Treasures of the Balkans
16 Day Tour to Romania, Croatia, Sofia & Budapest | Operated by InsightVacations
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16 Days
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8 Countries
Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia -
15 Cities
Bucharest, Bran Castle, Brasov, Sinaia, Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanasi, Sofia, Skopje, Ohrid, Tirana, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Mostar, Sarajevo, Belgrade -
23 Meals
9 Dinner with Wines, 14 Breakfasts -
Pace: Active
Faster paces with mix of 1–2-night stays in each location. Typically features 4+ miles of walking on some days and may involve steep hills and uneven surfaces, such as cobblestones.
Trip Itinerary
Welcome to Bucharest! Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for your Welcome Dinner, served with wine at a local restaurant.
Join a Local Expert for sightseeing to view University Square and the former communist headquarters. Visit the immense Parliament Palace, one of the most impressive buildings in the world. Enjoy a delicious private dinner in the recently renovated Queen Mary’s Tea House. This evening after the crowds have left enjoy a private visit to the iconic Bran Castle, said to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. Learn about Queen Maria of Romania, the last inhabitant of the castle, visit the torture rooms and relive the tales of the infamous Count Dracula.
Travel along the Prahova Valley to the elegant mountain resort of Sinaia to visit Peleș Castle. Admire the lavish rooms filled with art, armor and tapestries. Return through the Carpathian Mountains to the charming medieval city of Brașov, founded in 1211 by the Teutonic Knights. With your Local Expert, walk around Town Hall Square, lined with beautiful red-roofed houses and dominated by the Black Church.
Cross the Danube into Bulgaria and continue to Veliko Tarnovo, the City of the Tsars, where houses cling to the cliffs of the River Yantra, making it one of the country's most beautiful towns. In the evening, enjoy dinner at your hotel.
Meet your Local Expert to climb up to the ruined Tsarevets Fortress, a reminder of the town's former imperial status. Enjoy the stunning views over the old Bulgarian capital and the Yantra Valley. Arbanasi is one of Bulgaria’s most beautiful villages and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The frescoed churches and fortified dwellings offer a unique insight into the former wealth and spiritual commitment of the settlement. Visit a traditional 17th century merchant's house and the Church of the Holy Nativity. Cross the Balkan Mountains to Bulgaria's modern day capital of Sofia. On arrival, sightseeing with a Local Expert takes you to St. Sofia Church, across the square from the golden domed St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the archaeological complex, dominated by the church of St. George Rotonda.
Enjoy the day at your leisure. Perhaps visit the Rila Monastery to enjoy a fascinating insight into the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria?
Cross the border and continue to the North Macedonian capital of Skopje, an ultra-modern city juxtaposed by an ancient bazaar, where Turkish influences can still be seen and felt. Enjoy sightseeing with a Local Expert.
Making your way to the border, stop by the scenic Lake Ohrid for lunch. Cross into Albania and journey to Tirana, renowned for its friendly locals. Continue to the landmark Skanderbeg Square for an insider’s look at the Albanian capital with a Local Expert.
Journey through the spectacular scenery of Montenegro to the Old Town of Kotor, known as Stari Grad. Located beside a beautiful bay near the limestone cliffs of Mt. Lovćen, its no surprise it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At night, you may choose from a fine selection of restaurants for your Dine-Around Evening.
Join a Local Expert for a morning of exploring the stone-paved streets within the 16th century bastions. See Onofrio's Fountain and the Rector's Palace, the city walls and the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries. Visit the workshop of Deša during a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. This important educational center supports vulnerable communities and promotes local cultural heritage. The rest of the day is free for you to immerse yourself in the beautiful surroundings. Perhaps enjoy an Optional Experience to a stunning town on the Adriatic coast, Cavtat, where you can wander along the pine-forest paths beside the crystal-clear sea.
Spend a day at leisure in the Pearl of the Adriatic. Sunbathe by the pool or stroll with friends along the ancient city walls. Perhaps join an Optional Experience to learn about olive oil traditions at an ancient mill, followed by a delightful home-cooked meal.
