Journey the Balkans Escorted Tour; Croatia, Bosnia & Serbia Dubrovnik-Zagreb 7nts (Saturdays)

Itinerary

Open age Escorted Coach Tour conducted in English (possibly up to 40pax). Double bed or twin bed rooms available. Most triple rooms are a double bed with a single bed. Solo travellers must book a room for solo use.

Perfect post-cruise Land Tour from Dubrovnik to get you back to Zagreb; with some great sightseeing along the way!

Combine with a cruise before the tour:
https://discovercroatia.com.au/cruises/

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INCLUSIONS AND FULL ITINERARY:
8 days from Dubrovnik to Mostar and Sarajevo in Bosnia & Herzegovina then on to Belgrade, Novi Sad in Serbia, Osijek and finishing in Zagreb

INCLUDED:
• 7 nights accommodation in 4star Hotels
• Travel in air-conditioned vehicle
• Experienced English-speaking Tour Manager
• Includes day excursion to Korcula

Meals Included:
• Breakfast daily
• 5 hotel dinners
• 2 lunches
• Wine tasting in Iločki Podrumi
• Wine tasting in Peljesac Peninsula

Sightseeing and Tours Included:
• Walking tour of Dubrovnik
• Walking tour of Sarajevo
• Walking tour of Belgrade
• Walking tour of Novi Sad
• Walking tour of Osijek
• Day trip to Korcula with wine tasting

Entrances Included:
• Etno Village Stara Kapela

Hotels:
Dubrovnik - Valamar Lacroma 4star or similar
Sarajevo - Colors Inn 4star or similar
Beograd - Zira 4star or similar
Osijek - Osijek 4star or similar
Zagreb - Astoria 4star or similar

NOT INCLUDED:
• Tips/gratuities
• Meals not listed in itinerary
• Entrance fees

ITINERARY:
Check-in to your room from 14.00hrs. Passengers who arrive earlier can leave their bags at Reception until their room is ready. Dinner and first overnight in hotel, so late arrivals are possible.

Day 1 Saturday: DUBROVNIK - Arrival (D)
Transfer from Dubrovnik airport, Dubrovnik harbor or another hotel in Dubrovnik to the designated tour hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure. Dinner included at the hotel. Overnight in Dubrovnik.
# Included: Dinner at hotel

DAY 2 Sunday: In DUBROVNIK; (B, D)
Morning at leisure. This afternoon we enjoy a locally guided walking tour of this UNESCO protected 'Pearl of the Adriatic' and its Cathedral. Meet the Tour Leader in Hotel Reception around 2.15pm (14.15hrs). You will have a one-way transfer to the Old Town for the walking tour. Let our guided city tour of Dubrovnik Old Town weave the story of its history and its present into the splendid fabric of fine architecture and magnificent city walls. Starting from Pile square on the eastern side of Dubrovnik Old Town, embark on a walking tour through the maze of narrow streets, lively piazzas, and stunning palaces like Sponza and churches like St. Blaise. Enjoy the moderate tempo of your walk as you stroll down the main thoroughfare of Stradun, all the way to the Cathedral and the Rector’s Palace, where you will discover a fine synergy between governance and faith which kept Dubrovnik afloat as the independent Republic of Ragusa for 450 years. You can return to the hotel at your leisure after spending free time in Dubrovnik. Dinner at the hotel is included, but of course you may prefer to experience one of the many famous restaurants in Dubrovnik this evening. Overnight in Dubrovnik.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Walking Tour of Dubrovnik (around 2pm)

DAY 3 Monday: In DUBROVNIK - Korcula Excursion (B, T, D)
Join us for our day trip to Korcula, or if you prefer, you can take the day at leisure to enjoy Dubrovnik on your own. Korčula holds an indisputable privileged position among the Croatian islands. Here we find more legends, tales and monuments than anywhere else. Being famous stonemasons, shipbuilders and seafarers the people of Korčula left their marks all over the world, but they saved their best works for their own city. Experience the narrow streets, beautiful churches and magnificent palaces in one of the best preserved Medieval towns in the Mediterranean. After the locally-guided walking tour, you have free time for lunch. On the return journey, a stop will be made in one of the well-known wine cellars of the Pelješac Peninsula to sample some of the excellent local wine. Late afternoon return to Dubrovnik. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Dubrovnik.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Korcula Excursion by coach: Embark on a journey to Korčula island and Pelješac for wine tasting. Depart from the hotel, enjoying scenic views along the Adriatic coast with a short break in Ston. Arrive in Orebić and take a short boat ride to Korčula. Upon arrival, enjoy our guided walking tour of the town (museum visits not included), with some free time afterwards to enjoy this magnificent place and grab some lunch. Return boat ride to rejoin your coach and driver. On your way back, a stop will be made for wine tasting in one of the fabulous wine cellars on Pelješac Peninsula.

