From
NZ $2,412 per person

Balkan Kaleidoscope

Handpicked adventures loved by our team
TourRadar Curated
14 days
Start and end in Sofia
4.3
189 traveler reviews
From
NZ $2,412 per person
+ $405 Local Payment

Price based on Cheapest Room

Price based on Shared Room

Price based on Private Single Room

Price based on Private Double Room

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2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
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Sep
Oct
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Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
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Apr
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Jun
Jul
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1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
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Plan your adventure:
In-depth Cultural
Immerse yourself in rich history and local traditions
Fully Guided
An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Guided in English
Group Size 6 - 22
Ages 10+
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

  • Enter the land of Game of Thrones in stunning Dubrovnik
  • Shop for souvenirs at the old Turkish bazaar in Sarajevo
  • Climb the Vitosha mountain and gaze down at Sophia
  • Admire the incredible medieval literary centre of Ohrid

Itinerary

Expand All
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 Sofia (Bulgaria)
  2. Day 2 Sofia –Belgrade (Serbia)
  3. Day 3 Belgrade - Sarajevo (Serbia/Bosnia and Herzegovina).
  4. Day 4 Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  5. Day 5 Sarajevo- Mostar - Blagaj Tekija - Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  6. Day 6 Trebinje- Durbovnik(Croatia)
  7. Day 7 Dubrovnik – Herzeg Novi – Kotor (Croatia/Montenegro).
  8. Day 8 Kotor – Pec (Montenegro/Kosovo).
  9. Day 9 Pec – Prizren (Kosovo).
  10. Day 10 Prizren – Tirana (Kosovo/Albania).
  11. Day 11 Tirana – Ohrid (Albania/Macedonia)
  12. Day 12 Ohrid - Skopje (Macedonia)
  13. Day 13 Skopje – Sofia (Macedonia/Bulgaria).
  14. Day 14 Departure
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What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport
  • Free eSIM
    TourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Optional
  • Additional Services

Customer Photos

Operated by

Penguin Travel

Number of tours

42

Age Range

18 to 80 years old

Response time

within 2 days

Response rate

96%

Established in 1989 in the heart of Copenhagen (Denmark), Penguin Travel rose...

