The Balkans Budget Culture Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

Highlights

• Dubrovnik's charms reach far beyond the famed beautiful city walls. Discover the undisputed jewel of the Dalmatian Coast and maybe cruise to Lokrum Island where a botanical garden, Benedictine monastery and excellent swimming spots await.
• Indulge in specialty foods, local wine and some tranquil swimming spots on the island of Korcula – a quiet escape full of vineyards, olive groves and sleepy villages.
• Spend a full day exploring the green island of Mljet – with its small seaside villages, lush national park trails, shimmering waters and largely untouched environment, you’ll never want to leave!
• Hvar Island seems to have it all - Renaissance architecture, beautiful beaches, vibrant landscapes and excellent Dalmatian cuisine.
• Split is a haven of relaxation and culture. Unwind with a walk along the waterfront promenade and take time to explore the impressive ruins of Diocletian's Palace.

Highlights

• Experience Split's Gothic monuments and the vibrant life within Diocletian's Palace – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of the city's bustling streets.
• Visit Zadar to wander its ancient streets and enjoy an exclusive visit to a local Benedictine monastery, where you'll taste award-winning produce and learn about their traditional way of life.
• Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park, wandering through its network of lakes, waterfalls and forests, followed by a visit to a nearby NGO preserving historical cultural crafts.
• Immerse yourself in Ljubljana's lively atmosphere, surrounded by green spaces and vibrant cafes, and walk around Bled, a picturesque town nestled on a lake with a fairytale island church.

Highlights

• Admire the World Heritage-listed architecture of Dubrovnik and Montenegro’s Kotor, climbing along their ancient city walls.
• Loose yourself in Tirana, Albania's colourful capital, and partake in the local's favourite pastime: drinking coffee and people-watching.
• Sail across the blue waters of Lake Ohrid – one of Europe's oldest lakes. No wonder North Macedonia and Albania share this beautiful attraction; nobody would want to let it go!
• Explore the endemic flora and fauna on an easy hike of Pelister: North Macedonia’s oldest national park.
• Hike the slopes of Mt Olympus, the ancient seat of the 12 Greek gods. According to mythology Zeus unleashed his thunderbolts from one of Olympus' peaks.

Highlights

• Explore the remote northern reaches of Albania and take one of the world’s best boat trips with a cruise through the mountainous corridors of Lake Koman
• Experience daily life in the Valbona Valley with a stay at a local guesthouse. Clink glasses with the locals in the village and hike the rugged valley passes.
• Sail across the blue waters of Lake Ohrid, one of Europe's oldest lakes. No wonder North Macedonia and Albania share this beautiful attraction – nobody would want to let it go.
• Kososvo is rich in history and contrasts. Step back in time and learn about the infamous Battle of Kosovo on a day trip to the Field of Blackbirds, before embracing the modern culture thriving in Prishtina, Europe’s youngest capital.
• Lose yourself in Tirana, the Albanian capital full of a revitalised urban energy, and partake in the local's favourite pastime: drinking coffee and people-watching.

Highlights

• Take a cruise on stunning Lake Ohrid – which straddles the mountainous border between Macedonia and Albania – and watch shorefront villages stream by.
• Albania's pastel-coloured capital Tirana is on the verge of becoming Europe’s next big thing, so pay it a visit before the rest of the world does.
• Head to a remote village outside Syros for a sunset feast of local specialties, all served up in a small taverna that overlooks the Aegean Sea.
• Spend a half-day exploring the ruins that decorate the island of Delos, a living museum of crumbling palaces, columns and statues.
• Take a hike around the rim of the caldera Santorini is built on, walking through little villages, passing steep cliff faces and taking in breathtaking views.

Highlights

• Cross the Chain Bridge in Budapest – known as the Pearl of the Danube – and take the funicular up to Buda Castle for beautiful views over Pest.
• Discover the rich biodiversity of Kopacki Rit Nature Park on a guided tour and explore the vast landscapes of Durmitor National Park with a guided hike.
• Wander through Belgrade’s Bohemian quarter and grand 19th-century boulevards before launching into a spot of nightlife. Then, take a daytrip to the artists’ haven of Zemun.
• Watch Mostar's famous bridge divers hurl themselves from the stones of a bridge that has spanned the river for centuries and visit Tito's bunker – one of the best-kept secrets in former Yugoslavia.
• See the sights on a guided walking tour of Sarajevo and learn about its recent history as a city under siege.

Highlights

• Spend a full day exploring the green island of Mljet – with its small seaside villages, lush national park trails, shimmering waters and largely untouched environment, you’ll never want to leave!
• Snack on salty cheese made from sheep’s milk during a trip to the karst island of Pag, where a determined group of islanders wring themselves a living from the barren, rocky landscape.
• A guided tour of the 4th-century Diocletian’s Palace in Split reveals not just Roman-era beauty, but also the local businesses that operate in the alleyways and cellars of this epic structure.
• Gaze over the beautiful hillside, lavender fields and vineyards of Hvar Island during a leisurely organic dinner at an agriturismo.
• Stroll through Plitvice Lakes National Park, marvelling at luminous lakes and waterfalls that seem to have been sketched by an artist.

Highlights

• Soak up the royal history of Krakow's Wawel Castle and step back in time with a stroll through the city's medieval main square.
• Immerse yourself in the history, architecture and bohemian vibes of the Czech Republic. Soak up the smooth sounds of jazz at a low-lit bar in Prague before stepping right into a fairytale in the World Heritage-listed town of Cesky Krumlov.
• Enjoy a scenic walk along the banks of the River Danube in Budapest. Threaded with bridges and hemmed in by castles and historic city buildings, Europe’s second longest river is also one of its most beautiful.
• Hike in the picturesque Tatra Mountains and traverse the steep slopes via funicular, gondola and electric steam train.
• Wander through Belgrade’s Bohemian quarter and grand 19th-century boulevards, before launching yourself into its animated nightlife.