DAY 4 Tuesday: to MOSTAR, then to SARAJEVO (B, D)
Morning departure to Mostar, city of bridges, where the traveller from the south gets the first glimpse of the continent beyond. Our Tour Leader will guide you on an orientational walk of Mostar, before leaving you with free time for lunch. Then we depart towards Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo is one of the historically most interesting cities in Europe. It is the place where the Western & the Eastern Roman Empire split and where the people of the Orthodox East, the Ottoman South and the Roman Catholic West met, both an example of the clash of civilizations and of historical turbulences and a beacon of hope for peace and tolerance, reached through multi-cultural integration. City tour of Sarajevo upon arrival. Dinner and overnight in Sarajevo.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Time in Mostar
# Included: Walking Tour of Sarajevo

DAY 5 Wednesday: to BELGRADE (B, D)
Morning departure to Belgrade, capital of Serbia. Short break will be made in Zvornik, charming little town in the northeastern Bosnia on Drina river. Belgrade is situated at the place where Sava joins the Danube river. There are spots in Belgrade you must definitely see and feel. Streets, squares, monuments, parks, fountains, archeological sites. Many of them have been given the status of cultural assets. Upon arrival a guided tour of this beautiful city between two rivers famous by its sunsets. Free time after the tour, perhaps take a quick visit to the Museum of Yugoslavia. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Belgrade.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Dinner at hotel
# Included: Walking Tour of Belgrade

DAY 6 Thursday: to NOVI SAD, then to VUKOVAR / OSIJEK (B, L, T)
Morning departure to Novi Sad (Serbia's second largest city), located on Danube river. Novi Sad's position at one of the continent's true crossroads and history as a multinational commercial and transit center has left it endowed with historical and cultural sights that even much larger cities have difficulty matching. Novi Sad has much to boast about, from the imposing fortress on the opposite bank to the churches representing numerous denominations throughout the old town's exceedingly pleasant pedestrian zone to several unheralded but noteworthy museums and art galleries. Our local guide will show us all "must see“ locations. After the guided tour of Novi Sad we will continue towards Ilok. You will have opportunity to taste wines in one of the famous Croatia wine cellars “Iločki Podrumi” followed by a traditional lunch. On our way to Osijek we will stop in Vukovar which is the biggest Croatian river port located at the confluence of Vuka River in Danube, a town also known as a symbol of the Croatian war for independence, as it arose from the ashes of the '90s into the proud city that it is today. In the late afternoon hours we will end this day. Overnight in Osijek or Vukovar.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Traditional lunch and wine tasting
# Included: Walking Tour of Novi Sad

DAY 7 Friday: OSIJEK tour, then to ZAGREB (B, L)
You will start you morning with the city tour of Osijek. Osijek Pancake - flat, rich in rivers, Slavonia has unique natural wonders and delicious regional cuisine that will take your breath away: endless plains, the intense yellow of its corn and sunflower fields, the flavors of its cuisine that will make all your senses travel.... Osijek, the largest city in eastern Croatia, beautifully settled on the banks of Drava river. Osijek remains a popular tourist destination for its Baroque style, open spaces and lots of recreational opportunities. Located in one of the most fertile and most certainly the biggest agricultural area of Croatia, the town is its semi-official gastronomic capital. City tour passes by the Cathedral and the Tvrdja (Old Fort). We are continuing our drive and the first thing you see when approaching Djakovo from either side is the brightness of the bricks of the two towers and cupolas of its Cathedral, beauty of which welcomes the visitors. After the visit, departure towards Zagreb followed by a visit to the Ethno Village of Stara Kapela for a lunch (no drinks included) of the products of the Pannonia soil. Overnight in Zagreb.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Lunch at Stara Kapela
# Included: Walking Tour of Osijek

DAY 8 Saturday: Zagreb - End of Tour (B)
Breakfast at hotel and check-out. Departure transfer from the tour hotel to Zagreb airport in time for your flight, or to other hotels in Zagreb. You can leave your bags at hotel reception until your transfer pick-up if your departure is after check-out time.
# Included: Breakfast at hotel
# Included: Departure transfer to airport, train station or other hotel

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
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