The Balkans Tours & Trip Packages

The Balkans Tours & Trips

163 The Balkans trips. Tours from 91 tour companies. 743 reviews. 4.7/5 avg rating.

163 Trips match your criteria (121 - 140 shown)

101 Smiles on the Dalmatian Coast
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4.9/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Basic - 2 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Visits

Dalmatian Coast, Dubrovnik, Montenegro

Highlights

  • Cycle ride and easy walks through vineyards, villages and farms
  • Help out on the farm and cook traditional dishes with the farmer
  • Family fun: Kayak, swim and snorkel at the beach
  • Cable car ride over sensational Dubrovnik city

Themes

50 plus, Cultural, Family Friendly, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

What travelers are saying

"This was out first trip with KE and part of a longer stay in China. We had a fantastic time and the trek was the highlight of our extended holiday. The scenery was stunning and enhanced by the heavy snow fall we got at second camp. Whilst unexpected, the tour leader was able to modify our schedule and we completed the trek by staying at the second base camp for an extra night. We had active and passive acclimatisation and didn’t suffer from any altitude sickness. The days were relatively short in terms of walking but that was good as it left time to adjust the schedule when the unexpected happened. Whilst walking poles are listed as recommended, we think they were essential. Also make sure you have a good quality thermal sleeping mat as it is cold at night. The only negative is the use of single use plastic which is common throughout China. In summary a fantastic adventure and the panda bears are very cute too!"

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Balkan Magical Escape Tour
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Visits

Belgrade, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Montenegro, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Tirana

Highlights

  • Visit Budva - Old Town, Dubrovnik - Big Onofrio Fountain and Dubrovnik - Rector's Palace
  • Explore Kotor - Cathedral of Saint Tryphon and Mostar - Stari Most Bridge
  • Visit Skopje - Church of the Holy Savior and Skopje - Old Bazaar
  • Discover Sofia, Tirana - Mosque of Et'hem Bey and Belgrade - Kelmegdan Fortress

Themes

Cultural, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

What travelers are saying

"used Direct traveller or my business trip in Turkey. Excellent from the word go. The Istanbul hotel they recommended and the service provided for the taxi was spot on"

Trip dates & details
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The Balkan Gems
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Visits

Dubrovnik, Montenegro, Skopje, Tirana

Highlights

  • Explore Budva and Budva - Old Town
  • Visit Dubrovnik - Big Onofrio Fountain, Rector's Palace, Franciscan Monastery and Kotor - Cathedral of Saint Tryphon
  • Budva - Church of St. Ivan
  • Visit Kotor Bay, Ohrid - St. Sofia and Skopje - Kale Fortress
  • Explore Tirana - Mosque of Et'hem Bey and Skanderbeg Square

Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"used Direct traveller or my business trip in Turkey. Excellent from the word go. The Istanbul hotel they recommended and the service provided for the taxi was spot on"

Trip dates & details
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Balkan Delight Tour
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Visits

Belgrade, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Montenegro, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana

Highlights

  • Visit Belgrade, Budva and Dubrovnik - Big Onofrio Fountain
  • Explore Kotor - Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, Mostar - Stari Most Bridge and Ohrid - St. Clement Church
  • Visit Belgrade - Kelmegdan Fortress, Tirana - Mosque of Et'hem Bey and Skanderbeg Square
  • Discover Dubrovnik Franciscan Monastery and Sponza Palace
  • Visit Kotor Bay, Novi Sad and Tirana

Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"used Direct traveller or my business trip in Turkey. Excellent from the word go. The Istanbul hotel they recommended and the service provided for the taxi was spot on"

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Dalmatian Highlights Cruise
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Visits

Croatia, Dubrovnik, Hvar Island, Korcula Island, Sibenik, Split

Highlights

  • Visit Dubrovnik- Old Town - UNESCO Heritage site
  • Explore Hvar Island
  • Visit Elafiti Islands and Pakleni otoci
  • Explore Pomena and Pucisca
  • Discover Split and Trogir, the UNESCO Heritage site

Themes

Cultural, Hiking & Walking, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"used Direct traveller or my business trip in Turkey. Excellent from the word go. The Istanbul hotel they recommended and the service provided for the taxi was spot on"

Trip dates & details
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Timeless Beauty of the Balkans
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4.4/5 Great
64 reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Visits

Belgrade, Croatia, Dubrovnik, London, Sarajevo, Zagreb

Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"they are taking too long to refund our cancelled holiday from May 2020. cannot get any info from them when it will be refunded back to us."

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Danube 7 Country Cruise
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5/5 Excellent
61 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Luxury - 5 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Visits

Belgrade, Bucharest, Budapest, Croatia, St. Martin's Cathedral, Vienne

Highlights

  • Vienna, Austria, City tour including Belvedere Palace
  • Bratislava, Slovakia, City tour including Primate Palace
  • Budapest, Hungary, City tour including Fisherman’s Bastion
  • Pesc, Hungary City tour with organ concert
  • Vukovar, Croatia, Walking tour
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Themes

Culinary & Wine, Cultural

What travelers are saying

"I just got in the office this morning. Egypt was the best. I mean the best. All went well. The people were very nice. But I want to say thank you personally for this chance in a life time. This will be something I will sell, and hope to go again next year.Thank you Thank you Thank you Camel Hugs, Tina”"

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Sailing & Climbing in The Greek Islands
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4.9/5 Excellent
28 reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Strenuous
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Kos

Highlights

  • Two days climbing the limestone rock faces of the island of Kalymnos, one of the best rock climbing locations in the world, training provided if needed
  • Hiking and exploring the rugged mountains and warm, pristine beaches of the islands of the Dodecanese, including Kalymnos, Pserimos, Leros, Lipsi and Kampos and/or the cycladic Astypalaia if weather allows
  • Learning how to sail in some of the most stunningly beautiful seascapes in Europe
  • Enjoy swimming and snorkeling in the paradisiac water of the Greek Islands, discovering an entire world of life under the water
  • Sleeping onboard a boat at night, and learning the rhythms of life at sea while you’re exploring an island chain in the company of experts and enthusiasts
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Themes

Climbing & Mountaineering, Sailing

What travelers are saying

"Very nice organisation and amazing group of people!"

