Travel Talk Tours: Amazing Balkans & Transylvania tour review

Considering travelling with Travel Talk Tours throughout Romania and the stunning Balkan countries? I spent 2.5 weeks exploring this lesser visited corner of Eastern Europe with them and it was a highlight of this year’s travels. Here’s a detailed tour review of Travel Talk’s Amazing Balkans & Transylvania tour + everything you need to know before you book.

If you’re looking for an evenly-paced, easygoing tour around Europe’s iconic sights, this isn’t the tour for you. But if you’re looking for an epic whirlwind adventure across eight countries in only 2.5 weeks, through charming old towns, natural hidden gems and fascinating cities packed with culture and history, then Travel Talk’s Amazing Balkans & Transylvania tour might be perfect.

During my 2023 round the world trip I was at risk of going over my 90 day limit in the Schengen Zone, I had to stay in or near Europe to avoid catching unnecessary flights and doubling back on myself, but I had to spend a few weeks in a country or countries that didn’t count towards my Schengen days so I didn’t have to cut my trip short.

With that in mind, my options were Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. A few of those were off the list for obvious reasons, and some others (Türkiye, Cyprus, Ireland and the UK) I have already visited or had plans for later in the year. The leftover options made up a chunk of Eastern Europe, so I thought it could be a good idea to add a few of them together to build a bigger Balkans itinerary.

I began looking into logistics and quickly realised that this part of the world isn’t super straightforward thanks to border crossings, infrastructure issues and language barriers, and as a solo traveller already on the road I was running pretty low in terms of time to plan. Enter: Travel Talk’s Amazing Balkans & Transylvania!

A targeted ad showed up on my Instagram feed which pretty much read my mind (creepy 👀), a 2.5 week tour stopping in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia. Only one day in the Schengen Zone, letting me visit eight countries on a fully organised trip with minimal effort on my part. Perfect!

Here’s a super detailed rundown of the Amazing Balkans & Transylvania tour with Travel Talk Tours, including the itinerary, all you need to know about the tour logistics, some tips for before and after the tour, and more.

Travel Talk Tours FAQ

Who are Travel Talk Tours?

Travel Talk are an award-winning tour company who are particularly well-known for their tours in off-the-beaten-path destinations like the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe. I’ve previously travelled with them in both Türkiye and Jordan, and some of their other iconic tours are Egypt, Morocco and Ski Bansko.

Who is Travel Talk for?

Travel Talk has no specific age limit, but they do market themselves towards adventurous travellers who want to visit unique places, get an authentic cultural experience and don’t want to compromise on comfort.

My previous Travel Talk tours were mostly 20-35 year old Kiwis and Aussies (the company does a lot of marketing in the ‘Kiwis in London’ and ‘Aussies in London’ communities) but this recent Romania & Balkans trip was much more of a mix, from 18-year-olds through to 70-somethings and people from the USA, Europe, Canada, Mexico, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Can I go solo?

Travel Talk is a great option for solo travellers! Plenty of people on all three of my Travel Talk tours have been travelling solo, including myself on this last one. I love going on group tours solo, it’s the perfect way to meet new travel buddies and I’ve made life-long friends on various tours I’ve been on.

Where does Travel Talk operate?

Travel Talk’s bread and butter is the Middle East and North Africa region but they’ve recently started expanding further into Europe (Croatia, Greece, Iceland, Romania, the Balkans), Asia Pacific (India, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand), and the Americas (USA, Costa Rica, Peru). Phew!

They also have a big focus on travelling for festivals and events, like skiing tours, sailing trips, Halloween in Transylvania, Christmas Markets in Europe, and so on.

