Southern Balkans: Croatia, Albania & Greece

• Arrive at the airport to meet your fellow travelers and your Tour Director.
• Transfer to your accommodations and check in to your hotel.
• Head out for the first group dinner of your trip.

• Tour Dubrovnik with a local guide to get a feel for the city's layered history. Walk the iconic city walls for sweeping Adriatic views, pass through Pile Gate into the Old Town, and spot landmarks like Stradun, Rector’s Palace, and Fort Lovrijenac.
• Enjoy free time to explore Dubrovnik’s cobblestone streets and walled Old Town on your own, or cross Croatia’s border into Bosnia and Herzegovina for an afternoon at Kravica Waterfall.

Game of Thrones: There are tons of tours in Dubrovnik for fans of the show, whether self-guided or locally led. See where crews filmed King's Landing, the Purple Wedding, the House of the Undying, the Walk of Shame, and many more film locations.

Srd Hill: The Dubrovnik cable car will take you to the top of Srd Hill for breathtaking views of the city. Pro tip: Save money by buying a one-way ticket from the operator, then take the leisurely, scenic hike back down.

Buža Bar: Grab a drink at this viral hole-in-the-wall bar, built into rocky hillside, with gorgeous views. Are you sensing a theme here?

Ask your Tour Director:

• About Dubrovnik’s glow: The stone used to rebuild the Old Town (much of it was destroyed following a 17th-century earthquake) reflects sunlight like crazy. Keep your sunglasses handy.
• Tips for walking the city walls: aka one of the most iconic experiences in Dubrovnik, but it’s also a lot of stairs and sun exposure.
• Where locals actually swim: Just outside the walls, people jump straight into the Adriatic Sea—so you can go from medieval streets to a swim spot in minutes.
• About all the cats: They’re everywhere in the Old Town, surprisingly unbothered, and are basically unofficial residents with full territorial rights.
• Where to catch the sunset: You can’t leave Dubrovnik without watching the sun go down over the ocean.

• Hop on your private coach bus from Dubrovnik to Budva, Montenegro. Pack some snacks and water—passport control at the border can take a couple hours.
• Stop in Kotor, an absolutely jaw-dropping, UNESCO-listed medieval town located in Montenegro's Bay of Kotor, famous for its dramatic fjord-like mountains, red-roofed buildings, and fortified old town.
• Spend the entire afternoon roasting on the beach in the Budva Riviera sunshine, swimming in the Adriatic, and game planning your night; Budva nightlife is legendary.

Mogren Beach: Tan on the sand between dips in the sea at one of Budva’s most famous beaches, which you can get to via a scenic coastal path hugging the cliffs.

Sunset from the Citadel: The old fortress walls are perfect spots for panoramic views over the sea and red rooftops at golden hour.

Seafood + wine: Fresh grilled fish, octopus, and Adriatic seafood are huge here, especially at seaside restaurants. Pair with a red wine made from Montenegro’s famous “black stallion” grape, or a crisp local white like Krstač.

Budva after dark: In the summertime, beach clubs, DJs, waterfront bars, and open-air parties keep the city going late.

• Travel south by bus from Montenegro to Albania’s capital city, Tirana.
• Stopp for a scenic boat ride on the largest lake in the Balkans, Lake Skadar, home to ancient monasteries, tons of water lilies, and hundreds of bird species.
• Grab lunch in Shkodra, one of the oldest cities in Albania, before continuing to Tirana.
• Arrive in Tirana in the late afternoon, check into your hotel, and meet your Tour Director for a walking tour to get to know the area.

• Join a local guide on a tour of Tirana’s highlights, including the city’s center hub, Skanderberg Square, a huge open plaza surrounded by museums, cafés, and government buildings.
• Climb the spiral staircase of Skanderberg Square’s clock tower for views of the city and surrounding streets.
• See the New Bazaar, a renovated historic market where old-school vendors selling produce, cheese, olives, and other Albanian specialties meet modern cafes, bars, and restaurants.
• Step inside the beautiful and ornate Et'hem Bey Mosque, one of the city’s oldest landmarks known for its delicate frescoes and survival through decades of political change. Continue underground to Bunk'Art, a Cold War-era bunker turned museum exploring Albania’s communist past.

Grand Park: Touch grass at Tirana’s main park, featuring a lake, shady walking paths, and cafes, right near the city center.

Blloklu: Once only accessible to the Albania’s political elite during the community era, this vibrant neighborhood is now the spot for cafes, bars, boutiques, and nightlife.

Mount Dajti: Take the cable car up from Tirana for sweeping views over the city, lakes, and mountains. At the top, you’ll find forest trails, fresh air, and sunset spots.

Ask your Tour Director:

• About Tirana’s transformation: Tirana went from a gray, heavily controlled communist capital to one of Europe’s most colorful cities—literally. The painted buildings weren’t always this way.
• Why Skanderbeg Square feels so open: It was redesigned to be one of the largest pedestrian squares in the Balkans, symbolizing a more open, post-communist city identity.
• About Blloku’s “forbidden” past: Blloku was once off-limits to the public. Now it’s the city’s main nightlife and cafe hub.
• What’s up with the head nod: In Albania, nodding your head means “no” and shaking it side to side means “yes.” It’s confusing.
• About the bunkers: Albania built thousands of concrete bunkers under communist rule, and have been repurposed as museums, cafes, or just random surprises in parks and hills.
• Tips for cafe culture: Coffee isn’t quick in Tirana—it’s a social ritual. Expect long sits, multiple rounds, and no rush to leave.

• Hop on the coach bus in the morning and drive south along the Albanian coast toward the resort town of Sarandë, where the Balkans meet the Mediterranean.
• Stop at the Blue Eye, a natural spring that pumps impossibly blue water up from an underground cave. Take time to hike around the spring or jump in for a swim, but be warned, the water is famously FRIGID.
• Continue to Sarandë to check into your hotel and head out for a free night on the water.

Lekursi Castle: Grab dinner and watch the sunset from this hilltop spot with panoramic views over Sarandë, the sea, and nearby islands.

Sarandë Promenade: Stroll the city's illuminated waterfront walk for restaurants, bars, gelaterias, and views of the Ionian Sea.

• Ferry across the Ionian Sea to the Greek island of Corfu, said to be the island where sea nymph Korkyra was brought by Poseidon and where Odysseus of Homer’s The Odyssey was shipwrecked. Mythology runs deep here.
• Travel to the village of Palaiokastritsa on the western coast of the island for a tour of the Holy Monastery of the Virgin Mary, the most famous monastery of many on the island.
• Follow your guide from the monastery to the beach, where you’re free for the afternoon.

Old Town: Wander UNESCO-listed streets filled with Venetian, French, and British architecture, pastel buildings, and lively squares like the Liston.

Canal d’Amour: Locals say couples who swim together in the turquoise waters of the "Channel of Love" will stay together forever. And if you’re single, you’ll meet the love of your life on the other side.

Kumquat liqueur: Take home some of Corfu’s sweet, citrusy liqueur made from the tiny fruit that thrives on the island (and also the official symbol). It’s bright orange, tangy, and dangerously easy to drink.

Food and wine: Find a little taverna for mezze-style Corfiot and Greek cuisine like Venetian veal sofrito, spicy fish stew, and seafood, ofc. Wash it down with local wine or ouzo.

• Transfer to the airport in Corfu and board your morning flight to Athens, the birthplace of democracy, Greek mythology, and just about every recipe you can make with feta cheese.
• Get settled at your hotel and join your Tour Director for a walking tour before your Farewell Dinner.