Read more

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

  • Overall Rating
    Excellent
    4.3
  • Itinerary
    Excellent
    4.4
  • Guide
    Excellent
    4.3
  • Transport
    Excellent
    4.2
  • Accommodation
    Good
    3.9
  • Food
    Good
    4.0
  • 4.4
  • Most Recent
  • Most Popular
  • Highest First
  • Lowest First
  • DS
    · September 23rd, 2025
    The tour went to many spectacular places. Accommodations were very comfortable. The guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. Most all stops had guided city tours. The group was good for the most part. Baggage and stairs were a complaint for some in the group. The listing specifically states that there would be stairs and also to pack accordingly
    Show more
    Trip date: September 2025
  • Balkan Kaleidoscope reviewer 2
    · September 21st, 2025
    The trip was well-organized and fast-paced. Activities were limited to 2-3 hour city walking tours. The trip is overstated at 14 days. We didn’t even meet on day one or 14. Sofia was entirely left out of the sightseeing. Day one should have included a city tour at minimum along with a quick meeting and coordinated dinner. This is how the Silk Road tour was organized. Tipping local guides was kind of a mess with no direction or organization by our tour leader. Border crossings were an inevitable part of the trip, but luckily they were pretty painless (unlike the Stans where all of our luggage needed to be scanned by security at each border crossing).
    Show more
    Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 1Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 2Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 3
    Trip date: September 2025
  • Balkan Kaleidoscope reviewer 3
    · September 21st, 2025
    All was fine except for the guide who expended the most minimal of effort. Since the guide makes a tour, her performance undercut this tour.
    Show more
    Trip date: September 2025
  • Balkan Kaleidoscope reviewer 4
    · September 19th, 2025
    Fantastic tour covered all the highlights of the balkans
    Show more
    Trip date: July 2025
  • Balkan Kaleidoscope reviewer 5
    · July 3rd, 2025
    This was a wonderful tour. I could not have done half the things we did if I tried to plan it myself. We had a knowledgeable Bulgarian guide, Georgi, and he helped demystify a lot about all the different conflicts and things about these countries and their rich histories. We had a great group of experienced travelers, and a comfortable bus on which we traveled almost 2000 km. We had local guides and walking tours in most of the cities. Videos of everything can be found on IG or TT under TrvlZaddy. I highly recommend this trip, and I will likely be booking more with this company.
    Show more
    Trip date: June 2025
  • MD
    · June 30th, 2025
    We had a wonderful tour. Our tour leadre Georgi was professional, knowledgeable, friendly and fun company. Driver Bobby gots us around all 8 countries safely. He was quiet but friendly. Accommodation varied but good standard. Breakfast varied and gave us a taste of local cuisine. Arranged city tours where informative & interesting. Highly recommend this trip of former Yugoslavia countries
    Show more
    Trip date: June 2025
  • JS
    · June 1st, 2025
    The Balkan tour is a great tour visiting 8 countries in 14 days, yet it is not tiring. The schedule is good and not so hectic. Lots of rest time. Hotels are right at the centre town (3***) old but clean. Some have no elevators. The guide is good considering it was her first tour and was still a student. Overall, with the value and experience, I recommend this tour to everyone.
    Show more
    Penguin Travel commented on this review
    Thank you for your feedback! We're glad you enjoyed the Balkan tour and appreciated the balance of the itinerary, your recommendation means a lot to us!
    Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 1Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 2Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 3Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 4Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 5Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 6
    Trip date: May 2025
  • Balkan Kaleidoscope reviewer 8
    · May 31st, 2025
    The tour guide Teia was the best! She made the trip even better. Unfortunately she couldn’t be with us for 2 days of the trip as penguin travel didn’t tell her about a visa she needed!! It was a very quick tour through the balkans and some places maybe didn’t need to be on the trip. E.g don’t need a night in Trebinje but an extra night in Dubrovnik! Overall it was good and the bus driver Bobby was great too!
    Show more
    Penguin Travel commented on this review
    Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad to hear you had a great time with Teia and Bobby. We apologize for the visa mix-up, and we appreciate your feedback about the itinerary - we’ll take your suggestions into account for future tours to... Show more
    Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 1
    Trip date: May 2025
  • SM
    · May 31st, 2025
    Great scenery and wonderful old cities. Pity about all the border crossings.
    Show more
    Penguin Travel commented on this review
    Thank you for your feedback! We’re looking forward to having you join us on another exciting trip soon! Safe travels until then!
    Trip date: May 2025
  • MV
    · May 8th, 2025
    Hello, I loved the places we visited. However my opinion is that we should have spent 2 days in Sofia, it must be included on this tour. Two days in Dubrovniv, 2 days in Sarajevo. I would have omitted Kotor and Our Lady of the Rock. One day in the other places is fine. Toni, the guide and Bobbi, the driver were outstanding. They really took good care of us. The single bed iat IBIS hotel in Skopje was terrible. The mattress was ver thin and it moved when I turned from one side to the other.. SOFIA MUST BE INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE. IT HAS A LOT OF HISTORIAL PLACES ABD BEAUTIFUL CHURCHES. I stayed one more day on my own but I would highly recommend to make it part of the tour.
    Show more
    Penguin Travel commented on this review
    Thank for your feedback. We are looking forward to having you on another trip with us soon.
    Balkan Kaleidoscope customer review photo 1
    Trip date: April 2025

Dates & Availability

Select departure month and travellers

Select Date

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
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What our customers ask about this tour

The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.
All questions
  • J

    Jenna

    Asked on July 17th, 2025

    Confirm if sharing a room, beds will definitely be twin.

    Accommodation
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten July 2025

      We will make sure to accommodate in a TWIN room (two separate beds).

    • J

      Jenna

      TravelerWritten July 2025

      1) Is it possible to stay in the same hotel as tour begins (Budapest Hotel in Sofia)? Can we book this through you or separately? 2) Will free airport transfer be available if arriving early? 3) Will there be time for laundry during tour? 4) In Kotor and Ohrid, will there be time to go swimming in the lake?

    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten July 2025

      We use hotel Budapest in Sofia. We can book additional overnight stays. Cost is 90 EUR per room. Transfer can be arranged for 20 EUR per car. Recommend bringing enough clothes for whole trip as hotels have limited stays. Some limited free time in evenings after city tours.

    • J

      Jenna

      TravelerWritten August 2025

      Confirm €90 per night is for 2 people in standard room?

    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten August 2025

      Yes, the price per room

    • J
      4 more answers
  • M

    Max

    Asked on July 14th, 2025

    our age is 75 is it suitable for us?

    Age Range
    Tour Details
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten July 2025

      The tour is intensive, as each day the hotels are changed.

  • K

    Kenneth

    Asked on July 6th, 2025

    Will our age above 70 crete issue for this trip? Is this trip very demanding physically?

    Age Range
    Tour Details
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten July 2025

      The tour is not very physically demanding but each day you will be travelling and changing the hotel. Unfortunately, the date 6 SEP is fully booked.

  • J

    Jade

    Asked on July 6th, 2025

    Are there any additional costs for the tour? Since I have to apply for a Schengen visa, please inform which country should I be applying to for the visa? What document is provided by Penguin Travel for the visa application?

    Price / Availability
    Visa
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten July 2025

      The tour price is 1390 EUR + 320 EUR for the single supplement. We can help with a letter from our side stating your travel itinerary and dates, accommodation and service. The country which will issue the visa is up to your choice, please make sure the visa includes all 8 countries included in this tour.

    • J

      Jade

      TravelerWritten July 2025

      Do you have any tour which covers Eastern Europe on a single Schengen visa?

    • J

      Jade

      TravelerWritten July 2025

      Unfortunately the countries which are part of the Balkan Kaleidoscope require separate visas - it is not possible to travel on a single Schengen visa. It will not be possible to apply for all the visas and get them in time before the travel date. Hence I was inquiring whether you have a tour covering Eastern Europe which requires a single Schengen Visa.

    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten July 2025

      The countries included in the Balkan kaleidoscope tour are ok to travel if you have Multiple entry Schengen visa. Maybe will be the best if you try to apply for Multiple entry than a Single one. You can reach the Bulgarian embassy as they are also certified to provide a Multiple entry Schengen visa. We have tours in Eastern Europe, covering Romania and Moldova together, but I am not 100% sure if they will not require also a Schengen visa.

    • J
      J
      3 more answers
  • C

    Chloe

    Asked on June 13th, 2025

    Can you please tell me the name of the hotel in bulgaria where the tour starts and whether i get there directly or i get picked up from the airport.

    Accommodation
    Flights / Transfers
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten June 2025

      10 days before the official starting date we will send you the voucher with all information needed regarding transfer, accommodation, guides etc.

  • L

    Lisa

    Asked on June 7th, 2025

    Could you please confirm that we will be leaving from Sofia, Bulgaria on Sep 20 and departing on Oct 3. What time will we be available for our flights on Oct 3? How do we book the optional pre-tour hotel and airport transfers?

    Flights / Transfers
    Tour Details
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten June 2025

      You will be leaving from Sofia on Sep. 21-st and depart on Oct the 3-rd. So you can arrive any time on Sep. 20-th and depart any time on Oct the 3-rd.

  • A

    Alice

    Asked on June 4th, 2025

    Would you please confirm if the departures of July 26th and September 6th are guanranteed

    Tour Details
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten June 2025

      Yes, both departures are guaranteed

    • A

      Alice

      TravelerWritten June 2025

      What are the rules of the airport transfer? What is the approximate start/end time on the first/last day of the tour? What is the first hotel on the tour?

    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten June 2025

      The airport transfer is included when it is on the first/last day of the tour. The tour starts on the second day from Sofia at 8:30 am, and the last night is also in Sofia. The first hotel in Sofia is Budapest Hotel Sofia.

