A wonderful introduction to Turkey, this 8 day tour takes in many of the ancient sites. From the thriving city of Istanbul with a full day tour included, you will move on to explore the WWi battlefields of Gallipoli and the ancient historical sites of Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus and Pamukkale.
NOTE: On 2025 departures the following visits will be replaced:
Ancient Pergamum - Replaced with a visit to Assos.
We had a wonderful trip to Istanbul via Greece. We had no problems with the tours, hotel accommodations or airport transfers organized by Eskapas Travel; they were all excellent. Each of our tour guides was excellent. The drivers were very good at their jobs and friendly people. I had an unforgettable experience with many good memories.
Discover a fascinating region of stunning natural beauty and diverse cultural heritage in exquisite comfort and style.
Uncover the top highlights of the Balkans throughout 7 beautiful countries including Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia. Learn about the countless struggles which have shaped the Balkan ‘powder keg’ in history. Soak in gorgeous monuments and impressive cities as well as spectacular nature. Embrace the colourful cultures and delicious local cuisine while uncovering all the must-see sights from each country.
Excellent tour. Guide Elena was outstanding and driver Zoki was excellent. Learned so much about the region and history of Ancient Macedonia.
The hotel in Skopje, Hotel Centar, was ok but its location was in the middle of several construction sites which was not great.
There were several long drives during the tour but due to the distances covered understandable. Was disappointed with Kratovo although the pipes, herb making and lunch were good.
All in all a great trip
All aspects of trip organisation were fine. The group leader was fantastic, extremely knowledgeable hand always smiling.
The trip is full on, mainly with one night in each hotel. The hotels are OK but many have things broken in the rooms and bathrooms with little ongoing maintenance.
This trip gives you a good overview of each country and knowledge of its history.
It was a packed program, covered a lot of place of interests, mostly good hotels, good guides and co passengers were friendly barring for one lady from Argentina.
From the beautiful Baroque churches of Budapest to the haunted castles of Transylvania, this ten-day journey across Eastern Europe provides a fascinating insight into an intriguing region. Learn about the failed Turkish invasion of Eger and take a wine cellar tour in the Valley of the Beautiful Women. Become acquainted with traditional Romanian culture and customs in Maramures. Tour the medieval churches of Brasov, including Bran Castle and dine with a local family on an overnight homestay in Viscri. Visit Bucharest's 12-storey Palace of Parliament and enjoy free time to explore your favourite sites further. This jam-packed journey perfectly introduces two Eastern European treasures, soaked in fascinating history and featuring modern-day delights.
Join on a discovery of the iconic cities and impressive highlights of the Balkans. Get to discover Sofia, Skopje, Belgrade, Sarajevo and Tirana. Roam the ever-popular and lively Croatian coast while craving the calming serenity and charm of Albania and Montenegro. Chase Alexander the Great from Macedonia to Greece and uncover the mysteries of floating monasteries of Meteora. Meet the Oracle of Delhi before climbing up to the Acropolis to get a panoramic view of a capital of ancient world, Athens. Above all, touch shoulders with countless Balkan civilizations as you witness their beautiful interaction and create lifelong travel memories.
Danilo our Tour Director is one of the very best. This is my 13th Trafalgar your and I can say that Dani was the perfect blend of fun, smart, organized and energetic. Slobodan our bus driver was amazing. They both are now legends for me!
The tour was comprehensive and covered a lot of ground. Seven countries! Great agenda and inclusions. Our Be Our Guest excursion to the Winery and our farewell dinner on our last night are two of the best inclusions I have experienced in my many tours.
I will continue to travel with Trafalgar. I believe as a tour company you offer fair prices, nice hotels, variety of experiences, and enjoyable itinerary.
Our group Explore Leader, Filip Kolic, is highly professional in ensuring our trip is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. He's quick in problem-solving and forward thinking for example he's on top of organising alternative transport back-to-back for our group when early news of regional floodings and landslides had caused disruptions of the railway and road connections to our next destination. Great job there as we were able to reach our next city to continue our planned guided city tour, although quite short. We managed to celebrate our trial & tribulation at a lovely quick dinner next to our hotel! All went well with extra National Park sceneries and travel experiences!
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort, Sleeper Train
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Ljubljana, Pristina, Belgrade, N
Ljubljana, Pristina, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Skopje, Lake Ohrid, Mavrovo National Park, Bled, Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Sarajevo, Mostar, Tivat
Journey through Central Europe and Romania on this 24-day adventure. Travel to Austria and immerse yourself in its rich musical heritage, learn about Polish traditions as you explore Krakow’s Old Town and hike Slovakia's Tatra Mountains. Wander through the Baroque churches of Budapest, see the haunted castles of Transylvania and indulge in a wine cellar tour in the Valley of the Beautiful Women. Spend a night with a local family in Viscri and see Bucharest's 12-storey Palace of Parliament. From Vienna to Bucharest this trip showcases the best of Central Europe while giving you plenty of free time to experience its culture and people in your own way.
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.
This 8-day Turkey tour takes you from bustling Istanbul to the Mediterranean at Kusadasi and then inland to the beautiful scenery of Cappadocia. The itinerary is designed to combine some of Turkey's classic highlights in a week's visit, balancing bustling cities, beautiful scenery, ancient ruins and modern Turkey. You'll stay in a mix of 4-star and boutique style properties along the way.
Starting in Istanbul, the beating heart of Turkey and historically a vitally important connecting point between the continents of Europe and Asia, we visit the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Spice Bazaar, Hippodrome and take a cruise on the Bosphorus before flying south to the Mediterranean coast at Kusadasi. We have two nights here, and a tour to the nearby ruins at Ephesus. One of the best preserved ancient Greek & Roman sites in the whole of the Mediterranean region, this is a spectacular site with a fascinating history. We'll also visit a village famous for producing local fruit wines, and learn about the importance of carpet making in Turkey. Our next stop is at the stepped calcium travertines and hot pools at Pamukkale, before we continue into the centre of Turkey along the ancient Spice Route, passing old caravanserais and visiting the Mervlana museum at Konya on the way. This brings us to picturesque landscape of Cappadocia where we visit the strange rock formations, cave chuches and 'fairy chimneys' in the Goreme valley and venture down into one of the labarynthine underground cities built by Christians centuries ago to hide from persecution. The tour then finishes with a drive (or optional flight) via Ankara back to Istanbul where extra nights are available to spend more time exploring the city.