Amazing Balkans & Transylvania tour review

Itinerary summary

The Amazing Balkans & Transylvania tour was 16 days in total, starting in Bucharest, Romania and finishing in Sofia, Bulgaria. Here’s a little rundown of the itinerary and a map:

Day 1: Bucharest
Day 2: Bucharest
Day 3: Bucharest, Sinaia, Bran, Brasov
Day 4: Brasov, Sighisoara, Cluj-Napoca
Day 5: Cluj-Napoca, Salina Turda, Hunedeoara, Sibiu
Day 6: Sibiu, Bucharest
Day 7: Bucharest, Veliko Tarnavo, Plovdiv
Day 8: Plovdiv, Sofia
Day 9: Sofia, Belgrade
Day 10: Belgrade, Sarajevo
Day 11: Sarajevo, Mostar, Trebinje
Day 12: Trebinje, Dubrovnik, Trebeinje
Day 13: Trebinje, Kotor, Shkoder
Day 14: Shkoder, Tirana, Ohrid
Day 15: Ohrid, Skopje
Day 16: Skopje, Sofia

I booked this trip as a single 16-day tour but it was actually two tours put together, the 9-day Treasures of Transylvania and the 9-day Best of Balkans. Some people stayed on the tour the whole time with me, some were only there for Romania, some joined for the Balkans bit. There was also an additional three day add on at the end of the tour to continue from Skopje down to Thessaloniki, Kalambaka, Delphi and Athens in Greece.

Key highlights

I’ve included a more detailed breakdown of the daily itinerary at the bottom of this blog post if you want to read it, but here’s a quicker bullet point summary on some highlights from this incredible tour.

• Seeing so many charming old towns in Transylvania, I particularly loved the ‘City of Eyes’ Sibiu and the colourful buildings of Sighisoara
• Visiting some of the most insane castles I’ve ever seen, like Peles Castle and Corvin Castle
• Getting great value for money for food and drink throughout all destinations, but particularly in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania
• Some of the most opulent churches in the world, like Saint Sava in Belgrade and St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia
• The views from the bus while driving through the Bosnia countryside
• Sarajevo city tour with a passionate and entertaining local, such an interesting city with tumultuous history
• Watching people actually jump off the giant bridge of Mostar into the freezing cold water below
• Swimming in the Kravica Waterfall in Bosnia & Herzegovina (despite the rain!)
• Finding the cheapest cocktails I’ve ever had in Europe, in Trebinje, Bosnia & Herzegovina
• A day trip to Dubrovnik, unfortunately the seas were rough so we couldn’t do the optional boat tour but it was still a fun day
• Actually learning about the whole region’s history from our various local guides
• Doing a rowboat trip on the springs of Lake Ohrid with legendary local rowboat guide Nico
• Walking up the City Walls of Kotor to see the view
• Patting cats all through Kotor
• Finding the cheapest truffle dishes I’ve ever seen at Tartuf restaurant in Tirana, Albania
• Enjoying a traditional Balkan dinner and entertainment in Ohrid

What were the guides like?

We had two different guides for the two separate tours, and both were legends.

Gabriel was our guide in Romania, he was a local with an incredible level of knowledge about Romania’s politics, culture, history and current situation. He had answers to all our questions (and believe me, we asked a lot!) as well as some super helpful suggestions on what we could do with our free time.

Our second guide for the Balkan portion of the trip was Simon, he was Serbian but has worked throughout the Balkan countries for many years. He was particularly clued up about the messy state of Balkan international relations based on his previous experience as an activist during political unrest in the past 20 years, and he taught us loads all while keeping things entertaining and enjoyable (which is a real skill when talking about such horrendous things happening). Guides like this are irreplaceable, the best impact you can have on your guests is to inform and educate while keeping their minds open and ensuring they’re willing to learn more.

Travel Talk also works with local guides throughout the tour for in-depth city tours, and we had some fantastic people show us around places like Sarajevo, Lake Ohrid, Mostar and more.

What were the hotels like?

One thing that sets Travel Talk apart from other tour companies, particularly youth tour companies, is the accommodation they use. All our hotels were lovely 4* hotels with comfortable and spacious rooms, some even had bonus benefits like pools. Breakfast was included at each one and was always a classic European buffet breakfast.

If you’re travelling solo you’ll be put in a twin share room with another solo traveller of the same gender, but if you want your own space you can upgrade to a private room.

What was the bus like?

Both buses we used were fairly new models, lots of space, air con and comfortable for long drive days.

Photography spots on the Amazing Transylvania & Balkans tour

If you’re like me and photography is a big reason for visiting somewhere, here are some of my favourite photography spots throughout the Amazing Transylvania & Balkans tour to add to your list.

• Bucharest Old Town
• Caru’ cu bere restaurant in Bucharest (oldest restaurant in Romania, recommended by our tour guide)
• Cărturești Carusel (visit during Bucharest free time)
• Brasov Old Town
• Bran Castle (best spot is on the balcony at the top overlooking the courtyard)
• Colourful old town of Sighisoara
• Salina Turda salt mine
• Corvin Castle, absolutely incredible
• Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral in Sibiu
• The houses with ‘eyes’ in Sibiu Old Town
• Peles Castle
• Vibrant street art throughout Plovdiv
• St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia
• Saint Sava church in Belgrade
• The views from the bus while driving from Serbia into Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Sarajevo city’s bustling market streets
• Literally every viewpoint in Mostar but especially up the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque
• Eating lunch from a restaurant along Mostar’s bright blue river
• Kravica Waterfalls
• Dubrovnik’s City Walls and old town alleyways
• The famous cats of Kotor
• The view from the Kotor City Walls, the view from the church is good enough if you don’t have time to walk up further
• Monastery of Saint Naum on Lake Ohrid
• The stunning springs of Lake Ohrid, just next to the monastery (well worth doing a short boat tour)
• Church of St. John at Kaneo on Lake Ohrid
• The weird and wonderful statues of Skopje

Who the Amazing Balkans & Transylvania tour is for

A tour review doesn’t help much when you have no idea of the preferences, priorities and budget of the person writing it, I might give a tour a 10/10 but someone else might rate is 2/10 despite our actual experience being exactly the same. It totally depends on your expectations and what you’re looking for!

For a better idea of if this Travel Talk Transylvania & Balkans tour is for you, have a read of these scenarios.

This tour is right for you if…

• You’re short on time but want to see as much as possible
• You’re keen to explore the Balkans without having to worry about the logistics of border crossings
• You want to meet a bunch of new people
• You’re a keen culture and history nerd who wants to learn from expert local guides
• You love cramming loads into your holiday
• You want to explore a lesser visited part of Europe
• You want to travel somewhere where your money goes a bit further compared to Western Europe
• You enjoy fast-paced travel
• You want to just see the highlights of the Balkans to help you plan a longer trip back in the future

This tour isn’t right for you if…

• You don’t enjoy travelling in big groups
• You prefer slower-paced trips without early starts and whirlwind city visits
• You get carsick on long, windy drives
• You’d rather spend 1-2 weeks in each country rather than trying to visit eight in 16 days
• You prefer to travel independently and you have the time, money and energy to sort out the logistics yourself
• You aren’t physically able to spend long days on your feet in the heat (I did this in August and it was hot, best to do it during a colder season if the heat gets to you!)

Can I plan this itinerary myself?

If you’re travelling independently and would prefer to not join a tour, you could theoretically replicate this itinerary and sort out the logistics yourself, though your border crossings and intercity transport will take longer than if you were on a tour.

If you’re keen to copy this itinerary then I’d recommend using FlixBus for your intercity transport (or check other options using Omio), booking.com to find the best hotel options and GetYourGuide to book day tours and excursions.

Self-driving is another option for this itinerary, but it will take some research to ensure your car rental company will let you cross all the borders. Driving in the Balkans can be a bit crazy, particularly in Albania where cars were banned from most of the public until the late 1990s, we saw more than a few near misses and someone actually hit into our bus! If you’re a confident driver and can find a rental company that’ll cover you for this route then go for it, but be prepared for some hectic drive days.

Things to know before you go

• Each country in the Balkans has their own currency, aside from Montenegro and Croatia who use the Euro. You’ll likely be able to use your card at places like restaurants, service stations and major retail shops, but for smaller stores, markets, cafes and some bars you might need to pay in cash, so you’ll want to get a little bit of local cash from ATMs once you arrive in a new place.

P.S. I use a Wise card for all my travels, I’ve done LOADS of research and it’s by far the best option for carrying and using multiple currencies in different destinations, with access to a great exchange rate and super low fees. You can get your Wise card here.

