Ultimate Balkans and Transylvania (4 Star Hotels)

Welcome to the vibrant city of Bucharest! Upon arrival at the airport, look for the Travel Talk sign for your transfer to the hotel. At around 7pm, join an informal welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travellers. After receiving all the essential information about the tour, head out for an optional group dinner at 8:15pm and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the streets of Bucharest.

After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for the salt mines of Turda, a fascinating geological wonder that has been producing salt since the 11th century. We then continue to Hunedoara Castle, also known as Corvin Castle, where you'll learn about the vibrant history of this Transylvanian citadel. Our next stop is the fairytale-like town of Sibiu. After a day filled with cultural adventure, relax at our comfortable 4-star hotel or start exploring Sibiu as you wish.

After a substantial breakfast, hop on the bus and make your way to the Serbian capital, Belgrade. With stunning views over the Danube and Sava rivers by the mighty medieval Belgrade Fortress, head to the heart of the capital. Starting off at the vibrant shopping street, Knez Mihailova, filled with cafes, shops and charming sites, kick off the walking tour to discover the incredible landmarks Belgrade has in store and their marvellous histories.

Next stop is Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This city is where the Western and Eastern Roman Empire split and where people of many nations and religions met, lived and warred. You can still see many reminders of the Yugoslav War in bullet holes and cannon marks all around town. Though, still an oriental beauty with a unique twist, and a delight to discover on your walking tour in the old town. The city offers endless delicacies to taste, but the specialty is lamb.

Get ready for a long day at Dubrovnik, the 'Pearl of the Adriatic'! With its well-preserved majestic walls encircling the whole town and its sea of terra-cotta roof tiles, the whole town is an amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site. We start off with a guided walking tour of the Old Town and marvel at the millennial history of this fairy-like town. Walk atop the mighty walls, discover cute narrow streets, taste delicious seafood or jump off into the crystal-blue waters. In the evening, we return to Trebinje for a good night's rest.

Next stop is Montenegro! Arrive in Kotor after a scenic drive and meet its calming natural beauty and characteristic architecture, a less-crowded version of Dubrovnik with its impressive medieval citadel. Following a walking tour of the old town with your expert local guide and some free time, we depart for Albania, which is our final destination for the day. Shkoder is one of the most authentic cities in Albania. Enjoy a walking tour through the centre before settling in for the night.

Hit the road after breakfast! A panoramic city tour of Tirana will introduce the best preserved and most beautiful samples of Albanian architecture, and drop us off at the town centre for some free time to discover the bustling Skenderbeg square. In the afternoon, continue towards Ohrid, Macedonia and check-in to your comfy hotel. You can rest up after a long day, or join the optional Balkan night with dinner.

Start off the day with a guided city tour of Old Ohrid hosting hundreds of chapels and churches scattered all around. In the afternoon travel to Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, for the night.

After breakfast, we depart for Kalambaka, the gateway to Meteora. Meteora is famous for its breath-taking scenery and ageless monasteries, almost suspended between the earth and sky. The town hosts one of the largest and steepest complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, literally named as 'middle of the sky'. The World Heritage-listed site is out-of-this-world with its unique landscape of immense monolithic pillars and huge rounded boulders hosting monasteries on top. Later in the afternoon, hop on the bus for Delphi.

Have your final breakfast on us and start bidding farewells to your travel mates before checking out of the hotel at 11:00. Time to start counting days for your next adventure with Travel Talk!