Once you arrive at the airport, one of our staff members will be there to meet you and take you to your hotel in the Greek capital city of Athens. You’ll have some time to settle in before the rest of the day is free to explore the city independently.

Our first full day of the Balkans tour begins with a city tour of Athens, as we make our way to its marble Panathenaic Stadium, which hosted the very first modern Olympics in the late 1800’s.

We’ll also make our way to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament buildings and the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier before we explore the Academy, the University, the National Library and Constitution Square.

Later in the day, we make our way to the Acropolis, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and the Parthenon, which was built in 438 BC to commemorate Athena Parthenos – the Greek goddess of wisdom, courage and warfare.

After a day in the Greek capital, we say goodbye for now as we travel to Meteora, one of the most important monastic locations of the Eastern Orthodox faith. Meteora boasts 24 monasteries with spectacular settings on clifftops and mountainsides – six which are still in use today.

After spending some time in Meteora, we’ll make our way to Kalambaka – a traditional Greek village which is commonly known as the gateway to Meteora. We’ll have some time to walk around the village, taking in the beauty of its cobblestoned streets and its traditional architecture which has stood the test of time.

After spending a few days in Greece, it’s time to make our way to Albania. During our journey, we’ll make a pitstop at the town of Gjirokastra (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – nestled in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, 300 metres above sea level.

After spending some time in Gjirokastra, we’ll head to Tirana – Albania’s capital city. You have the rest of the day free to explore the city, or simply relax at your hotel.

The fifth day of our Balkans tour starts with a walking tour of Tirana, visiting some of its top attractions such as the Clock Tower, the Et’hem Bey Mosque, St Paul’s Cathedral and the National Historical Museum. We’ll also visit the Piramida, the National Art Gallery and Mother Teresa Square.

We’ll then say goodbye to Albania, as we make our way to Montenegro’s coastal town of Budva, famed for its turquoise-coloured beaches and buzzing nightlife. Our time in Budva sees us explore the Church St. Trojica, the Churches of St. Ivan, St. Bogorodica and St. Sava.

Today ends with a short drive to the ancient fortified and cobbled town of Kotor, where we’ll spend the night.

Our day starts with a guided tour through Kotor taking in the old town as well as the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, built in 1166.

We’ll also drive around the edge of Bay of Kotor, which together with Kotor town forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The inlets and bays are positively fjord-like and beautiful to behold. We then continue across the border to Croatia, driving along its beautiful southern coast until we reach the legendary, stone-walled city of Dubrovnik.

We’ll enjoy a guided city tour on foot, before visiting the Big Onofrio’s Fountain – a large fountain which was built in 1438 as part of a water-supply system that involved bringing water from a well approximately 12 kilometres away.

Our second day in Croatia takes us on another scenic journey to the town of Split located on the Dalmatian Coast. Split is famed for its breathtaking beaches and its Diocletian’s Palace, A UNESCO World Heritage Site which was built in the 4th century.

We’ll explore the southern section of the Diocletian’s Palace, as we delve into the history of its Bronze Gates, the Vestibul of the Emperor’s Palace, The Mausoleum, St. Dujam’s Cathedral, Cathedral Treasury, Temple of Jupiter and St. Martin’s Church.

We’ll finish the day with a visit to the fruit square before stopping at the Venetian castle, Milesi Palace and the Monument of Marko Marulic.

After our time in Croatia, we cross the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina to the town of Mostar, which straddles the Neretva River. Famed for its iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge) built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, Mostar was one of the most heavily bombed locations during the war and has since become another UNESCO World Heritage Site (we certainly pack them in on this tour!).

After time to look at and photograph the bridge, and learn about the wartime history here, we’ll make our way to its capital city of Sarajevo, a compact city located on the Miljacka River, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps.

Sarajevo was once war-torn place, but has since become one of Europe’s most vibrant cities, boasting numerous minarets, mosques, bazaars and coffee shops. We’ll spend the night exploring Sarajevo’s old bazaar known as Bascarsija, trying all its unique dishes. You can also try the local speciality of ‘bosanski cevapi’, which is grilled minced meat mixed with mild spices.

We’ll start our day with a hearty breakfast before we say goodbye to Bosnia and Herzegovina and travel to Serbia. We’ll stay in its capital city of Belgrade, famed for its impressive Orthodox churches and historical museums.

Tonight, we’ll make our way to Skadarska Street to try some of its authentic cuisines. You’ll be mesmerised by its buzzing atmosphere and vibrant nightlife, which runs alongside its Orthodox churches.

We’ll spend the entire day exploring Serbia’s capital city of Belgrade today. Belgrade is one of Europe’s oldest cities, boasting settlements which date back at least 7,000 years. Travellers flock here to immerse themselves in its rich culture, with ancient monuments at almost every step.

We’ll browse through its boulevards and squares, before we make our way to Kalemegdan Park located on a 125-metre-high cliff, at the junction of the River Sava and the Danube River.

We’ll spend the rest of the night in Belgrade before we make our way back to Macedonia tomorrow.

We start the day with a journey to Nis, Serbia’s third largest city. We’ll go on a sightseeing tour of Nis, as we delve deep into its Ottoman past. Nis is known for being the birthplace of Constantine the Great, a Roman Emperor of Illyrian-Greek origin from 306 to 337 AD.

We’ll cross the border into Macedonia, as we head to its capital city of Skopje, situated in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula. Skopje was founded at the time of the Romans and became capital of the Serbian Empire in the 14th century before it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1392, and incorporated into Yugoslavia in 1918. You have the rest of the day free to explore Skopje independently.

You have the morning free to do some exploring or get some extra sleep in before we head out in the afternoon for a walking tour of Skopje, where we’ll visit the Kale Fortress – situated on the highest point in the city overlooking the Vardar River, the Church of the Holy Savior with its iconostasis, the Old Bazaar and the Stone Bridge.

You have the evening free to do some exploring and we’ll once again overnight in Skopje.

We start our day with a drive to the small lakeside resort city of Ohrid, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ohrid is often known as the ‘Macedonian Jerusalem’, due to the sheer number of churches in the city, at one stage having 365, one for each day of the year.

We’ll explore Ohrid, visiting the 11th century Church of St. Sofia – one of the most important monuments of Macedonia, which houses architecture and art from the Middle Ages.

We’ll spend the rest of the night in Ohrid, getting some rest in as we make our way back to Greece tomorrow.

After finishing our time in Macedonia we make our way back to Greece, this time visiting Thessaloniki – Greece’s second largest city famed for UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments and its breathtaking foreshore which boasts numerous cafes, cocktail lounges, bars and restaurants.

We’ll spend the rest of the day in Thessaloniki.

Today we say goodbye to Thessaloniki as we make our way to the town of Delphi, which serves as the home of the 4th century BC Temple of Apollo and the former home of the legendary oracle.

We’ll explore the Temple of Apollo, before we visit the Museum of Delphi. We’ll also make our way to the sanctuary of Delphi, which was once the religious centre of the ancient Greek world.

Later in the day, we’ll travel back to Athens, where we’ll spend the night.

After an eventful journey through the Balkans, the tour unfortunately, comes to an end. After breakfast at your hotel in Athens, your time is free until we transfer you to the airport to board your flight back home.