Turkey is a country that divides people. Some love it, some don't. Nevertheless, had an amazing time and cannot recommend this tour enough. You might not love their political landscape, but that does not mean you won't love travelling in beautiful Turkey.
Short on time but eager to explore? The 'Balkan Dreams end Albania' tour is a 6-day city sightseeing journey from Zagreb to Tirana, covering Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Sarajevo. Seniors will appreciate the thoughtfully organized hotels, transport, and meals, making travel effortless. The highlight: a concise, cross-country itinerary that provides a meaningful taste of the Balkans’ history and culture with maximum comfort.
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.
I absolutely loved the tour! Istanbul was far more mysterious and grand than I ever expected. Our driver, Melih, was incredibly friendly, honest, and always willing to help. His genuine nature added a special touch to our trip. I highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to discover the true magic of Istanbul and Cappadocia.
We just got back from the Best of Europe (22 day tour) and it was an amazing experience, but group travel is not for everyone. If you want to meet new people to explore Europe with & can handle being on a schedule - then group travel is for you. If you want to isolate yourself, have trouble with compromise, and are looking to complain about your fellow travelers and the tour guide - then group travel is not for you.
Emma (tour guide) was amazing and reminded professional throughout the tour. She was always willing to answer questions and give a quick history & language lesson about the different cities in Europe. She made the entire trip enjoyable and manageable as she is an excellent communicator.
As for the tour itself, there are a lot of cities and, at times, it's hard to keep them straight - but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This tour gives you a good sense of what Europe is like and where one may want to visit again. The local tour guides were very good for the most part
City sightseeingAdventure
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
10-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Budapest, Paris, Rome, London, V
Budapest, Paris, Rome, London, Venice, Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam, Prague, Pisa, Zagreb, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Heidelberg, Siena
More time is needed in Acropolis Delphi and Dion,
the museum of the Acropolis was not on the itinerary which is a shame
especially that there was not free time to see it by ourself
Wow to Turkey. So many things to say. Stunning landscapes, amazing cities, beautiful beaches, delicious meals and soooo much incredible history. Everything is also very affordable even with the very low Australian dollar right now. Best of all is the people, they are all full of personality, jokes and kindness. As a solo female traveler, no one hassled me (although I'm in my 50's) and I never felt unsafe at any time.
Bus toursCity sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers