Serbia+Bulgaria+Romania Balkan Tour
Day 1 Belgrade
Arrival to Belgrade Airport and welcome by professional English speaking guide. Transfer to centrally located Belgrade hotel and check in /Excelsior Hotel or Heritage Hotel or 88 Rooms Hotel or the Crystal Hotel or Prag Hotel similar available Belgrade hotel/. Belgrade sightseeing tour : the Parliament, Republic Square, Saint Sava Orthodox Cathedral – second largest Orthodox church in the world, Kalemegdan Fortress from where spreads magnificent panorama of the romantic confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers. Welcome dinner /3 course menu/ with live music in the restaurant in the Skadarska street /famous bohemian quarter/. Overnight.
Day 2 Belgrade – Ravanica Monastery – Nis
After breakfast drive along the highway to Nis with break for touring the Ravanica Monastery – one of the most famous Medieval Monastery of Serbia, the graceful endowment with beautiful frescoes of the Prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic, killed in the Kosovo Battle in 1389. Break for visit to the famous Lisine Waterfalls, and optional lunch on the clients own arrangement at the foot of the waterfalls. Continue to Nis and accommodation in 3+ or 4 stars hotel /Sole Hotel or New City Hotel or similar/. Dinner in authentic restaurant – famous grilled meat /Serbian rostilj/. Overnight.
Day 3 Nis – Pirot
After breakfast introductory walk along the Nis Fortress – one of the main historical attractions of the city. Visit to the Mediana Archaeological site /former Roman summer residence of Emperor Constantine/ or the notorious Scull Tower /the memorial of the Ottoman Yoke built of sculls of killed locals !!!!/. Drive on to Pirot along the beautiful gorge of the Nisava River – the Sicevo Gorge. Hotel accommodation /Ana Lux Spa Hotel or Nisavska dolina tourist complex in Pirot/. Visit to the Ponisavlje Museum with presentation of colorful hand-weaving of rugs /one of the symbols of Pirot, made of wool of the indigenous sheep/ and the famous and colorful Pirot pottery. If time permits visit to the Sukovo Monastery or the Poganovo Monastery and conversation with monks and presentation of their work in production of health products made of herbs from Stara Planina Mountain. Big traditional dinner in authentic restaurant – grilled meat prepared by the experienced chef – the best grilling master. Overnight.
Day 4 Pirot – Sofia
After breakfast drive direction Bulgaria and to Sofia. Depending on time of arrival we visit the National Museum of history keeping the famous Panagyuriste gold treasure – dating from 400 BC and other unique objects connected to archaeology, fine arts, history and ethnography of Bulgaria. Sightseeing tour in Sofia, including the Rotunda of St. George, St Sofia Basilika, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Roman Ruins of Serdica and other landmarks of the Bulgarian capital. Dinner and overnight in 4-Star Hill Hotel http://www.hillhotel-sofia.com / or similar
Day 5 Rila Monastery (UNESCO World heritage List) – Plovdiv
Transfer to Rila Monastery – one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments. UNESCO World Heritage Site, the monastery is situated in the southwestern Rila Mountains in the deep valley of the Rilska River at an elevation of 1,147 m above sea level. The monastery is named after its founder, the hermit Ivan of Rila (876 – 946 AD). Ever since its creation, the Rila Monastery has been supported and respected by the Bulgarian rulers. Large donations were made by almost every tsar of the Second Bulgarian Empire up until the Ottoman Conquest in 1396, making the monastery a cultural and spiritual center of Bulgarian national consciousness. The complex acted as a depository of Bulgarian language and culture in the ages of foreign rule. Continue further to Plovdiv, chosen to be for the second time European capital of culture in 2019. Dinner and overnight in a 4 star hotel www.wyndhamhotels.com ramada/plovdiv-bulgaria/ramada-hotel-trimontium-princess/overview?cid=local or similar
Day 6 Plovdiv and the Rose valley
Plovdiv is the second largest Bulgarian city but it is the most beautiful one – no doubt! After breakfast we will explore the Old Town with numerous cultural monuments from different historical periods. Among them are the Roman Theatre, the Roman stadium, the Ethnographical Museum, the East Gate from the 4th century, mansions from the 19th century and more. The modern town is dotted with shops and bars – a pedestrian street crosses from one end to the other. In the afternoon we drive through the so-called Rose Valley, which is where millions of roses blossom from mid May to mid June. The region is also known as the Valley of the Thracian Kings and therefore is dotted with many Thracian tombs. We visit the most spectacular one – the Kazanlak tomb, included in the UNESCO heritage list. In the afternoon we drive further north and cross the Balkan Mountains at the historical Shipka Pass. It is the place where the final battle against the Ottomans took place (1877-8) and the place where Bulgarian Liberation was won. After a break on the top of the hill with the monument we continue and soon we reach the city of Veliko Tarnovo. Dinner and overnight in 4 Star Yantra Grand Hotel www.yantrabg.com / or similar.
