12 Days 6 Countries Balkan Tour

12 Days/6 Countries – Balkan TourDay 1 ARRIVE ATHENSArrival Athens. Lunch. Check in hotel. Free time. Dinner at hotel. Overnight in AthensAthens is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded historyspanning around 3,400 years, and the earliest human presence around the 11th–7th centuries BC. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state thatemerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus. A center for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Plato's Academyand Aristotle's Lyceum, it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural andpolitical impact on the European continent and in particular the Romans. In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central toeconomic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Greece.Day 2 ATHENSBreakfast. Athens full day city tour : visit Acropolis, Parthenon, Olympic Stadium, Olympian Zeus Temple, Lycabettus Hill, Greek Ancient Market.Lunch. Shopping : Syntagma Square, Monastiraki Back to hotel , Dinner at hotel.Day 3 ATHENS – KALAMBAKABreakfast. Proceed to Kalambaka (353km). Arrival, lunch. Half day city tour : visit Meteora, Theopetra Cave. Check in hotel. Dinner at hotel inKalambakaKalabaka is a municipality in the Trikala regional unit, part of Thessaly in Greece. The population 11,841 (2001). The Meteora monasteries are locatedin the town. Kalabaka is the northwestern terminal of the old Thessaly Railways, now part of OSE. Kalabaka was voted as one of the most beautifulplaces in Greece by the Skai TV show I LOVE GR.The Metéora is one of the largest and most important complexes of Greek Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The sixmonasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains,in central Greece. Caves in the vicinity of Metéora were inhabited continuously between 50,000 and 5,000 years ago. The oldest known example of aman-made structure, a stone wall that blocked two-thirds of the entrance to the Theopetra Cave, was constructed 23,000 years ago, probably as abarrier against cold winds – the Earth was experiencing an ice age at the time – and many Paleolithic and Neolithic artifacts have been found within thecaves.

Day 4 KALAMBAKA – OHRIDBreakfast. Proceed to Ohrid (277km). Arrival, lunch. Half day city tour: visit Hadzi Turgut Mosque, Old Bazaar, Zeynel Abidin Pasha Tekke, KrstDazmija. Check in hotel. Dinner at hotelOhrid is a city in the Republic of Macedonia and the seat of Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the eighth-largest city in thecountry. Ohrid is notable for once having had 365 churches, one for each day of the year, and has been referred to as a \"Jerusalem of the Balkans\".The city is rich in picturesque houses and monuments, and tourism is predominant. It is located southwest of Skopje, west of Resen and Bitola. In 1979and in 1980, Ohrid and Lake Ohrid were accepted as Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. In fact, Ohrid is one of only 28 sites thatare part of UNESCO's World Heritage that are both Cultural and Natural sitesDay 5 OHRID – TIRANA – BUDVABreakfast. Proceed to Tirana (138km). Half day city tour: Mosque of Ethem Bay, Clock Tower,national Museum. Lunch. Proceed to Budva (175km).Arrival, check in hotel. Dinner at hotel. Overnight in BudvaTirana became Albania’s capital city in 1920. The city is host to many public institutions and public and private universities, and is the centre of thepolitical, economic, and cultural life of the country

Day 6 BUDVA – DUBROVNIKBreakfast. Half day city tour: Old town Budva. Lunch. Proceed to Dubrovnik (115km). Arrival, check in hotel. Dinner and Overnight in DubrovnikBudva is a Montenegrin town on the Adriatic Sea. It has around 14,000 inhabitants, and it is the center of Budva Municipality. The coastal area aroundBudva, called the Budva riviera, is the center of Montenegrin tourism, known for its well preserved medieval walled city, sandy beaches and diversenightlife. Budva is 2,500 years old, which makes it one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast.Day 7 : DUBROVNIKBreakfast at hotel , city tour of this UNESCO protected pearl of the Adriatic and its Cathedral , Rector’s Palace, Fransican Monastery (included OldPharmacy), Clock Tower, Orlando’s Columns, Sponze Plaza, Dubrovnik City. Lunch in the old City , free time , Dinner and Ovenight at hotel inDubrovnik.The 'Pearl of the Adriatic', situated on the Dalmatian coast, became an important Mediterranean sea power from the 13th century onwards. Althoughseverely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries,palaces and fountains.

Day 8 : DUBROVNIK – MOSTAR – SARAJEVOBreakfast , Check out hotel. Transfer to Mostar (+/- 140km : +/- 2 ½Hours) , Proceed for city tour – visit Karadjoz bey mosque, Muslibegovic house –walk through the old town and old bridge, listed as UNESCO heritage site. continue drive to Sarajevo , Lunch at Local Restaurant on the Way atJablanica , arriveSarajevo , free time at Old City , check-in the hotel , Dinner and Overnight in SarajevoMostar is a city and municipality in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina.It is the most important city in the Herzegovina region, its cultural capital, and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostaris situated on the Neretva River and is the fifth-largest city in the country. Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who in the medievaltimes guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva. The Old Bridge, built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, is one of Bosnia andHerzegovina's most recognizable landmarks, and is considered one of the most exemplary pieces of Islamic architecture in the BalkansDay 9 : SARAJEVOBreakfast at hotel. Proceed for tour to visit Vrelo Bosne – spring of river Bosnia, Tunnel museum – the only means of going in and out during the siegeof Sarajevo in last war. Walking tour of old town Bascarsija, Latin bridge, place where the Austro Hungarian Archduke was assassinated, whattriggered the 1st World War; Brusa bezistan – covered market place; Gazi Husref Bey Mosque- built in 1530 year during the Ottoman era – and GaziHusref Bey Madrass; Morica han built in 1551 ; Vijecnica – town hall for the Austro-Hungarian era. Lunch at the local restaurant. afternoon, free forshopping. Back to hotel , Dinner and Overnight in Sarajevo.

Day 10 SARAJEVO – TRAVNIK – BIHACBreakfast. Proceed to Travnik (90km). Arrival Travnik , Travnik with its mosque’s and fortress that dot the skyline shows the original style Bosnianarchitecture that gives this town its charm. Lunch at Blava Voda Restaurant. Continue drive to Bihac ( 180 km ). Check-in the hotel. Dinner andOvernight at hotel in BihacTravnik is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, 90 kilometres west of Sarajevo. It is the capital of the Central Bosnia Canton,and is located in the Travnik Municipality. It was the capital city of the governors of Bosnia from 1699 to 1850, and has a cultural heritage dating fromthat period.Bihac is a city on the River Una in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. It has 61,186 inhabitants. Bihac is located inthe Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Day 11 BIHAC – PLITVICE LAKES – ZAGREBBreakfast. A guided city tour of Bihać will uncover the secrets of untouch natural landscapes that are classified in the most preserved natural division ofEurope. ( Strback’s and Martinbrod’s waterfall, River Una, National Park Una, … ). Lunch in local restaurant on the river Bank proceed to Zagreb ( 155km ) via Plitvica lakes , stop for watching the lakes as well Photos taking proceed to Zagreb , check-in the hotel Dinner and Overnight at hotel inZagrebPlitvice Lakes National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. In 1979, Plitvice LakesNational Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage register.

Day 12 ZAGREB – DEPARTUREBreakfast at hotel. Check-out the hotel. Proceed to city Visit of the highlights including the upper and lower town, the majestic Cathedral, Archbishop’sPalace, Lunch at Local Restaurant , free time exploring the winding streets of the old town , free at leisure , proceed to Airport…