General Tours > Through the Balkans

Through the Balkans
15 Days starting from $4,149

Countries Visited:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro

 

Length: 15 Days
Type: Fixed Departure Dates
Category: Escorted Tour
Operator: General Tours
Tour Code: GT-142
   
 
About This Tour


Small Group Touring with General Tours World Traveler... Through the Balkans. Emerging from the war of the last century, the residents of the Balkans have healed old wounds and are actively building dynamic, forward-looking countries. There’s never been a better time to discover the former Yugoslav republics... historic cities like Sarajevo and Mostar and stupendous natural wonders including Europe’s deepest canyon and a magnificent southern fjord. Our great hotels and the intimate, easy-pace of small group touring promise a wonderful vacation.

 
  • What's Included
  • Itinerary
  • Dates & Prices
  • Sightseeing Highlights
  • SPECIALS

General Tours World Traveler Small Group Touring
  • Our unique and in-depth small-group escorted view of these emerging destinations, from untrammeled Albania to glorious Dubrovnik. Our distinctive itinerary through the majestic Balkan heartland with 2-night stays in Sarajevo and Mostar for unhurried exploration of these historic cities. Discover breathtaking natural beauty on special excursions... across Lake Skadar, through the Moraca Canyon and into the Montenegrin highlands. 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites #WHS#

HOTEL INFORMATION:

Hotel Mediteran Wellness & Spa Center
Hotel Class: Deluxe
Within walking distance of the sandy beach of Becici and promenade, the Hotel Mediteran Wellness & Spa Center provides numerous recreational and leisure options for guests. The property includes several restaurants and bars, wellness & spa center, fitness and sports center, 2 swimming pools, parking, hairdresser and pharmacy. Each of its 222 guest rooms include mini-bar, safe deposit box, cable television, direct dial phone, internet access and hair dryer.

Hotel Excelsior
Hotel Class: Superior First Class
Set on a scenic cliff overlooking the sea, the Hotel Excelsior provides a modern hotel from which guests may explore the beauty and history of this golden-walled, UNESCO World Heritage city. The Excelsior offers a list of comfortable amenities for its guests, including 2 restaurants, fashionable shopping boutiques, indoor heated pool, children’s pool, poolside bar, sauna, Turkish bath, Jacuzzi, gym, coffee shop/café, private beach, and water sport access including scuba diving and wind surfing. Its 146 rooms boast original local artwork, hairdryer, internet connection, cable TV, AC, mini-bar, and safe.

Hotel Bianca
Hotel Class: Deluxe
The Bianca Resort and Spa is located within the National park ‘Biogradska Gora’, one of three unspoiled forests in Europe. All the rooms at the resort have cable TV, telephone, internet access, mini-bar, and climate control. The resort has the Taiyang Spa, pool, massage center, gymnasium, and various outdoor activities in the winter months.

Hotel Ero
Hotel Class: Deluxe
Hotel Ero is located in the centre of Mostar. The 165 guest accommodations include air conditioning, direct telephone line, internet access and cable TV. The property provides guests with a restaurant and bar, gym, hair salon, currency exchange, and onsite parking.

Hotel Podgorica
Hotel Class: Superior First Class
Hotel Podgorica was erected in 1967 on the bank of the Moraca River. The Moraca Sports Center in immediate vicinity. The hotel has 59 room with 108 beds. The hotel is three strars category. The rooms are comfortable with baths, toilets, telephones, terraces facing the Moraca River. The hotel has a restaurant, a cafe with tree summer terraces, tree aperitiv bars and a TV room.

Holiday Inn Sarajevo
Hotel Class: First Class
The Holiday Inn Hotel is located in the center of Sarajevo, just opposite the Land Museum. Guests can enjoy the nearby shopping and cultural experiences, in addition to historical sights. All 206 rooms have satellite TV, video rental, minibar, air-conditioning, and telephone. Other hotel amenities include the on-site health and fitness center, sauna, beauty salon, and internet services.

Sheraton Tirana Hotel
Hotel Class: Deluxe
The Sheraton Tirana Hotel and Towers is located within the shopping and entertainment district of Albania, with easy access to the city’s embassies and businesses. All 151 guest rooms have gift baskets, telephone, voicemail, air-conditioning, and cable TV. Hotel amenities include aerobics classes, massage treatments, live entertainment, sauna, indoor heater pool, outdoor pool, fitness facility, and parking facility.
 