Journey to Mostar. With your Local Expert, see the famous Stari Most, the Old Bridge, reconstructed after being almost completely destroyed during the war. Explore the cobbled streets of the Old Town, stretching on both sides of the bridge and filled with shops selling traditional handicrafts. Continue your travels following the scenic route to Sarajevo for a unique and rewarding insight into the local way of life as you are invited into a Sarajevan family home for a dinner with drinks. Savor the authentic cuisine as you hear inspirational stories.
Explore Sarajevo with Insight Choice. Choose to meet an expert on the Bosnian War for a visit to Sarajevo’s astonishing Tunnel of Hope. Alternatively, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience for a nature walk to the spring of the Bosna River, a protected park just beyond the city, led by a conservation guide. The rest of the afternoon is for you to explore as you wish.
Trace your way along the Drina River, that lies on the border of Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Take in beautiful landscapes of lush, green mountains that create magical forest canyons, winding your way through deep valleys as you make your way to Belgrade.
Join a Local Expert to see the best of Belgrade including Terazije Street, the national museum and national theater in Republic Square, as well as a visit to the famous St. Sava Church. Finish your sightseeing at the Kalemegdan Fortress, situated at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure before joining your fellow travelers for a Celebration Farewell Dinner this evening.
Our journey through the Balkans has come to an end. All that’s left is to say a fond doviđenja as you bid your new friends farewell.
Price Includes
Dining Summary- - 9 Dinner with Wines (DW)
- - 14 Breakfasts (B)
- Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for your Welcome Dinner served with wine.
- You will be offered a varied selection of charming restaurants to choose from for your Dine-Around Evening.
- You are invited into a Sarajevan family home for a dinner and drinks. Savor the warm hospitality and authentic cuisine as you hear inspirational stories about their culture.
- Experience authentic Bosnian coffee and learn about the traditional ritual of coffee preparation.
- Learn about the story of the infamous Count Dracula during a private after-hours visit of Bran Castle, followed by dinner.
- Meet an expert of the Bosnian War for a visit to Sarajevo's Tunnel of Hope and hear a first-hand account of when the city was under siege for 44 months. Alternatively, take a nature walk to the spring of the Bosna River, a picturesque park just beyond the city.
- During sightseeing with your Local Expert see University Square and the former Communist Headquarters.
- Walk the cavernous halls of the vast Palace of Parliament, learn about the history and listen to amusing tales from your Local Expert.
- Witness the opulent and sumptuous decor in Peleș Castle, the fairy-tale Royal summer residence, at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains.
- Ascend Tsarevets, the King's Hill, crowned by a ruined medieval citadel. Enjoy the views and imagine yourself back in the days of the Crusades when this was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.
- At the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Arbanassi, visit a traditional 17th century merchants' house and enjoy the acoustics in the Church of the Holy Nativity.
- Sightseeing with your Local Expert takes you to St. Sofia Church, across the square from the golden domed St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the archaeological complex, dominated by the church of St. George Rotonda.
- Visit the capital of Macedonia with your Local Expert, explore Square Macedonia and see the Stone Bridge before walking through the Old Bazaar.
- Walk the cobbled, narrow streets of the Old Town.
- Meet a local resident who will show you Skanderbeg Square and walk you through their home city as they explain what it's like to live in the Albanian capital.
- Visit the Stari Grad, also referred to as the Old Town, perfectly positioned on a beautiful bay.
- Explore the Pearl of the Adriatic with your Local Expert. Walk the stone-paved streets of the Old Town to see Onofrio's Fountain, Rector's Palace and the medieval city walls. Admire the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries.
- Learn the history and symbolic significance of Stari Most and explore the old town with your Local Expert.
- A Local Expert will show you St. Sava Church, Terazije Street, the national museum, national theater, Republic Square and the Kalemegdan Fortress.
- Visit the workshop of Deša, an organization founded following the Siege of Dubrovnik to help refugees and women who were victims of violence. They have grown to be an important educational center, workshop and an advocate for women’s rights. Through its meaningful work Deša continues to act as a safe space for women to support one another, provides training opportunities and sponsors the revival of traditional crafts. This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.
- Take a nature walk to the spring of the Bosna River, a protected park just beyond the city, led by a conservation guide.
