Tour 14 Days Balkan Hidden Gems: Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia And

Others

Overnight in 3/4 * Hotel with breakfast included as indicated in the itinerary Breakfast included Transport by minivan / minicoach with air conditioning Professional Tour Manager that will be also the driver Local tour guide in Romania

Transport

Touring by private modern air-conditioned minivan.

Accommodation

Overnight in 3/4 * Hotel with breakfast included as indicated in the itinerary

Meals

Breakfasts included.

Guide

Professional Tour Manager that will be also the driver Local tour guide in Romania The Tour Manager even if he has the capability to do the explanations of almost all the sites and attractions it is not allowed by the local laws of each country to do this. For this reason he will take you in the tours of the cities and the informations, history, ecc will be provided in the car and briefly on the spot. If you feel that you will need more informations or a local tour guide please ask the tour manager wich are the best options for this.

Not included:

Others

Tips for tour manager / driver Entrance fees to museums/churches/national parks ecc

Insurance

Insurance is not included. It is not mandatory but still recommended. Some countries requires to have it even if there isn’t a strictly control of it at the borders.

Optional

!! In case you will need a transfer to the airport or any other extra services please ask the tour manager in advance if it is possible to organize it and let you know also the price. !! The tour manager will indicate the time that we will have for the visits and also he will decide the order of the visits. The order can be changed based on multiple factors like weather, traffic conditions and restrictions, national holidays, ecc but all the visits will be done as indicated in the itinerary, changing just the order keeping in mind that all this is done for your safety or to make more enjoyable your tour. In case that all the members of the tour have a special request to see something else that it is not in the itinerary and it requests also extra miles the tour manager after a discussion with our sales department will let you know the extra cost or if we can make it complimentary. !! This tour is a easy walking tour (moderate peace) for persons with a good general fit condition. It requires some small effort like: carrying your own bag on just some steps to get into the hotel (mostly of the hotels have also an elevator), and also some average effort like: walking tours from 2 hours to 4/5 hours (from 1 km to 4 km) depending on the sites visited. To have a better idea: Sofia walking tour: 1,5 hours = 4 km, Skopje Walking Tour: 1,5 hours = 3 km Even if there is involved some walking the tour is still accessible for all the people with a good condition without involving trekking or any other high difficulty tours. Still keep in mind that we will have to make some walk during the tour.

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Sunday – Bucharest – Ivanovo Monastery – Arbanassi – Veliko (200 Km) Romania + Bulgaria
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Sunday – Bucharest – Ivanovo Monastery – Arbanassi – Veliko (200 Km) Romania + Bulgaria

We will leave Bucharest in the morning and head to Bulgaria. After crossing the bridge over the Danube River we will enter in Bulgaria and our first visit will be at Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo ( Unesco World Heritage Site ) and noted for its magnificent medieval age frescoes still preserved. Continue with the picturesque Arbanasi village . In the walking tour of the village , we will discover houses that preserves an unique medieval bulgarian architecture and a hidden 16th century Church of Nativity with beautiful and richly inside painted fresco . Early evening arrival in Veliko Tarnovo , “City of Tsars” , the former capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Tsarevets Fortress , Monument of the Asenevtsi kings , Samovodska charshia are the main attractions of the city. Overnight in Veliko Tarnovo in a 4* Hotel.
Day 2 Day 2: Monday – Veliko – Shipka – Kazanlak – Plovdiv Bulgaria
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Monday – Veliko – Shipka – Kazanlak – Plovdiv Bulgaria

After breakfast departure to Sofia . Crossing the Stara Planina mountains , we will stop to visit Shipka Monument (aka "Monument of The Liberty") . The memorial complex was erected in memory of the fallen bulgarian volunteers and Russian soldiers during the Shipka battles in the summer of 1877. Shipka battle plays a crucial role in the Russo-Turkish War and for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. Continue to drive south to the town of Kazanlak located in the pretty Valley of roses at the foot of the Balkan mountains. The natural geographical center of Bulgaria is just here where the roads of home and international tourist routes cross each other. Visit the most important touristic attractions : Thracian Tomb ( Unesco World Heritage Site , the only monument, completely preserved from the Early Hellenistic Period , 4-3 century B.C.) and Rose oil Museum . Arrive in the late evening in Plovdiv where you will enjoy a orientation tour. Overnight in a 3* hotel in Plovdiv (European Capital of Culture 2019)
Day 3 Day 3: Tuesday – Plovdiv – Sofia
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Tuesday – Plovdiv – Sofia

Visit Plovdiv, one of the oldest settlements in the world, having emerged on the three adjacent hills – the beginning of its history dates back to 4,000 years BC. It has preserved Thracian, Roman and Bulgarian heritage from different epochs. There will be a 2- hour walking tour in the heart of the town and you will learn lots of historical facts and legends while exploring its most interesting sightseeing places.

