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Highlights of the Balkans 2025
14 days from Belgrade to Tirana
Tour Description:
For the travel lover who wishes to see it all, this tour of the beauty of Balkan countries delivers! Visit the must-see sites and hear about the long and fascinating histories as you journey through Serbia, Romania, North Macedonia, and Albania. Explore Serbia’s capital city of Belgrade, along with the Romanian cities of Timisoara, Sibiu andBucharest. Visit Brasov’s impressive Black Church; Ruse, Bulgaria’s “Little Vienna;” the byzantine Holy Sofia Church, built in the 6th century and today a symbol of Sofia; plus, Staro Nagorichane Monastery near Kumanovo, and Tirana’s Bunk’Art, in Albania. Revel in remarkable experiences along the way, including a visit to Romania’s 14th-century Bran Castle of Dracula lore. See its torture chambers and enjoy dinner on the castle grounds. Embark on a boat cruise on Lake Ohrid and see the monastery of Saint Naum. This Eastern Europe tour is sure to thrill!
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Dates & Pricing
Start Dates Listed Below are US departure dates, please verify specific dates with your Pavlus Travel Planner
| Sunday 31 Aug 25 — Sunday 14 Sep 25 | Starting at $4,299 |  SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Sunday 07 Sep 25 — Sunday 21 Sep 25 | Starting at $4,299 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Sunday 14 Sep 25 — Sunday 28 Sep 25 | Starting at $4,299 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
Destination & Sightseeing
We’ve packed everything you need for the perfect tour—from hand-selected hotels and dining to the friendly expertise of Globus Tour Directors and Local Guides (with headsets to hear every word), to seamless transportation between destinations and VIP access to the world’s most iconic sites! Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi and a boat cruise on Lake Ohrid. Enhance your free time with your GlobusGO mobile app!
Notes:
The Bran Castle visit requires guests to navigate many steps which may pose a challenge for those with physical limitations or reliant on mobility devices such as wheelchairs.
The Bran Castle visit requires guests to navigate many steps which may pose a challenge for those with physical limitations or reliant on mobility devices such as wheelchairs.
MEALS
ITINERARY
Day 1
PICTURE PERFECT The Church of Saint Sava is one of the largest churches in the world and the largest church building in the Balkans. The church is built on the site where the Ottomans burned the remains of Saint Sava in 1595 and it represents the resilience and continuity of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian culture through centuries of foreign domination. A visit to Belgrade is not complete without a stop here
Day 2
A CITY OF FIRSTS Situated in Transylvania, Sibiu is a real gem with a local vibe which recorded many premieres in this part of Europe. It was here where the first hospital, the first library, the first school, the first pharmacy, the first Zoo garden, the first open-air cinema in Romania opened
Day 3
LEGENDS & LORE Legend has it that King Solomon, while escaping enemies in pursuit, fled into the Brasov forest, exchanged his clothes with a local peasant, and cast his crown on a tree trunk to evade being recognized. So the city of Brasov was dubbed Brasov, Kronstadt (Crown City). The fortress-castle was built in 1377 by master masons of Brasov, on a cliff, dominating the whole region. The most famous feature of the town is the castle associated with Vlad the Impaler, a true-life prince who stayed at the castle in the 15th century. His cruel habit of impaling his enemies on stakes inspired Bram Stoker’s fictional tale of Dracula
Day 4
CULTURAL GEM From the very beginning, Peles Castle was one of the most modern in Europe. It was the first castle on the continent fully supplied by electrical power – it had its own electrical unit – and one of the few with a central heating system, an elevator, and the best comfort of the time. The castle was a museum from its first years, and the ticket sales were used to finance Romania’s Queen Elisabeth’s charity works. After the castle was confiscatedby the communists, it was used only as a museum from 1953 to 1975, escaping the destructive whims of ruling dictator, Ceausescu
Day 5
