Balkans & Greek Islands Explorer - 22 days

Why you'll love this trip

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  Athens - An orientation tour of the Greek capital opens the tour, with optional guided visits to the Acropolis and a food tour through the city's markets and tavernas, before a second stay later in the tour covering Hadrian's Arch, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Panathinaikos Stadium

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  Delphi - The ancient sanctuary where the Greeks believed the world's navel to be located rewards a guided visit to the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, and the archaeological museum tucked into the slopes of Mount Parnassus

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  Meteora - An extraordinary series of rock pillars topped with Eastern Orthodox monasteries, best experienced at sunset with an optional Greek evening in the foothills to follow

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  Ohrid - One of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited cities sits above its own lake in North Macedonia, its guided old town tour passing the clifftop Church of St John at Kaneo and layers of Byzantine history

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  Tirana - Albania's capital surprises on a walking tour that traces Ottoman, Italian, and Communist architectural influences across a cityscape of colourful facades and reimagined socialist monuments, with a local lunch included

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  Kotor - A UNESCO-listed medieval town enclosed by Venetian walls at the head of a Montenegrin bay, explored on a guided tour with the walled coastal town of Budva offering a scenic warm-up stop along the way

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  Dubrovnik - Two days in Croatia's walled Adriatic city take in a locally-guided tour of the Old Town, City Walls, and Franciscan Monastery, with a free afternoon and an optional boat excursion to the Blue Cave and surrounding azure waters

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  Mostar - The rebuilt Stari Most bridge arches over the Neretva River in a city where Ottoman minarets and Austro-Hungarian facades stand within metres of each other, with free time to explore before pressing on to Sarajevo

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  Sarajevo - A locally-guided tour of the Bosnian capital covers a city where the Ottoman bazaar district gives way to Austro-Hungarian boulevards within a few minutes' walk, reflecting centuries of layered empire

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  Split - Diocletian's Palace forms the living heart of this Croatian city, its Roman walls now enclosing cafés, apartments, and the Baroque facades of Fruit Square, all fronted by the Riva waterfront promenade

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  Plitvice Lakes - Croatia's most celebrated national park unfolds across a series of cascading turquoise lakes and waterfalls, explored on foot through ancient forest before the road turns north to Slovenia

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  Ljubljana - A locally-guided walking tour of Slovenia's fairytale capital threads through castle-topped hills and riverside café streets, with an optional evening of Slovenian wine and cuisine to follow

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  Budapest - Two days in Hungary's capital span a locally-guided driving tour past the Parliament buildings and Castle District, optional visits to St Stephen's Basilica and Fisherman's Bastion, and a Danube dinner cruise as the city lights up at dusk

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  Novi Sad - A brief stop in Serbia's second city before Belgrade, its pedestrianised centre and Petrovaradin Fortress offering a gentler introduction to Serbian culture

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  Belgrade - A locally-guided walking tour covers Republic Square, the bohemian Skadarlija quarter, and the vast Kalemegdan Fortress overlooking the confluence of the Sava and Danube, a city that wears its complicated history with considerable energy

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  Niš - A lunch stop in one of the Balkans' oldest cities, where the cobbled lanes of Tinkers Alley and the remains of a Turkish fortress speak to centuries of Ottoman rule

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  Sofia - A walking tour of the Bulgarian capital centres on the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, set among Soviet-era boulevards and Roman ruins visible beneath the street

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  Rila Monastery - Bulgaria's most revered monument sits deep in a forested mountain valley, its 10th-century origins visible beneath striped arches and vivid frescoed cloisters that make it one of the most visually striking religious sites in the Balkans

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  Thessaloniki - Greece's second city opens up on an orientation tour of a historic waterfront and city centre that layers Byzantine churches, Roman ruins, and Ottoman-era markets

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  Mykonos - Two days on the Cyclades' most glamorous island span an orientation tour of Mykonos Chora's whitewashed lanes, free time on sandy beaches, and an optional sailing excursion to the ancient ruins of Delos

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  Santorini - Three nights on the caldera give full time to explore, with an optional highlights tour to a black sand beach, Oia at sunset, and a local winery, plus an optional boat trip to the active volcano and therapeutic hot springs of the caldera islands

Is this trip right for you?

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  There are some long travelling days on this trip, but it’s all part of the adventure and a great way to get to know your fellow travellers.

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  This trip requires a moderate level of fitness as it involves some walking and swimming, allowing you to really get among nature. Please bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, a swimsuit and comfortable clothing.

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  Multiple activities on this trip are subject to weather and water conditions and on occasion, may be cancelled for safety or operational reasons. In the case of cancellation, we will endeavour to find a suitable replacement activity.