Southeast Europe 7 Day Tour with Bilingual Guide and Breakfast

Day 1: Budapest-- Lake Balaton--Zagreb

1. Budapest
   Pass by
   In the morning, we set off for the picturesque Lake Balaton. With its attractive scenery, Lake Balaton has become an excellent holiday resort in Hungary. It is affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea" by Hungarians and has gradually become the favorite tourist destination for tourists from all over the world. After the tour, we will cross directly into Croatia and head to the capital Zagreb. This is a city with a tradition of resisting invaders. It has been baptized by artillery fire, but its buildings are still well preserved.
   
   [Saturday] Itinerary:
   
   Budapest → Lake Balaton (1 hour) → Croatian capital: Zagreb → Cathedral of Zagreb (exterior, 15 mins) → Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb (exterior, 15 mins) → Holy Mary's column (exterior, 15 mins) → Muzej prekinutih veza (Optional, 40 mins)
2. Lake Balaton
   1h
   Lake Balaton
   Lake Balaton is a freshwater rift lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalized Sió is the only outflow.
3. Cathedral of Zagreb
   15m
   Cathedral of Zagreb (exterior, 15 mins)
   Zagreb Cathedral is a Catholic church in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Zagreb Cathedral is the centre of the Catholic Church in Croatia. Zagreb Cathedral is the most famous building in Croatia. The towers on the left and right sides of the entrance are 105 meters high, making it the tallest building in Croatia. The church was built in 1094, destroyed in 1242 during the Tatar invasion, and rebuilt in Gothic style at the end of the 13th century. After the Ottoman army retreated in the 17th century, construction of towers began again and the architectural style was changed to Baroque. The Zagreb earthquake of 1880 severely damaged both Zagreb and the church, after which the church was rebuilt in the Gothic Revival style.
4. Croatian National Theatre
   15m
   Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb (exterior, 15 mins)
   The theatre grew out of the first city theatre which opened in 1834 and was located in what is now the Old Town Hall. The theatre was originally founded in 1860 as the Croatian National Theatre and received government support in 1861, placing it on the same level as many other European national theatres. At the entrance to the theatre there is a wall fountain sculpture of the Well of Life, designed in 1905 by the Croatian artist and sculptor Ivan Meshtrović. The theater has also seen many international artists, including Franz Liszt, Sarah Bernhardt and others. Currently, the Croatian National Theatre combines performance venues for theatre, opera and ballet. On October 14, 1995, the theater celebrated its 100th anniversary.
5. Holy Mary Monument
   15m
   Holy Mary's column (exterior, 15 mins)
   The Virgin Mary column with angels and fountain was built by Anton Dominique Fenkorn in 1865, and the fountain by Hermann Bolet in 1880-1882. This monumental column in front of Zagreb Cathedral is a unique symbol of the Kaptol region.
6. 40m · Admission ticket not included
   Muzej prekinutih veza(Optional, 40 mins)
   The Museum of Broken Relationships is located in Zagreb, Croatia. The museum displays tokens of love given to each other by lovers from all over the world, including books, baseball caps, teddy bears, etc. Each souvenir comes with a story about it and its original owner. In addition to lovers, there are also some items given by deceased parents to their children. There is a cafe in the museum with a quiet environment, which is a good place to relax.

Day 2: Zagreb--Plitvice Lakes National Park --Zadar

1. Zagreb
   Pass by
   In the morning, we will set off for Plitvice Lakes National Park, which is known as the Jiuzhaigou of Europe. The national park consists of 16 lakes connected one by one along the mountain trails. Among the dense mountains, countless layers of limestone barriers form natural dams, connecting lakes that are as beautiful as a fairy tale wonderland. The water of the lake has a special color. Calcium forms bronze on the surface of the trees in the water, which is smooth, dazzling and immortal, forming a rare underwater jade tree wonder. Surrounded by green meadows, rushing streams and waterfalls, and clear lakes, it is like a paradise on earth.
   
