From Athens to Dubrovnik

Welcome to your tour with Europamundo! We’ll transfer you to the hotel and you’ll have some free time. In the afternoon, you’ll find information about the start of your tour on the boards located at the hotel reception.

We´ll embark on a city tour of Athens with a local guide, visiting landmarks such as the Presidential Mansion, the Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympic Games were held, the National Library, and the bustling squares of the city center. We´ll also explore the newer neighborhoods that developed after the 2004 Olympic Games. The tour will conclude at the Acropolis (admission not included). In the evening, we´ll provide a transfer to the historical neighborhood of Plaka, renowned for its charming Greek tavernas and opportunities to immerse yourself in the rich folklore of this country.

We’ll depart early in the morning towards northern Greece, stopping at Kamena Vourla, a charming seaside tourist hub surrounded by stunning landscapes. We´ll then proceed north, stopping at the Thermopylae Mountain Pass, the historic site of the famous battle. Next, we´ll visit Kastraki, a picturesque village with beautiful views of the entire valley, where you´ll have free time for lunch. Afterward, we´ll explore the Meteora, a breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admission to one of its renowned monasteries is included. Dinner will be provided in Kalabaka.

We travel through the North of Greece, amidst pretty mountain scenery to the Aegean Sea. We arrive in THESSALONIKI with time for a stroll and lunch in Greece’s second largest city. After this we continue towards BULGARIA, crossing the border. In Bulgarian Macedonia we will make a stop in MELNIK, picturesque museum-town among beautiful landscapes in the center of a wine-producing area. We arrive in SANDANSKI, at this beautiful small spa town, the birthplace of Spartacus. Dinner and accommodation.

We visit the beautiful Rila Monastery, the heritage of mankind, with its appearance of a fortress surrounded by forests. We continue to SOFIA, where we arrive at the end of the morning. After lunch, we include a city tour of the capital of Bulgaria, where we will see the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the Russian Church, the Mosque, its squares and avenues of Stalinist architecture. Free time afterwards.

In the morning we will leave for BACHKOVO MONASTERY, Bulgaria’s second most important monastery, founded in the eleventh century, with its three churches, we feel it as a place full of peace. We continue to PLOVDIV. Lunch included before the sightseeing tour of one of the oldest cities in Europe. Here we include tickets to the Roman Amphitheatre, the ancient chemist’s and the Armenian House.

Today’s journey takes us through beautiful scenery across the Balkans mountain range. In the valley of the Roses, we will see KAZANLAK, where tickets are included to the replica of the Thracian Tomb (UNESCO Heritage) and we will learn about the production of products derived from the roses. Amidst the mountains, we stop at the Russian church of SHIPKA, which commemorates the war between Russia and Turkey. Visit ETARA with its charming village/ethnographic museum. Lunch included. After this we travel to ARBANASSI, an ancient trading city with its fortress-houses, where we visit the Church of the Nativity (admission included). Travel to VELIKO TARNOVO, Bulgaria’s former capital, with a very picturesque medieval center.Note: In some cases, Arbanassi may be visited on Sunday morning instead of Saturday.

We travel to Romania and on our way we will make a stop to visit the BASARBOVSKI MONASTERY, a place of pilgrimage dug out of the rock. We proceed to cross the border and the river Danube, arriving to BUCHAREST around 13:00 hrs. Lunch included. We will have a sightseeing tour of the city with its ancient quarter and the giant Parliament Palace. Free time afterwards.

Today we have a journey of a great scenic beauty, travelling to Transylvania across the Carpathian Mountains and through forests. In SINAIA, we will stroll through the gardens of the Peles and Pelisor Castles before going on to the 14th-century BRAN fortress, commonly known as Dracula’s Castle (tickets included). Time for lunch before continuing to SIGHISOARA, a very beautiful walled medieval city and UNESCO Heritage center. In the evening we will enjoy a very special dinner, in the restaurant of Count Dracula, at the house, where Vlad Tepes was born.

In Transylvania there are numerous fortified churches in areas that were inhabited by people of German origin; some of these churches have been declared Heritage of Mankind, and we will see one of them, BIERTAN (tickets included). After this, we continue to SIBIU, an important economic and cultural center, previously the capital of Transylvania, with its bustling narrow streets and squares. Time for a stroll and take lunch. In the afternoon, we visit the impressive Castle of HUNEDOARA (tickets included), which is considered the prettiest castle in Romania. We continue to TIMISOARA, with time to explore its elegant central squares.

We set off for SERBIA and cross the border. After a few hours travelling we will arrive in BELGRADE. Here you can enjoy a city tour of this active capital on the shores of the Danube as it flows into the Sava. We get the chance to admire its busy center, its parliament, and stroll in the Kalemegdan Fortress. A visit to the Museum of Yugoslavia, where Tito´s Mausoleum is located, will also be included. Free time in the afternoon.

We begin our beautiful stage traveling to the Voivodina region. We make a stop in SREMSKA MITROVICA, a city with a pleasant historic center on the banks of the Sava River that was one of the most important in the Roman Empire, the capital of the province of Pannonia. We include the admission to the grounds of the Imperial Palace of Sirmium, which illustrates us that period. Afterwards we continue towards Bosnia. We will make a stop in the city of ZVORNIK, one of the oldest cities in Bosnia, crossed by a river that forms the border with Serbia and make us sadly remember the Bosnian war. Its population since then has changed a lot since the majority of it, Muslim, was expelled while Serbian refugees from other regions settled. We are near the village of Srebrenica, known for the massacre. Time for lunch and a walk. We continue our route between beautiful landscapes to SARAJEVO. Arrival in the evening and time in the historic center during which you can stroll through the charming bazaar, an old Ottoman market famous for its architecture, oriental atmosphere and traditional shops. Dinner included.

In the morning, we’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing tour in Sarajevo, a captivating city known as the "Jerusalem of Europe" due to its coexistence of several religions. Mosques, churches, and synagogues showcase its rich religious diversity. We’ll explore the old town´s strong Ottoman influence, highlighted by a magnificent mosque over 500 years old and a beautiful fountain. After our visit, we’ll continue through an area of stunning beauty to Mostar, with its enchanting historic center and iconic stone bridge that separates the Orthodox, Muslim, and Catholic communities. You’ll have time for lunch and a stroll through the city. We’ll then proceed to Croatia, where border procedures may take a while. We’ll arrive in Dubrovnik at the end of the day. Dinner will be included.

We’ll enjoy a panoramic tour of Dubrovnik with a local guide in the morning. We will undoubtedly be in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, perched on a cliff, surrounded by walls and kissed by the Adriatic Sea. Its intact historic center is a jewel of world architectural heritage. We’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a stunning view of the city from a scenic viewpoint along the road. The tour includes tickets to the Franciscan Monastery, home to the oldest pharmacy in Europe, and the Assumption Cathedral. We’ll also take a boat trip to Lokrum, a small island just 15 minutes away that is home to the ruins of an eleventh-century Benedictine monastery, a popular setting for the series Game of Thrones. Afterward, you’ll have free time to explore at your leisure before returning to the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner will be included.Note: On some occasions, accommodation may be in Cavtat, a coastal town near Dubrovnik. From November to March, there is no boat service to Lokrum, so we will not visit the island during these months.

After breakfast, our journey will come to an end, leaving you with wonderful lasting memories.