Balkan Fairytale by Bus (7 Nights – All Excursions and Extra Tours Included – Accommodation in Thessaloniki at an Additional Cost) – 2026 Season

Tour details
Greece – North Macedonia – Kosovo – Albania – Montenegro – Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Serbia – Bulgaria 7 Nights with Half-Board Accommodation Round Trip | By Luxury Coaches
Need to Know
  • Our guests participating are required to have a valid Multi (Multiple Entry) Schengen visa for the entire duration of the tour. (Green Passport holders are exempt from the visa requirement.)
  • During the tour, it is sufficient to carry Euros for shopping and spending in all countries included in the program. In regions where the local currency is used, the Guide will assist with currency exchange.
  • Comfortable walking shoes or sports shoes should be preferred throughout the trip. It is advisable to bring a cardigan or similar clothing for the evening.
  • On our weekly tours, rotation (seat changes) is applied to the daily seating plan; therefore, a fixed seat or front-seat guarantee is not provided. Seat changes are organized by the vehicle guide.
  • When entering Türkiye from abroad, at least 1 day of accommodation is required in order to bring goods (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.).
  • When entering Türkiye from abroad, the duty-free shopping limits are: Cigarettes: 3 cartons, Alcoholic Beverages: 1 liter of alcoholic beverages (excluding alcoholic beverages containing more than 22% alcohol, wine and champagne), Alcoholic Beverages: 2 liters of alcoholic beverages (including alcoholic beverages containing less than 22% alcohol, wine and champagne), Perfume: 600 ml, Makeup or Skin Care Products: 5 items, Chocolate and Confectionery: 2 kg, Coffee: 1 kg, Tea: 1 kg 
  • During the tour program, the Guides may make changes to the program flow depending on weather and road conditions, provided that they show all the places specified in the program.
  • The Travel Assurance Package can only be added during the tour purchase process. It cannot be added later. It provides the guest with an unconditional and uninterrupted cancellation right up to 7 days before the travel date. It is non-refundable if unused. If the cancellation assurance package is not purchased, guests have the right to cancel free of charge up to 30 days before the tour. A 30% penalty applies when fewer than 30 days remain before the tour date, and a 100% penalty applies when 20 days or less remain. Hospital reports, workplace permission documents and similar documents obtained from authorities in Türkiye and submitted with the participant’s cancellation request are unfortunately not accepted for the cancellation of hotels where they will stay and services they will receive outside Türkiye.
  • Our tour program is organized with a minimum participation requirement of 25 people.  If sufficient participation cannot be achieved for the trip, the final cancellation notification date is 20 days before the tour departure. İTC TUR will notify participants if the tour is canceled due to insufficient participation.
  • In cases where only category information is provided without specifying a name in the tour program and/or where there are alternatives for the same destination, the hotel(s) will be announced by İTC TUR 2 days before the trip departure.
  • During periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events and sports tournaments, hotels may be used at distances exceeding the specified kilometers. In such a case, İTC TUR will provide information 15 days before the tour departure date.
  • Triple rooms may be provided depending on hotel availability, and the bed allocated to the 3rd person in such rooms is smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed + 1 extra bed. Since extra beds consist of beds referred to as folding beds and coach beds, tour participants making reservations for a 3rd person and/or child are deemed to have declared that they accept the possible congestion in the rooms and the bed type. Child discounts are valid for one child –within the applicable age group– staying with 2 adults.