   [Sunday] Itinerary:
   
   Zagreb → Plitvice Lakes National Park (exterior, 2 hours; if you need to enter, please purchase tickets in advance) → Zadar → Zadar sunset viewing (Optional, 1 hour, only available in July-August)
2. Plitvice Lakes National Park
   2h
   Plitvice Lakes National Park (exterior, 2 hours; if you need to enter, please purchase tickets in advance)
   1. If you confirm that you want to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park, please log in to the official website in advance to purchase tickets in case you are unable to purchase tickets on site. Recommended booking time: between 11:00-12:00.
3. Trznica Zadar
   1h · Admission ticket not included
   Zadar sunset viewing (Optional, 1 hour, only available in July-August)

Day 3: Zadar--Split -- Dubrovnik

1. Zadar
   Pass by
   In the morning, visit Zadar, a city with a strong religious atmosphere. The old city still retains the narrow streets and buildings of the Middle Ages, making you feel like traveling through time and space and going back to the past. Modern art installations popular with tourists have been added next to the pier: the Sea Organ and Salute to the Sun - Solar Flashing Lights. Then we went to Split, the second largest city in Croatia. The whole city is full of the charm of the ancient Roman Empire. The towering ancient Roman palace Diocletian's Palace was once a place for entertainment and leisure for the ancient Roman rulers. It is now listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. The history of this city is estimated to be more than 1,700 years. After the tour, we took a bus to Dubrovnik.
   [Monday] Itinerary:
   
   Zadar (1 hour, visit theZadar Sea Organ and Monument to the Sun - Solar Flashing Lights) → Split (1 hour, visit the World Cultural Heritage: Diocletian's Palace) → Dubrovnik
2. Sea Organ
   1h
   Zadar (1 hour, visit theZadar Sea Organ and Monument to the Sun - Solar Flashing Lights)
   Architect Nikola Bašić was inspired by the sound of waves hitting rocks at the beach when he was a child, and designed Zadar's seafront into a giant sea organ. The design uses waves and 35 pipes of varying lengths and thicknesses hidden under the stone steps. When the waves push and air rushes into the pipes, a resonant sound like a thick organ is emitted. Due to the different sizes and speeds of the waves and the different calibers and lengths of the pipes, an ever-changing, melodious and undulating tone is produced. The installation, completed in 2005, won the European Urban Public Space Award the following year.
3. Diocletian Palace Substructures
   1h
   Split (1 hour, visit the World Cultural Heritage: Diocletian's Palace)
   Diocletian's Palace
   Diocletian's Palace is a Roman palace built between 295 AD and 305 AD, covering an area of nearly 4 hectares. Augustus Diocletian of the Eastern Roman Empire lived here after his abdication. It is located in Split, Croatia, and is a magnificent seaside fortress and luxurious giant country villa. The palace is rectangular in plan, with two 11-meter-wide arcades in the center. The front part of the palace is the bedroom, with views of the sea and the Dalmatian coast. The rear part is the court. The palace was severely damaged during the invasion of the Avars. After the Avars retreated in 639, the palace ruins were converted to other uses by refugees from the city of Salona. In 1979, the site was listed as a World Cultural Heritage.

Day 4: Dubrovnik--Neum

1. Dubrovnik
   Pass by
   In the morning, we will visit Dubrovnik. The Nobel Prize-winning writer George Bernard Shaw once said: Those who want to see the beauty of heaven should come to Dubrovnik. I'm not exaggerating, Dubrovnik is a place that makes you fall in love at first sight. This wealthy city, once a hub for sea and land trade on par with Venice, suffered from bombardment during the Yugoslav period. It was later rebuilt under the supervision of UNESCO and the European Union and developed into a popular tourist destination. Exploring this Game of Thrones scene - King's Landing in person, you will feel like walking into a scene on the screen. Visit the city's famous sights
   
   [Tuesday] Itinerary:
   
   World Cultural Heritage: Old City of Dubrovnik (2 hours) → Governor's Palace (exterior) → Walls Of Dubrovnik (Optional, 40 mins) → Dubrovnik Cruise (Optional, 45 mins) → Dubrovnik Mountain Photo Tour + Tour (Optional, 1 hour) → Franciscan Church and Monastery (exterior) → Neum
2. 2h
   Old City of Dubrovnik
   Known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic” Dubrovnik is one of the world’s finest and best-preserved medieval cities. With its pristine location in Croatia on the Adriatic sea, Dubrovnik Old Town is filled with steep cobbled lanes, Renaissance fountains, monasteries and palaces, and Baroque churches.
3. Rector's Palace
   Pass by
   Governor's Palace (exterior)
   The Governor's Palace is known as the most beautiful building on the Croatian coast. The building itself combines Gothic and Renaissance styles. From the 14th to the 19th century, the Governor's Palace was the office of the Governor of the Republic of Ragusa.
4. Dubrovnik Cruise Port
   45m · Admission ticket not included
   Dubrovnik Cruise (Optional, 45 mins)
5. Dubrovnik City Walls
   1h · Admission ticket not included
   Dubrovnik Mountain Photo Tour + Tour (Optional, 1 hour)
6. The Franciscan Church and Monastery
   Pass by
   Franciscan Church and Monastery (exterior)
   It is a religious building located in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik, including a monastery, a church, a library and a pharmacy. The pharmacy in the monastery is the third oldest pharmacy still in operation in the world.

