Balkan Heart 12D

Sargan Eight Train ride, Ethno Village Drvengrad, Visegrad, Sarajevo (B&H)

After the early breakfast in the hotel, we will depart to Sarajevo.

On our way, the first stop will be at Mokra Gora, where we will enjoy the train ride on the Nostalgia train. Sargan Eight is an old–fashioned narrow-gauge railway, its construction was finished in 1925., unfortunately, the narrow–gauge railways are no longer used since the ’70s in Yugoslavia.  Accordingly, this part of the railways in Mokra Gora and Nostalgia Train, the only one preserved today represents a major tourist attraction. Certainly, you are going to enjoy the beautiful scenery on this ride that you will remember.

Our next destination is the Ethno Village Drvengrad.

Drvengrad means wooden town and that’s exactly what you’ll find here. Everything is made of timber from conifer trees. Interestingly, the village is also known by the name Kustendorf, which means “a coastal village”. This traditional village is located in the Zlatibor region in the nature park Mokra Gora. Is built by the mentioned film director Emir Kusturica.

After we cross the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina we will visit Visegrad a small town in the eastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the valley of Drina River, in the hilly slopes gently rising high into the mountains, over 1000 meters in height. This town is full of pretty streets but we will dedicate our visit to The Old Stone Bridge, the endowment of Grand Vizier Mehmed Pasha Sokolovic built in 1577.

Our adventure continues by visiting Andricgrad (Andric town) also known as Kamengrad (Stonetown). Andricgrad is a project of a famous film director Emir Kusturica. He was inspired by the events and characters of the mentioned famous writer, and Nobel prize winner, Ivo Andric. It is a tourist, cultural, administrative, and educational complex, situated on a peninsula between the rivers Drina and Rzav in Visegrad.

In the evening we will arrive in Sarajevo. Free time and overnight in Sarajevo.

The Sarajevo Tunnel of Hope (famous war tunnel) museum, Sarajevo city tour, Sarajevo cable car, Olympic mountain Trebevic, Sunnyland entertainment park

After breakfast in the hotel, we will start our day with a visit to The Sarajevo Tunnel of Hope (Bosnian: Tunel spasa) museum. The tunnel was an underground tunnel constructed between March and June 1993 during the Siege of Sarajevo.

After the Tunnel, we are going to explore the Old Town and city center of Sarajevo. As part of the City tour, you will see the historical monuments of Sarajevo city. This walking tour will provide you with information about every aspect of living in Sarajevo nowadays and in the past. You will enjoy a delightful mixture of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and modern heritage.

After the Old Town adventure, we are going to enjoy an unforgettable panoramic cable car ride to the Olympic Mountain Trebevic. During the 1984 Winter Olympic Games, Trebevic was the location of the competition in the bobsled sport discipline.

Today Trebevic is a favorite excursion place for the locals and tourists, where you can walk through the forest, take a bike, have exciting paintball fun in the Brus picnic area, or enjoy in the adrenaline park and have a crazy ride on an alpine coaster in Sunnyland entertainment park.

If you are looking just for a chill we suggest you enjoy the natural ambient and fresh air sitting in one of the many mountain cafes surrounded by the amazing forest.

Free time and overnight in Sarajevo.

Mostar city, Blagaj Tekke & Bina river, Dubrovnik city (CRO)

After breakfast, we are going to Herzegovina – a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina full of great natural wonders, beautiful rivers, and cities with mixed cultures.

Our first stop will be in Mostar – the largest city in Herzegovina. Mostar is most famous for the UNESCO-protected Old Bridge (Stari Most) that crosses the river Neretva and connects two parts of the city. You will enjoy magnificent architecture and a stunningly beautiful river and its surroundings. A large number of oriental Caffe bars will make you sit, enjoy and soak in the sounds, views, and impressions made by this marvelous town.

The next stop is in Blagaj Tekke and Buna river springs. Here you will enjoy the peace of Dervish House and the beautiful waters of river Buna. You will experience unique and unforgettable scenes that evoke the beauty and grandeur of this beautiful place.

After Blagaj, we continue to a pearl of the Adriatic coast – Dubrovnik City. Located in the region of Dalmatia it is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea. Old City is, by all means, the most interesting and the most attractive part of Dubrovnik which we will explore and have a walk through the romantic city lanes, where you will not only see the most interesting sights but also feel the specific, somewhat mystic atmosphere rising from the ancient stone walls. The walls of Dubrovnik have also been a popular filming site for the fictional city of King’s Landing in the HBO television series, Game of Thrones.

In the late afternoon will enjoy a ride on the Dubrovnik cable car which will take us to enjoy the most beautiful panoramic views of the Adriatic Sea. We will have a drink or a meal in the restaurant at the top overlooking the Old Town.

Free time, and overnight in Dubrovnik.

Kotor & Budva Old Towns (Unesco), Shkoder city

After breakfast, we leave Croatia behind and travel through Montenegro to Albania.

Our first stop will be in the picturesque and UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Kotor, known for its well-preserved medieval walled town. The old port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period and is a picturesque Mediterranean landscape.

Next, we will make a comfortable stop at the picturesque and most famous city of the Montenegrian Riviera – Budva to explore the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Old Town of Budva.

Our adventure continues in Albania’s fifth-largest city Shkoder,

After the check-in and short rest, we start our Skoder adventure by visiting the Mesi bridge over the crystal clear Kir river.

The bridge was built in the 18th century, around 1770, by Kara Mahmud Bushati, the local Ottoman pasha, and spans the Kir River. The building was divided into 2 phases where the first phase was only the middle arc and the arc near it and the second phase included the other 11 arches. The purpose was to connect the city of Shkodër with the city of Drisht and other cities on the northern side. It is 108m long, 3.4 meters wide, and 12.5 meters high with 13 arches, and is one of the longest examples of an Ottoman bridge in the region. It was built as part of the road that goes up the Kir Valley, eventually to Pristina.

After the bridge, we will visit the Venice Art Mask Factory – a taste of Venice in Shkoder.

The mask exhibit at the Venice Art Mask Factory contains the most diverse and exquisite collection of Venetian masks. The display of styles and colors is enough to immediately transport you to the atmosphere of Venice Carnevale! But the factory is in Shkoder, where the passion, creative genius, and business acumen of Edmond Angoni have enabled the creation of one of the most important mask factories in the World!

Our next destination is Rozafa Castle also known as the Shkodër Castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Shkodrës), a castle near the city of Shkodër, in northwestern Albania. It rises imposingly on a rocky hill, 130 meters (430 ft) above sea level, surrounded by the Buna and Drin rivers. Shkodër is the seat of Shkodër County and is one of Albania’s oldest and most historic towns, as well as an important cultural and economic center. From the castle’s viewpoint, we will have the chance to enjoy an unforgettable view over the Shkoder Lake, Buna, and Drini rivers.

Late afternoon will be reserved for a boat cruise through the Buna river and Shkodra Lake (Albanian side). During this beautiful experience, we will enjoy a tour through the lake and see the whole lakeside until the border with Montenegro. 

Check-in, free time, and overnight in Shkoder.

Kruja Old Town, Tirana

After breakfast in the hotel, we depart for Tirana.

On our way to the Albanian Capital, we will visit the Old Town of Kruja, the center of Albanian resistance against the Ottomans under our national hero Scanderbeg who defeated them in 22 battles including one of the most warriors like sultans Mehmet the Conqueror and resisted the Ottoman occupation for 25 years. We visit the Old Ottoman-style bazaar.

After enjoying at Kruja, we will ride to Tirana city center. The Tirana walking tour will lead you first to Skanderbeg Square, the heart of the city, one of the places where people meet, walk, relax, and enjoy concerts, festivals, and events. The Square is named after the national Albanian hero and is one of the biggest squares in Albania. The guide will tell you the story of the main buildings around the square, such as The Clock Tower of Tirana; a first-category cultural monument Et’hem Bey Mosque; located in the center of Tirana, one of the oldest mosques not only in Albania but all over the Balkan The Scanderbeg Square tells us the story of the last 100 years of Tirana.

Free time and overnight in Tirana.

Dajti Mountain National Park, Ohrid

After breakfast, we will enjoy the cable car ride which will take us to Dajti Mountain which offers numerous opportunities all year round for excursions and recreation. Its untouched nature attracts many visitors during all seasons. Dajti is also a National Park, rich in diversity of flora and fauna.

After the mountain adventure, we depart to the pearl of Macedonia – Ohrid. After the check-in and short rest, we will have an inspiring walk by the Ohrid Lake, and through the little narrow cobbled streets of Ohrid Hill, among the beautiful Byzantine churches, up to Samoil’s fortress. As part of the walking tour of this UNESCO World Heritage, we will discover the highlights of this tourist jewel as Cinar Square, Ayasaofya Church, Anfi Theatre, Kuloglu Mosque…

Free time and overnight in Ohrid.

Ohrid Lake, Matka Canyon, Skopje

After breakfast, the first part of the day will be reserved, for leisure at the Ohrid Lake beaches.

In the early afternoon, we will enjoy a comfortable ride to the Capital of North Macedonia – Skopje.

On our way, we will make an excursion to Canyon Matka and enjoy a boat trip to admire this beautiful place and the breathtaking scenery from the water.

Check-in, free time, and overnight in Skopje.

Skopje city tour, Sofia

After breakfast, we will enjoy a walking tour through Skopje, where we will explore the main attractions including the Kale Fortress; the Church of the Holy Savior with its iconostasis, one of the finest samples of traditional walnut woodcarving; the Old Bazaar; the Square of Macedonia, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Murat Pasha Mosque, Yahya Pasha Mosque, and the famous Stone Bridge which connects the modern and the Old part of the city.

In the early afternoon, we are going to the Capital of Bulgaria – Sofia.

Check-in, free time, and overnight in Sofia.

Sofia city tour, Mt. Vitosha cable car, Boyana Church (Unesco), Pancharevo Lake, Sofia ZOO

Today we will explore the most popular sites in the Bulgarian Capital. We will enjoy a panoramic cable car ride to Mt. Vitosha. After enjoying the best view over the Capital, we will visit Pancharevo Lake.

Next, we will visit the UNESCO-listed Boyana Church and the National Historical Museum or the Sofia ZOO. We end our adventure exploring the Sofia city center and the main landmarks such as the National Palace of Culture, St. George Rotunda, the Banya Bashi Mosque, St. Nedelya Cathedral, the National Theater, the former Royal Palace, Alexander Nevski Cathedral, and more…

Free time and overnight in Sofia.

Transfer to Belgrade, Kalemegdan fortress, ZOO, Avala tower, Danube river cruise, shopping

Today we are going to Belgrade. Upon arrival, we will visit the Belgrade Fortress Kalemegdan. Belgrade Fortress is known for its kilometers-long tunnels, underground corridors, and catacombs, which are still largely unexplored. In the true sense, the fortress is today the green oasis in Belgrade’s urban area.

Next, we will visit the Belgrade ZOO or the best viewpoint in Belgrade – the Avala Tower.

In the evening we can finish our adventure by visiting the Yachting Club, where we will have a magical boat cruise on the Sava and Danube rivers or you can enjoy the end of the day shopping in the best malls.

Free time and overnight in Belgrade.

Belgrade/Departure

Breakfast in the hotel. Free time for shopping or walking through the Town.

Departure to the airport.

Here your 12 days tour concludes and unfortunately, it is time to say goodbyes… We hope you have enjoyed your tour with our agency!