knowledge.
  • Privacy Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.
Request a private and/or personalized departure To design a private tour, we'll ask you some more information in the following steps.
Why Book with Bookmundi
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4.65 Average 674 Reviews
GOOD TO KNOW Download trip notes
CANCELLATION

No additional cancellation fees apply for this Balkan Explorer tour. You can cancel the tour up to 93 days prior departure and avoid paying the full amount, but your deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applies for cancellations within 92 days of departure.

Payment

For any tour departures within 28 June 2024, full payment is required. For tours that depart later than 28 June 2024, a deposit of 25% is required to confirm this tour, and the remaining balance will be charged 92 days before trip departure.

Travel Insurance

Balkan Explorer tour requires that you have adequate and valid travel insurance covering medical and personal accidents, including repatriation costs and emergency evacuation. World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families.

Visa

For this Balkan Explorer tour getting the required visa(s) is the responsibility for each individual traveller, as visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We recommend to check with your local embassies representing the countries that you are traveling to, as part of this itinerary.

COVID-19 Safety Measures

This trip incorporates the following COVID-19 measures:

  • This tour has received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, which provides travellers with assurance that COVID-19 health and hygiene protocols have been adhered to.
  • Group sizes are kept small to maintain a low risk ‘small group bubble’, with an average of 10 guests in each group.
  • Hygiene safety measures and distancing will be followed in transportation, accommodation and meal venues.
  • Several COVID-19 distancing measures have been adopted on this package tour to keep travellers safe.
  • All travellers will be required to be fully vaccinated no less than two weeks prior to travel.
NEED HELP OR HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS TOUR?
If you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We're ready to help.
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