Day 5: Neum--Pochitli --Blagaj--Mostar--Sarajevo

1. Neum
   Pass by
   Today we will start our journey in Bosnia, which was one of the six socialist republics of the former Yugoslavia. Our first stop will be the Stone City built in Rome, now listed as a World Heritage Site. Next we will go to the holy land of Medjugorje. Stormedjugorje has become an important pilgrimage site for Catholics and the third most visited revolutionary site in Europe. Every year, more than a hundred pilgrims go to the ancient city of Mostar, which is full of historical traces, and stand on the top of the exquisitely shaped and magnificent world heritage site: the High Arch Bridge, to capture the picturesque beauty on both sides of the river. After admiring the poetic and picturesque ancient city, take a bus to Sarajevo.
   
   [Wednesday] Itinerary:
   
   Neum → World Cultural Heritage: Stone Town-Pochitli (30 mins) → Međugorje (30 mins) → Blagaj (30 mins) → Mostar → The Old Bridge In Mostar (outside visit, 40 mins) → Sarajevo
2. Neum
   Pass by
   Kindly reminder: Bosnia and Herzegovina stipulates that the number of people entering and leaving the group must be the same, so you cannot leave the group on the same day.
3. Neum
   30m
   World Cultural Heritage: Stone Town-Pochitli (30 mins)
   This is the "Stone City" Pochitli described by Nobel Prize winner in Literature Ivo Andrić. Looking down from the air, Pochitli is like a natural amphitheater. The stone houses, mosques, fortresses and other buildings built on the mountainside form the unique and beautiful appearance of this ancient city. In 1383, the Bosnian King Tvrtko I built a fortress here, which marked the beginning of the 600-year history of changes in this fortress.
4. Medugorje
   30m
   Mejugorje
   It is about 25 kilometers from Mostar and close to the Croatian border. Međugorje, together with the villages of Biaković, Vionica, Miletina and Śurmantsi, forms a Catholic parish with about 5,000 residents. As the city where the Virgin Mary apparitions took place, Mettigorye is considered one of the most important Marian shrines in the world.
5. Blagaj
   30m
   Blagaj (30 mins)
6. Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar
   40m
   The Old Bridge In Mostar (outside visit, 40 mins)
   Located in the center of Mostar, it was once described as "a rainbow welcoming the Milky Way" and is one of the famous attractions in the entire Balkan Peninsula. The style of the ancient stone bridge is in harmony with the surrounding buildings made of ancient stones and the ancient streets paved with round cobblestones, fully demonstrating the quaint customs and artistic style of Bosnia in the 16th century. In 2005, the bridge and the surrounding area were listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Day 6: Sarajevo--Belgrade

1. Sarajevo
   Pass by
   In the morning, we will visit Sarajevo, which was reborn after the fire. It was once an important gateway to the Eastern world in history. It is a city that brings together different religions and cultures and has a different European style. Sarajevo was rated by Lonely Planet as one of the top ten cities in the world worth traveling. Its profound historical marks, such as the Latin Bridge assassination that triggered the First World War and the encounter line between Eastern and Western cultures on the ground, have been preserved in the old city. Sarajevo's rebirth and transformation took place in the modern buildings of the new town.
   
   [Thursday] Itinerary:
   
   Sarajevo → Sarajevo Old Town (1 hour) → Tunnel of Hope (Optional, 30 mins) → Belgrade
   
   Kindly reminder: Bosnia and Herzegovina stipulates that the number of people entering and leaving the group must be the same, so you cannot leave the group on the same day.
2. 1h
   Sarajevo
   Because of its religious diversity, Sarajevo is known as the "Jerusalem of Europe". Until the late 20th century, Sarajevo was the only city in Europe where mosques, Catholic churches, Orthodox churches and synagogues could coexist. It is well-known in China because of the movie "Walter Defends Sarajevo" and the Yugoslav War.
3. 30m · Admission ticket not included
   Tunnel of Hope (Optional, 30 mins)

Day 7: Belgrade --Budapest

1. Belgrade
   Pass by
   In the morning, we will visit Belgrade, which is located in the core of the Balkan Peninsula. Belgrade, with the title of Balkan Peninsula, was the capital of the Yugoslav Federation. We will admire famous landmarks such as Belgrade Fortress, Church of Saint Sava, House of Flowers and St. Mark's Church, Serbian Parliament Building. In the afternoon, drive to Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
   
   [Friday] Itinerary:
   
   Belgrade → Belgrade Fortress (30 mins) → Temple of Saint Sava (exterior, 30 mins) → House of Flowers (exterior, 15 mins) → Church of Saint Mark (exterior, 15 mins) → National Assembly of Serbia (exterior, 15 mins) → Budapest
2. The Belgrade Fortress
   30m
   Belgrade Fortress
   The Belgrade Fortress is located in the city of Belgrade, Serbia, and consists of the Old Castle (Upper Town and Lower Town) and Kalemegdan Park. The fortress is located in the city of Belgrade and is a specific historical core of the city. As one of the most important representatives of Belgrade’s heritage, it has been protected since the war and is the first officially declared cultural monument in Serbia. The site was declared a cultural monument of special importance in 1979 and is under the protection of the Republic of Serbia. It is the second residence of Belgrade's most visited tourist attraction, Skadarlija Park.
3. Church of Saint Sava
   30m
   Temple of Saint Sava (exterior, 30 mins)
   The Temple of Saint Sava is a Serbian Orthodox church which sits on the Vračar plateau in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the largest Orthodox church in Serbia and one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches. The Temple of Saint Sava ranks among the largest churches in the world. It is the most recognizable building in Belgrade and a national landmark.
4. 15m
   House of Flowers (exterior, 15 mins)
   Also known as the Flower House, it is the cemetery of Tito, a famous leader of the Yugoslav Federation. Since Tito loved to grow flowers during his lifetime, his body was buried in the flower house after his death. Under Tito's leadership, Yugoslavia was in a golden age. To this day, people go to Tito's tomb to offer their own flowers to express their remembrance of Tito.
5. 15m
   Church of Saint Mark (exterior, 15 mins)
   The Church of St. Mark is a Serbian Orthodox church located in the Tašmajdan park in Belgrade. It was built in the Serbo-Byzantine style by the Krstić brothers and was completed in 1940. It was completed on the site of a previous church dating back to 1835. Today, it is one of the largest churches in the country.
6. Serbia
   15m
   National Assembly of Serbia (exterior, 15 mins)
   
   Travel over to visit one of Belgrade’s most iconic landmarks and popular tourist attraction. The National Assembly of Serbia is a uniquely designed architectural building. It is easily one of the most beautiful parliaments in Europe.
7. Serbia
   1h
   Special gift: 1-hour Belgrade Citywalk, led by a local Chinese tour guide to explore the capital of Serbia, located at the confluence of the Sava River and the Danube River. Walk slowly through the cobblestone streets, listen quietly to stories of the past, and appreciate this city full of historical charm and unique charm.
   Citywalk Tips:
   
   It requires a certain amount of physical strength, and it is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes and loose clothes; all attractions are not open to the public. If the event cannot be carried out normally due to weather or other force majeure factors such as traffic control, strikes, etc., the event will be temporarily cancelled. Thank you for your understanding.

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• For safety and communication purposes during the trip, a valid and reachable phone number is required for participants.
• Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Pregnant travelers may join if they are under 24 weeks pregnant by the end of the trip.
• Tickets and Admission Policy: Third-party attraction tickets or city passes are not accepted for participation in the tour. All admission tickets must be purchased either during booking or directly from your tour guide on the day of the tour.
• Children under 6 may require a booster seat by law. Most tours operate with coach buses where booster seats are not required. However, for certain winter departures that may use vehicles such as minivans or vans, booster seats may be needed. Please contact the tour operator in advance if needed. Rental service is also available upon request.
• You must contact the tour operator at least 3 days prior to the departure date to provide the pick-up location. If no information is received by the deadline, the default pick-up location and time will be automatically assigned: 7:00 AM at Red Lobster, Times Square--5 Times Sq #5, New York, NY 10036.
• For a comfortable and enjoyable experience, we recommend bringing comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, a sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, cash, and drinks for hydration.
• Discounted tour rates apply to the 3rd and 4th guests sharing the same room. Admission fees, service fees, and other mandatory costs apply to all travelers at full price.
• Please double-check your booking details (name and contact info), as any errors may result in additional personal costs.
• Due to the long overall driving distance and the involvement of overseas service arrangements, we will temporarily suspend the acceptance of guests aged 80 and above, effective immediately, in order to better ensure guest safety and overall travel experience. Thank you for your kind understanding.