  • Breakfasts included in the tour program are served in accordance with the breakfast culture of the country visited and generally consist of a limited menu of butter, jam, bread, tea or coffee, known as a continental breakfast, and may be served in a separate room allocated to the group.
  • The panoramic city tours included in the tour package are tours lasting no more than 2–3 hours, organized for the general introduction of the cities and conducted panoramically with the guide’s narration from inside the vehicle; they do not include museum or archaeological site entrance fees. İTC TUR is not responsible if panoramic tours, including other tours specified in the program, cannot take place because local authorities do not permit visiting or entering the relevant places on the day and at the time corresponding to the tour, roads are closed due to any event, or weather conditions make it impossible to conduct the tour. Some tours may be conducted by public transportation or on foot, where possible, in locations with closed roads or where vehicle access is not permitted.
  • During travel, waiting times at customs gates crossed by road may exceed standard durations, and İTC TUR cannot be held responsible for inconveniences arising from these waiting times.
  • Extra tours are organized by the local İTC TUR from which we receive services, with a minimum participation requirement of 20 people. If sufficient participation is not achieved, the excursions may not take place, or the prices, content and vehicle used for extra excursions may vary according to the number of participants. In addition, the days and times of the tours may be changed by the guide according to the opening/closing status of museums and archaeological sites at the destinations and weather conditions.
  • Extra tours are optional for participants and are not mandatory. Passengers who do not wish to participate in the extra tours organized during the tour are deemed to have agreed to wait at a suitable rest facility along the route. These passengers will be dropped off at a roadside rest facility before the extra tour begins and picked up from the point where they were dropped off after the tour is completed.
  • For persons participating in tours with flights, check-in and boarding procedures are personal procedures and must be completed by the guest before the flight at the relevant airline counters at the airports or online through the airlines’ websites.
  • İTC TUR is not responsible for the failure to take the flight of persons who are not present at the specified airport at the times notified by İTC TUR for participation in the tour, who do not complete their check-in and boarding procedures on time, or who complete their check-in and boarding procedures on time but do not board the aircraft. All costs of new round-trip flight tickets required for persons who miss the flight to join the tour and of their transfers in the destination region are their own responsibility.
  • İTC TUR acts as an intermediary between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol of 28.09.1955. There may be a risk of delays on scheduled and charter flights, or flight times may change before the existing trip and flight. İTC TUR is obliged to notify passengers of these changes as soon as possible. The passenger has purchased the trip by accepting the risk of schedule changes. Children between 0 and 2 years of age do not pay airport taxes or airport service fees.
  • The vehicle types used on our tours are classified according to the number of persons as follows. The vehicle types listed below are assigned according to the number of people participating in each tour.
  • Buses: (Used for groups of 25–46 people)  *Mercedes Travego/Tourismo   *NEOPLAN Cityliner/Tourliner -*Temsa Safir/Maraton *Man Fortuna, Midibuses: (Used for groups of 17–24 people) *Isuzu Turkuaz , *Otokar Mega, Minibuses: (Used for groups of up to 16 people) *Vw Volt , *Mercedes Sprinter
  • All guests are deemed to have accepted the above-mentioned terms and completed the sale of the tour.
Istanbul
Tour Program
Istanbul