    • A

      Alice

      TravelerWritten June 2025

      To make sure I understand the transfer rules correctly, all I have to do is share the flight details with you on the first/last day of the tour, and you will take care of it, right?

    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten June 2025

      Yes, this is correct. However, please let continue with the communication in your official reservation. Also, a message with all details and instructions will be send to you.

    • A
      4 more answers
  • K

    Kate

    Asked on May 29th, 2025

    First I need to know if you this tour will be available in 2026. Second, what is the single supplement?

    Single supplement
    Tour Details
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten May 2025

      Yes, the tour will be available in 2026 as well. The single room supplement is 320 EUR. When you book, we will add it as a mandatory additional fee. However, once you let us know if you are willing to share or not, we will note it and start looking for someone to pair you with. If we find such a person, the supplement will be removed.

    • K

      Kate

      TravelerWritten May 2025

      I need to know what the single supplement in CAD is.

    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten June 2025

      We quote our services in EUR since we are based in Europe. The fee is then calculated in CAD according to the official rate.

    • K
      2 more answers
  • A

    Andrew

    Asked on May 26th, 2025

    Would you be able to offer this and quote them? Can you give more details about the optional excursion they can book on Day 4 in Sarajevo? What does the 'Sarajevo Under the Siege' tour include?

    Accommodation
    Tour Details
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten May 2025

      Unfortunately, we do not have space for 5 people on the 20th of Sept departure. Will they be interested to travel on the 27th? Unfortunately, not all hotels have triple room. If they agree to travel on the 27th, we can check with the specific hotels we intend to use on that date. They will probbaly need to pay a smaller single room supplement for the hotel that do not have triple. The tour includes visits to key locations such as the Tunnel of Hope (War Tunnel Museum), Sniper Alley, Mount Trebević with its abandoned Olympic bobsleigh track, the Jewish Cemetery, and the Yellow Bastion (small adjustments are possible and they will be communicated by the tour leader a few days before the trip).

  • H

    Heather

    Asked on May 16th, 2025

    I'm a semi-permanent wheelchair user, it's collapsable would it be able to take part in Ibis trip and could accessible hotel rooms be booked?

    Accommodation
    Travel Support
    • Penguin TravelOperatorWritten May 2025

      Unfortunately, we believe this tour will not be suitable in this case. A lot of the hotels we use do not have elevator, in addition you have some parts that include 2-4 hours walking, using public transport in Dubrovnik, taxi in Kotor, etc.

Can’t find the answer to your question?
Reach out to the experts at Penguin Travel with your enquiry, they usually respond within 2 days.
From
NZ $2,412 per person
+ $405 Local Payment

Price based on Cheapest Room

Price based on Shared Room

Price based on Private Single Room

Price based on Private Double Room

Select Date

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
Save and compare this adventure

Best price guarantee Learn More

Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 85180

  • Currencies
    L
    Lek
    Albania
    KM
    Convertible Mark
    Bosnia
    лв.
    Bulgarian Lev
    Bulgaria
    Euro
    Croatia and Kosovo
    ден
    Denar
    Macedonia
  • Plugs & Adapters

    As a traveler from New Zealand you will need an adaptor for types C, E, F.

    Type C
    Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo
    Type E
    Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo
    Type F
    Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo
  • Vaccines
    • These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
    • Typhoid - Recommended for Albania. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Hepatitis A - Recommended for Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Hepatitis B - Recommended for Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. Ideally 2 months before travel.
    • Yellow fever - Certificate of vaccination required if arriving from an infected area for Albania. Ideally 10 days before travel.
    • Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Albania and Croatia. Ideally 6 months before travel.
    • Tuberculosis - Recommended for Bosnia and Bulgaria. Ideally 3 months before travel.
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before November 26th, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after November 26th, 2025, a minimum payment of 30% is required to confirm your booking with Penguin Travel. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 60 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • Some departure dates and prices may vary and Penguin Travel will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "Penguin Travel" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec