Eastern Europe Group Tours

Although the weather was challenging (very hot) our leader and our mountain guide made the most of the available alternatives. Our leader Gabi was sociable, extremely knowledgeable and always ready with a suggestion for activities or restaurants. The Penny Grand spa hotel was truly superb and I took the opportunity to have a foot and leg massage - heavenly!

Poland is a lovely country to visit great food, transport, views, accommodation, very reasonable prices for taxis, museum tickets etc. The coutryside is not very busy with other visitors or hikers until you come to the mountain hsuts were the service is generally very efficient.

Hiking the Polish Carpathians was a very good experience. The only downside was the extreme temperatures (36 degrees) and humidity, both of which were outside the control of Explore. Gabi the tour leader was very good and gave great insight into Polish culture and history. The leader had to make a judgement call on the first hiking day when it was clear that some of the group would struggle to make the summit of the first hike, due to high temperatures and exposed approach to the summit, the leader opted for a lower elevation and shaded route. Some of the group were not happy with decision, but it was the right call and showed good leadership skills. I would recommend either arriving a few days early or staying on at the end of the tour to experience more of what Krakow have to offer. E.g excursions to Auschwitz, Schindler's Factory and Salt Mines.

Krakow is a beautiful city with a rich history and culture to explore. The Carpathian Mountains are just as good for walking as The Alps but not yet as visited.

Transylvania is a fantastic destination for hiking with stunning scenery, fabulous views, and so many wildflowers. The areas we hiked in felt remote and unspoilt. We saw very few hikers on the routes we took and even had one of the mountain huts to ourselves. As some of the other reviews say, this is a challenging week and requires a good head for heights (some parts are very exposed) and a good level of fitness. The days are long (8-10 hours of walking on the first three days, 6 hours on the last three days as the walks were cut short to avoid afternoon storms) which means little 'down time'. The terrain is varied (rocks and scree, pastures, meadows, forests). A significant amount of scrambling is required the first three days, and in particular the third when heading up to La Om. The other days don't require scrambling but are still demanding in terms of the terrain and elevation gain/loss. Two nights are spent in simple huts, with basic facilities (outside drop toilets), but the location of Cabana Malaiesti is spectacular as well worth it.

All sites visited were historical, impressive, memorable. Our tour guide’s knowledge of these sites was extensive and he relayed all history in a manner we could easily understand. We also visited an Ossuary near Prague, catacombs under St. Stephen’s Chapel in Vienna, The Shoes on the Danube in Budapest, along with the Hospital In The Rock, The House of Houdini. Saw the Vienna Boys Choir after a mass delivered in German and Latin, that we understood not a word of, in Vienna. The entire experience was wonderful, very worthwhile!!!