Explore Eastern Europe's Enchanting Wonders - 9 Days

Welcome to Bucharest. On arrival, you’ll be transferred to your hotel and have some free time – you’ll receive information about the start of your tour. At 3:00 p.m., after lunch, we set out on a panoramic city tour, taking in the historic quarter and the impressive Palace of the Parliament. After the tour, you’ll have free time to explore at your own pace. Dinner is included. Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

We travel from Bucharest into Transylvania, crossing the Carpathian Mountains and forested valleys. In Sinaia, we take a relaxed stroll through the gardens of the Peles and Pelisor castles. We then continue to the 14th–century Bran Fortress – widely known as Dracula’s Castle – with entrance included. After time for lunch, we carry on to Sighisoara, a beautifully preserved walled medieval city and UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the evening, we enjoy a special dinner at Count Dracula’s restaurant, located in the house where Vlad the Impaler was born.

We depart Sighisoara and travel through Transylvania to Biertan to visit one of the region’s fortified churches – many in these historically German-settled areas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites – with tickets included. We then continue to Sibiu, an important economic and cultural centre that once served as the capital of Transylvania, where you’ll have time to stroll the narrow streets and squares and enjoy lunch. In the afternoon we visit Hunedoara Castle – tickets included – often considered Romania’s most beautiful castle. We then carry on to Timisoara, where you’ll have time to explore the city’s elegant central squares.

We depart for Serbia, crossing the border and reaching Belgrade after around three hours. At the confluence of the Danube and the Sava, the capital welcomes us with a panoramic tour – we explore the lively city centre, see the Parliament building and stroll through Kalemegdan Fortress. The programme also includes a visit to the Museum of Yugoslavia, where Tito’s Mausoleum is located. The afternoon is free – you can continue exploring the city at your own pace.

Leaving Belgrade, we travel north into Vojvodina, stopping in Sremska Mitrovica, a historic city on the Sava River that was once among the Roman Empire’s most important centres and the capital of the province of Pannonia. Entrance to the Imperial Palace of Sirmium is included. We then continue towards Bosnia, pausing en route for lunch, and cross the Republic of Srpska – the Serbian Republic of Bosnia – amid scenic landscapes to reach Sarajevo. We arrive in the late afternoon with time to explore the historic centre, where you can wander the old Ottoman bazaar with its distinctive architecture and traditional shops. Dinner included.

This morning we include a guided tour of Sarajevo, a fascinating city often called the Jerusalem of Europe for its long tradition of different faiths living side by side. We explore the old town’s strong Ottoman influence, including a mosque dating back more than 500 years and its beautiful fountain, alongside churches and synagogues that reflect the city’s diversity.

After the visit, we continue through the scenic landscapes of Herzegovina to Mostar, known for its historic centre and iconic stone bridge linking Orthodox, Muslim and Catholic communities. You’ll have free time for lunch and to explore at your own pace. We then continue into Croatia – border formalities can be lengthy – reaching Dubrovnik by the end of the day. Dinner is included.

This morning we take a panoramic tour of Dubrovnik with a local guide – a walled Adriatic city with an exceptionally well‑preserved historic centre. We stop at a roadside viewpoint for broad city views, then visit the Franciscan Monastery – home to what is considered the oldest pharmacy in Europe – and the Assumption Cathedral, with tickets included. We also take a short boat ride of about 15 minutes to Lokrum, a small island with the ruins of a Benedictine monastery dating from the 11th century and a filming location for the series Game of Thrones. Afterwards, you can explore at your own pace before we return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner is included. Note: On some occasions we may stay in Cavtat, a coastal town near Dubrovnik. From November to March there is no boat service to Lokrum – we will not visit the island during these months.

We set off early for Montenegro – after border formalities we follow the coastal road along the Bay of Kotor. We take a ferry across the bay to Kotor, where you have free time to explore this walled town with its clear Venetian influence. We then continue to Budva for a lunch break in its walled centre by the sea. Later we travel on to Albania – after customs procedures we arrive in Tirana, the capital. Dinner included.

We explore Tirana on a guided city tour, taking in its mosques, the Clock Tower and the principal government buildings. After the visit, the journey concludes in Tirana – please check your flight time in case you need to book an additional night.