Our Balkan Tale by Bus
(Including Extra Tours, Dinners, Balkan Night & Greek Taverna)
(9 Days 8 Nights, 7 Nights Accommodation)
9 Countries – 5 Capitals – 25 Cities
Greece – North Macedonia – Kosovo – Albania – Montenegro – Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Serbia – Bulgaria 

Kavala – Thessaloniki (1) – Bitola – Resen - Ohrid (1) - Kičevo – Tetovo - Skopje (1) – Pristina– Prizren – Lezhë – Shkodër (1) – Petrovac – Budva – Kotor – Herceg Novi – Dubrovnik – Medjugorje (1) – Mostar – Jablanica – Konjic – Sarajevo (1) – Belgrade (1) – Sofia
Greek Taverna with Music and Dinner Included   Matka Canyon Included    
Dubrovnik Tour Included    5 Dinners Included   Bosnian Meatball Delight    
Počitelj Village Included   Kravica Waterfalls Included   Balkan Night with Music and Dinner Included  
Departure Dates

January 17 – January 24 & March 14 – March 18 – March 19 & April 11 – April 22 – April 25 – April 30 & May 2 – May 9 – May 15 – May 22 – May 23 & June 13 – June 20 – June 27 & July 4 – July 11 – July 18 – July 21 - July 25 & August 1 – August 8 – August 15 – August 22 – August 29 & September 5 – September 12 – September 19 – September 26 & October 3 – October 17 – October 31 & November 7 – November 14

We begin our tour by picking up our valued guests from in front of the Kadıköy Marriage Office Parking Lot in Istanbul at 21:00, then from in front of the Mecidiyeköy Ziraat Bank at 21:30, from the İncirli Ömür Bus Stops at 22:00, and from Beylikdüzü Marmara Park at 22:30. Following the route through Selimpaşa, Silivri, and Tekirdağ, we arrive at the İpsala border gate. After completing our passport and customs procedures here, we continue our journey with an overnight drive.

Kavala – Thessaloniki – Atatürk House – Waterfront – Via Egnatia – Aristotelous Square – Greek Tavern

In the morning, we have breakfast at our own expense along the way. Then we continue to Kavala, one of the important cities of Greece. After the panoramic tour and photo break we will take here, we continue our journey toward Thessaloniki. Following our arrival in Thessaloniki, during our panoramic city tour, we first see the Church of Saint Demetrius, the largest church in Greece, followed by the house where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Great Leader and founder of the Republic of Turkey, was born and lived. Afterwards, some of the places we will see include Hagia Sophia Church, Bey Hamam, Hamza Bey Mosque, Bedesten, White Tower, Trigonion Tower, and the International Fair grounds. During our free time after the tour, we recommend that you take a walk along the famous waterfront of Thessaloniki with its cafés and shops and visit Aristotelous Square. After the free time, we see the statue of Alexander the Great before heading to our hotel. Following our tour, we transfer to our hotel. In the evening, we depart from our hotel for the Greek Taverna Tour, which will be organized as part of the tour price. After having dinner and enjoying ourselves to the fullest accompanied by Greek melodies, we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be purchased as an extra along the way. Soup, breakfast plate, pastry, and brewed tea options may be considered (Not included in the tour price).
Lunch: Free time in Thessaloniki. You may choose seafood at the fish restaurants along the waterfront (Not included in the tour price)
Dinner: Greek Taverna (Included in the tour price). 
Currency : € (Euro)
Route: Istanbul – Thessaloniki (590 km), 
Approximate Distance to Be Covered: 590 km
Estimated Hotel Check-in Time Depending on the Duration of the Border Crossing: 17:30

 

Thessaloniki – Bitola (Monastir) – Ohrid

After having breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we depart from the hotel with our luggage and continue our journey toward the Greece–Macedonia border. Following passport and customs procedures, we arrive in the city of Bitola (Monastir), where the military high school attended by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is located. During the tour we will take here, the military high school, which now houses the Atatürk Memorial Room and is also home to the city’s archaeological museum, Širok Street, the New Mosque, and Eleni Karite’s balcony are just some of the places we will see. After our tour here, during the free time we will have, you can have lunch at the restaurants on Širok Street. At the meeting time announced by our guide, we continue our journey toward Ohrid. Upon arriving in Ohrid, we begin our walking tour. During our tour of this beautiful city, famous for its pearl and itself like a pearl, built on the shores of Lake Ohrid, some of the places we will see include Ohrid houses, the Church of Hagia Sophia, the Damat Ali Pasha Mosque, the Halveti Lodge and Mosque, and the Turkish quarter. After exploring Ohrid on foot, free time is provided for shopping and leisure. We recommend that you have a glass of Turkish tea or Turkish coffee in the Turkish quarter. Following our tour, we depart for our hotel after meeting at the designated place and time. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at the hotel where we will stay (included in the tour price)
Lunch: Will be taken during free time in the city of Bitola (Monastir) (not included in the tour price) 
Dinner: Will be served at the hotel as an open buffet or set menu (included in the tour price)
Currencies: € (Euro) in Greece, Denar in Macedonia (1€ = 61 Denar)
Route:  Thessaloniki – Monastir (219 km), Monastir – Ohrid (70 km)
Approximate Distance to Be Covered: 289 km
Estimated Hotel Check-in Time: 20:30, depending on the duration of the border crossing