Day 1 - Tirana, Albania
Check-in to your deluxe city-center hotel Meet with your Tour Manager for a drink and dinner. Meals D Sheraton Tirana Hotel

Day 2 - Tirana
Sightseeing features the National History Museum, Martyrs of the Nation Cemetery and Et’hem Bey Mosque. Ascend Mt. Dajti by cable car for views of Tirana and the central lowlands. Meals B,D

Day 3 - Excursion to Kruje & Durres
Drive to historic Kruje to visit the Museum of Skanderbeg, housed within a medieval castle, and learn the history of Albania’s national hero. Tour the Ethnographic Museum and explore the old bazaar. Continue to Durres for lunch and visit the Roman Amphitheater and Archaeological Museum before returning to Tirana. Meals B,L

Day 4 - Tirana / Shkoder / Ulcinj, Montenegro / Becici
Visit the Skanderbeg Memorial and drive to Shkoder to see the Mesi Bridge and Rozafa Castle. Cross the border to Ulcinj for a walking tour in this ancient city with its imposing defensive walls and medieval towers. Continue on to Becici and check-in to your deluxe beachfront resort. Meals B,D Hotel Mediteran

Day 5 - Excursion to Cetinje, Njegusi & Kotor
Visit the Cetinje Monastery in Montenegro’s old capital and then drive to Njegusi for a tasting of regional ham and cheeses. A spectacular coastal drive down to Boka Bay brings you to Morinj, for lunch at Catovica Mlini, the best restaurant in Montenegro. Afterwards, visit 13th century Kotor#WHS#, situated on the only fjord in Southern Europe. Enjoy a guided stroll through the Old Town and visit the Maritime Museum. Meals B,L

Day 6 - Lake Skadar / Podgorica
Drive along the rugged coast to Virpazar for a cruise on scenic Lake Skadar, the largest in the Balkans. Enjoy a lunch of lake fish before traveling to Podgorica, where you check-in to your superior first-class hotel in the heart of the city. Meals B,L Hotel Podgorica

Day 7 - Moraca Canyon / Kolasin
Journey through the Moraca Canyon to the 13th century Moraca Monastery and then visit Mt. Biograd National Park, one of only three primeval forests remaining in Europe. Arrive in Kolasin, in the Montenegrin highlands, and enjoy two nights at your deluxe resort hotel. Meals B,D Hotel Bianca

Day 8 - Highlands Excursion
An exciting excursion by jeep brings you to a highland village where farmers live in simple cottages, making crafts and tending sheep in the mountain pastures. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the meadow before returning to your hotel. Meals B,L

Day 9 - Kolasin / Sarajevo, Bosnia
Journey into the heart of the Balkans through breathtaking valleys and mountains to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Check-in to your first class hotel in the heart of town. Meals B,L,D Holiday Inn Sarajevo

Day 10 - Sarajevo
Explore the old town of Sarajevo and visit the Tunnel of Salvation, a war-time escape and food supply route for Sarajevo’s brave citizens. Meals D

Day 11 - Sarajevo / Mostar
Drive to historic Mostar#WHS# where you visit the old Ottoman bazaar and Stari Most, the famous 16th-century bridge rebuilt by hand after its symbolic ruin in 1993. Your first class hotel is in the Old town just a short walk from Stari Most. Meals B,L Hotel Ero

Day 12 - Excursion to Medjugorje
Enjoy today’s visit to Medjugorje, one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world. Meals B,L

Day 13 - Mostar / Dubrovnik, Croatia
A scenic journey along the Adriatic coast brings you to Dubrovnik#WHS# and your deluxe hotel – just a short stroll from the gates of the Old City. Meals B,D Hotel Excelsior

Day 14 - Dubrovnik
Your walking tour explores this finely-preserved medieval walled-city. Enjoy a lunch of traditional Croatian fare and a free afternoon. Meals B,L

Day 15 - Dubrovnik
Your tour ends this morning Or, extend your stay with our FreeStyle Travel. Meals B


To speak to one of our live, experienced travel consultants, Call us now at 1-800-942-3301.

Airfare Disclaimer
A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link.

Documents
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

         
Touring Date
Land Only
Land + Air
Single
(Land Only)
Single
(Land + Air)
5/29/2009 - 6/13/2009
$5,149
Call Us
Call Us
Call Us
         

General Tours World Traveler Small Group Touring
  • Our unique and in-depth small-group escorted view of these emerging destinations, from untrammeled Albania to glorious Dubrovnik. Our distinctive itinerary through the majestic Balkan heartland with 2-night stays in Sarajevo and Mostar for unhurried exploration of these historic cities. Discover breathtaking natural beauty on special excursions... across Lake Skadar, through the Moraca Canyon and into the Montenegrin highlands. 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites #WHS#

CURRENT SPECIALS:

Save $200 to $920 per couple on Exotic World Journeys

Double your AAA or AARP Member Benefit and save up to $920 per couple on any 2009 "It's Time to Go" vacations when you book and deposit by December 31, 2008!

Valid on the following destinations: Western, Central & Eastern Europe, River Cruises, Russia, Middle East, Africa, Central & South America, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam & India.

Call an agent for discount amounts per itinerary.

Not a member of AARP? Receive 5% off the land rate on tours booked by Dec. 31, 2008.  Offer not combinable with AARP discount.


   
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