Day 7 Veliko Tarnovo – Ruse – Giurgiu /border crossing/- Bucharest – Brasov
In the morning we explore Veliko Tarnovo – the town which was the medieval capital of Bulgaria (12-14th century). Places of interest are the Tsarevets fortress (where the kings ruled and royal family lived), the church of 40 martyrs, the old market street Samovodska Charshia, and the beautiful Gurko street in the Old Town. Drive direction Romania and approximately at noon we cross the border between Bulgaria and Romania via Giurgiu and take time for lunch in own arrangement of clients. Continue to Bucharest /next 77 km/ and sightseeing tour : Photo stop in the Old City, Panoramic view of House of People, Revolution Square, Arch of Triumph…. Transfer from Bucharest to Brasov (171Km). 19:00 Dinner at International Restaurant – Menu: 3 Course Standard Menu. Transfer from Brasov to Sacele (11Km) and accommodation at the Ramada Hotel Brasov. Overnight.
Day 8 Brasov – Sighisoara – Brasov
After breakfast transfer from Ramada Hotel Brasov – Sacele to Sighisoara (128Km), 12:00 Lunch at Casa Vlad Dracul Restaurant (own arrangement of clients), 13:00 Sightseeing tour of Sighisoara Fortress with Tour Escort, Photo stop at Clock Tower and Scholars’ Stairs, 14:00 Transfer from Sighisoara to Biertan (31Km), 14:45 entrance to Fortified Church of Biertan (Unesco heritage site) , 15:30 Drive from Biertan to Brasov – Sacele (158 Km), 3 course dinner at the Ramada Hotel Brasov, overnight.
Day 9 Brasov – Bran Castle – Sinaia – Peles Castle – Bucharest
After breakfast transfer from Ramada hotel to Brasov city center (11Km). Photo stop at Black Church, St Nicolae Church with Tour Escort. Transfer from Brasov to Bran (27Km) and Entrance to Bran Castle including Guided Tour, photo/film tax. Lunch at restaurant under own arrangement (by own arrangement of clients). Transfer from Bran to Sinaia (52Km) and view of Sinaia Resort with Tour Escort and visit to the Sinaia Monastery Entrance to Peles Castle (Ground Floor) including English speaking guide. Drive from Sinaia to Bucharest (127Km), 3 course dinner at the Hotel Caro Golf, overnight.
Day 10 Bucharest – Dimitrie Gusti village Museum – Bucharest
Full day sightseeing tour of Bucharest –entrance to the Peoples Palace, including the Basement tour, the Panoramic tour and the terrace. Lunch in own arrangement of clients. Visit to the Village Museum Dimitrie Gusti. Farewell dinner at Cary cu Bere Restaurant : Grilled cheese assorted with boiled tomato = Cascaval pane asortat cu rosii natur / Grilled chicken breast – Piept de pui la gratar / Polenta (side dish) – Mamaliguta / Delicious “Romanian” doughnuts with sweet cheese, sour cream and jam – Papanasi cu branza dulce, smantana si dulceata. Entertainment: Artistic program (popular dances, traditional music, society/sportive dances) daily, from Tue – Sat) starting at 19:15. Monday – artistic program starting from 19:45. Sunday – artistic program starting from 20:00. Overnight at the same hotel – Caro Golf Bucharest.
Day 11 Bucharest departure
After breakfast free time until transfer to the Bucharest Airport, departure flight /TBA/ and end of program and services.
Price /on twin share-double occupancy/ : Minimum 6 participants EUR; Minimum 15 participants EUR; Minimum 20 participants EUR; Minimum 25 participants EUR; Minimum 30 participants EUR; Single supplement : EUR
Included : transportation with fully equipped high tourist class AC bus, 1 BB in centrally located 3+/4 stars Belgrade hotel; welcome dinner with live music at the Skadarska street restaurant; 1 BB in 3+4 stars centrally located Nis Hotel; big traditional dinner in Nis /rostilj-grilled mix meat/; entrance fee for the Mediana or the Scull Tower sites in Nis; 1 BB in 4 stars hotel in Pirot; entrance fee for the Ponisavlje Museum in Pirot with presentation of rug weaving or the pottery manufacture; big traditional dinner in Pirot; Serbian English speaking tour escort, 3 overnights in 4 star hotels in Sofia, Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo with Half Board; Local professional Bulgarian guide – from the border between Bulgaria and Serbia till the border with Romania; Entrance fees in National Museum of History in Sofia, the Roman theater and the Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv, the Thracian Tomb of Kasanlak, Tsarevets Medieval Fortress in Veliko Tarnovo; Bulgarian English speaking tour escort; 4 nights in 4 stars Romania hotels in the Ramada Hotel Brasov-Sacele /1 BB + 1 HB/ and 2 BB hotel in Bucharest or similar /1 HB + 1 BB/, 3 Course Standard Menu in Brasov restaurant, Romanian English Speaking Tour Escort, entrance fee for the Fortified Church of Biertan (UNESCO), entrance fee for the Bran Castle and Peles Castle and the Sinaia Monastery, entrance fee for the House of People (House of Parliament), entrance fee for the Village Museum – Dimitrie Gusti, selection menu at the Caru cu Bere Restaurant in Bucharest for the farewell dinner, 24 hours support of Panacomp Wonderland Travel and selected associates Odysseia-In Ltd Bulgaria and Visit Romania Travel
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