Balkan Dream by Bus (6 Nights - All Sightseeing & Optional Tours Included) Departure from Izmir - 2027 Season

Balkan Dream by Bus
(All Sightseeing Excursions, Optional Tours, Dinners and Balkan Night Included)
(8 Days 7 Nights, 6 Nights Accommodation)

9 Countries – 5 Capitals – 24 Cities

Greece – North Macedonia – Kosovo – Albania – Montenegro – Croatia –            Bosnia and Herzegovina – Serbia - Bulgaria

Kavala – Thessaloniki - Bitola – Resen - Ohrid (1) - Kicevo – Tetovo - SKOPJE (1) – PRISTINA – Prizren – Lezhe - Shkoder (1) – Petrovac - Budva – Kotor – Herceg Novi – Dubrovnik – Medjugorje (1) – Mostar – Jablanica - Konjic - Sarajevo (1) – Belgrade (1)

MATKA CANYON INCLUDED   DUBROVNIK TOUR INCLUDED 5 DINNERS INCLUDED
MACEDONIAN NIGHT TOUR WITH MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT INCLUDED BOSNIAN MEATBALL DELICACY   POCITELJ VILLAGE INCLUDED KRAVICA WATERFALL INCLUDED

Departure Dates

March 6 & May 15 & June 27 & July 11 – July 25 & August 8 – August 22 & September 12 & October 10 & November 7

We begin our tour by picking you up, our valued guests, from our Departure Points: Üçkuyular at 15:00, Üçyol at 15:30, Lausanne Square at 16:00, Karşıyaka Monument at 16:30, Bornova Ege University Emergency Front at 17:00, Manisa Bus Terminal at 18:00, Balıkesir Bus Terminal at 20:00, Bursa Old Stadium Front at 22:00. We arrive at İpsala border gate. After completing our passport and customs procedures here, we continue our journey with an overnight trip.

After breakfast taken freely in Kavala, we taste the famous Kavala cookies and continue our journey towards Thessaloniki. We visit the house where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born in Thessaloniki, leave from here, and continue our journey towards the Greece-Macedonia border. After passport and customs procedures, we arrive at the city of Bitola (Monastir), which also houses the military high school where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk studied. During our tour here, the military high school which today hosts the Atatürk Memorial Room and also serves as the city's archaeological museum, Shirok Street, the new mosque, and Eleni Karinte's balcony are just some of the things we will see. During the free time we will give after our tour here, you can have your lunch at the restaurants located on Shirok Street. With the departure at the meeting time given by our guide, we continue our journey towards Ohrid. With our arrival in Ohrid, we start our walking tour. During our tour in this beautiful city, which is established on the shores of Lake Ohrid, famous for its pearl and is like a pearl itself, Ohrid houses, the Hagia Sophia church, the Damat Ali Pasha mosque, the Halveti Tekke and Mosque, and the Turkish quarter are some of the places we will see. After exploring Ohrid on foot, free time for your shopping and enjoyment. We recommend you drink a cup of Turkish tea or Turkish coffee in the Turkish quarter. After our tour, we depart for our hotel with a meeting at the specified place and time. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be taken optionally on the way. Soup, breakfast plate, pastry, brewed tea alternatives can be evaluated (Not included in the tour price).
Lunch: Will be taken during free time in the city of Bitola (Monastir) (Not included in the tour price) Dinner: Will be taken at the hotel as an open buffet or set menu (Included in the tour price)
Currencies: € (Euro) in Greece, Dinar in Macedonia (1€ = 61 Dinars)
Route: Istanbul-Kavala (444 km), Kavala - Bitola (370 km), Bitola – Ohrid (70 km)
Approximate Distance to be Covered: 890 km
Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated depending on customs crossing time: 20:30

After breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we complete our check-out procedures and leave our hotel with our luggage. After a short and delicious break we will give at Straza on the route, we depart and head to Tetovo, one of the important cities of Macedonia and having an entirely Albanian population. Upon our arrival, we visit the Painted Mosque (Alaca Camii), which has perhaps the most colorful visual you can ever see. During our visit, we drink ice-cold mountain water from the fountain located in the mosque courtyard and continue our journey towards Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. Upon our arrival in Skopje, we set out to explore the streets of this city embracing east and west. While wandering around the surviving part of the largest bazaar built outside the capital in Ottoman history, Kapan Han, Sulu Han, Cifte Hamam, Murat Pasha Mosque, Sultan Murat Mosque, clock tower, stone bridge, Skopje fortress, statue groups built within the scope of 2019 cultural capitalship, Macedonian Square, Vardar River, Alexander the Great statue are just some of what we will see in this magnificent city. If you are lucky and they haven't sold out early in the morning that day, you should eat the famous almond pastry, drink a cold boravitsa if it's the season, and taste the kikiriki. After our tour, transfer to our hotel. We depart from the hotel for our catered, musical, and entertaining Macedonian Night tour to be organized in the evening. After enjoying both the meals and having fun to the fullest with Rumelian, Balkan, and Macedonian tunes, transfer to our hotel and overnight.