HISTORIC SPOT In the early 20th century, Bucharest was known as "Little Paris" due to its elegant architecture and vibrant cultural scene, reminiscent of the French capital. See the imposing Palace of the Parliament, former home of communist dictator, Ceausescu. Noted as the world's heaviest building and largest administrative building after the Pentagon
Day 6
ARTISTRY & ARCHITECTURE Unique to the country of Romania is the architectural jewel of Ruse. Its leafy avenues and squares are reminiscent of Vienna, with a Central European feel found in its baroque and belle epoque architectural style
Day 7
CULTURAL GEM The capital of Bulgaria, Sofia is poised as it has been for centuries below Vitosha Mountain, with its landmarks reflecting more than 2,000 years of history, including Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Soviet occupation. Medieval Boyana Church has 13th-century frescoes. Built by the Romans in the 4th century, St. George Rotunda Church has medieval and Ottoman decoration dating to the 10th century. Sofia was known as Serdica centuries before Christ and was ruled at one time by Alexander the Great’s father, Philip of Macedonia
Day 8
LEGENDS & LORE Visit the 11th-century church of Staro Nagorichane. Built by Byzantine emperor Roman IV Diogen in gratitude to the hermit and saint Prohor Pcinski. According to the legend, the emperor wounded a deer while hunting in the surrounding forests and followed its bloody trail to a cave in which it found refuge with the hermit Pcinski. The old man beseeched the emperor to spare the deer and prophesized he would become the future king upon his return to Constantinople. With the prophecy ultimately fulfilled. Diogen built the church in honor of the beatified Saint Pcinski
Day 9
HISTORY & MONUMENTS The city of Skopje is located on the Vardar River and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. Hear how it is often referred to as the “City of Statues,” with over 190 statues scattered throughout the city, it truly lives up to its nickname. But it is also famous as Mother Theresa was born here
Day 10
NATURAL WONDERS Lake Ohrid is the oldest natural lake in Europe and one of the oldest lakes in the whole world and home to a high number of endemic species, found nowhere else in the world. Don’t miss the chance to witness one of the lake’s most enchanting spectacle at sunset when the golden hues reflect upon the tranquil waters for a mesmerizing sight
Day 11
HISTORIC SPOT The Monastery of St. Naum is built on a high rocky cliff over the shore of the most southern point of Ohrid Lake and is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Macedonia, which also represents one of the first monuments of Slavic church architecture and art in the Ohrid region – this is. The founder of the monastery is the medieval writer and teacher Naum, who is one of the founders of the Slavic and Macedonian literacy and education tradition. Take in the heavenly views surrounding this clifftop marvel
Day 12
ART & ARCHITECTURE Discover a vibrant story of history, architecture, and art in Tirana – from the Tirana mosaic (Ancient Roman) to the Clock Tower (Kulla e Sahatit), a symbol of ottoman architecture, Italian buildings, and the construction style of the dictatorship. Visit the former Cold War bunker-turned-art-museum of Bunk’Art.
Accommodations
| Belgrade | Sibiu | Brasov | Bucharest | Sofia | Skopje | Ohrid | Tirana |
Mercure Belgrade Excelsior
Hotel as shown or similar
Kneza Milosa 5 Belgrade Serbia
This elegant hotel offers a perfect blend of comfort and style for your Serbian adventure, just steps from the City Hall and Parliament Building. The hotel's smartly furnished guest rooms feature ample natural light, creating an inviting atmosphere. Free Wi-Fi is included to stay connected, a desk, and a minibar for refreshing drinks. All rooms come equipped with a laptop-sized safe and an LED TV for entertainment.
Hotel as shown or similar
Kneza Milosa 5 Belgrade Serbia
This elegant hotel offers a perfect blend of comfort and style for your Serbian adventure, just steps from the City Hall and Parliament Building. The hotel's smartly furnished guest rooms feature ample natural light, creating an inviting atmosphere. Free Wi-Fi is included to stay connected, a desk, and a minibar for refreshing drinks. All rooms come equipped with a laptop-sized safe and an LED TV for entertainment.
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.