26 Days | From remote islands to ancient salt mines, explore the Balkans in depth
Unlock the cultural treasure chest of the Balkans on an in-depth 26-day Premium adventure from Split to Bucharest. Amazing beaches and sunshine give way to medieval towns and castles as lesser known National Parks provide an incredible mountianous backdrop. Get away from the modern world and in with the locals on the remote and beautiful island of Lastovo, and soak up ancient riches of Transylvania, and discover Tara National Park’s spectacular scenery on foot and riding the rails on a historic steam train. Bursting with culinary delights and cultural wonders - the Balkans has it all.
Trip overview
- Start
- Split, Croatia
- Finish
- Bucharest, Romania
- Theme
- Explorer
- Destinations
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania, Serbia
- Physical rating
- Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
- Style
- Premium
- Ages
- Min 15
- Group size
- Min 1 - Max 12
- Trip code
- ZMPDC
- Follow a local guide through Diocletian's Palace in Split, where narrow cobblestone streets are lined with pre-Romanesque churches, Gothic chapels and museums.
- Spend two nights in Santa Lucia Heritage Hotel – your Feature Stay in Split –located right in the popular Pjaca (also known as the Peoples Square). This gorgeous 1776 building was recently restored and features the la luce terrace, a secret garden and private dining options
- Take a scenic steam train ride through Tara National Park’s forests and mountains on a historic railway that forms part of the famous Ciro trail connecting Belgrade and the Adriatic Sea, a Premium Exclusive Experience.
- Explore Balkan history, discovering Saxon villages with fairytale scenery, mideivel Old Towns with pretty market squares, and Orthodox monasteries where you'll taste the famous Tvrdos wine made by its monks.
- Croatia’s coast is very hilly and mountainous, which means lots of steps are an inherent feature of the landscape. Also, stone streets become very slippery when wet, so good walking shoes are recommended.
- Summer temperatures can be extreme in Croatia (over 40°C), which can be uncomfortable. It’s important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.
View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2024 - 31 December 2024
Itinerary
Inclusions
23 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 9 dinners
Ferry, Private vehicle, Train
Comfortable Hotel (21 nights), Feature Stay (4 nights)
- Arrival airport transfer
- Tipping for accommodation, activities and transport
- Luggage transfer
- Daily breakfast and signature local meal experiences
- 24/7 on-ground support
- Split - Welcome Dinner at Local Restaurant
- Complimentary Arrival Transfer
- Split - Walking Tour with Local Guide
- Split - Diocletian's Palace Visit
- Korcula Island - Korcula Old Town Orientation Walk
- Korcula - Local Winery lunch and wine tasting
- Vela Luka - Vela Spila
- Korcula - Custom half day tour
- Korcula – Blato Ethno House Barilo
- Dubrovnik - City Walls
- Trsteno - Arboretum visit
- Trsteno - Olive Farm tasting and brunch
- Dubrovnik - Sunset Sailing
- Dubrovnik - Cavtat Tour
- Mostar - Guided Tour with Coffee Experience
- Stolac - Town Visit
- Trebinje - Tvrdos Monastery Wine Tasting
- Trebinje - Walking Tour
- Konjic - Armijska Ratna Komanda ARK D-0 (Tito’s Bunker) tour
- Sarajevo - Walking Tour
- Sarajevo - Cooking Demo and Home-made Dinner
- Višegrad - Town Visit
- Tara National Park - Hike
- Tara National Park - Steam Train
- Belgrade - Walking Tour
- Timisoara - City Tour
- Sibiu - Evening Walking Tour
- Sarmizegetusa Regia - Guided Tour
- Sibiu - ASTRA Village Museum
- Alba Lulia - Citadel Tour
- Turda - Salt Mines Tour
- Malancrav - Village Stop
- Medias - Town Stop
- Biertan - Town Stop
- Sighisoara - Walking Tour
- Rupea - Fortress Stop
- Bran Castle - Tour
- Brasov - Walking Tour
- Peles - Castle Visit
- Brasov - Chimney Cake Tasting
- Azuga - Winery Tour and Tasting with Lunch
- Split - Fish Market - Free
- Split - Marjan Hill Hike - Free
- Split – Highlights of Split Urban Adventure - EUR64
- Split - City Museum - EUR4
- Split - Ivan Mestrovic Gallery - EUR12
- Split - St Domnius Cathedral and Tower - EUR10
- Split - Ethnographic Museum - EUR3
- Split - Diocletian's Palace Cellars - EUR7
- Split - Archaeological Museum - EUR8
- Split - Gallery of Fine Arts - EUR5
- Korcula - Traditional Moreska Dance Performance - EUR18
- Korcula – Hop on hop off boat - EUR20
- Korcula – City Museum - EUR6
- Korcula - Mljet National Park visit (including the ferry) - EUR55
- Dubrovnik - Discover Game of Thrones Filming Locations Urban Adventure - EUR69
- Dubrovnik - Lokrum Island Boat Trip - EUR27
- Dubrovnik - Mt Srd Museum of Croatian War of Independence - EUR4
- Dubrovnik - War Photography Museum - EUR10
- Dubrovnik - Mt Srd Cable Car - EUR27
- Dubrovnik - Rector's Palace - EUR13
- Dubrovnik - Hike up Mt Srd - Free
- Dubrovnik - Dubrovnik Card (1 day local transport & entry to sites) - EUR35
- Mostar - Old Bridge Museum - EUR5
- Sarajevo - National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina - BAM8
- Sarajevo - Sarajevo Museum - BAM10
- Sarajevo - War Tunnel - BAM10
- Sarajevo - Trebević Mountain Cable Car - BAM20
- Belgrade - House of Flowers - RSD400
- Belgrade - Saint Sava Temple - Free
- Belgrade - Nikola Tesla Museum - RSD800
- Belgrade - Military Museum - RSD350
- Belgrade - Ethnographic Museum - RSD300
- Belgrade - Danube River Cruise - RSD800
- Belgrade - National Museum - RSD300
- Belgrade - Belgrade Fortress - Free
- Belgrade - Museum of Yugoslav History - RSD400
- Sibiu - Brukenthal Palace National Museum - RON39
- Sibiu Museum of Contemporary Art - RON12
- Sibiu - Holy Trinity Cathedral - Free
- Bucharest - Village Museum - RON30
- Bucharest - Bike Tour - EUR25
- Bucharest - Former Ceausescu Residence - RON65
- Bucharest - Romanian Athenaeum - RON10
- Bucharest - Palace of Parliament Tour - RON60
- Bucharest - Urban Adventures Bohemian Bucharest Markets and Mahallas Tour - EUR75
Dates and availability
Important notes
1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. There are a limited number of single supplements available per trip departure. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
3. This itinerary no longer visits Hunedoara Castle as it is undergoing renovation and there is a lack of local guides meaning we cannot guarantee the quality of the experience. You will instead visit the UNESCO site of Sarmizegetusa Regia with a local guide, as well as visiting Peles Castle and Bran Castle.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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