Day 1: Tuesday: Belgrade
Upon arrival in Belgrade you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Balance out the day at leisure.
Day 2: Wednesday: Belgrade
Today, we will visit the city's wide boulevards, its pretty squares and the lush, historic Kalemegdan Park, home to the Kelmegdan Fortress overlooking the Danube River for centuries.
Day 3: Thursday: Belgrade To Skopje
Departure for Skopje via Nis, Serbia's third largest city. After a sightseeing tour where we will visit the remnants of its Ottoman past, we will cross the border to FYROM and reach its capital, Skopje, in the afternoon.
Day 4: Friday: Skopje
This afternoon enjoy a walking tour of the city's center, visiting the Kale Fortress and the Church of the Holy Savior, housing one of the finest samples of traditional walnut woodcarving, the Old Bazaar and the Stone Bridge.
Day 5: Saturday: Skopje / Ohrid
Today we drive to Ohrid, the UNESCO world heritage site known as the 'Jerusalem of the Balkans' due to the large number of churches located in the area. The city is nestled on the shores of a large lake whose waters are world famous for their outstanding clarity. Discover Ohrid's highlights: The church of St. Sofia (11th century), the most eminent medieval monument of the country, full of magnificent Byzantine fresco paintings, and St. Clement Church, where you will see the famous icon of the Annunciation.
Day 6: Sunday: Ohrid / Thessaloniki
Today we leave Ohrid for Thessaloniki, the second biggest city of Greece, famous for its many UNESCO listed Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments and its foreshore lined with cafes, bars, restaurants and cocktail lounges.
Day 7: Monday: Thessaloniki / Delphi / Athens
This morning we will drive to Delphi and explore its incredible archeological site and museum. The sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo used to speak, was the religious centre of the ancient world for the Greeks. After Delphi we continue to Athens.
Day 8: Tuesday: Athens
After breakfast, you will be picked up from the hotel, and you will be led to a guided Athens sightseeing tour to the House of Parliament, the Unknown Soldier’s Tomb, the Hadrian’s Arch, the Olympian Zeus Temple, the Panathenaic Stadium, the Academy, the University, the National Library and the Constitution Square (Syntagma). At the Acropolis visit the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and of course the Parthenon, the jewel of the Acropolis. Balance off the day at leisure.
Day 9: Wednesday: Athens / Meteora
Today we leave Athens early in the morning heading towards Meteora, a site of particularly impressive scenery where monasteries are suspended between earth and sky, on top of granite rocks. We will spend the evening in Kalambaka, a nearby traditional Greek village.
Day 10: Thursday: Meteora / Gjirokastã‹r / Tirana
Today we are heading towards Albania. En route we will visit the UNESCO-listed old town of Gjirokastër, overlooked by the Gjirokastër Fortress and described as "a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town, built by farmers of large estates", before we continue to Tirana, the capital of the country.
Day 11: Friday: Tirana / Budva / Kotor
After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of Tirana town visiting the Clock Tower, St Paul’s Cathedral, Piramida, the Et’hem Bey Mosque, the National Historical Museum, the National Art Gallery and Mother Teresa Square. We then leave Albania and drive to the city of Budva, Montenegro. Apart from its overall natural beauty embellished by bay islands and beaches, Budva is also rich in historic monuments. The Old Town of Budva is a treasure chest of cultural heritage lying on a small peninsula. Full of narrow streets and squares, in Budva you will find famous buildings suck as the St. Trojica Church, where the tomb of writer Stjepan Mitrov Ljubisa is located, as well as the beautiful churches of St. Sava, St. Ivan and St. Bogorodica. We continue to Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage site set on the beautiful bay of the same name.
Day 12: Saturday: Kotor / Dubrovnik
In Kotor it is worthwhile seeing the well-preserved Old Town, walk along the city walls and visit the beautiful catholic cathedral of Saint Tryphon, built in 1166. We continue to the legendary city of Dubrovnik, surrounded by well-preserved stone walls and often referred to as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. Upon arrival we will enjoy a guided walk along the city walls, enjoying the views of the Adriatic Sea, as well as Big Onofrio’s Fountain, built by the European architect Onofrio della Cava in the 15th century as a means of water supply for the city, the 13th century Franciscan monastery and the palaces of Sponza and Rector. At the end of the tour we suggest you relax at a nearby beach.
Day 13: Sunday: Dubrovnik / Split
After breakfast we will drive along the Dalmatian coast towards Split. In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of the city including the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Diocletian Palace, the Bronze Gates, the Vestibul of the Emperor's Palace, The Mausoleum, St. Dujam's Cathedral, the Cathedral Treasury, the Temple of Jupiter and St. Martin's Church (Golden Gate) before you reach the Fruit Square and visit the Venetian castle, the Milesi Palace and the Monument of Marko Marulic.
Day 14: Monday: Split
After breakfast, our tour reaches its end with a transfer to Split airport.