 

Ohrid – Tetovo (Kalkandelen) – Skopje

After having breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we complete our check-out procedures and leave our hotel with our luggage. Following a short and delicious break in Straza along the route, we continue to Tetovo, one of the important cities of Macedonia, where the majority of the population is Albanian. Upon arrival, we visit the Painted Mosque, perhaps one of the most colorful sights you will ever see. During our visit, we also drink ice-cold mountain water from the fountain in the mosque courtyard before continuing on our way to Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. After arriving in Skopje, we set out to explore the streets of this city that embraces both East and West. As we wander through the surviving section of the largest bazaar built outside the capital in Ottoman history, Kapan Han, Sulu Han, the Double Bath, Murat Pasha Mosque, Sultan Murat Mosque, the clock tower, the Stone Bridge, Skopje Fortress, the groups of statues created as part of the 2014 project, Macedonia Square, the Vardar River and the statue of Alexander the Great are just some of the sights we will see in this magnificent city. If you are lucky and they have not sold out early that morning, you should try the famous acıbadem; if it is in season, you should definitely drink a cold boravitsa and taste kikiriki. After our tour, we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel. In the evening, we leave the hotel for our Balkan Night tour, which includes dinner, music and entertainment and is included in the tour price. After enjoying the food and having plenty of fun accompanied by Rumelian, Balkan and Macedonian melodies, we transfer back to our hotel for overnight accommodation.

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at the hotel where we will stay (Included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in Skopje Bazaar (Not included in the tour price).
Dinner: Balkan Night (Included in the tour price). 
Currency: Macedonian Denar (1€ = 61 Denars)
Route: Ohrid – Skopje (170 km), 
Approximate Distance to Be Covered: 200 km
Estimated Hotel Check-in Time: 18:00

 

Skopje – Matka Canyon – Prizren – Pristina – Shkodër

After having breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we complete our check-out procedures and leave our hotel with our luggage. First, our guide takes us to Matka Canyon, included in our tour program, where we will enjoy a pleasant walk in nature and breathe in the fresh air. After our enjoyable walk here, we set off and reach the North Macedonia–Kosovo border. Following passport and customs procedures, we arrive in Kosovo, the second-newest country in the world and the newest state in Europe. First, we arrive in Prizren, which bears many traces of the Ottoman Empire and where you will feel as if you are in an Anatolian town. During the walking tour we will take here, the Sinan Pasha Mosque, the minaret of the Arasta Mosque, the Ottoman bathhouse, the stone bridge, the Turkish consulate and the fortress are just some of the sights we will see. During our free time here, we strongly recommend that you taste the region’s delicious dishes. After completing our Prizren tour, we set off to visit the tomb built at the site where Murat Hüdavendigâr, one of the important sultans of Ottoman history, had his military camp established during his reign, and where his organs were embalmed and buried after he lost his life following the battle. After our tomb visit, we see Pristina panoramically from the road, complete our visits in Kosovo and set off toward the city of Shkodër in Albania for our overnight stay. Upon arrival, we settle into the hotel, have dinner and spend the night at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at the hotel where we will stay (Included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in the Pristina Bazaar (Not included in the tour price).
Dinner: Will be served at the hotel as an open buffet or set menu (Included in the tour price)
Currencies: Dinar in North Macedonia (1€ = 61 Dinars), € (Euro) in Kosovo, Albanian Lek (1€ = 124 Lek)
Route: Skopje – Pristina (95 km), Pristina – Prizren ( 86 km), Prizren – Shkodër (187 km)
Approximate Distance to Be Covered: 390 km
Estimated Hotel Check-in Time: 19:30

 