Optional Experiences
Optional Experiences are subject to change. Your Travel Director will supply you with a final list of Optional Experiences available on your trip. Optional Experiences cannot be booked online; they can be purchased during your trip through your Travel Director.
Traditional Dinner in the Transylvanian Alps (Available on Day 3)Join us for gorgeous views of Brasov and the Carpathians as we journey deep into the Transylvanian Alps to Poiana Brasov, one of the best preserved mountain areas in Eastern Europe. This well-known winter resort has long been reserved for the rich and powerful. This atmospheric setting serves as the perfect location for traditional Romanian cuisine.
Adult Price: €63 Rila Monastery With Lunch (Available on Day 6)Rising out of a forested valley, the magnificent Rila Monastery is the largest and most important symbol of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Founded in the 10th century, it has lasted in various incarnations throughout the ages. From the outside, the monastery looks like a fortress, yet once through the gates you are bedazzled by a series of kaleidoscopic frescoes and red-and-cream striped brickwork, set against the vertiginous green mountains. A local expert explains the apocalyptic artwork beneath horseshoe shaped arches, while black-robed monks go about their business. A truly wonderful day out with lunch included.
Adult Price: €59 Traditional Bulgarian Dinner with Musical Entertainment (Available on Day 6)Experience traditional Bulgarian cuisine with live folk music at one of the oldest folk-style restaurants in Sofia, housed in restored Revival houses dating back from 1866.
Adult Price: €68 Cavtat Excursion (Available on Day 10)The road to Cavtat overlooks the steep coast of the Adriatic sea and presents several opportunities for postcard perfect views. Continue to Cavtat, one of the most enchanting seaside resorts in Croatia - a Mecca for the rich and famous who come every year to moor their yachts at the entrance of Cavtat Bay.
Adult Price: €26 Scenic Cruise and Lunch or Dinner (Available on Day 10)Sit back and enjoy a relaxing cruise around the fabled bay of Dubrovnik. The mighty city walls rise straight from the cliffs that once upon a time were part of yet another island of the Adriatic. Enjoy a typical Dalmatian coast dinner, washed down with local drinks (wine and grappa being the most famous). Then we'll moor for another look at Dubrovnik.
Adult Price: €79 Ancient Olive Press & Agro-Tourism Experience (Available on Day 11)Visit a household in a little village above Dubrovnik. Begin with a short walk through the old part of the village while learning about rural living and the Village itself. You are welcomed into the home to enjoy a homemade meal with wine while learning about olive oil production the old-fashioned way and about our hosts: A perfect way to get to know the locals and their lifestyle!
Adult Price: €69 Charm of Old Sarajevo (Available on Day 13)For centuries Sarajevo has been a place where East meets West, where different people and religions lived side-by-side. Start exploring the old town with a visit inside the beautiful City Hall then a short walk to the Latin Bridge where the infamous shooting of Franz Ferdinand shook the world, then a guided visit of the biggest Mosque in the Balkans. Enjoy a typical lunch in the old Bascarsija quarter then do as the locals and savor a Bosnian coffee. They even have a word for the pleasure experienced in this daily tradition - coffee with ceif!
Adult Price: €47 Traditional Bosnian Dinner with Entertainment (Available on Day 13)Enjoy a typical Bosnian evening in an authentic restaurant, famous for its local cuisine. With lively entertainment, it truly is an unforgettable evening in Sarajevo.
Adult Price: €62 The Genius & The Leader (Available on Day 15)The Genius and the Leader Title 'The Genius' is dedicated to Nikola Tesla, undoubtedly one of the biggest inventors and the scientists of our modern age. He spent the most productive years of his life in the USA, registering nearly 120 patents. We'll unravel the stories behind some of his genius inventions and hear the legends that surrounded 'the man who invented the twentieth century'. Later we visit the resting place of former Yugoslavian President – Josip Broz Tito at the House of Flowers built in 1975. as winter garden near to the leader’s Belgrade home. Featuring impressive views of the city and surrounded by tranquillity, this is not just a scenic discovery, but an important historical landmark as well. Our Local Specialist will share interesting stories of Tito and his rule.
Adult Price: €39