Premium Balkans
Premium Balkans
Premium Balkans
9 Days Starting in Dubrovnik and ending in Belgrade
Visiting: Dubrovnik , Dubrovnik, Mostar, Sarajevo, Tara National Park, Belgrade
Tour operator:
Tour code:
ZMPB
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Physical rating:
Low, Low
Age range:
15-99 years
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
From:
$4044
$3640 (USD)
Operator discount: -$404
Tour Overview
Discover the beauty and history of the Balkans on nine-day tour that travels from Dubrovnik in Croatia through Bosnia and Herzegovina and onto the lively nightlife of Belgrade in Serbia, an exuberant European city on the up. Along the way you’ll sample excellent Balkans wines, learn about the war years in Sarajevo, stop by the famed Old Bridge of Mostar and discover Tara National Park’s spectacular scenery on foot and riding the rails on a historic steam train. This tour combines battle zones, beaches, bunkers and bars and melds the past with the present, the historic with the euphoric, to create an adventure that ticks all of the boxes.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Dubrovnik
Location: Dubrovnik
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Park or similar
Meals Included: dinner
Dobro Dosli! Welcome to Croatia – the undisputed jewel of the Dalmatian Coast. On arrival, you will be collected from the airport and transferred to your hotel. If you arrive early, you may like to head out and explore Dubrovnik’s old town which is surrounded entirely by city walls and easily covered on foot. Although Dubrovnik experienced devastation during the war in the early 1990s, the restored old town remains as charming as ever. There are many monuments to explore in the city proper, including the 15th century Rector's Palace, monasteries with cloistered gardens, and fine baroque churches with copper domes. After your welcome meeting this evening, join your leader and fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant showcasing Croatia’s traditional cuisine.
Optional Activities:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Day 2: Dubrovnik
Location: Dubrovnik
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Park or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
After breakfast, drive from your hotel to the Konavle region south of Dubrovnik. The region is known as the Golden Valley of Dubrovnik as it has the most fertile grounds in the area and is filled with vineyards and fruit trees. Visit the small town of Cavtat with its beautiful architecture, ancient history and pebble beaches. After exploring the town, you’ll head further into the Konavle region for a traditional ‘peka’ lunch featuring lamb and other meats cooked under an iron bell. No meal in this region is complete without a glass of Croatian wine, so toast your hearty meal with a glass of Grk or Plavac Mali local wine. On your return to Dubrovnik, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy your way, perhaps with a walk around the city walls or a swim in the sparkling Adriatic Sea.
Included Activities:
-
Day 3: Mostar
Location: Mostar
Accommodation: Hotel Eden or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today you’ll cross the border and travel into Bosnia & Herzegovina, stopping at several beautiful destinations in the Herzegovina region along the way. Your first stop is Trebinje where you’ll join your leader for a walking tour that takes in the compact Old Town and its pretty market square, followed by a stop at an Orthodox monastery to taste the famous Tvrdos wine. After you’ve quenched your thirst, your trip continues to Stolac where you’ll stop for the lunch and the chance to explore this ancient town on the banks of the strikingly blue Bregava river. After you’ve explored the sights of Stolac, you’ll arrive in Mostar in an hour. Here you’ll join an expert local guide for a guided tour around town that reveals why there is such a strong connection between the locals and coffee.
Included Activities:
-
-
-
-
Optional Activities:
-
Day 4: Sarajevo
Location: Sarajevo
Accommodation: Hotel President or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Leave Mostar and travel towards Sarajevo, but not without a stop at Konjic where you’ll discover one of the best-kept secrets in former Yugoslavia, Tito's nuclear bunker. The military bunker was built to protect Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito and hundreds of his top military personnel and has only recently opened to the public. Go back in time on a guided tour of the bunker and learn about Yugoslav history and how life used to be in not-so-distant past. After touring the bunker, continue to Sarajevo and settle into your hotel before heading out to explore the city with an expert local guide. Tonight you may like to join your group for dinner at a local restaurant.
Included Activities:
-
-
Day 5: Sarajevo
Location: Sarajevo
Accommodation: Hotel President or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Today is yours to explore your way. Taste your way through the market stalls of Bascarsija, visit one of the museums dedicated to the Yugoslav war or perhaps take a cable car up Trebevic mountain to enjoy magnificent views over the city. You’ll finish the day with a memorable home-cooked meal shared with your hosts Mustafa and Mersiha who proudly claim their kitchen has the best view over Sarajevo. Your night begins learning how Bosnian pita is made before a hearty meal of sogan dolma (stuffed onions) and dolam (stuffed paprika). Of course, you’ll get to try the freshly made pita too.
Included Activities:
-
Optional Activities:
-
-
-
-
Day 6: Tara National Park
Location: Tara National Park
Accommodation: Golden Chalets (Feature Stay) or similar (1 night)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Today you’ll travel onwards to Serbia with a stop in the small town of Višegrad where a magnificent 16th-century bridge dominates the horizon and provided the inspiration for the Nobel Prize winning literary work, The Bridge on the Drina. From Višegrad, you’ll cross the border into Serbia and continue your journey to Tara National Park. Widely regarded as one of the most spectacular destinations in the country, Tara National Park is home to the world’s third largest river canyon and filled with forested slopes and dramatic ravines. This afternoon, you’ll have the chance to soak in the natural beauty with an easy two hour hike in the park. Tonight you’ll bed down near the town of Zlatibor in your Feature Stay, a group of wooden chalets surrounded by nature complete with individual swimming pools and wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. Settle into your home for the evening before joining your group for a traditional dinner to celebrate your first night in Serbia.
