Explore the Baroque churches of Budapest and haunted castles of Transylvania on this 18-day journey across Eastern Europe. Learn about the failed Turkish invasion of Eger and take a guided wine cellar tour in the Valley of the Beautiful Women. Discover the medieval churches of Brasov, dine with a local family on an overnight homestay in Viscri and visit Bucharest's 12-storey Palace of Parliament. Compare age-old places of worship in Sofia, breathe in crisp alpine air on a hike in the Pirin Mountains and meander back in time in the Old Town of Plovdiv.
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Home-stay, Hotel
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Budapest, Sofia, Bucharest, Veli
Budapest, Sofia, Bucharest, Veliko Tarnovo, Bansko, Plovdiv, Istanbul, Eger, Maramures, Sighisoara, Viscri, Brasov
Good introductory tour to the Balkans. Need a bus-seat rotation plan to prevent some passengers from hogging the good seats. Choose buses that provide USB charging ports. Avoid less organised hotels where coffee and food runs out, such as in Hotel Marinela in SOFIA and Hotel Panorama in Veliko Tarnovo. Choose hotels that serve breakfast early, at least at 7:00AM, e.g. Panorama in Veliko Tarnovo serves breakfast only at 7:30AM and tour leaves at 8AM, not enough time. Choose hotels that provide express-laundry services as we do not have time to look for laundromats elsewhere. When arriving too early at a city to check-in at hotel, do not waste time unloading bags first, directly go on city tour then come back at check-in time. Maybe reduce a day from Bulgaria or Croatia and add at least a day more in Serbia, which is rich in history. If possible design a new tour to cover all Balkan states and add Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania.
City sightseeingWalking tours
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Athens, Zagreb, Timisoara, Belgr
Athens, Zagreb, Timisoara, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Dubrovnik, Split, Opatija, Ljubljana, Kalabaka, Sandanski, Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Bucharest, Sighisoara