Four Balkans Tour - Cancelled from 2024

Itinerary

Open-age Escorted Coach Tour conducted in English (possibly up to 40pax). Double bed or twin bed rooms available. Solo travellers must book a room for solo use with a supplement (no 'share' option unless with your own companion/s).

This comprehensive tour visits Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia i Herzegovina and Serbia. Visit the UNESCO -World Heritage listed old towns of Split and Dubrovnik, and Sarajevo; one of the historically most interesting cities in Europe.

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INCLUSIONS AND FULL ITINERARY:
11 days from Zagreb, Lake Bled, Ljubljana, Plitvice Lakes, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, (Korcula), Mostar, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Osijek/Vukovar, and back to Zagreb

INCLUDED:
• 10 nights Hotel accommodation
• Arrival transfer from Zagreb Airport to hotel on first day of tour
• Departure transfer from hotel to Zagreb Airport on the last day of the tour
• Air-conditioned vehicle with driver at group's disposal as per itinerary.
• Experienced English-speaking Tour Escort throughout

Meals Included:
• Buffet Breakfast daily
• 8 Hotel Dinners
• 2 Lunches: Ilok and Stara Kapela
• Wine tasting in Ilok

Sightseeing Walking Tours Included:
• Zagreb
• Ljubljana
• Plitvice Lakes
• Zadar
• Split
• Dubrovnik
• Sarajevo
• Beograd
• Novi Sad
• Osijek

Entrances Included:
• Plitvice Lakes National Park
• Diocletian's Palace Split
• Etno Village Stara Kapela

Hotel list:
Zagreb - Hotel Astoria 4star or similar
Bled - Hotel Kompas 4star or similar
Plitvice - Hotel Jezero 3star or similar
Split - Hotel Atrium 5staror similar
Dubrovnik - Hotel Valamar (Argosy/Lacroma) 4star or similar
Sarajevo - Hotel Colors In 4star or similar
Beograd - Hotel Zira 4star or similar
Osijek - Hotel Osijek 4star or similar

NOT INCLUDED:
• Meals not listed
• Tips and gratuities
• Porterage
• Transfers on days other than the scheduled start and finish days, unless you book the pre/post stay with the tour.

# Optional Excursion:
• Korcula; day trip from Dubrovnik: ~ €55 per person (book while on the tour)

ITINERARY:
Arrive anytime the first day, first overnight in Zagreb. Check-in to your room from 14.00hrs. Passengers who arrive earlier can leave their bags at Reception until their room is ready. Dinner and first overnight in hotel, so late arrivals are possible. Dinner around 7pm. Arrival airport transfer included. See the noticeboard in Reception.

DAY 1 Wednesday: Arrival to ZAGREB (D)
Transfer on the day of the tour from Zagreb airport, or another hotel in Zagreb to the tour hotel, rest of the day at leisure. Dinner at the hotel with your fellow guests. Please check the noticeboard or with hotel reception for the exact time for dinner, but it's usually around 7pm. If you arrive late, the hotel will provide you with a meal. Overnight in Zagreb.
# Included: Dinner at hotel ~7pm
# Included: Arrival transfer from airport, train station or other hotel

DAY 2 Thursday: ZAGREB tour, then to BLED (B, D)
Morning sightseeing tour of Zagreb, Croatian capital city, gives you the opportunity to see the fortified Upper Town, the city’s historical center, St Mark’s church with its multi-colored roof, the Cathedral, Croatian National Theatre and the University. Through the carved facades of buildings and baroque churches, we see many green spaces and terraces of cafes where the locals like to gather. Early afternoon departure to Bled, small town in the Julian Alps which could be a setting for a classic fairy tale: immense natural beauty with mountains and forest surrounding an emerald glacial lake, an island in the middle of the lake with a church steeple and its wishing bell, a cliff top castle with picturesque views, and a well-known sweet treat, Bled cream cake. Bled, together with its surroundings, ranks among the most beautiful alpine resorts and is renowned also for its mild, healing climate and thermal lake water. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Bled.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Walking Tour of Zagreb

DAY 3 Friday: to LJUBLJANA, then to PLITVICE (B, D)
Morning departure to Ljubljana, Slovenian capital where you will have a guided tour of the most significant sights of its old center: the picturesque Central open-air Market and the Three Bridges, the Baroque Town Hall and Robba’s Fountain. After Ljubljana we are continuing our journey to Plitvice lakes, well-known UNESCO World Heritage Site, natural beauty of the 16 crystal - blue lakes cascading into 92 spectacular waterfalls. Walk on the wooden promenades with magnificent views on the waters where every turn leads to a breathtaking scenery and yet another waterfall. Surrounded by dense woods, Plitvice lakes are a natural phenomenon of rare and unique beauty. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Plitvice area.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Walking Tour of Ljubljana
# Included: Walking Tour of Plitvice Lakes (including entrance fee)

DAY 4 Saturday: to ZADAR then to SPLIT (B, D)
Morning departure towards Zadar, where upon arrival we'll be taking you for a guided walking tour through the Roman Forum from the 2nd century BC, passing by the 9th century pre-Romanesque church of St. Donatus as well as St. Anastasia church. Departure towards Split. Upon arrival this afternoon, our local guide will uncover for you the secrets of the UNESCO protected Diocletian’s Palace and its cellars. This Roman emperor spared no expense for the construction of a sumptuous residence, importing best quality marble, sphinx and columns. The original palace was modified by its new inhabitants during the middle Ages, but making it even more beautiful and what it is today: the city's living heart. Its narrow streets hide passageways and courtyards, some deserted and eerie, others lively and animated by the music from bars and cafes, or by the everyday life of its residents. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Split.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Walking Tour of Zadar
# Included: Walking Tour of Split