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The Balkans Reviews & Ratings

4.7/5  Excellent
743  Reviews
See all The Balkans tour reviews
Excellent
566
Great
163
Average
24
Disappointing
2
Terrible
4
A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Cycling the Dalmation Coast

The Croatia coast line is an excellent place for cycling from the Istria peninsula up north all the way to the southern city of Dubrovnik. While this trip only cov...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Wonderful trip

What a fab trip. Great weather, wonderful company, and the gorgeous Dalmatian coast. The ride exceeded our expectations, it was a little tougher than we expected, ...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Wonderful way to see a beautiful country

This Croatian trip was a wonderful mix of unspoilt countryside, sparkling clear seas and historical walled towns and cities. It was also a good mix of fairly chall...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Highly recommended!

My husband and I have just returned from this cycle trip and we can highly recommend it to anyone thinking of doing the same. Alan, the tour leader, was outstandin...

A

Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Amazing scenery & lots of laughs

We have recently returned from our first cycling holiday with Exodus and whilst I don't usually do reviews this time I felt compelled to write to say how impressed...

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The Balkans Tour Selection Trips

  • There are several ways to tour the Balkans – overland, river cruises, and small-ship coastal cruises
  • The Balkans is a large and varied region that warrants multiple tours to see in depth
  • Greece and Croatia have the most highly developed tourist facilities in the region
  • Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Hercegovina are among the lesser traveled Balkan states
  • English is not as commonly spoken in much of the Balkans as in other parts of Europe, arguing for taking guided tours with interpreters
  • Keep close watch on conditions in Istanbul, Turkey, an extraordinary destination recently beset by violence

Additional details

What Countries are Included in the Balkans

There is some disagreement over the exact countries that are included in the Balkans, but traditionally this region of Europe includes Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Slovenia. Additionally, parts of northern Greece and southern Turkey are also typically included as part of the Balkans.

What is Balkan Weather Like?

It honestly depends on the country. The Balkans cover over 250,000 square miles of Southeastern Europe with each of the countries having their own distinct landscape that dictates the weather.

However, the countries on the Adriatic Sea coast (Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania) have a typical Mediterranean climate on the coast and a cooler climate in the mountains. These countries are warmer throughout the year than Slovenia or Bulgaria which are landlocked and have more temperate climates.

An important thing to remember is that the Balkans have some of the roughest terrain in all of Europe. The Dinaric Alps, Carpathian Mountains, Balkan Mountains and other ridges stretch across this region causing the central Balkan countries to have a four-season climate. These mountains are also why the Balkans are a perfect time to visit during winter since many of the mountains receive heavy snowfall.

Who Will Enjoy the Balkans

Those wishing to get off the beaten path in Europe will enjoy visiting the Balkans. Since much of this region was under Communist rule and going through rebuilding, most of these countries are new to travelers. However, lesser known cities such as Skopje and Mostar are growing in popularity because of their uniqueness and smaller tourist scene than Western Europe.

History lovers will enjoy visiting the Balkans because of the unique cultural makeup of this region. The Venetian, Roman, Ottoman, and Hungarian Empires have all left their distinct influences on this region’s food, architecture, and cultural makeup. There are plenty of castles and old towns for any history enthusiast to get lost in.

Professional and amateur photographers will not be able to get enough of the Balkans. With towering mountains, aquamarine waters, and stunning cliff sides, the Balkans have some of the best untouched landscapes just waiting to be photographed.

The Balkans are also the ideal location for outdoor enthusiasts. There are many Balkan tour itineraries specializing in hiking and biking through the mountains of the Balkans. Also, there are tours that combine both the landscape of the Balkans with the metropolitan areas, allowing you to see all sides of the Balkans.

Do I Need Different Currencies when Traveling the Balkans?

Yes, you will need different currencies for the Balkans. Each of the Balkan countries have their own national currency, except Montenegro and Slovenia who both use the Euro.

You can exchange money before you leave for each of the countries. However, all of the countries have ATMs that you can use, but be forewarned, your bank may charge an international fee. There are also offices in the major cities, train stations, and airports where you can exchange your money.

If you are looking to exchange money from countries that are not near each other, like Bulgaria and Croatia, you will not be able to change the currencies. Also there are a few currencies, like Albanian Lek, you won’t be able to exchange outside of the country.

What Languages are Spoken in the Balkans?

The people of the Balkans speak a few different languages. You will hear Greek, a version of the Romance languages, a combination of Russian and Polish, and Albanian. But, some of the countries do have a similar language.

If you are traveling through Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Croatia you will find a common language. While some of the words may be different, the general language is very similar.

Balkan Tour Lengths

Most Balkan tours last between 8-18 days. The length of the tour depends on the theme and region of the Balkans you are visiting.

If you are focusing on just the food of the Balkans or the Western Balkans, than the tour will be around 10 days. If you wish to see all of the Balkans, you will need at least 15 days because the area is so large.

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On Travelstride you can find 163 trips to The Balkans and more than 20,000 trips worldwide ranging from budget to luxury and private guided to group tours and everything in between. Only on Stride can you find and compare expert-planned trips from 1,000+ tour operators, cruise lines and local experts. Read traveler and professional reviews so you can confidently find your perfect trip.

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