Breakfast: Will be taken as an open buffet at the hotel where we will stay (Included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in Skopje Bazaar (Not included in the tour price).
Akşam Yemeği: Macedonian Night Tour. (Included in the tour price)
Currency: Macedonian Dinar (1€ = 61 Dinars)
Route: Ohrid – Skopje (170 km),
Approximate Distance to be Covered: 200 km
Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated: 18:00

After breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we complete our check-out procedures and leave our hotel with our luggage. First of all, our guide takes us to Matka Canyon, which is included in our tour program, to take a pleasant walk in nature and store up oxygen. After the pleasant walk we will make here, we reach the Macedonia-Kosovo border. After passport and customs procedures, we arrive in Kosovo, the second newest state in the world and the newest in Europe. First, we arrive in Prizren, which carries many traces of the Ottomans and will make you feel like you are in an Anatolian town. During our walking tour here, the Sinan Pasha Mosque, the minaret of the Arasta Mosque, the Ottoman bath, the stone bridge, the Turkish consulate, and the fortress are just some of the things we will see. During the free time we will give here, we strongly recommend you to taste the delicious dishes of the region. After completing our Prizren tour, we go to visit the tomb built at the point where Sultan Murad I, one of the important sultans of Ottoman history, had his camp set up during his time and where his organs were embalmed and buried after he lost his life following the battle. After our tomb visit, we see Pristina panoramically along the road, complete our visits in Kosovo, and set off towards the city of Shkoder in Albania to stay overnight. With our arrival, settlement in the hotel, dinner, and overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be taken as an open buffet at the hotel where we will stay (Included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in Pristina Bazaar (Not included in the tour price).
Dinner: Will be taken at the hotel as an open buffet or set menu (Included in the tour price)
Currencies: Macedonian Dinar (1€ = 61 Dinars), € (Euro) in Kosovo, Albanian Lek (1€ = 124 Lek)
Route: Skopje – Pristina (95 km), Pristina – Prizren (86 km), Prizren – Shkoder (187 km)
Approximate Distance to be Covered: 390 km
Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated: 19:30

After the breakfast we will have at the hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and leave our hotel with our luggage. After completing our passport and customs procedures at the Albania-Montenegro border, we will continue via Podgorica, Sutomore, and Petrovac, and give a short photo break for you, our valued guests, at a point overlooking the island of Sv. Stefan, which was purchased by a Singaporean multi-billionaire. After the photo break, we continue by panoramic view from our vehicle of the city of Budva, famous for its beaches. Immediately after Budva, which is one of the ideal centers abroad for a seaside holiday, we arrive in Kotor, one of the most important places of the Middle Ages that has survived to the present day. When you see the city of Kotor, which has defied centuries in the depths of the bay and on the mountainside as one of the touristic centers of Montenegro, both your mind and your heart will remain here. During our walking city tour upon our arrival, the mansions of the families that are very important for Kotor, Saint Tryphon Church, the Orthodox church, squares, and beautiful stories will be just some of what we will see and hear. During the free time we will give in this city, if the season and weather are suitable, you can climb the stairs to the chapel at the very top of the walls and take magnificent landscape photos from here, follow the scents in the narrow streets of the city and taste different and wonderful dishes, sip your drink in one of the squares, and visit the Cat Museum, one of the most interesting museums of the city. Do not forget to ask your guide where that magnificent cake is in this city; it is our recommendation to all sweet lovers. After the free time, leaving Kotor, we first pass from Montenegro to Croatia and arrive in Dubrovnik, one of the most popular holiday centers of recent years, which was also used as a shooting set for the popular TV series Game Of Thrones, and which is historically a very important settlement in terms of relations with the Ottoman Empire. During our walking tour inside the castle, the Pile Gate, Ploce Gate, Onofrio's Fountain, the world's first pharmacy, Franciscan Monastery, Orlando's Column, Sponza Palace, and Rector's Palace are some of the things we will see. After our pleasant tour in this city smelling of history, during the free time we will give, you can explore the narrow streets of the city, shop in the stores, taste seafood, and drink a pleasant coffee while watching the sea or the medieval streets. After the free time, gathering at the time and place specified by our guide, we leave Dubrovnik, first cross into Bosnia and Herzegovina, and transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. (Depending on regional density, accommodation will be made in the Medjugorje or Trebinje region.)

