Grand Balkan Tour Description
Grand Balkan Tour allows for and affordable venue for touring the highlights of Croatia, Slovenia,Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia. Starting in Zagreb the charming capital of Croatia and ending in Dubrovnik the Pearl of the Adriatic. Enjoy this comprehensive tour of these exciting regions of the Balkans. The finest natural sights in a 13-day Grand Balkan tour: lakes, seashores, churches and architecture in Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, and Skopje. Visit Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia.
2022/2023 pricing, please contact us for an estimate anytime.
2021 Land Cost per Person (Double occupancy)
Tour Includes:
- Arrival transfer from Zagreb Airport to hotel and departure transfer from hotel to Dubrovnik Airport on the first and the last day of the tour
- Accommodation in 3* and 4* hotels on half board basis, except in Ohrid on Day 8 (bed and breakfast)
- Dinner in a local restaurant in Plitvice Lakes
- Local guides for sightseeing tours of Zagreb, Ljubljana, Split, Dubrovnik, Tirana, Ohrid, Skopje and Kotor
- Entrance fees to the Lake Bled; the Plitvice Lakes National Park; St. Lawrence Cathedral in Trogir; Diocletian’s Palace and St. Duimus Cathedral in Split; Franciscan Monastery and Rector’s Palace in Dubrovnik; National Museum in Tirana, St. Sofia, St. Clement and St. Naum in Ohrid; Church of Holy Savior and Monastery of St. Panteleimon in Skopje; Residence of King Nikola I Petrović in Cetinje; St. Triphun Cathedral in Kotor
- Air-conditioned motor coach throughout
- Tour escort throughout
Hotels:
- Zagreb: International 4*
- Ljubljana: Union hotels 4*
- Plitvice: Park 4*
- Split: Katarina 4* or similar
- Dubrovnik: Ivka 3*
- Tirana: Sky Tower 4*
- Ohrid: Metropol 4*
- Skopje: Karpoš 4*
- Kolašin: Bianca 4*
Hotels listed in this brochure will be used on almost all departures. If changes become necessary for any reason, substitute hotels will be similar to those in the brochure.
Day 1: ZAGREB – Arrival
Upon arrival at Zagreb Airport, transfer to hotel. Meet the tour guide, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: ZAGREB – BLED – LJUBLJANA 
Morning city tour of Zagreb, including the fortified Upper Town, city’s historical centre, St Mark’s Church with its multicolored roof, the Cathedral, the Croatian National Theatre and the University. Free time, then departure towards Slovenia. Explore Lake Bled and it’s montanious environs and stunning topography. Continue to Ljubljana. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3: LJUBLJANA – PLITVICE 
Morning city tour of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia and a home to one of the oldest Philharmonics in the world; Explore the baroque town buildings and stroll beside majestic Ljubljana River. Departure for Plitvice and then tour the Plitvice Lakes National Park on the UNESCO’s List of World Natural Heritage. Sixteen lakes, each at a different level, are connected in a series of cascading waterfalls. Surrounded by dense wood, Plitvice Lakes are a natural phenomenon of a rare and unique beauty. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight in Plitvice.
Day 4: PLITVICE – TROGIR – SPLIT
Morning departure for Trogir, where we visit the Cathedral of St. Lawrence. Continuation to Split; city tour of Split, including the Diocletian’s Palace on the UNESCO’s List of World Cultural Heritage with the Peristyle, the Jupiter’s Temple and the Cathedral. Dinner and overnight in Split.
Day 5: SPLIT – DUBROVNIK
After breakfast, departure for Dubrovnik, via Bosnia & Herzegovina. Short stop in Mostar, recently included in the UNESCO’s List of World Cultural Heritage with its elegant Bridge, Old Bazaar, the Mosque and a typical Turkish house. Continuation to Dubrovnik. Afternoon city tour Sightseeing tour of Dubrovnik, included on the UNESCO’s List of World Cultural Heritage. You will visit the Franciscan Monastery with Europe’s third oldest pharmacy, the Rector’s Palace and the Cathedral. Dinner and overnight in Dubrovnik.
Day 6: DUBROVNIK 
Day at leisure in Dubrovnik. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7: DUBROVNIK –BUDVA/Montenegro – SHKODRA/Albania -TIRANA
Departure for Tirana. We drive inland to Budva known for its Old City encircled by wall from the Venetian period. Continuation to Shkodra, once the capital of the Illyrian Kingdom (3rd century B.C). Dinner and overnight in Tirana.
Day 8: TIRANA – OHRID / Macedonia
Morning sightseeing tour of Tirana, the capital of Albania, including Skender Bey Square, the Mosque of Ethem Bey, and a visit to the National Museum representing the flow of
Albanian history, also housing the finds from archeological sites across the country. Afternoon departure for Ohrid, driving via Elbasan and crossing the Macedonian border at Cafasan. Dinner and overnight in Ohrid.
Day 9: OHRID 
Full day in the lakeside resort of Ohrid, classified as UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage site. Through the activity of St. Clement and St. Naum of Ohrid, the first pan-Slavic University in Europe, the famous “Ohrid Literary School”, was founded here. Morning sightseeing tour includes the Church of St. Sofia (11th century), the most eminent mediaeval monument in Macedonia with magnificent Byzantine fresco paintings and St. Clement Church with its icon of Annunciation. Afternoon short drive to St. Naum Monastery, built on the shores of Ohrid Lake in 900 A.D. and dedicated to the Slavic missionary and educator St. Naum of Ohrid. Return to hotel for overnight.
Day 10: OHRID – SKOPJE
Morning departure for Skopje. Sightseeing tour of Skopje, including the Kale Fortress, Church of the Holy Savior with its iconostas, one of the finest samples of traditional walnut woodcarving, Old Bazaar and Stone Bridge. We drive to the slopes of the Vodno Mountain where we visit the Monastery of St. Panteleimon with its 12th century iconostas and frescoes ranking among the highest achievements of Byzantine art of this period. Dinner and overnight in Skopje.
Day 11: SKOPJE – KOLAŠIN / Montenegro 
Morning departure for Kolašin, driving via Peć and Berane and along the impressive Morača River Canyon. Afternoon arrival at Kolašin, the town spreading on the left bank of the river Tara, situated at the altitude of 954m. The whole area is surrounded by the thick pine forest of the Bjelasica Mountain and is a popular skiing and air spa resort. Dinner and overnight in Kolašin.
Day 12: KOLAŠIN – CETINJE – KOTOR – DUBROVNIK
Morning departure for Cetinje where we visit King Nikola’s Museum, once the residence of the Montenegrin King Nikola I Petrović. Continuation to Kotor, classified as UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage site, where we visit its Romanesque Cathedral dedicated to St Triphon, the city’s patron saint. We continue to Dubrovnik, driving along the picturesque Bay of Kotor. Dinner and overnight in Dubrovnik.
Day 13: DUBROVNIK – Departure
Breakfast followed by departure transfer to Dubrovnik Airport.
If you have any questions or you’d like to book this trip, please contact us.
Custom itineraries available to this or any of the destinations we travel to.
Kutrubes Travel has SPECIAL AIRFARES – Contact us for details.
Kutrubes Travel also offers a variety of other tours throughout this region. Contact us for detailed itineraries and descriptions.