• You’re expected to tip the tour guide and driver at the end of each tour, but you can do this in any currency from the trip so don’t stress if you leave one country without using all the money, you’ll be able to add this to your tip amount at the end.
• In this blog post I share prices in Euros because this is easier than providing you with a local currency in each place and expecting you to do the exchange rate.
• This tour is busy, you’re moving pretty much every day and there isn’t a huge amount of time for relaxation. I’d recommend setting aside 3-4 days at the end of the tour to stay in one place, like Sofia if you end there, to rest and recuperate before you continue your travels.
• July and August are the hottest months of the year in this corner of the world, and due to summer holidays the tourist spots can be busy, so if you hate people and/or heat I’d avoid this season
• Most entrance fees aren’t included on this tour, that means you can sit them out if you aren’t interested and you don’t waste any money, but it’s also something to budget for. They’re pretty cheap in Eastern Europe but just keep it in mind when planning your money.

Amazing Balkans & Transylvania detailed itinerary

Day one: Arrive in Bucharest

I actually arrived a few days before the tour so I could enjoy a solo Bucharest city break, and it was a great idea! Bucharest is so rich in culture, easy on the wallet, with loads to see and do, and I’d highly recommend spending a bit of additional time here if you are able to.

Before the tour started I stayed at a HOLT suite in the Old Town, it was *stunning* and perfectly located for exploring. HOLT is a no-contact accommodation provider with everything organised through the app, they have rooms and apartments ranging in size but never compromising on comfort and style.

I adored this place, HOLT currently have apartments in Valencia (Spain), Aspen (USA) and a couple of places in Mexico too but I’m crossing my fingers they expand more, I’d happily stay somewhere like this for an extended period!

The tour didn’t officially start until the evening welcome meeting, so I had the whole first day as free time. I’d heard about a TikTok-famous thermal spa, Therme Bucuresti, on the outskirts of the city and I couldn’t think of a better way to relax before jumping into a hectic 2.5 weeks of travel. If you have time, I can’t recommend this place enough!

It’s one of the biggest thermal spa complexes in Europe, with three different sections (a kids’ section, the main section called the Palm for ages 14+ and a more luxurious section called Elysium, also 14+) and plenty of pools, saunas, steam rooms and more. You can reach it by public bus but I caught an Uber for about €15, and tickets range from €12 for a three hour pass to the kids section up to €30 for a full day with access to all three places. You can rent towels, robes and slippers once you’re there.

Be sure to check out the saunas on offer in Elysium, including a Moroccan-style sauna, ultra-hot sauna, Himalayan salt sauna and even a Hollywood sauna playing movies while you sweat up a storm!

After a full day soaking my worries away it was time to head back to town and check into our tour hotel, where I met my new roomie Sandy from Australia. We chatted away getting to know each other before it was time to get some sleep before a big day of exploring.

Day two: Full day in Bucharest

We kicked off the trip with a Bucharest city tour, where our Romanian guide Gabriel introduced us to the country’s history with a city tour. We stopped at major landmarks like Revolution Square, the Arc de Triumph, Opera House, Palace of Parliament and more, as well as doing a walking tour through the open-air National Village Museum to see what rural life was like in Romania in the years past.

After the city tour we had free time for the afternoon, but Gabriel suggested a gorgeous restaurant for lunch and the whole group were keen. It’s called Caru‘ cu bere, it’s one of the oldest restaurants in Romania (opened in 1879) and has been rated one of the best traditional restaurants in the world. I had traditional sausages with a side and two drinks and paid €22, not the cheapest option in Bucharest but it was delicious and the interior of the restaurant is exquisite!

From here we all went our separate ways, a group of us found a bar to watch a FIFA Women’s World Cup game, some visited some museums or shops in the city, and some went back to the hotel.

Dinner was at our own pace too, if you’re keen for a sunset view near the tour hotel then I’d recommend Amethyst Sky Bar, just a short walk from the Mercure Unirii.

Day three: Bucharest, Bran & Brasov

Quick note: Our tour guide suggested a slight change of our itinerary due to some unexpected closures of tourist spots, so the next few days might be a little different to what’s listed in the actual tour itinerary.

It was an early departure from Bucharest to make our way towards the castles of Transylvania, with the infamous Bran Castle (or Dracula’s Castle) as the first stop!

Bran Castle is one of the busiest tourist spots in Romania, even more so during the summer holidays, so be prepared for crowds.

The castle was cool to see, it’s a bit commercialised for my liking and the rooms are very small for the number of people, but it’s a must do that you can’t miss.

After ticking the castle off our bucket list we made our way to Brasov’s delightful Old Town for a walking tour past the landmarks and then some free time.

The hotel was a bit out of the city but we ended up catching a cheap Uber back to the Old Town for a delicious dinner, some of the places on my list were La Ceaun, Sergiana, Dei Frati and Artis, but they were all full so we went to Bistro de l’Arte and it was fantastic.

Day four: Sighisoara & Cluj-Napoca

Goodbye Brasov, we’re off to visit the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, Sighisoara! But it’s not as morbid as it sounds, the old town is made up of criss-cross cobblestoned streets bordered by brightly painted houses, straight out of a fairytale.

Our walking tour of Sighisoara was eye-opening, the historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site for both architecture and cultural significance. There’s a bit of free time here if you want to grab something to eat (I recommend Gasthaus Altepost) or visit the History Museum.

After Sighisoara we drove to Cluj-Napoca, a vibrant city with a youthful, modern vibe thanks to its growing student population. Cluj certainly isn’t as charming as other places on the tour, it’s really just a big city, but it’s got a great food and drink scene as well as some key landmarks like Saint Michael’s Church and the Orthodox Cathedral that are worth a visit.

Day five: Salina Turda, Corvin Castle & Sibiu

This was probably my favourite day of the Romania part of the tour, packed with epic things to see and do from start to finish.

We began the day going deep into a salt mine, something I’d never done before! Salina Turda has been an active salt mine since the 11th century and now operates as a museum allowing tourists to learn about the process of salt extraction while enjoying little adventures like a rowboat trip, mini golf and more. Very random, very arty but cool to see.

After emerging from the mine we were off to the next castle on our list, the magnificent Castelul Corvinilor (also known as Corvin Castle or Hunedoara Castle). This Gothic-Renaissance masterpiece is one of the largest castles in Europe, it dates back to the 1400s and is said to be where Vlad the Impaler was held as prisoner for many years during his exile.

The castle is incredible from all angles but I loved the view from the left side of the bridge looking up to the castle if you want to get good photos.

From Corvin Castle we made our way to Sibiu, which takes the cake for my favourite Old Town in Romania. Sibiu is known as the ‘City of Eyes’ thanks to its iconic style of rooves that have narrow windows to allow attics to be ventilated (for meats, cheeses etc.) without letting too much light in. These days the eyes are a symbol of anti-corruption, with the idea that the houses are watching.

The Sibiu walking tour ticked off a bunch of tourist spots including the impressive Holy Trinity Cathedral, and then we chose to spend our free time enjoying a leisurely meal on the main square (Piata Mare) at sunset before indulging in some traditional Romanian plum brandy afterwards. Beware: it’s strong!

Day six: Peles Castle & Bucharest

Another note: This tour generally doesn’t allow time for a stop to look inside Peles Castle, the castle is closed on Mondays and that’s when the bus takes you past Peles. Because our tour guide changed some plans around we were luckily able to visit inside Peles later in the week on the way back to Bucharest, but this isn’t usually possible on the tour itinerary.

Peles Castle is Romania’s crown jewel of castles, even seeing the outside will blow your mind but we were fortunate enough to have time to do a guided tour inside too. I have to admit that I’m not really a museum/castle/learn about history from a guided tour kind of person, I prefer to read things myself or to watch relevant movies or TV shows, but seeing Peles was honestly one of the most fascinating museum experiences I’ve ever had.

I do hope that Travel Talk is able to move their itinerary around in the future to include time to see inside Peles as it’s really an iconic Romanian experience that most tourists probably want to have.

From Peles we headed back to Bucharest for a night, with enough time to head to a laundromat and grab a cheap dinner before hitting the hay and preparing for a new country.

Day seven: Veliko Tarnovo & Plovdiv

Hello, Bulgaria! We said goodbye to Romania and crossed our first border into Bulgaria, the second country of eight on this tour.

It was a long day of driving but we did have a stop at Tsarevets Fortress in Veliko Tarnovo, a medieval stronghold with incredible views of the Bulgarian countryside. We had a lunch stop in the city before continuing to Plovdiv.

We got to Plovdiv quite late and most of the group were shattered from a very busy week of adventures so far, so me and my roomie had an easy night in with UberEats and a swim in the hotel pool.

Day eight: Plovdiv & Sofia

Before departing Plovdiv we went on a walking tour around the city’s key landmarks, visiting ancient ruins, exploring one of the oldest ‘Old Towns’ in Europe (dating back more than 4000 years!) and finishing up with some free time for a coffee and snack.

Plovdiv is a super funky city, I love the neighbourhood of Kapana which boasts colourful street art, independent gift and homeware shops and some top-rated cafes and restaurant.

After Plovdiv it was time to head to the final stop of this portion of the tour, Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia.

Sofia is one of my favourite cities in Europe, so incredibly underrated with a gastronomic scene that is on fire. The city offers fantastic value for money too, if you get the chance I’d highly recommend tacking on 2 or 3 days in Sofia at the end of your tour if you finish up here.

Before settling into our hotel we did tick off Sofia’s main tourist spot, the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, in all its Orthodox glory. The cathedral is a marvel, countless arches with bright stained glass windows, a huge dome roof and ornate detailing throughout the interior and exterior. Entry is free but you have to pay to take photos, and if you don’t pay for a photo license you will get yelled at!

This was the last night for some of our tourmates so we had a nice little group dinner down the road from the hotel (at Ribs Brothers, 10/10) before saying our goodbyes and meeting our new tour buddies at the welcome meeting for the Balkans segment.

It was also time to say goodbye to our legendary guide, Gabriel! We really put him through his paces as a tour guide, we were an extremely curious group with an endless number of questions about pretty much every aspect of Romania’s past and present, and he literally knew the answer to everything we asked. What a superstar.

Day nine: Belgrade

Another day, another border, as we depart Bulgaria and head to Belgrade in Serbia.

This is where our new guide, Simon, is from, so he took us on a detailed and thought-provoking walking tour of his city. This was the first lesson of many to come about the Yugoslav Wars and the political turmoil the Balkan countries faced in the 1990s, and the lasting social and economic impacts from those conflicts.

Belgrade is a very chilled out city without the crowds many other European capital cities constantly deal with, and the nightlife is legendary if you’re that way inclined. For a night on the town head down to the Danube or Sava river and experience the splavovi, floating clubs permanently moored on the riverbanks.

Day 10: Sarajevo

Welcome to Bosnia & Herzegovina, the land of €1.20 beers! Be sure to grab a window seat today because the views from the drive are next level.

One of the most historically significant cities in Europe, Bosnia & Herzegovina’s capital, Sarajevo, was another highlight of my 2.5 weeks in this part of the world.

We had a brilliant local guide to show us around his city, teaching us about past events like the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (which led to WWI) as well as sharing his personal experience growing up during the Bosnian War from 1992-1995. Sarajevo is a true melting pot of rich culture, you can find cuisine with influences from all over Eastern Europe and the Middle East, retailers sell handmade crafts as well as souvenirs made from bullets, and the harsh history is still evident in visible damage from the war.

The tour hotel in Sarajevo is a funky Ibis Styles in the new part of the city and it has a lovely little indoor pool as well as a rooftop bar and restaurant, head up for a sunset drink if you have time.

Day 11: Mostar, Trebinje

Today is a full day in Bosnia & Herzegovina and one of the best days of the tour. I love Bosnia, can you tell?!

The first stop is the Instagram-famous Old Town of Mostar, where you’ll find the iconic Stari Most (Mostar Bridge), which was rebuilt in the 2000s as a replica of its original 16th-century structure.

If you’re lucky you’ll be able to see some locals (or perhaps a brave tourist!) jump from the bridge into the icy waters 24 metres below. This isn’t for the faint of heart, if you’re keen to jump you need to pay €30 to get lessons from the dive club, and this price includes some shorter practice jumps.

The tour includes a guided walk of Mostar with a decent amount of free time afterwards. With our spare time we decided to walk up to the viewing tower at Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque which was well worth it, it gave us an epic view of the river, bridge and Old Town, but the staircase is tiny (as is the platform up the top) so I’d recommend against it if you’re claustrophobic.

After enjoying the view we found a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the bridge and river, there are plenty to choose from and you’ll be paying for the scenery but there are plenty of places to enjoy a traditional smokvara, kind of like a fig cake, and a cheap beverage.

From Mostar we hit the road to an optional add on that is actually a must-do, the stunning Kravica Waterfalls. I don’t really know what I expected from Bosnia, but it wasn’t this!

Unluckily for us, it started absolutely pouring down as we walked towards the waterfalls, but we were going to swim anyway so we decided to embrace the wet. The waterfalls are beyond stunning, an Avatar-esque seemingly never-ending run of waterfalls emerging from thick greenery into a pool of emerald below. Absolute magic.

We were there on a summer holiday day so it was quite busy but I’d imagine that outside of the summer season you can probably enjoy the waterfalls with fairly few tourists compared to other famous falls like Plitvice in Croatia.

We had a very cold and damp bus ride to reach our next overnight stop after drenching all our clothes at the waterfalls, but we quickly warmed up on arrival in the low key town of Trebinje when we heard that there was a bar serving €3-€4 cocktails (and strong ones at that!).

Day 12: Day trip to Dubrvonik

Trebinje seems like a random choice for an overnight stop, but it’s only a 35 minute drive to Dubrovnik in Croatia (though border control can add on a bit of time) and is much, much cheaper.

Day 12 of the tour is a full day in Dubrovnik, with a walking tour to give you the lay of the land and then a bunch of free time as well as an optional boat trip. Unfortunately the seas were rough on the day we visited so the boat trip was a no-go, but we spent our time visiting the City Walls, eating a marvelous lunch at Trattoria Carmen and searching for souvenirs and photo spots.

After a day in the bustling streets of one of Europe’s busiest destinations, it was back to Trebinje for round two at the cheap and cheerful cocktail bar.

Day 13: Kotor, Shkoder

Three countries in one day! We left Bosnia & Herzegovina to head to the gorgeous medieval old town of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Montenegro.

Kotor is one of the prettiest cities I’ve ever seen, a sea of orange rooves bordered by mountains behind and the peaceful Bay of Kotor in front, and to make things even better the city is famous for the number of cats it houses!

There’s a walking tour included to give you some insight into Kotor’s importance on the Balkan stage, and then some free time to grab some food (pasta lovers must visit La Catedral Pasta Bar), explore the City Walls (worth it for the view) or continue sightseeing.

We said goodbye to Montenegro as quickly as we said hello, then it was time to make the journey to Shkoder in Albania.

Shkoder is more of a hub between other key destinations but the town does have a thriving restaurant scene and (once again) offers excellent value for money. We ate at Restoran Pizzeri and it was brilliant.

Day 14: Tirana & Ohrid

We left Shkoder after breakfast and drove to Albania’s capital city, Tirana, for our day visit and walking tour. After the walking tour we discovered one of my all-time favourite restaurants in Europe, Tartuf, an eatery serving up all things truffle! I’m not exaggerating when I say that the truffle mashed potato dish was one of the best potato meals I’ve ever eaten in my life, and it was only €8.

The afternoon got a bit rocky for us as our bus was a victim of a hit and run while driving through rural Albania, a car pulled onto the road right as we were driving past and did some serious damage to the side of our bus. Eek! He drove off which made things worse, we had to wait around for the messy police to deal with things (not easy in a country famous for police corruption) but the group kept each other entertained and luckily the bus was okay to continue the trip.

Our arrival to Ohrid was later than expected but we got there in time for our traditional Balkan dinner, complete with local delicacies and some singing and dancing entertainment.

Day 15: Lake Ohrid & Skopje

Lake Ohrid has my heart, with one day I only scratched the surface but it’s the kind of place I’ll definitely return to in the future. The first stop of the day was a visit to Saint Naum Monastery, a beautiful Orthodox complex complete with stunning lake views and some resident peacocks roaming the grounds.

After a tour around the complex we had a bit of free time, and Simon highly recommended a short rowboat tour of the natural springs right next to the monastery. They did not disappoint.

There are a bunch of boats vying for your custom but we went with Nikola, boat #1, and he was one of those absolute gems that really makes an impact on your trip. He’s a local legend who has been working on the springs since 1998, extremely passionate about his country, and he took us all the way to the secret church at the end (the longest boat ride of anyone else in our group).

The springs themselves are incredible too, perfectly clear water surrounded by lush greenery, I can’t believe I’d never heard of this place before.

We moved on from the springs and made our way to Ohrid town for another excellent walking tour with a local guide, this guy was called the Professor and he was as smart as he sounds. We learnt about the city’s academic history, the unique natural environment and biodiversity of the lake, and visited one of the most photogenic churches on the planet, Church of St. John at Kaneo.

Next up was our drive to our final overnight stop, Skopje, for dinner before bed.

Day 16: Skopje to Sofia

The last day of our tour saw us exploring North Macedonia’s quirky capital city of Skopje, complete with random statues (some of which have nothing to do with North Macedonia at all) and an endless number of dogs who kept coming to say hello to us.

I have to say that Skopje didn’t really float my boat but I also admit that a couple of hours probably isn’t enough of a chance, though apparently the nightlife here is impressive.

From Skopje some of our group veered off to continue the tour with another four days in Greece, while most of us caught the bus back to Sofia for the official end of the trip.

It was a busy 2.5 weeks, I was desperately ready for some downtime!

After the tour: Sofia

I decided to extend my time in Sofia by five days to dive back in to one of my favourite European cities, and I had a magical time as expected.

I stayed at the brand new INTROVERT Hotel, it’s a smart hotel with digital check-in/check-out, co-working areas, game consoles, rooftop gym and yoga space, free tea, coffee and soft drinks, and a fantastic location within easy walking access to Sofia’s tourist spots and entertainment district. Highly recommend this place for an affordable, comfortable, digital nomad-friendly option.

While I’m in Sofia, pretty much all I do is eat, and I have a tonne of food recommendations if you want them:

• Shtasteliveca is my absolute favourite restaurant, a huge menu of traditional homestyle cooking
• Bistro Pesto is great for lunch
• Cosmos is an innovative fine dining restaurant that’s certainly worth a splurge (though still cheap compared to Western Europe)
• Boho is a good option for brunch
• Skapto Burger and Ribs Brothers are hearty fast food chains
• Osteria Tartufo for great pasta

The final verdict on the Amazing Balkans & Transylvania Travel Talk Tour

Overall, this tour was exactly what I needed for this part of my trip.

I hadn’t visited most of these countries before, I wasn’t willing to sort out all the logistics myself, and there was no way I could handle three weeks of driving the crazy roads of the Balkans by myself 🙃 a tour was ideal, it let me see the sights and learn all about the region without having to worry about anything other than what I was going to order for dinner each day!

I adore solo travel but I also love meeting new friends on the road, and I made some fantastic friends on the Travel Talk tour who I’ll stay in touch with down the line.

But I think the most beneficial aspect of a tour like this is the local guides. I could’ve booked a city getaway to Bucharest or Sarajevo or Ohrid, but I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near the insight or amount of information that I learnt from the Travel Talk guides who so passionately represent their country.

The Balkans are a completely underrated and misunderstood region of Europe, I was completely oblivious to most of what has gone on here (Balkan history isn’t a huge feature in New Zealand’s high school social studies curriculum!) so learning about the scarily recent wars and crises was eye-opening, thought-provoking and truly made the tour well worth it.

I hope this detailed Amazing Balkans & Transylvania Travel Talk tour review has helped you make up your mind if it’s the right thing for you! If you have any questions about the tour then please let me know in the comments below, or you can check out more details over on the Travel Talk website.