Premium Dubrovnik to Bucharest
Premium Dubrovnik to Bucharest
Premium Dubrovnik to Bucharest
19 Days Starting in Dubrovnik and ending in Bucharest
Visiting: Dubrovnik , Dubrovnik, Mostar, Sarajevo, Tara National Park, Belgrade, Timisoara, Sibiu, Coltesti Village, Sighisoara, Brasov, Bucharest
Tour operator:
Tour code:
ZMPBC
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Age range:
15-99 years
Interests:
Tour Overview
Discover the beauty and history of the Balkans on this 19-day tour that travels from Dubrovnik in Croatia through Bosnia and Herzegovina and onto the lively nightlife of Belgrade in Serbia, through the heart of Transylvania and on to Bucharest. Along the way you’ll sample excellent wines, learn about the war years, stop by the famed Old Bridge of Mostar, discover Tara National Park’s spectacular scenery, and traverse medieval fortresses and fairytale castles. This tour combines battle zones, mountain scenery, bunkers and bars and melds the past with the present, the historic with the euphoric, to create an adventure that ticks all of the boxes.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Dubrovnik
Location: Dubrovnik
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Park or similar
Meals Included: dinner
Dobro Dosli! Welcome to Croatia, the jewel of the Dalmatian Coast. When you arrive, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. If you arrive early, you might like to head out and explore Dubrovnik’s medieval Old Town, which is surrounded entirely by city walls and easily covered on foot. Although Dubrovnik experienced devastation during the war in the early 1990s, the restored Old Town remains one of the most picturesque places, surrounded by ramparts, filming locations (Game of Thrones fan, anyone?) and the sparkling Adriatic Sea. See the 15th-century Rector's Palace, the monasteries with their cloistered gardens and the baroque churches on a self-paced walk around town. After your meeting, join your leader and fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant showcasing Croatia’s traditional cuisine.
Optional Activities:
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Day 2: Dubrovnik
Location: Dubrovnik
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Park or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
After breakfast, drive from your hotel to the Konavle region south of Dubrovnik. The region is known as the Golden Valley of Dubrovnik as it has the most fertile grounds in the area and is filled with vineyards and fruit trees. Visit the small town of Cavtat with its beautiful architecture, ancient history and pebble beaches. After exploring the town, you’ll head further into the Konavle region for a traditional ‘peka’ lunch featuring lamb and other meats cooked under an iron bell. No meal in this region is complete without a glass of Croatian wine, so raise a glass of Grk or Plavac Mali local wine and toast to a new adventure. Return to Dubrovnik, where the rest of the day is free.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Mostar
Location: Mostar
Accommodation: Hotel Eden or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today you’ll cross the border and travel into Bosnia and Herzegovina, stopping at several scenic destinations along the way. Your first stop is Trebinje where you’ll join your leader for a walking tour that takes in the compact Old Town and its market square, followed by a stop at an Orthodox monastery to taste the famous Tvrdos wine. After you’ve quenched your thirst, your trip continues to Stolac where you’ll stop for the lunch and the chance to explore this ancient town on the banks of the blue Bregava River. After you’ve explored the sights of Stolac, head on to Mostar. Here you’ll join an expert local guide for a tour around town that reveals why there is such a strong connection between the locals and coffee.
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Optional Activities:
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Day 4: Sarajevo
Location: Sarajevo
Accommodation: Hotel President or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Leave Mostar and travel towards Sarajevo, stopping in Konjic along the way. Here, you’ll discover one of the best-kept secrets in former Yugoslavia – Tito's nuclear bunker. The military bunker was built to protect Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito and hundreds of his top military personnel and has only recently opened to the public. Go back in time on a guided tour of the bunker and learn about Yugoslav history and how life used to be in not-so-distant past. After touring the bunker, continue to Sarajevo and settle into your hotel before heading out to explore the city with an expert local guide. Tonight, you might like to join your group for dinner at a local restaurant.
Included Activities:
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Day 5: Sarajevo
Location: Sarajevo
Accommodation: Hotel President or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Today is yours to explore your own way. Taste your way through the market stalls of Bascarsija, visit one of the museums dedicated to the Yugoslav war or maybe take a cable car up Trebevic Mountain to enjoy the views over the city. You’ll finish the day with a home-cooked meal shared with your hosts Mustafa and Mersiha who proudly claim their kitchen has the best view over Sarajevo. Your night begins learning how Bosnian pita is made before a hearty meal of sogan dolma (stuffed onions) and dolam (stuffed paprika). Of course, you’ll get to try the freshly made pita too.