Included Activities:
-
-
Day 7: Belgrade
Location: Belgrade
Accommodation: Royal Inn Hotel or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
This morning you'll explore Tara National Park further with a scenic steam train ride through the park’s forest and mountains. This section of the railway is part of the famous Ciro trail that connects Belgrade and the Adriatic Sea. Rattle along the tracks as the narrow gauge engine and historic carriages takes you through the jaw dropping scenery, with four stops along the way so passengers can take photos of the incredible views. After spending a half day exploring Tara National Park on foot and riding the rails, settle back for the four hour drive to Belgrade where you’ll check into your hotel and enjoy a leisurely evening after a long day of travel.
Included Activities:
-
Day 8: Belgrade
Location: Belgrade
Accommodation: Royal Inn Hotel or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Start your day with a guided walking tour and discover all that Belgrade has to offer including Republic Square, Knez Mihailova Street which is lined with historic buildings and Kalemegdan Park and the Belgrade Fortress where the Danube and Sava Rivers meet. Immerse yourself in the town’s rich history and perhaps ask your local guide for suggestions on where to experience the best night life in the Balkans as Belgrade is known for its party scene. This afternoon is yours to explore your way, perhaps with a visit to the city market or Nikola Tesla Museum or by catching a trolleybus to Zemun - a bohemian, village like neighbourhood that’s known for its cafes and fish restaurants along the riverside promenade. This evening, join your group for a traditional dinner in the bohemian Skadarska quarter to celebrate the penultimate night of your trip.
Included Activities:
-
Optional Activities:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Day 9: Belgrade
Location: Belgrade
Meals Included: breaksfast
After breakfast, your Balkans adventure comes to an end. If you would like to extend your stay, we would be happy to arrange additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).
What's Included
-
Accommodation
As detailed in the itinerary
-
Airport Transfers at Destination
No
-
Fully Guided
-
Meals
As detailed in the itinerary
-
Dubrovnik - Cavtat Tour
-
Mostar - Guided Tour with Coffee Experience
-
Stolac - Town Visit
-
Trebinje - Tvrdos Monastery Wine Tasting
-
Trebinje - Walking Tour
-
Konjic - Armijska Ratna Komanda ARK D-0 (Tito’s Bunker) tour
What's Not Included
-
Insurance
-
International Travel
Transport
- Private vehicle
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
- OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.
- TWIN SHARE BASIS
- Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. We pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own.
- CHECK-IN TIME
- Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.
- PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
- If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
- FACILITIES
- Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don't provide kettles or fridges.
Important Information
- 1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
- 2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
Check out our Q&As
-
Is this trip right for you
This trip spends limited time in Dubrovnik at the start of the trip. You may want to consider arriving a few days earlier to make sure you are not missing out on everything that Dubrovnik has to offer.
Summer temperatures can be extreme in many of the regions visited (over 40°C). It’s important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.
There are some long drives on this trip so bring along headphones and your favourites tunes or use this time to go through your photographs. Or you can simply sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery. -
Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?
As detailed in the itinerary
-
Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?
No
-
Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Yes, 15 years old or above
-
Are airport transfers included in this tour?
No
-
What is the fitness level required to do this tour?
LOW - Some easy physical activities included in your trip. No physical preparation is required to make the most of the journey.
-
Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?
Yes
-
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
-
How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
-
Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
-
What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
-
Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
Reviews of this Operator
Dates & Availability
Friday - Saturday
May 10, 2024 - May 18, 2024Friday - Saturday
May 17, 2024 - May 25, 2024Friday - Saturday
Jun 07, 2024 - Jun 15, 2024Friday - Saturday
Jun 21, 2024 - Jun 29, 2024Friday - Saturday
Jul 05, 2024 - Jul 13, 2024Friday - Saturday
Aug 16, 2024 - Aug 24, 2024Friday - Saturday
Sep 13, 2024 - Sep 21, 2024Friday - Saturday
Sep 20, 2024 - Sep 28, 2024Friday - Saturday
May 16, 2025 - May 24, 2025Friday - Saturday
May 23, 2025 - May 31, 2025Friday - Saturday
Jun 06, 2025 - Jun 14, 2025Friday - Saturday
Jun 20, 2025 - Jun 28, 2025Friday - Saturday
Jul 11, 2025 - Jul 19, 2025Friday - Saturday
Aug 22, 2025 - Aug 30, 2025Friday - Saturday
Sep 05, 2025 - Sep 13, 2025Friday - Saturday
Sep 12, 2025 - Sep 20, 2025Friday - Saturday
Sep 19, 2025 - Sep 27, 2025Book with Confidence
-
Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
-
Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
-
Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
-
Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
-
COVID Protection
Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards
From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
However, we continue to strongly recommend that all travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and other Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.
This policy excludes all Polar trips and select adventure cruises, where testing and vaccination remains a requirement. Please refer to the Essential Trip Information of your chosen tour for more details. -
Terms and Conditions