Shkodër – Budva – Kotor – Dubrovnik – Medjugorje or Surroundings

After having our breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we complete our check-out procedures and leave our hotel with our luggage. After completing our passport and customs procedures at the Albania–Montenegro border, we continue via Podgorica, Sutomore and Petrovac, enjoying a panoramic view of Sv. Stefan Island, which was purchased by a Singaporean multi-billionaire. We then proceed by seeing the famous coastal city of Budva panoramically from our vehicle. Immediately after Budva, one of the ideal destinations abroad for a seaside holiday, we arrive in Kotor, one of the important medieval cities that has survived to the present day. When you see the city of Kotor, which has defied the centuries in the depths of the bay and on the slopes of the mountain, one of Montenegro’s tourist centers, both your mind and your heart will remain here. During the city tour we will take on foot upon our arrival, some of the things we will see and hear include the mansions of the important families of Kotor, St. Tryphon’s Cathedral, the Orthodox church, squares and beautiful stories. During our free time in this city, if the season and weather are suitable, you can climb the stairs to the chapel at the very top of the walls and take magnificent landscape photographs from there, follow the aromas in the narrow streets of the city to taste different and wonderful dishes, sip your drink in one of the squares, or visit the Cat Museum, one of the city’s most interesting museums. Do not forget to ask your guide where that wonderful cake is; it is our recommendation for all dessert lovers. After our free time, we leave Kotor and first cross from Montenegro into Croatia, arriving in Dubrovnik, one of the most popular holiday destinations of recent years, which was also used as a filming location for the popular series Game of Thrones and, historically, was a very important settlement in terms of its relations with the Ottoman Empire. During our walking tour inside the fortress, some of the sights we will see include the Pile Gate, Ploče Gate, Onofrio’s Fountain, the world’s first pharmacy, the Franciscan monastery, the Orlando Column, Sponza Palace and the Rector’s Palace. After the pleasant tour we will take in this medieval city, during our free time you can explore the city’s side streets, shop in the stores, taste seafood, or enjoy a coffee while looking out at the sea or the medieval streets. After our free time, we meet at the time and place specified by our guide, leave Dubrovnik, cross into Bosnia and Herzegovina, and transfer to our hotel in Medjugorje. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Breakfast: It will be served as an open buffet at the hotel where we will stay (included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in Kotor (not included in the tour price).
Dinner: It will be served at the hotel as an open buffet or set menu (included in the tour price)
Currencies: Albanian Lek (1€ = 124 Lek), € in Montenegro, Croatian Kuna (1€ = 7.6 Kuna)
Route: Shkodra – Kotor (110 km), Kotor – Dubrovnik (93 km), Dubrovnik – Trebinje (35 km)
Approximate Distance to Be Covered: 260 km
Hotel Check-in Time: Estimated: 20:30

 