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Day 6: Tara National Park
Location: Tara National Park
Accommodation: Golden Chalets (Feature Stay) or similar (1 night)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Today you’ll travel to Serbia with a stop in the small town of Visegrad where a 16th-century bridge dominates the horizon (this bridge also provided the inspiration for the Nobel Prize winning literary work, The Bridge on the Drina). From Visegrad, you’ll cross the border into Serbia and continue your journey to Tara National Park. Widely regarded as one of the most spectacular destinations in the country, the park is home to the world’s third largest river canyon and filled with forested slopes and dramatic ravines. This afternoon, you’ll have the chance to soak in the natural beauty with an easy 2-hour hike. Tonight, you’ll bed down near the town of Zlatibor in your Feature Stay accommodation – a group of wooden chalets surrounded by nature complete with individual swimming pools and views of the surrounding countryside. Later, sit down for a traditional dinner to celebrate your first night in Serbia.
Included Activities:
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Day 7: Belgrade
Location: Belgrade
Accommodation: Royal Inn Hotel or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
This morning you'll explore Tara National Park further with a scenic steam train ride through the park’s forest and mountains. This section of the railway is part of the famous Ciro trail that connects Belgrade and the Adriatic Sea. Rattle along the tracks as the narrow-gauge engine and historic carriages take you through the incredible scenery, with four stops along the way so you can take photos. After spending a half day exploring Tara National Park on foot and riding the rails, settle in for the drive to Belgrade where you’ll have a free evening.
Included Activities:
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Day 8: Belgrade
Location: Belgrade
Accommodation: Royal Inn Hotel or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Start your day with a guided walking tour and discover all that Belgrade has to offer including Republic Square, Knez Mihailova Street, Kalemegdan Park and the Belgrade Fortress where the Danube and Sava Rivers meet. Immerse yourself in the town’s rich history and ask your local guide for suggestions on where to experience the best night life, as Belgrade is known for its party scene. This afternoon is free, so you might like to visit the city market or the Nikola Tesla Museum. You could also catch a trolleybus to Zemun – a bohemian neighbourhood known for its cafes and fish restaurants along the riverside promenade. Tonight, join your group for a traditional dinner in the bohemian Skadarska quarter to celebrate the penultimate night of your trip.
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Day 9: Belgrade
Location: Belgrade
Dobro dosli! Welcome to Serbia. Your adventure begins in Belgrade. When you arrive at the airport, you’ll be met by a representative and brought to your hotel. Join your local leader and fellow travellers for a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, check out the city’s many museums – including the one dedicated to Nikola Tesla, the Serbian American inventor known for transforming the world’s understanding of electricity. Or maybe get a caffeine fix with a Turkish coffee at a kafana – these traditional coffee houses date back to the Ottoman era. After the meeting, get to know your group over dinner at a local restaurant and explore the flavours of Serbian cuisine.
Optional Activities:
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Day 10: Timisoara
Location: Timisoara
This morning, travel by private vehicle to Timisoara, crossing the Serbia-Romania border. Timisoara is a park-filled city where an uprising of local people sparked the Romanian Revolution in 1989. This saw the fall of the country’s Communist regime – reflecting the broader political change seen across Eastern Europe at the time. On a guided walking tour, you’ll take in some of Timisoara’s most significant sights – including the grand and aptly named Victory, Liberty and Union Squares – and learn more about the city’s history.
Included Activities:
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Day 11: Sibiu
Location: Sibiu
Head to Sibiu after breakfast, stopping on the way to visit Sarmizegetusa Regia – the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Dacia. Romania’s answer to Stonehenge, Sarmizegetusa Regia was a centre of religious, military and political significance until it was invaded by the Romans in 102 AD. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest and most mysterious historical sites in Romania. After touring the site with a local guide, continue to Sibiu, where you’ll get acquainted with the cobbled streets and squares on a guided walking tour. Sibiu is known for its creative, bohemian atmosphere, rich history and architecture. Explore what remains of the city’s medieval walls and towers, cross the legend-shrouded Bridge of Lies and take in the grandeur of Brukenthal National Museum before a free evening.
Included Activities:
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Day 12: Sibiu
Location: Sibiu
This morning head to the outskirts of the city to explore ASTRA Village Museum. Set across 96 acres surrounding a sparkling lake, this open-air living museum seeks to preserve, showcase and celebrate Romanian folk culture and traditional ways of life. Wander the grounds to discover reconstructed old dwellings, windmills and workshops and learn how Romanian people of centuries past grew food, raised families and made a living. The afternoon is free to visit the Orthodox Cathedral or admire the slightly less imposing (but equally magnificent) Gothic Lutheran church. Alternatively, grab a covrigi (a tasty Romanian pretzel), wander the old town and snap photos of the colourful, Wes Anderson-style architecture.
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Day 13: Coltesti Village
Location: Coltesti Village
Depart Sibiu and head to Alba Lulia – one of the oldest cities in Romania. It is home to an 18th-century citadel with a history that dates to Roman times. Shaped like a seven-point star, the fortress features a collection of ornate gates and vantage points, as well as numerous museums and cafes. Wander the cobbled streets with an expert guide to hear more about what went on within these ancient walls over the last two millennia. Next, drive to the Trascau Mountains to reach Coltesti and check in to Szekler Mansion – your exclusive Feature Stay. This evening, sit down for a traditional meal which might feature hearty bowls of borsch or goulash, locally made cheese and sarmale (smoky, meat-filled cabbage rolls).
