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Treasures of the Balkans (Summer 2027)
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Length
16 Days
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Quality
This indicates the overall quality of the tour operator's products. A low rating does not mean it is not good - it just means that it does not include as much, or perhaps is of a more standard quality than the higher quality tours. For example, a 3 star quality rating means that it is a more standard/economical tour, while 5 stars is a very luxurious tour that often includes a lot of amenities. -
Starts in
Bucharest (Romania)
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Ends in
Belgrade (Serbia)
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Available Tour Start Dates
APR 19, 2027 to SEP 13, 2027
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Activity Level
No Rating Provided
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Language
English
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Guaranteed Date(s)
Yes means that there is at least one tour date that the vendor guarantees will occur. No means that there is not at least one tour date that the vendor guarantees will occur, which usually means that the vendor wants a certain amount of reservations on each tour in order for each one to occur. Of course, the terms and conditions of the vendor do allow for the vendor to cancel guaranteed tour dates for certain reasons (for example, a natural disaster).Yes
From
Pricing listed is per person, based on double occupancy, and is the least expensive price for at least one departure date of this tour. Price is for the tour only. Additional items, including but not limited to, airfare (unless noted otherwise), travel insurance, and more, are additional.
$4,783.73
Overview
You'll cross the Balkans, tracing Romania’s Communist past in Bucharest before running your fingers across centuries of stone among Sofia’s Roman ruins. From Brașov’s medieval streets, mountain roads weave towards the Transylvanian border, where forested slopes rise around Bran Castle. Pass through its heavy doors for a private visit, climbing shadowed stairways and listening to tales of Dracula. Whilst in Sarajevo, you sit down with a local family for a Dine at Home experience. The aroma of traditional Bosnian coffee rises from your cup as regional dishes are passed across the table.
Visited During Tour
Arbanasi (Bulgaria) | Belgrade (Serbia) | Bran Castle (Romania) | Brasov (Romania) | Bucharest (Romania) | Budva (Montenegro) | Dubrovnik (Croatia) | Kotor (Montenegro) | Mavrovo Lake | Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) | North Macedonia | Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) | Sinaia (Romania) | Skopje (North Macedonia) | Sofia (Bulgaria) | Tirana (Albania) | Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria)
Dates, Offers & Prices Dates
Tour Itinerary Itinerary
More Details Details
Dates, Offers & Prices
The following are Treasures of the Balkans (Summer 2027) tour dates available from Trafalgar. Select a bonus offer graphic to view its details, including its terms.
There is at least one departure that the vendor is advising is Not Available for the selected year. Click here if you would like such tours to be included below.
Tour Itinerary
Trafalgar Tour Code 831-2310
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Day
1Begin Your Balkan Adventure in Bucharest
On arrival in Bucharest, broad, tree-lined boulevards lead you past Belle Époque façades and modern city blocks. As you make your way through Romania’s capital, you may notice ornate balconies overhead as traffic hums along the avenue. You join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for dinner at a local restaurant. As the evening settles in, you take your place at the table and begin your sixteen-day adventure across the Balkans.
- Meals Included:
- Dinner
Accommodations: Radisson Blu Bucharest -
Day
2Bucharest to Bran: Palaces and Legends
With your Local Specialist, you'll move from University Square to Revolution Square, pausing below the balcony of the former Communist Party headquarters. Inside the Palace of Parliament, crystal chandeliers scatter light across polished Romanian marble as you cross vast halls lined with carved wood and heavy drapes. At Bran Castle, a private dining experience awaits you in Queen Marie’s Tea House, the timber-framed retreat once used for receiving guests and afternoon tea. You wander through the castle’s heavy doors and follow narrow stairways into whitewashed chambers and dark timber corridors. The air cools against the thick stone walls as you examine medieval torture instruments, learn how Queen Marie transformed the fortress into a royal residence and hear how Bran became linked with Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Radisson Blu Aurum, Brașov -
Day
3Journey Through Sinaia to Medieval Brașov
Along the Prahova Valley, you follow the Carpathians to Sinaia, where the steep roofs and turrets of Peleș Castle rise above the trees. Inside, jewel-toned stained glass colors the rooms as you pass woven tapestries, paintings and displays of armor, each space reflecting the tastes of Romania’s royal household. Your route continues through the mountains to Brașov, established in the 13th century after the Teutonic Knights fortified the region in 1211. In Council Square, you follow a ribbon of red-roofed houses with your Local Specialist, their painted façades surrounding the Black Church, with its dark stone and slender Gothic windows.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Radisson Blu Aurum, Brașov -
Day
4Cross the Danube to Veliko Tarnovo
Crossing the Danube, you enter Bulgaria and continue to Veliko Tarnovo, the medieval City of the Tsars. The Yantra River curls through the gorge below as you take in tiers of terracotta roofs and painted houses scattered across the wooded slopes, with the faint rush of water echoing from the valley below. At your hotel, the murmur of the dining room and the clink of glassware accompany dinner on your first evening in Bulgaria.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Yantra Grand, Veliko Tarnovo -
Day
5Veliko Tarnovo to Sofia: Fortresses and Frescoes