Medjugorje – Kravica – Počitelj – Mostar – Sarajevo

After having breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we complete our check-out procedures and leave the hotel with our luggage. First, we head to the Kravica Waterfalls, a natural wonder included in our tour program. After the free time here, we arrive at Pocitelj, a garrison village dating back to the Ottoman era. Here, we see the Ottoman houses, bathhouse, mosque and old cobblestone streets, and after sipping our Turkish teas and Bosnian coffees, we leave the village. Our next stop is Mostar, one of the most important cities in the region, famous for its bridge, which was destroyed by Croatian artillery fire during the Bosnian War in our recent history and later rebuilt with contributions from the Republic of Türkiye, and which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mostar will take you to a completely different realm with its narrow and authentic Ottoman-era streets. During our tour here, the Mostar Bridge, Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque, Catholic cathedral, Turkish consulate and martyrs’ cemetery are some of the places we will see. If we are lucky, we may also see young men jumping from the bridge for show, a tradition with roots going back many years. During the free time after our tour, you can buy souvenirs unique to Mostar and take a pleasant meal break. After the free time, we meet our vehicle at the time and place designated by our guide and continue our journey toward Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Upon arrival, we begin exploring the city center on foot. During our walking tour, some of the places we will see include the sebil, Gazi Husrev Bey Madrasa, Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque, the bedesten, the clock tower, the various shops of Baščaršija, the Sacred Heart Cathedral, the Eternal Flame, the Latin Bridge and the Fatih Mosque. After our walking tour, you can drink Bosnian coffee in cafés unique to Bosnia, indulge in magnificent Bosnian börek, or explore the city by getting lost in its European and Ottoman-era streets. After our tour, we have Sarajevo’s famous meatballs, ćevapi, for dinner in the city center. (Depending on the hotel where we stay, dinner may also be served at the hotel.) After dinner, we transfer to our hotel by vehicle. Overnight at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at the hotel where we will stay (included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in Mostar (not included in the tour price).
Dinner: We will have Sarajevo’s famous Bosnian meatballs in Baščaršija. Eight Bosnian meatballs, salad and a beverage (included in the tour price) (Depending on the hotel where we stay, dinner may also be served at the hotel)
Currency: Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (1 € = 1.96 KM)
Route: Trebinje – Mostar (116 km), Mostar – Sarajevo ( 130 km)
Approximate Distance to Be Covered: 290 km
Estimated Hotel Check-in Time: 20:30

 

Sarajevo – Belgrade

After having breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we check out and set off for Belgrade with our luggage. With a pleasant journey through the plateaus and villages of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we cross the border at the border gate located on the Drina River, which we are also familiar with from books, and enter another country included in our itinerary. After the winding roads of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we reach Belgrade while enjoying views of wide plains, villages and magnificent landscapes, the exact opposite of what we have seen. During the walking tour we will take after our arrival, some of the places we will see include Knez Mihajlova Street, Kalemegdan Fortress, the Monument to France, Istanbul Gate, the Tomb of Damat Ali Pasha, the panoramic viewpoint, the Victor Monument, Zindan Gate, Leopoldov Gate, the clock tower and the city walls. After our walking tour, you can stroll through the lively streets of Belgrade, taste different ice cream flavors at an ice cream shop recommended by your guide, or enjoy a pleasant coffee while taking in the surroundings and the city. After our tour, we transfer to our hotel by vehicle. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at our hotel (included in the tour price)
Lunch: In the city of Zvornik, at Luna Hotel & Restaurant, we can choose from lamb tandoori, fish, meatballs and soup options (not included in the tour price).
Dinner: Will be served at the hotel as an open buffet or set menu (included in the tour price)
Currencies: Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (1 € = 1.96 KM), Serbian Dinar (1€ = 118 Dinars)
Route: Sarajevo – Belgrade (294 km)
Approximate Distance to Be Covered: 320 km
Estimated Hotel Check-in Time: 20:30

 

Belgrade – Sofia – Istanbul

After having breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we check out and depart for Sofia with our luggage. Upon arriving in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, we begin our panoramic city tour. During this tour, some of the places we will see include Alexander Nevsky, the second-largest Orthodox church in the Balkans, the Russian Church, the Church of Hagia Sophia, the Rotunda Church, the Archaeological Museum, the Presidential Palace, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Banya Bashi Mosque. Following the panoramic tour and our free time, we meet at the time and place specified by our guide and depart from Sofia. After arriving at the Kapıkule border gate and completing the passport and customs procedures there, we return to Istanbul via the highway. Upon arriving in Istanbul, we drop off our valued guests at the points where we picked them up and say goodbye, hoping to see you again on our next tour.

Breakfast: Will be served as an open buffet at the hotel where we will stay (Included in the tour price)
Lunch: Free time in Sofia (Not included in the tour price).
Dinner: Will be served at a roadside facility within the borders of Turkey (Not included in the tour price).
Currency: Euro
Route: Belgrade – Sofia (391 km), Sofia – Istanbul (553 km)
Approximate Distance to Be Covered: 944 km