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at the hotel we will stay at (Included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in Kotor (Not included in the tour price).
Dinner: Will be served as an open buffet or set menu at the hotel (Included in the tour price)
Currencies: Albanian Lek (1€ = 124 Lek), € in Montenegro, Kuna in Croatia (1€ = 7.6 Kuna)
Route: Shkodër – Kotor (110 km), Kotor – Dubrovnik (93 km), Dubrovnik – Trebinje (35 km)
Approximate Distance to be Covered: 260 km
Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated: 20:30

After the breakfast we will have at the hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and leave the hotel with our luggage. First, we go to the Kravica waterfalls, which are a natural wonder and included in our tour program. After the free time here, we reach Počitelj, a garrison village that has survived from the Ottoman Empire to the present day. Here, we see the Ottoman houses, hamam, mosque, and old cobblestone streets, and after sipping our Turkish teas and Bosnian coffees, we leave the village. Our next stop is Mostar, one of the most important cities of the region, which was destroyed by the gunfire of Croatian artillery during the Bosnian War in our recent history, later rebuilt with the contributions of the Republic of Turkey, famous for its bridge listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and which will take you to a completely different realm with its narrow and authentic streets dating back to the Ottomans. During our tour here, the Mostar Bridge, Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, Catholic cathedral, Turkish consulate, and the martyrdom memorial are some of the things we will see. If we are on a lucky day, we can also see young people jumping from the bridge for show purposes, but whose story goes back a long time. During the free time we will give after our tour, you can buy souvenirs unique to Mostar and give yourself a nice meal break. After the free time, gathering with our vehicle at the time and place specified by our guide, we continue our journey towards Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With our arrival, we start exploring the center of the city on foot. On our walking tour, the sebilj which is the symbol of the city, Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, bedesten, clock tower, the diverse shops of Baščaršija, Sacred Heart Cathedral, the Eternal Flame, Latin Bridge, and Fatih Mosque are just some of the things we will see. After our walking tour, you can drink Bosnian coffee in cafes unique to Bosnia, lose yourself with the magnificent Bosnian börek, or explore the city by getting lost in its streets remaining from the European and Ottoman periods. After our tour, we eat ćevapi, the famous meatball of Bosnia, for dinner in the city center. After dinner, transfer to our hotel by our vehicle. Overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at the hotel we will stay at (Included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in Mostar (Not included in the tour price).
Dinner: We will eat the famous Bosnian meatballs in Sarajevo Baščaršija. 8-piece Bosnian meatballs, salad, drink (Included in the tour price)
Currencies: Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (1 € = 1.96 KM)
Route: Trebinje – Mostar (116 km), Mostar – Sarajevo (130 km)
Approximate Distance to be Covered: 290 km
Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated: 20:30

After the breakfast we will have at the hotel, we do our check-out procedures and set off towards Belgrade with our luggage. With a pleasant journey continuing through the highlands and villages of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we cross the border gate located on the Drina River, which we are familiar with from books, and thus enter another country included in our program. After the winding roads of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we reach Belgrade by watching wide plains, villages, and magnificent views that are the exact opposite of what we saw. During our walking tour after our arrival, Knez Mihajlova Street, Kalemegdan, Monument of Gratitude to France, Stambol Gate, Tomb of Damad Ali Pasha, panorama point, Victor Monument, Zindan Gate, Leopold Gate, clock tower, and the walls will be just some of the things we will see. After our walking tour, you can stroll through the bustling streets of Belgrade, taste different ice cream flavors at the ice cream shop recommended by your guide, or drink a pleasant coffee while watching the surroundings and the city. After our tour, transfer to our hotel by our vehicle. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at the hotel we will stay at (Included in the tour price)
Lunch: We can have optional roasted lamb, fish, meatballs, or soup options at Luna Hotel&Restaurant in the city of Zvornik (Not included in the tour price).
Dinner: Will be served as an open buffet or set menu at the hotel (Included in the tour price)
Currencies: Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (1 € = 1.96 KM), Serbian Dinar (1€ = 118 Dinar)
Route: Sarajevo – Belgrade (294 km)
Approximate Distance to be Covered: 320 km
Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated: 20:30

After the breakfast we will have at the hotel, we do our check-out procedures and set off towards Sofia with our luggage. With our arrival in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, we start our panoramic city tour. During this tour, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is the second largest Orthodox church in the Balkans, Russian Church, Saint Sofia Church, Church of St George, Archaeological Museum, Presidency, Prime Ministry, and Banya Bashi Mosque will be some of the places we will see. After the panoramic tour and the free time we will give, we leave Sofia and continue our way towards the border gate. Arriving at the Kapıkule border gate and after the passport and customs procedures there, we return to Izmir following the highway. Upon our arrival in Izmir, we drop off you, our valued guests, at the points where we picked you up, and say goodbye to you with the wish to see you again on our next tour.

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at the hotel we will stay at (Included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in Sofia (Not included in the tour price).
Dinner: Will be served at a roadside facility within the borders of Turkey (Not included in the tour price).
Currency: Euro