Highlights
Legendary Castles - Uncover the myths at Castle Bran and marvel at the stained glass and décor in Peles Castle. Belgrade - Discover the Ottoman, Roman and Communist history in the old capital of Yugoslavia. Rila Monastery - Visit this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site with its brightly coloured frescoes.
Itinerary
Take our grand tour to discover the highlights of Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria. Explore bustling capital cities, steeped in history, as well as rolling Transylvanian countryside, the Rose Valley and the Black Sea coast. Along the way, delve into the region's history from ancient Roman times up until their more recent communist regimes.
day 1Join trip in Bucharest, Romania
Our trip begins today in Bucharest, Romania's vibrant capital. Once hailed the \ Paris of the East', the city lost much of its grandeur during its harsh communist regime and an earthquake in 1977. Today, it's reemerged as a European gem, thanks to its mix of Art Nouveau and Brutalist architecture, picturesque parks and thriving cultural scene. For those arriving on time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Bucharest at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP), which is around a 30-minute drive from the city centre. If you miss the welcome meeting, our tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If you arrive earlier in the day, there's plenty to discover in the city's Old Town and many museums to choose from including the National Museum of Romanian History, the Military Museum and the Folk Art Museum.
day 2Walking tour of Bucharest; free afternoon to explore the city further
day 3Drive to the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania; visit to remarkable Peles Castle and Bran Castle
day 4Explore medieval Brasov and the walled city of Sibiu
day 5See King Decebalus' statue and take a dip in riverside hot springs
day 6Explore ancient Roman Viminacium and arrive in Belgrade, Serbia
day 7Visit to the laidback city of Novi Sad; explore Belgrade on foot
day 8See the rock formations at Devil's Town and Skull Tower in Nis
day 9Arrive in Sofia, Bulgaria and visit the Soviet Army Monument by metro
day 10Explore Rila Monastery; chance to visit the Museum of Socialist Art
day 11See Plovdiv Roman Theatre and a Thracian tomb in the Rose Valley
day 12Visit Shipka Memorial Church, Etar Museum and Tsarevets Fort
day 13Discover Varna and Balchik on the Black Sea coast
day 14Visit Kaliakra Fortress and take a walk along the cliff tops
day 15Return to Bucharest, Romania
day 16Trip ends in Bucharest, Romania
What's Included
Customer Reviews
Journeys between places visited were too long, but the visits were all interesting and well organised, with a lovely guide.
An excellent overview of three Balkan countries, with a reasonable amount of free time to self explore / chill out. Itinerary was good, the only place that felt like a "filler" was Kaliarka Fortress on day 15 - I would trade this part of the itinerary for more time elsewhere (either in the Palace Gardens at Balchik, or in any of the 3 capital cities). All accommodation better than expected. The local guide was excellent, though a little nervous as it was only his second tour. A bigger bus would've been nice as there is a good amount of time spent in the vehicle (driving ca 3,200km).
The tour was GREAT - a lot was packed into the two weeks, but there was more free time than I expected. Our guide was great, very kind, thoughtful, caring and ORGANISED! We covered a LOT of miles and the minibus was pretty comfortable, and we always had regular stops. So much to see - churches, historical buildings, the Danube (!), beautiful cities and lovely countryside. I'd definitely recommend this tour if you are interested in history and culture.
Our tour leader Constantin was amazing and made sure that everyone had a fabulous time. We could not have asked for a better person. He worked hard to ensure everything went to plan, provided clear instructions for each day, gave valuable historical and cultural information and was a great guy to chat to and spend time with. He organised group dinners and arranged additional activities/visits as requested by group members eg boat trip on Danube. We had a delay at immigration on the Serbian boarder and Constantin worked hard to ensure that we held our place in the queue. Overall we were amazed by the whole trip and are very grateful to Constantine and the driver Christian for their hard work and friendship.
Great tour with exceptionally good tour leader. The walks in the countryside were my favourite parts of the days. The relatively small size of the group - 10 was appreciated. Any larger number would have needed a larger bus as being squashed on the long journeys would have been very uncomfortable.
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