Itinerary
Day 1: BUDAPEST, arrival
Arrival to the capital of Hungary. In the past Budapest was two separate cities (Buda and Pest) and you will have a chance two explore both. After checking in to the hotel your local guide will take you to Buda Castle were you will learn about the history and enjoy the best panorama in the city. After the tour, your guide will take you to a nearby Thermal Baths where you will get to relax after a busy day. Overnight stay in a 4* hotel.
Day 2: BUDAPEST
After breakfast, your guide will take you on a private tour where you will visit the famous attractions in the Pest part of the city: Parliament House, St Stephan Basilica, Vaci Street, Heroes Square and many more. In the evening, you will have a dinner cruise down the Danube River. Overnight in a 4* hotel.
Day 3: LJUBLJANA
Arrival to the capital of Slovenia, a true Central European gem with its own unique charm mixture of Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture. We’ll start the tour in front of the Town Hall and continue through the historical city centre. The excursion includes a stroll around the medieval Old Town, visiting the New and Old Markets, the Triple Bridge and the Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana’s trademark. The tour ends with a funicular ride, which departs from the Krekov square and takes us up to the Ljubljana Castle to enjoy one final view of the city set along the banks of the emerald green river Ljubljanica. Overnight stay in a 4-star hotel.
Budapest — Ljubljana (460 km)
Day 4: BLED — LJUBLJANA
After breakfast, we will take a drive to the charming lake resort of Bled, famous for its medieval castle situated on a cliff high above the lake and the amazing surrounding Alpine peaks. Castle terraces offer spectacular views of the lake and the tiny island in the middle. After that, we will take a break to taste the delicious vanilla custard and cream cake „kremšnita“ – one of the most famous Slovenian desserts. After the trip, we will return to Ljubljana to spend the night before proceeding towards Zagreb in the morning.
Ljubljana — Bled (55 km)
Day 5: ZAGREB
Welcome to Zagreb, the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. Once you’ve settled down, we are taking you on a tour of the city centre where you will see the most famous sights of Zagreb. You can choose between two possible routes for your visit of the city. The first is dedicated mostly to the city’s historical landmarks and the sightseeing starts at the Main Square, from where we move on to the Zagreb Cathedral and continue through Tkalčićeva Street and the “Bloody Bridge” (Krvavi Most) to the Stone Gate and St Mark’s Church. We end our tour visiting the Lotrščak Tower and taking a pleasant ride on the Zagreb Funicular. The alternative route is a panoramic one, as we will take you for a ride on the Zagreb horseshoe: we will visit the Zrinjevac Square, the King Tomislav Square, the Botanical garden and the Croatian National Theater. Later on, we will make a short visit to Maksimir, Zagreb’s oldest public park and the Mirogoj cemetery. After the walk, it’s time for you to relax over a nice welcome dinner with specialties of the local cuisine. You will spend the night in a 4* hotel.
Ljubljana — Zagreb (140 km)
Day 6: PLITVICE LAKES — ZADAR
On the sixth day we will take a pleasant drive from Zagreb and visit the most beautiful and famous national park in Croatia — Plitvice Lakes NP, containing a series of 16 lakes, caves and waterfalls. We’ll enjoy the breath-taking view of the waters flowing over the natural dams which in turn have created a series of beautiful lakes, caves and waterfalls. The forests in the park are home to some wild animals such as bears, wolves and many rare bird species. We will take a 4 hour walking tour of the park and continue towards Zadar in the afternoon. Zadar is an extraordinary city — not too crowded, it isn’t overrun with tourists and its two unique attractions, the sound-and-light spectacle of the Sea Organ and Sun Salutation, need to be seen and heard to be believed. The mix of beautiful Roman architecture, Habsburg elegance, a wonderful seafront and some unsightly ordinary office blocks is what gives Zadar so much character. Overnight stay in a 4* hotel.
Zagreb — Plitvice (140 km)
Plitvice — Zadar (133 km)
Day 7: SPLIT
Today we continue our tour of the Dalmatian coast to introduce you to the ancient yet thriving city of Split. The heart of Split is the city’s majestic cathedral that rises from within the 1700 year old walls of Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most significant and best preserved structures of the late ancient architecture. Built upon the octagonal base of a Roman Mausoleum, the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (Sveti Duje) is a testament to many eras of Split’s history, from Roman Times, through to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Our walking tour takes us to the Peristyle in centre of the palace, the Roman temples, the famous Golden Gate and the big statue of Grgur Ninski. Overnight stay in a 4* hotel.
Zadar — Split (158 km)
Day 8: MOSTAR
Today you will learn that Mostar is the city of contrasts, where “the east and west meet”, as you will observe visiting the traditional Kujundziluk (old bazaar) and a contemporary city centre. Mostar is famous for its magnificent stone bridge Stari Most (Old Bridge), built in 1566 over the Neretva River. The city is divided by not only the Neretva River that flows through it but also by religion and culture from one bank to the other, as Muslims and Christians live on opposite banks of the river. After an extensive tour of Mostar you will spend the night in a 2-bedroom apartment in the city centre.
Split — Mostar (160 km)
Day 9: SARAJEVO
Today we get to know the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the delightful city of Sarajevo. We start our tour on the Baščaršija square, the centrepiece of Sarajevo and the place where you can truly experience the city’s charm and atmosphere. During the stroll through Baščaršija you can seize the opportunity to taste the authentic Bosnian coffee and local food or to buy a memento from one of the hundreds of street sellers. Later we move on towards Kazandžiluk street (Coppersmith’s street), the burned library — Vijećnica and Inat Kuća, continuing towards Sarajevo’s famous bridges, including Šeher-ćehaja, the Imperial bridge and the infamous Latin bridge, best known for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand that took place there. We continue our tour visiting the Imperial mosque, the Gazi Husref bey’s mosque complex, the Old Orthodox Church, known for its uncommon design, being wider rather than longer. We end the tour visiting the Old Orthodox Church of St Archangel’s Mikhail and Gabriel, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Old Jewish Temple before leaving Sarajevo and heading to Mostar. Overnight stay in a 4* hotel.
Mostar — Sarajevo (130 km)
Day 10: SARAJEVO, departure
Enjoy a final breakfast at your hotel before you will be transferred to Sarajevo airport, marking the end of our Balkan tour!