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Grand Balkan Tour

Zagreb, Belgrade, Niš, Skopje, Ohrid, Tirana, Dubrovnik


price: on request
duration: 12 days, 11 nights
dates: on request
inclusions:
  • Transport
  • 11 overnights in hotels, hostels, guesthouses (all central ones)
  • 11 breakfasts
  • Tour leader throughout the tour
  • Local guides in Zagreb, Belgrade, Skopje, Ohrid, Tirana, Dubrovnik in the language of the tour
  • Entrances
exclusions:
  • Other meals than stated
  • Extra expenses
  • Travel insurance
  • Tips

Day 1: ZAGREB

Arrival in Zagreb. Transfer to the hotel.

Dinner and overnight in Zagreb, hotel 4*.

 

Day 2: ZAGREB 

After breakfast, city tour of the capital of Croatia, featuring the Upper and the Lower Town.

The Upper Town is Zagreb’s historical centre which comprises the Church of St Mark with the famed multi-coloured roof, the parliament building, the Stone Gate and the Cathedral. The Lower Town, then, is the cultural and business centre of Zagreb, with its main square of Ban Josip Jelacic, the Croatian National Theatre and the University.

Afternoon at leisure. An optional half-day trip to Zagorje area (castle of Trakošćan with a wine-tasting) or Čigoč – the European village of storks.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Zagreb, hotel 4*.

 

Day 3: ZAGREB - ĐAKOVO - BELGRADE (450 km)

After breakfast, we head to Đakovo, driving for a couple of hundreds of kilometres through Slavonia, Croatia’s northeastern region, which is a large plain, the beginning of the Great Pannonian Plain. Đakovo is a town that houses the famous Lipizzaner studs. There we have lunch in a typical Slavonian restaurant. Continue towards Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.

Dinner and overnight in Belgrade, hotel 4*.

 

Day 4: BELGRADE

After breakfast, we go for a sightseeing in this grand centre of culture, laden with most peculiar layers of history, but a city which is at the same time one of the key points of the disorderly region named Balkans.

Visit of the House of Flowers, the mausoleum and memorial to the former dictator Tito.

Rest of the day is free for shopping or enjoying the lively and spirited city Belgrade is.

An optional dinner and folklore with gipsy music on one of the famous boats (splav) along the banks of Sava/Danube, enough to feel the vibrant nightlife of the largest city in this part of Europe.

Overnight in Belgrade, hotel 4*.

 

Day 5: BELGRADE - NIŠ - SKOPJE (500 km)

After breakfast, we head southward,  to the city of Niš, the third largest in Serbia. Explore the central quarters and have a good Balkan lunch in one of the many greasy spoons in the city centre.

Afterwards, we continue to Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, and have an orientational walk in the old part of the city.

Dinner and overnight in Skopje, hotel 4*.

 

Day 6: SKOPJE

A morning city tour of Skopje, a city that was devastated in a massive earthquake in 1963. The city has been undergoing a "total“ revival transforming it into the capital of kitsch. Expect the unexpected!

Skopje is also famous for excellent restaurants: we wouldn't like to miss that, neither!

An optional excursion in the afternoon to the exciting countryside around the Macedonian capital, a region that has been featured in so many films because it is one of the rare places that still preserve the original Balkan atmosphere.

Dinner and overnight in Skopje, hotel 4*.

 

Day 7: SKOPJE - OHRID (150 km)

After breakfast, we head to Ohrid. There, we explore the old streets and the charming waterfront and have lunch. Visit of the famous monastery of Saint Naum in the afternoon will leave us breathless.

An optional Macedonian dinner with folklore.

Overnight in Ohrid, hotel 4*.

 

Day 8: OHRID - TIRANA (150 km)

Setting forth to Tirana, the capital of Albania. Lately, after the historical flip of the history, the country's rapid development has been ideally showcased in its capital, the blooming city of Tirana, full of young people, vibrant with colourful events.

Lunch in Tirana.

City tour of Tirana.

Dinner and overnight in Tirana, hotel 4*.

 

Day 9: TIRANA

After breakfast, visit of an important museum of Tirana.

An optional cable-car ride up the mountain.

An optional visit of Durres, the largest port of Albania/Kruje, a historic town with a castle nestled in a dramatic scenery and the birthplace of the almost mythical Albanian hero, Skenderbeu...

Dinner and overnight in Tirana, hotel 4*.

 

Day 10: TIRANA - DUBROVNIK (300 km)

After breakfast, we continue our drive along the Adriatic coast towards Dubrovnik, one of the most beautiful fortified cities of the Old World. On the way we stop for lunch in Budva and in the afternoon we enjoy the magnificent historic town of Kotor, a UNESCO world heritage site.

And finally, later in the afternoon, we set forth towards the pearl of the Adriatic. After a 2,5-hour drive, we arrive in Dubrovnik. This city-monument is also a large UNESCO world heritage site.

Dinner and overnight in Dubrovnik, hotel 4*.

 

Day 11: DUBROVNIK

A morning tour of the old town, which was the centre of a miniature republic for centuries. The walls of Dubrovnik girdle a perfectly preserved complex of public and private, sacral and secular buildings, representing all the periods of Republic’s history, beginning with the town's founding in the 7th century. Particular mention should be made of the main street, Stradun, the Rector’s Palace, the church of St Vlaho, the Cathedral, three large monasteries, and the City Hall. Dubrovnik is proud of its culture, its achievements in science, literature and commerce, and especially of its freedom, preserved down so many tempestuous centuries.

Farewell dinner in a charming village in the countryside

Overnight in Dubrovnik, hotel 4*.

 

Day 12: DUBROVNIK

Free time till the transfer to the airport for your flight home.