You will see the Roman Theater and parts of the Roman Stadium. Walk through the longest pedestrian street in Europe. Explore the magnificent Revival old town with its unique colorful houses from the 19th century.

In the early evening we will arrive in Sofia . The walking tour of city center will include the gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Saint (Sveta) Sofia Church , Banya Bashi Mosque, the Sofia Synagogue and the main shopping street Vitosha . Overnight in Sofia in a 4* Hotel.
Day 4 Day 4: Wednesday – Sofia – Rila – Skopje (350 Km) Bulgaria + Macedonia
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Wednesday – Sofia – Rila – Skopje (350 Km) Bulgaria + Macedonia

After breakfast departure to Rila Monastery , Bulgaria’s most famous tourist site ( Unesco World Heritage Site ) and founded in the 10th century by Saint Ivan Rilsky (St John of Rila ) , a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church . The monastery , one of the largest in the Balkans , was the center of Bulgarian culture and Orthodox belief for more than 1000 years . Our tour includes a visit to the Church, which is of particular artistic value, for it was adorned by the foremost 19-century masters of the Samokov, Bansko and Debar schools of painting and woodcarving.

Continue drive south to the Bulgarian - Macedonian border . In the early evening we will arrive in Skopje , the capital of Macedonia . Orientation tour of Skopje before arriving to your centrally located hotel.

Overnight in Skopje in a 4* Hotel.
Day 5 Day 5: Thursday – Skopje – Nis – Belgrad (190 Km) Macedonia
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Thursday – Skopje – Nis – Belgrad (190 Km) Macedonia

After breakfast enjoy a walking tour of Skopje (internationally famous for being the birthplace of Mother Teresa ) , with its most important landmarks : quay of the Macedonian river “Vardar”, the narrow streets in the Old Bazaar (is the biggest bazaar preserved in the Balkans today ), the Memorial house of Mother Teresa , the 1500 years old fortress Kale , Macedonia Square with the statue of Alexander The Great on horse .

Next, we will cross the border in Serbia. First visit will be in the city of Nis, the birthplace of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor. It is home to one of the oldest churches in Serbia, dating to the 4th century, located in the suburb of Medijana. You’ll find some fortress remains, a shopping street, and lovely gardens. The approach to Nis is very scenic, with the road passing through a river gorge.

In the afternoon we will arrive to Belgrad, capital of Serbia. Visit the Republic Square, the National theater and the National museum, Bohemian Quarter (Skadarlija), the oldest part of Belgrade with Ottoman heritage, the oldest residential house and museum of Serbian language, the only mosque in the city, Kalemegdan park, Belgrade fortress, „Victor“ the most famous symbol of Belgrade, the confluence of the Sava and the Danube rivers, Saborna church, and Knez Mihailova street. Overnight in a 4* hotel in Belgrad.
Day 6 Day 6: Friday – Belgrad – Novi Sad – Timisoara (400 Km) Serbia + Romania
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Friday – Belgrad – Novi Sad – Timisoara (400 Km) Serbia + Romania

After breakfast , departure to Novi Sad ( European Capital of Culture 2021) where we will visit Zmaj Jovina Street, the promenade of Novi Sad and obligatory sight for any tourists, not least for the ornamental Palace of the Orthodox Bishop. We will see also y – Dunavska, street with its long line of single-storied 19th century houses. The Danube embankment, the Petrovaradin Fortress on the other bank as well as at the sights and stories about the troubled bridges of Novi Sad. In the evening, after crossing the border in Romania arrival in Timisoara the second European Capital of Culture in 2021. Visit Timisoara, a city full of charm and distinct architectural style thanks to many influences from the turks, serbians, Austrians , germans , ecc , and learn about the Romanian revolution and much more during the walking tour. Overnight in Timisoara in a 4* hotel.

*** If requested we can offer also a tranfer to Budapest for this day that will have an extra cost. Please write to us in case you need this extra service.
Day 7 Day 7: Saturday – Timisoara
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Saturday – Timisoara

Enjoy some free time in Timisoara where you can stroll around the big squares or enjoy one of the largest pedestrians areas in Romania. Or you can enjoy one of the large options of cultural events that are usually happening in Timisoara.
Day 8 Day 8: Sunday – Timisoara – Corvini’S Castle – Alba Iulia – Sibiu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Sunday – Timisoara – Corvini’S Castle – Alba Iulia – Sibiu

In the morning we will visit the most important gothic Castle from Eastern Europe: The Corvini’s Castle and later the city where Romania was Born in 1918: Alba Iulia. In the evening arrival in Sibiu, one of the most beautiful medieval city of Romania and a magical city steeped in an atmosphere of another era, which in 2007 was the European cultural capital. Overnight in in a 3* hotel in Sibiu.
Day 9 Day 9: Monday – Sibiu – Sighisoara – Targu Mures – Bistrita
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Monday – Sibiu – Sighisoara – Targu Mures – Bistrita

Breakfast at the hotel and departure to Biertan, a Saxon village that houses an extraordinary and ancient fortified church perfectly preserved. We will also see the bastion where they were imprisoned couples who wanted to separate with the intention of making them change their mind. A single bed, a single plate, a single glass were the only objects that they could share during their imprisonment. The Saxon citadel of Biertan has also perfectly preserved its three city walls.

We continue the tour with a visit to the city of Sighisoara. This citadel is the best preserved in Europe and, extraordinary, it is still inhabited. Since 1999 the historic center of Sighisoara is a UNESCO heritage site. Here we will admire the church on the hill, reachable after a wooden staircase called the schoolchildren’s ladder. We will also see the statue of the famous Hungarian national poet Petofi Sandor, testifying to the fact that in Sighisoara the Magyar community was in the past numerically important.

Next to the statue is the beautiful Catholic church, reserved for the Hungarian community, and the tower of the shoemakers. Lunch at the house where Vlad the Impaler was born (not included) and in the late afternoon arrival at Targu Mures, a city in which the baroque style predominates. Targu Mures is dominated by the beautiful Palace of Culture, symbol of the locality, an extraordinary baroque palace. In this transylvanian city, the Hungarian community is still numerous and the architects who have worked on the design of historic buildings are all Hungarians. Towards evening I arrive at the city of Bistrita, whose main monument is the Lutheran church, built in the fourteenth century in Gothic style but remodeled with Renaissance elements in the second half of the sixteenth century. Overnight in a 3* hotel in Bistrita.
Day 10 Day 10: Tuesday – Bistrita – Voronet – Moldovita – Sucevita – Marginea – Gura Humorului
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Tuesday – Bistrita – Voronet – Moldovita – Sucevita – Marginea – Gura Humorului

thanks to the presence of internally and externally frescoed monasteries, also UNESCO monuments. Stop in Borgo Pass, the mysterious place where the vampire legend Dracula comes to life. Later we arrive at the monastery of Voronet, nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of the Carpathians, founded by the great prince Stephen the Great and characterized by a beautiful blue color, inimitable and unique in the world. Next, we will have some free time and then continue with a visit to the Moldovita monastery, another famous religious monument, founded by Pietro Rares in the 16th century and whose interior and exterior frescoes enchant the visitor.

The last of the painted monasteries that you will have the pleasure of admiring is the Sucevita monastery, founded by the Movila brothers in the seventeenth century. Like the previous two, too, it presents Gothic and Byzantine elements, which merge to form the fascinating Moldovan architectural style. The frescoes on the northern façade of this monastery have remained visible thanks to the protective walls that have never been demolished here. We continue with a visit to the local artisans of Marginea, who perform excellent work with the famous black ceramic, here you will have the opportunity to enter the workshop to closely observe the various working phases of ceramic pots, but you can also buy items typical of Bucovina. At Marginea you can buy not only ceramic vases, but also beautiful painted eggs and decorated with the traditional Romanian technique. Overnight in a 4* hotel/pension in Gura Humorului or Suceava.
Day 11 Day 11: Wednesday - Gura Humorului – Piatra Neamt – Bicaz Gorges – Miercurea Ciuc
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Wednesday - Gura Humorului – Piatra Neamt – Bicaz Gorges – Miercurea Ciuc

Breakfast at the hotel and departure to the Bicaz Gorges. Stop in Piatra Neamt, a famous ski resort that preserves a beautiful citadel founded at the time of Stephen the Great, in the fifteenth century and an 18th century synagogue. The city has a wonderful geographical position being surrounded by mountains that guard beautiful lush vegetation. Then we will head towards the Bicaz Gorges and then admire a breathtaking landscape. The Bicaz gorges are crossed by a road flanked by a stream and constitute a landscape of strong emotional impact with thrilling cliffs. Along the gorges there is a market with typical handicrafts and souvenirs that make the attraction even more lively.

Visit of the Red Lake, a natural barrier lake, which was formed following the landslide of a part of a mountain, in fact the trunks of the trees are still present in the lake and this gives a particularly evocative atmosphere. The place is interesting especially for the legends that were born and have spread in reference to the name of the lake. During the visit you will become aware of these legends. You then continue through a scenic road that offers a spectacular view of the Carpathian chain to get to Miercurea Ciuc. This area is also called the Siberia of Romania for the low temperatures and the landscape that characterize this area. Overnight in a 3* hotel in Miercurea Ciuc.
Day 12 Day 12: Thursday – Miercurea Ciuc – Brasov – Bran – Sinaia
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: Thursday – Miercurea Ciuc – Brasov – Bran – Sinaia

Breakfast and then immediately departure to Brasov, a wonderful Transylvanian town, once entirely fortified, an important cultural, tourist and commercial center. Brasov impresses with its typically German architecture, where the Gothic, the Baroque and the Renaissance intersect to give life to an interesting and culturally very lively city. Visit of the First Romanian School, which is located in the oldest district of the city, and which was inhabited exclusively by Romanians, the Schei district, interesting for the entrances into the city that were carried out in medieval times through the Catherine’s and Schei Gate, quest last of the nineteenth century. In Brasov we will also visit the impressive Black Church, the largest evangelical Gothic church in Eastern Europe, with a 65 meter high bell tower and a length of 90 meters, the church houses the most beautiful nineteenthcentury mechanical organ of Romania. We will then admire the palaces and houses of the historic center, recently restored, with the Council Square which now houses a beautiful museum, and the pedestrian Avenue of the Republic.

Later we proceed to Bran where we will visit the famous Bran Castle, better known as Dracula’s Castle. In the Middle Ages, Bran was exactly on the border between Wallachia and Transylvania, so it was essential for the inhabitants of Brasov to build and preserve a defensive stronghold. In the 90s of the 900 this fortress was transformed into a beautiful castle thanks to the intervention of Queen Maria of Romania. In the evening arrival in Sinaia, the pearl of the Carpathians. Overnight in a 4* hotel in Sinaia.
Day 13 Day 13: Friday – Sinaia – Bucharest (130 Km)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 13: Friday – Sinaia – Bucharest (130 Km)

In the morning visit to the fabulous Peles Castle, the summer residence of the first king of Romania, the King Charles 1 of Hohenzollern, of German origins. The castle was beautifully designed by a Czech architect, and is famous for being one of the most modern castles in Europe at the time of its construction, between the 19th and 20th centuries. Each room is characterized by a unique style, different from the styles of the other rooms. We will also admire the Florentine room, where we will breathe a typically Italian and Renaissance atmosphere.

We continue towards Bucharest and enjoy a panoramic tour of Bucharest with its Triumph Arch, Atheneum, Revolution Square and Parliament Palace. This will be followed by a tour of the hystorical Center of Bucharest, a completely pedestrian area, with the remains of the princely fortress of Vlad the Impaler, the 16th century palatine church in Byzantine style, and the Stavropoleos church, an architectural jewel of the 18th century, in typical Wallachian style, with important oriental influences in external decoration. Free time in the evening and overnight in a 4* hotel in Bucharest.
Day 14 Day 14: Saturday – Bucharest
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 14: Saturday – Bucharest

Visit to the Parliament Building, the second largest building of the world after the Pentagon in the United States and the old town. You will also enjoy a visit of the Village Museum, an open-air museum that conserve typical houses from all over Romania. No overnight offered for this day.

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14 days tour

14 Days Balkan Hidden Gems: Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia And

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip 14 Days Balkan Hidden Gems: Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia And

Day 1: Sunday – Bucharest – Ivanovo Monastery – Arbanassi – Veliko (200 Km) Romania + Bulgaria

Day 2: Monday – Veliko – Shipka – Kazanlak – Plovdiv Bulgaria

Day 3: Tuesday – Plovdiv – Sofia

Day 4: Wednesday – Sofia – Rila – Skopje (350 Km) Bulgaria + Macedonia

Day 5: Thursday – Skopje – Nis – Belgrad (190 Km) Macedonia

Day 6: Friday – Belgrad – Novi Sad – Timisoara (400 Km) Serbia + Romania

Day 7: Saturday – Timisoara

Day 8: Sunday – Timisoara – Corvini’S Castle – Alba Iulia – Sibiu

Day 9: Monday – Sibiu – Sighisoara – Targu Mures – Bistrita

Day 10: Tuesday – Bistrita – Voronet – Moldovita – Sucevita – Marginea – Gura Humorului

Day 11: Wednesday - Gura Humorului – Piatra Neamt – Bicaz Gorges – Miercurea Ciuc

Day 12: Thursday – Miercurea Ciuc – Brasov – Bran – Sinaia

Day 13: Friday – Sinaia – Bucharest (130 Km)

Day 14: Saturday – Bucharest

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