Share intimate adventures in Eastern Europe with our carefully curated small group tours. Each journey is led by our hand-selected travel experts, featuring carbon offset initiatives, best price guarantees, and premium tour selections.
I would have liked fewer 1 night stays and more 2 night stays, with a little less driving time. the hotels and meals were great and the boat on the Danube Delta was especially relaxing and enjoyable.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Romania surprised me in many good ways, sufficient infrastructures, kind people and beautiful landscapes, and what can be better than experiencing all these on two wheels! Speaking of the crew, Raz and Geo, what a dream team! They led us to the most enjoyable itinerary and kept everyone safe and sound. They had done an up and beyond job accommodating everyone’s needs, at all time, and that’s not a small thing given 11 of us with wide range of fitness and physical capability. Highly recommend people come to see Romania and do it on two wheels.
Bicycle tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
We had a great time on this trip. The itinerary has a lot of variety -- city/cultural tours plus hiking and rafting in beautiful scenery. Our guide, Csilla, was outstanding -- very patient, upbeat, and calm. She also gave us so much information on the history of the three countries. The wine tasting experience was terrific because we got to interact with old-time, traditional wine makers from the countryside. We've experienced posh wine-tastings at art galleries and hotels in the past, and although they weren't horrible experiences, they felt much more pretentious and much less authentic. Having read some of the previous reviews that were less positive, our comments are: 1) if you want luxury travel, don't book this trip -- when you order a glass of house wine, it will be just that, and no more. It's fine to be a wine snob or a coffee snob or a hotel snob, but don't book a relatively low-priced tour and then be disappointed when you aren't given luxury treatment. Some of the hotel rooms are small and won't accommodate a queen size bed, so there will be two twins. If going for a week without a queen bed is the end of the world for you, find a luxury tour company and pay the additional cost to travel that way. Also, with respect to the hike, the description in the itinerary was totally fine and a reasonable assessment of the difficulty. It would be advisable to have appropriate shoes -- we wore hiking boots and were fine. But any time there is a hike on the itinerary, you should plan ahead and have a fitness routine at home (before departure) to prepare adequately. It is unreasonable to book this trip when you cannot even do the city walks.
RaftingActive and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Budapest, Krakow, Tatra Mountain
Budapest, Krakow, Tatra Mountains, Banska Bystrica
This is the 10th Explore holiday, we have covered places like Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, India and this just covers 5 holidays.
These are not for everyone, as some are very full on, but the two Balkan trips were easy, although some of this group had not read the itinerary properly and this was a bit too much for them!
The Cuba and South America were what I call, sanitised back packing, as sleeping out in the open and you can have very early starts, around 4 am and late finishes.
However, you really see the place and interact with the local people. This is why we love Explore tours.
If you want total comfort and not really interact, then Saga or like is for you, as you do have to rough it on some trips.
One trip in particular was India, two days going up the Ganges on a wooded raft, inches from the water and sleeping on the bank at night with the snakes and wild dogs, just an amazing experience, and you know you are alive!
Another was in the jungle of Cuba, no tent, just under the stars, but I did get attacked by the smallest ants in the night, but still a fantastic experience, one I won’t forget!
Our tour guides have all been very good, but on this trip, Constantin went beyond the norm.
The only criticism on this trip was no local experts and Constantin had to do it all, which makes it very difficult for him to become an expert in every area, town etc.
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel, Villa
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Bucharest, Sofia, Black Sea Regi
Bucharest, Sofia, Black Sea Region, Kaliakra, Transylvania, Sibiu, Belgrade
This is quite a challenging trek and the distances were slightly more than the trip notes. Plenty of steep ups and downs and poles definitely needed. Having said that the scenery is stunning and the trip balanced well. The hut accommodation is pretty comfortable and warm and more of a hostel really with outdoor loos. The huts also provide crocs so no real need to carry spare footwear if you want to save weight and space in your day rucksack.
Walking tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Kafu the guide made all the right choices. He was instrumental in moving things along. Fantastique group on the tour. When Kafu didn't know something he said so. His energy remained high throughout the trip. Lots of sights and sounds and tastes. It filled the mouth and the eyes and the ears and the nose. And, most important, it filled the head.
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Dubrovnik, Sofia, Skopje, Herceg
Dubrovnik, Sofia, Skopje, Herceg Novi, Lake Ohrid, Lake Ohrid, Berat, Tirana
This is a whistle stop tour through Eastern Europe concentrating on the history, culture and architecture of the capitals. A great introduction which will leave you wanting to come back for more.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Prague, Krakow, Vienna, Tatra Mo
Prague, Krakow, Vienna, Tatra Mountains, Banska Bystrica, Budapest, Bratislava