With your Local Specialist, you climb through the weathered gateways of Tsarevets Fortress, former stronghold of Bulgaria’s medieval rulers, before looking across the old capital and the Yantra Valley from its hilltop walls. In Arbanasi, you tour a 17th-century merchant’s house enclosed by high stone walls, exploring rooms that preserve details of the prosperous trading families who once lived here. Inside the Church of the Holy Nativity, ochre, crimson and blue figures fill the walls and vaulted ceiling as you linger over centuries-old frescoes. After crossing the Balkan Mountains, you explore Sofia with your Local Specialist, moving from St Sofia Church and the gold domes of St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral to the red-brick Rotunda of St George, the city’s oldest preserved Roman building. This evening’s Optional Experience invites you to dine as Bulgarian folk music fills the room and dancers turn in richly embroidered costumes.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia -
Day
6Enjoy a Leisurely Day in Sofia
With the day at leisure, you may choose to leave Sofia for Rila Monastery, set high in the Rila Mountains between the Rilska and Drushlyavitsa rivers. Black-and-white arcades sweep around the courtyard as you look up at saints, angels and biblical scenes painted in scarlet, cobalt and gold. Founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, the monastery has remained a center of Bulgarian Orthodox faith and learning for more than a thousand years. You can linger beside its striped arches, follow the fine detail of the frescoes and breathe the clear mountain air before returning to Sofia.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia -
Day
7Skopje Contrasts: Riverfront Towers and Old Bazaar
Beyond the border, you explore Skopje with your Local Specialist beside the Vardar River, where tall glass towers catch the sky above broad squares, fountains and monumental statues. Crossing the centuries-old Stone Bridge, you trade the sweep of glass and open space for the Old Bazaar’s narrow stone lanes, lined with Ottoman inns, mosque domes and small workshops. The scent of mountain tea and dried herbs escapes from spice stalls, fine filigree glimmers in shop windows and cafe voices drift through open doorways.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Skopje Marriott -
Day
8Lake Mavrovo and Tirana
At Lake Mavrovo, you stop beside blue water stretching towards the mountains, with the soft lap of water along the shore. The lake is also known for the old Church of St. Nicholas, which can emerge from the water as levels fall. After crossing into Albania, you continue to Tirana, where boldly painted walls break up the capital's angular city blocks. In Skanderbeg Square, your Local Specialist shares the city's history. You might look from the bronze horseman at its center to the Clock Tower and the portico of Et'hem Bey Mosque, where painted cypress trees, waterfalls and arched bridges weave across the portico in delicate landscape scenes.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Hilton Garden Inn Tirana -
Day
9Montenegro’s Coast: Budva and Stari Grad
Along Montenegro’s Adriatic coast, you travel towards Budva as dark mountain slopes fold around blue coves and the sea flashes between bends in the road. Inside Stari Grad’s 15th-century ramparts, you slip through narrow limestone lanes, beneath arched passages and into small squares framed by shuttered stone houses. You may pause at a cafe table, listening to voices drift between the old walls, before setting out again to explore the churches, courtyards and waterfront at your own pace.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: TQ Plaza, Budva -
Day
10Adriatic Highlights: Kotor and Fortified Dubrovnik
As you reach Kotor at the innermost curve of its bay, the water flows between high rocky slopes and centuries-old fortifications. Within the UNESCO-listed old town, you thread through stone-paved streets that open onto intimate squares, passing medieval churches and former palaces of captains and shipowners. You may catch the chime of church bells over the tiled roofs before continuing along the Adriatic to Dubrovnik, where pale stone walls curve around the fortified port.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Kompas Dubrovnik -
Day
11Croatia’s Walled City: Dubrovnik at Leisure
With your Local Specialist, you begin beside Onofrio’s Fountain, where water streams from sixteen carved stone masks within Dubrovnik’s fortified old city. Along the polished limestone of the Stradun, you reach the Gothic-Renaissance Rector’s Palace, then study the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries, where cloistered arches and carved capitals are patterned with leaves and animals. The afternoon is yours, perhaps for an Optional Experience to Cavtat, where you may follow pine-shaded paths beside the Adriatic, catch the resinous scent of the trees and visit a local winery. This evening, your Dine-Around experience lets you choose from a selection of restaurants for dinner in Dubrovnik.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Kompas Dubrovnik -
Day
12Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mostar to Sarajevo
As you approach Stari Most with your Local Specialist, its single pale arch crosses the Neretva, painstakingly reconstructed using traditional techniques after the original bridge was destroyed during the 1990s conflict. Along Kujundžiluk, the 16th-century bazaar, you browse polished copperware and woven carpets while the tap of a hammer may sound from a nearby workshop. In Sarajevo, a local family opens their home to you for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. At their table, you taste dishes prepared by your hosts as they speak about family life, Sarajevo’s resilience and the customs they are preserving for those who come after them.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Swissotel Sarajevo -
Day
13Explore Sarajevo Through Tunnel or River
For your choice experience in Sarajevo, you may visit the Tunnel of Hope with a Bosnian War expert or join a conservation guide at the spring of the Bosna River. At the tunnel, you duck beneath low timber supports and hear how food, medicine and people traveled through this hand-dug passage below the airport runway during the siege. Alternatively, your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience leads to Vrelo Bosne, where you cross small bridges over spring-fed channels and watch the water slip around wooded islets at the foot of Mount Igman. The rest of the afternoon is yours to spend in Sarajevo as you wish.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Swissotel Sarajevo -
Day
14Bosnia to Serbia: Along the Drina
Following the Drina towards Serbia, you trace the natural border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, watching its green current curl below wooded ridges and pale canyon walls. Through breaks in the forest, you may catch sight of the river deep in the valley, dark green in shadow and silver where the light reaches it. The mountains gradually open into gentler country as you continue towards Belgrade
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Radisson Collection, Old Mill Belgrade -
Day
15Discover Belgrade’s Mosaics Rivers and Ramparts
With your Local Specialist, you trace Belgrade from Terazije Street to Republic Square, where the National Museum and National Theater face one another across the square. Inside the Church of St Sava, you step beneath the vast dome, where gold mosaics glow above cool marble, their rich color unfurling across the great curve overhead. At Kalemegdan Fortress, you follow the old ramparts to the point where the Sava flows into the Danube, their currents widening beyond the city. With the afternoon free, you can enjoy Belgrade in your own way before finishing the day over dinner with your fellow travelers.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Accommodations: Radisson Collection, Old Mill Belgrade -
Day
16Say Farewell to Friends in Belgrade
Your time in the Balkans comes to a close as you exchange a warm doviđenja and say farewell to the friends who have shared these sixteen days with you.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
More Details
Trafalgar is informing us of the following additional details regarding their Treasures of the Balkans (Summer 2027) tour:
Travelers Notes
* TRIP RUN BY INSIGHT VACATIONS.* DAY 1: Complimentary arrival transfers depart Bucharest Henri Coand- International Airport (OTP) at 13:30 and 16:00 on the first day of the tour. Guests should arrive at least 2 hours before the last transfer time. Please be aware when booking your flights.* DAY 16: Complimentary departure transfers arrive at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) on the last day of the tour at 09:00 and 12:00. * CHARGEABLE TRANSFERS: Chargeable transfers available in Bucharest and Belgrade. Guests who have booked their extra hotel nights with us, or whose flight times do not coincide with the shuttle coach timings may purchase a chargeable transfer. However, guests booking independent hotel nights should make their own transfer arrangements.* NOTE: This trip falls under LEVEL 1. Please refer to the Deposit, Payment and Cancellations policies on our website.
Pricing listed above for tours is per person, in US Dollars, and is based on double occupancy. Pricing may change for other occupancy types. Pricing is based on the last time the vendor electronically sent us pricing data, which varies by vendor (usually occurs overnight or multiple times throughout each day).
Pricing and availability are subject to change and must be confirmed by one of our travel advisors, who can contact the vendor to do so. Intra-vacation air (also referred to as internal air) is usually based on economy class seating (do not assume otherwise, unless explicity noted otherwise) and may be 100% non-refundable at time of final payment. Air quotes (including intra-vacation airfare) may be subject to change until final payment has been received by the vendor. Flight confirmation may be based on availability. Air reservations may not be able to be confirmed until a passport copy is received by the vendor. The following charges are not included in the vacation price unless otherwise noted: airfare to and from the start of your vacation; airline baggage fees including checked and/or excess baggage fees; Federal inspection fees for the Federal U.S. Customs and Immigrations; International Air Transportation tax; agricultural tax; other per person taxes imposed by government entities; airport taxes and fees, including the September 11th Security fee, passenger facility charges, Federal domestic flight segment fees, and U.S. and international arrival and departure and other government-imposed fees added by the airline and applicable at time of booking; port taxes; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips to your Cruise Director, Local Host, driver, Local Guides, and/or ship's crew; gratuities on ferries, trains, and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; minibar; alcohol, beverages, and food outside of the contracted menu as presented at a hotel or restaurant or onboard your vessel (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel, ship, or restaurant); airport transfers on non-qualifying flights; optional excursions; additional activities and excursions purchased online; porterage at airports and train stations; Travel Protection; and all other items of a personal nature. Itinerary details are provided by the vendor. Vendors may reserve the right to change itineraries, even on existing reservations. There may be instances where the name of a tour contains a tour length in it, but where there is a version of the tour that is a different number of days in length. You can check the true length of a tour by referring to the length value listed in association with that tour. Destination images displayed on this web page, some which are supplied by the related vendor and some which are not, are intended to simply give a general representation of the region of the world being visited during the tour. Such images are not necessarily of the exact areas being visited during the tour. Hotel details (including, but not limited to: rating/class, descriptions, images, amenities and addresses) are provided by Trafalgar. Hotel amenities may be communicated in shorthand by Trafalgar (for example, if "Laundry" is listed that may only mean that the hotel has an optional fee-based service that would allow for your laundry to be done by their staff). We reserve the right to correct errors.