DAY 5 Sunday: to DUBROVNIK; (B, D)
After breakfast, departure to Dubrovnik. Regardless of whether you are visiting Dubrovnik for the first time or the hundredth, there's that sense of awe when you set eyes on the beauty of this old town. Immerse yourselves into the symphony of the city’s marble streets, baroque buildings and the endless shimmer of the Adriatic. Upon arrival, we enjoy a locally guided walking tour of this UNESCO protected 'Pearl of the Adriatic' and its Cathedral. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Dubrovnik.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Walking Tour of Dubrovnik

DAY 6 Monday: In DUBROVNIK (B, D)
Day at leisure to enjoy Dubrovnik on your own, or perhaps join our optional day trip to Korcula. Dinner at the hotel is included, but of course you may prefer to experience one of the many famous restaurants in Dubrovnik this evening. Overnight in Dubrovnik.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Optional: Korcula Excursion by coach (book and pay while on tour). Korčula holds an indisputable privileged position among the Croatian islands. Here we find more legends, tales and monuments than anywhere else. Being famous stonemasons, shipbuilders and seafarers the people of Korčula left their marks all over the world, but they saved their best works for their own city. Experience the narrow streets, beautiful churches and magnificent palaces in one of the best preserved Medieval towns in the Mediterranean. After the locally-guided walking tour, you have free time for lunch or even swimming. On the return journey, a stop will be made in one of the well-known wine cellars of the Pelješac Peninsula to sample some of the excellent local wine.

DAY 7 Tuesday: to MOSTAR, then to SARAJEVO (B, D)
Morning departure to Mostar, city of bridges, where the traveller from the south gets the first glimpse of the continent beyond. Our Tour Leader will guide you on an orientational walk of Mostar, before leaving you with free time for lunch. Then we depart towards Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo is one of the historically most interesting cities in Europe. It is the place where the Western & the Eastern Roman Empire split and where the people of the Orthodox East, the Ottoman South and the Roman Catholic West met, both an example of the clash of civilizations and of historical turbulences and a beacon of hope for peace and tolerance, reached through multi-cultural integration. City tour of Sarajevo upon arrival. Dinner and overnight in Sarajevo.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Time in Mostar
# Included: Walking Tour of Sarajevo

DAY 8 Wednesday: to BELGRADE (B, D)
Morning departure to Belgrade, capital of Serbia. Short break will be made in Zvornik, charming little town in the northeastern Bosnia on Drina river. Belgrade is situated at the place where Sava joins the Danube river. There are spots in Belgrade you must definitely see and feel. Streets, squares, monuments, parks, fountains, archeological sites. Many of them have been given the status of cultural assets. Upon arrival a guided tour of this beautiful city between two rivers famous by its sunsets. Free time after the tour, perhaps take a quick visit to the Museum of Yugoslavia. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Belgrade.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Walking Tour of Belgrade

DAY 9 Thursday: to NOVI SAD, then to VUKOVAR / OSIJEK (B, L)
Morning departure to Novi Sad (Serbia's second largest city), located on Danube river. Novi Sad's position at one of the continent's true crossroads and history as a multinational commercial and transit center has left it endowed with historical and cultural sights that even much larger cities have difficulty matching. Novi Sad has much to boast about, from the imposing fortress on the opposite bank to the churches representing numerous denominations throughout the old town's exceedingly pleasant pedestrian zone to several unheralded but noteworthy museums and art galleries. Our local guide will show us all "must see“ locations. After the guided tour of Novi Sad we will continue towards Ilok. You will have opportunity to taste wines in one of the famous Croatia wine cellars “Iločki Podrumi” followed by a traditional lunch. On our way to Osijek we will stop in Vukovar which is the biggest Croatian river port located at the confluence of Vuka River in Danube, a town also known as a symbol of the Croatian war for independence, as it arose from the ashes of the '90s into the proud city that it is today. In the late afternoon hours we will end this day. Overnight in Osijek or Vukovar.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Traditional lunch
# Included: Walking Tour of Novi Sad

DAY 10 Friday: OSIJEK tour, then to ZAGREB (B, L)
You will start you morning with the city tour of Osijek. Osijek Pancake - flat, rich in rivers, Slavonia has unique natural wonders and delicious regional cuisine that will take your breath away: endless plains, the intense yellow of its corn and sunflower fields, the flavors of its cuisine that will make all your senses travel.... Osijek, the largest city in eastern Croatia, beautifully settled on the banks of Drava river. Osijek remains a popular tourist destination for its Baroque style, open spaces and lots of recreational opportunities. Located in one of the most fertile and most certainly the biggest agricultural area of Croatia, the town is its semi-official gastronomic capital. City tour passes by the Cathedral and the Tvrdja (Old Fort). We are continuing our drive and the first thing you see when approaching Djakovo from either side is the brightness of the bricks of the two towers and cupolas of its Cathedral, beauty of which welcomes the visitors. After the visit, departure towards Zagreb followed by a visit to the Ethno Village of Stara Kapela for a lunch (no drinks included) of the products of the Pannonia soil. Overnight in Zagreb.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Lunch at Stara Kapela
# Included: Walking Tour of Osijek

DAY 11 Saturday: Zagreb - End of Tour (B)
Breakfast at hotel and check-out. Departure transfer from the tour hotel to Zagreb airport in time for your flight, or to other hotels in Zagreb. You can leave your bags at hotel reception until your transfer pick-up if your departure is after check-out time.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Departure transfer to airport, train station or other hotel

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
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