Included Activities:
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Day 14: Sighisoara
Location: Sighisoara
On your way to Sighisoara today, stop off at the Turda Salt Mine. This huge subterranean space was renovated and opened to the public in the early 1990s and resembles an alien planet or a Bond villain’s lair. Don’t forget to pack a sweatshirt – it gets chilly 119 m down! When you resurface, head to the nearby town Medias, where you can catch a glimpse of the Trumpeter Tower, a medieval structure with a distinctive tilt. Finish your journey in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sighisoara – your home for the next two nights and the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the historical figure and inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Explore the colourful streets of Sighisoara’s old town on a guided walk and then enjoy a free evening.
Included Activities:
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Day 15: Sighisoara
Location: Sighisoara
Start your day by visiting the UNESCO World Hertiage site Biertan, home to a 15th century fortified church perched high on a hill in the centre of town. Then, drive to Malancrav for lunch in a bucolic setting – the Saxon village was once owned by one family, the Apafis, and populated with German farmers. Maybe see the Apafi Mansion and the 14th-century church that features the oldest wall paintings in Transylvania. Head back to Sighisoara after your sightseeing and spend the rest of the day exploring as you wish.
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Day 16: Brasov
Location: Brasov
After breakfast, set off for Brasov, making a pit stop at hilltop Rupea Fortress along the way. The restored citadel’s steep and rocky pathways spiral up to the highest point, offering sweeping views over the surrounding fields. Next, you'll visit Bran Castle – perhaps Romania’s most famous attraction, given its associations with the tale of Count Dracula. Vampire myths aside (it was never actually home to Vlad the Impaler or Bram Stoker), the forested surroundings and lofty location of this 14th-century castle is a great setting. This evening you’ll reach Brasov and have dinner together at a local restaurant.
Included Activities:
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Day 17: Brasov
Location: Brasov
Your tour of Romanian castles continues with Peles. Built in the late 19th century, the neo-Renaissance creation is even more extravagant on the inside than it is on the outside. Return to Brasov and, in the afternoon, join your leader for a walk, learning about the city’s most notable sights. You’ll see the remnants of the old medieval fortifications, the Black Church – damaged in the 1689 Great Fire but now restored – and the wedge-shaped Council Square, lined with historic buildings. Round the day off with the Romanian sweet treat of chimney cake (or kurtoskolacs as the locals call it).
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Day 18: Bucharest
Location: Bucharest
Today, you have a free morning in Brasov. Maybe seek out tiny String Street, which is 44 inches at its narrowest point or indulge in some Romanian sweet treats like papanasi (a sweet cream doughnut topped with blueberry jam). Depart the city and head for lunch in the Prahova Valley, where you’ll tour a local winery known for its sparkling rose in the mountain town of Azuga. Hit the road one last time, reaching Bucharest in the late afternoon.
Included Activities:
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Day 19: Bucharest
Location: Bucharest
Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast. If you’d like to spend some more time in Bucharest, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.
Optional Activities:
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What's Included
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Accommodation
Comfortable Hotel (16 nights), Feature Stay (2 nights) -
Dubrovnik - Cavtat Tour
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Mostar - Guided Tour with Coffee Experience
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Stolac - Town Visit
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Trebinje - Tvrdos Monastery Wine Tasting
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Trebinje - Walking Tour
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Konjic - Tito's Bunker Tour
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Sarajevo - Walking Tour
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Sarajevo - Cooking Demo and Home-made Dinner
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Višegrad - Town Visit
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Tara National Park - Hike
Transport
- Private vehicle , train
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
- OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.
- TWIN SHARE BASIS
- Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. We pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own.
- CHECK-IN TIME
- Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.
- PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
- If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
- FACILITIES
- Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don't provide kettles or fridges.
Important Information
- 1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
- 2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
- 3. This itinerary no longer visits Hunedoara Castle as it is undergoing renovation and there is a lack of local guides meaning we cannot guarantee the quality of the experience. You will instead visit the UNESCO site of Sarmizegetusa Regia with a local guide, as well as visiting Peles Castle and Bran Castle.
Mode of Transport
- Private vehicle , train
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
This trip is new to our range this year. And while we have thoroughly researched every detail of the logistics, new destinations and working with new partners can sometimes throw us some unexpected surprises. More often than not, it’ll be a great surprise. But every now and again there might be a hiccup. We like to think that’s what puts the ‘adventure’ in ‘adventure travel’.
This trip spends limited time in Dubrovnik at the start of the trip. You may want to consider arriving a few days earlier to make sure you are not missing out on everything that Dubrovnik has to offer.
Summer temperatures can be extreme in many of the regions visited (over 40°C). It’s important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.
Many of the wonderful cities and sites of this trip are explored on foot. Please ensure you bring sturdy walking shoes and comfortable clothes, plus suitable luggage for navigating cobblestone streets.
There are some long drives on this trip so bring along headphones and your favourites tunes or use this time to go through your photographs. Or you can simply sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions