Balkans in Depth Adventure

Day 1: Welcome to North Macedonia!

Welcome to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, and the start of your slightly surreal, absolutely wow-inducing adventure! Seven Balkan countries lie ahead, ready for you to weave in and out of their storied pasts, their enticing presents, and their quite frankly magical secrets. This is the place for curious travellers – and you’re one of them. 

A friendly face will pick you up from the airport and get you to your hotel. This day won’t require too much of you, but you’ll still fit in a little taste of what’s to come, walking around Skopje with a local guide. Pick up the buzz of the Old Bazaar, where half a millennium’s worth of trade has seen empires come and go. Cross a stone bridge so revered you can also spot it on the country’s flag. And, of course, start getting to know your fellow Fencox travellers over dinner – adventurers like yourself who are strangers now but soon will be dear friends.

Accommodation: Solun Hotel (or similar), Skopje – North Macedonia
Included: Dinner

DAY 2: Ohrid Culture

You’ll warm up to your Balkan adventure by venturing out on a gentle boat ride through Matka Canyon this morning. Steep limestone cliffs, hints of deep underwater caves and, if you’re lucky,  cormorants nesting on the rocks greet you along the way. It’s a no-rush way to wake up before you continue to Ohrid, with plenty of time to soak it all in. 

You’ll get your first glimpses of the town at lunch – if you can pry yourself away from the local fish or special meat on your plate. Eat up and head out into Ohrid to find a working Gutenberg printing press and learn why this region makes paper the ancient Chinese way at the Museum of Paper. Early Christianity, Byzantine art and Slavic culture all came together here in one of Europe’s oldest cities, and your guide will help you start to piece together the puzzle of cultures that make up this region.

Accommodation: Hotel Aleksandrija (or similar), Ohrid – North Macedonia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 3: Lake Ohrid

Lake Ohrid is one of Europe’s oldest lakes, predating the last ice age, and is also one of its deepest, so it seems only right to dive in (if only metaphorically)! 

This morning, you and your Fencox family will board a catamaran to cruise across the waters. It’s a full day of reaching hidden nooks only a smaller boat could uncover, with the intimate feel of gliding just above the clear-as-day water. Secluded monasteries? You’ll explore them. Bay of Bones? You’ll find out why it’s called that. Add a surprise lunch stop to that? Now this is the right way to spend a day on a lake. 

Accommodation: Hotel Aleksandrija (or similar), Ohrid – North Macedonia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 4: Road Trip to Prizren

Today you’ll enter your second Balkan country, crossing the border into Kosovo. The road trip gives you a chance to get to know your fellow Fencox travellers better, although you may simply spend the 5.5 hours staring out the window, the view is that good. If you get restless, a lunch stop at the top of a mountain will stretch your legs as well as your eyes – it’s mountains as far as the eye can see. 

Arriving in Prizren, set off exploring right away with a guide-accompanied walk through the Ottoman old town. This perfectly-sized neighbourhood makes walking easy, and you can get lost on little side streets, found again on open town squares, note the contrast between old and new in shop windows, and everywhere you look up there’s a minaret or mosque claiming the skies.

Accommodation: Hotel Triumph (or similar), Prizren – Kosovo
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 5: Visoki Dečani and Patriarchate of Peć Monasteries

The Balkan countries have a long history of duelling empires and evolving borders, and while you’re still in Kosovo, you’ll encounter two of medieval Serbia’s most important religious establishments, both UNESCO World Heritage sites that are still active today. 

In Visoki Dečani Monastery, the largest medieval church in the Balkans, you’ll find over 1000 preserved original frescoes and stone carvings, while gaining insight into Serbian history’s place on the ancient world stage – as well as its complicated status today. Meanwhile, the Patriarchate of Peć immediately demands your attention with its grandeur, and its Rugova mountain backdrop may have your camera on fire (just put it away once inside to see recently unearthed frescoes). Did you catch the 13th-century ruins?

After soaking up so much history, the sense of evolving borders continues in Peja, a largely Albanian town in Kosovo. Take a stroll with your guide and get a lively escape from the morning’s weighty insights before dinner with the crew.

Accommodation: Seraphine Plaza (or similar), Peja – Kosovo
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 6: Relax in Mokra Gora

Six days in, surely you deserve a little R&R? Mokra Gora in Serbia has exactly what you’re looking for. Take a slow morning before getting on the road for a five-hour drive across the border, letting the rolling mountain landscapes slow your heart rate. Or maybe there’s a fun Fencox friend you haven’t gotten to chat with properly yet? 

When you arrive at your mountain resort, the hardest thing will be to decide where to head first: the indoor pool, Finnish sauna, Turkish hammam or their authentic Russian bath. Tricky indeed. After dinner, the choice is easier: yes, you do want to go out and gaze at the blanket of stars beaming across the unpolluted, dark sky.

Accommodation: Hotel Iver (or similar), Mokra Gora – Serbia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 7: Vintage Trains in Tara National Park

As a Fencox traveller, we think you might just have a penchant for an old train. If so, today is for you! Waiting at the Mokra Gora train station is the Šargan 8, a vintage, wood-panelled, narrow-gauge train ready to bring you across the mountains of Tara National Park. It’s mountain views, it’s the reassuring click-clack of old machinery across bridges, it’s the thrill of long tunnels and the scenes on the other side. Stepping off in little villages, you’ll have plenty of time to soak it all in – and snap photo-album-cover-worthy pics of the train with outrageously dreamy backdrops. 

Then, the afternoon is yours. Maybe the hammam calls you? Or more time in nature? One thing is for sure, dinner’s traditional food and music is the perfect way to cap off your second day in Serbia. 

Accommodation: Hotel Iver (or similar), Mokra Gora – Serbia
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 8: Belgrade Beckons

Well rested after your days in the mountains, it’s time to hit a big city, and Belgrade has that city energy in spades. Blocky, communist architecture mixes with Austro-Hungarian remnants and a Bohemian quarter that whispers of a city before World War II bombings changed the cityscape. Arriving in the early afternoon, you’ll immediately start exploring. 

First up, it’s time to step onto another train, though very different from yesterday’s. Former Yugoslav president Tito’s infamous “Blue Train” has been turned into a museum, and here you can walk through his private office or imagine world leaders meeting around his conference table during the Cold War in the meeting room car. Your local guide brings you back to the present on a walk around the city to get a hint at what Belgrade’s about. What do you want to see more of? Put it on your list for tomorrow! 

Accommodation: Hotel Balkan (or similar), Belgrade – Serbia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 9: Belgrade your way

Today is a fully unscheduled day: no travel, no appointments, just you, Belgrade, and wherever your curiosity wants to take you. Venture off on your own or link up with some fellow Fencox friends to dive deeper into this city’s culture, history, or just fun. 

Maybe you want to visit the Nikola Tesla museum? Maybe you’re more into old fortresses? Or perhaps the Skadarlija neighbourhood caught your fancy – this Montmartre of Eastern Europe is certainly a great place to while away an afternoon. Sneak a restaurant rec or too from your guide, and off you go! 

Accommodation: Hotel Balkan (or similar), Belgrade – Serbia
Included: Breakfast

DAY 10: Rakija and Relaxing

By now you’ve probably realised that life in the Balkans has a lot of enjoyment to offer, and today is no different. Dive into Serbian hospitality, relaxation and food today at a family-owned ethno village in Banja Koviljača, where you kick off this breather with a riverside picnic lunch of local flavours. And what could digest the meal better than a traditional brandy from the region? Lingering by the river, delve into a rakija tasting, letting the sweet but fiery drink trickle down into your satisfied belly. 

If you’re feeling a bit heady with the fruity scents of rakija after lunch, never fear – you’ve all day to cherry-pick what you want to do. Maybe soak up the sun along the river or treat yourself to a massage in the spa. You and your Fencox family meet back up again in the evening, stepping out after dinner to chat around a fire as twilight settles in around you.

Accommodation: Sunčana Reka (or similar), Banja Koviljača – Serbia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 11: Sarajevo sevdah

Fencox crew, are you keeping count of your countries? Today you enter no. 4, crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina and landing in Sarajevo by lunchtime. You know your first stop will be food, tucking into flaky burek or Sarajevo’s own version of flavour-packed ćevapi at one of our favourite spots in the Old Town. 

Walking down a narrow street after lunch, you may start to hear melancholy tunes slowly escape a white building. What you’re hearing is sevdah, the emotionally charged folk music full of love and longing. You can think of it as a Bosnian version of the blues, but so integral to Bosniak culture that it’s inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Lean in, lean back, and let the live performances at the House of Sevdah carry you away. 

Accommodation: Courtyard Marriott (or similar), Sarajevo – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 12: All in on Sarajevo

Today is all about Sarajevo, and you’ll be glad – this “Jerusalem of Europe” has so much to offer that you’ll want to squeeze every moment out of it. Start the day with joy in Baščaršija, the 15th-century neighbourhood where many religions and epochs meet. Tune into your local guide’s insights, while your eyes drift across the fountains, market stands, people and spires around you. Your nose is busy, too, following trails of apples in sweet syrup or strong coffee, asking you to stop in for lunch. 

Sarajevo has seen its share of heartache, and the Tunnel of Hope is a glimpse into life during the siege in the 1990s. Pay a visit to this sombre reminder of recent history, safe in the knowledge that you’ll end the day on top. Local cook Mersija is the epitome of Bosnian hospitality, and she’ll teach you how to make traditional dishes that will have you drooling. Thankfully, what you make in her kitchen is also dinner tonight!

Accommodation: Courtyard by Marriott (or similar), Sarajevo – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

The melting pot that hasn’t melted

The Balkans are a crossroads of empires. For centuries, most of today’s Balkan countries were ruled by larger powers, like the Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans and Habsburgs, who all left lasting cultural and religious influences. These layers remain visible today: you can walk from an Ottoman bazaar to Austro-Hungarian boulevards in Sarajevo, or find Venetian, Habsburg, and Yugoslav influences within a single day’s journey, as you will experience on this trip. 

The Balkans’ more recent history is also still evident. Although the people of the region shared closely related languages and many cultural traditions, united by President Tito under the banner of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, economic crises and rising nationalism contributed to Yugoslavia’s violent breakup in the 1990s. While the Balkans today are generally peaceful, welcoming, and among Europe’s most rewarding places to visit, the wars left deep scars that are still within living memory. In the midst of all their hospitality and determination to feed you, many of the people you’ll meet lived through the conflicts or have family stories shaped by them.

DAY 13: Magical Mostar

You’re halfway through the trip, and things are only getting better! Case in point: Mostar, a dreamy town whose UNESCO-protected Old Town will make you fall in love. On the way, visit Tito’s Bunker to discover that this Cold War secret has been converted into an epicentre for contemporary art. 

Then at last, Mostar awaits. Let it entice you with its old stone bridge framing the intense colours of the Neretva River, bric-a-brac buildings and… is that coffee you smell again? You hurry to the small, old Cafe de Alma, where your host waits to walk you through the process of making a perfect Bosnian cup. It takes time because it’s meant to, and the same goes for enjoying it. So sit back, relax, and let yourself steep in Mostar’s true draw – the art of savouring.

Accommodation: Hotel Almira (or similar), Mostar – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 14: Kravice Waterfall and Kotor Fortress

It’s time for a new country today – Montenegro – but Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to give you one last stunner before you go: Kravice Waterfall. You’ll head out early to see it without the crowds, no doubt filling your camera with plenty of pictures to pore over during the drive south. 

Take a beat to rest up and refresh in your hotel room this afternoon, because then it’s thigh-burning time. Standing at sea level in Kotor’s old town, you’ll have 1,350 stone steps in front of you, leading up to Kotor Fortress, perched on the mountainside. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of chances to stop for mile-wide views along the way before you reach the top. While these medieval fortifications were meant to protect Kotor, can’t you just imagine being a soldier, staring out to the glittering Adriatic? (If you want to skip the climb, Kotor’s Old Town has enough hidden squares and enticing cafés to keep you busy!)

Accommodation: Hotel Vardar (or similar), Kotor – Montenegro
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 15: Adriatic Views Galore

The Kotor Bay leaves most visitors wanting more, so we’ve made sure you’ll get your fill. This morning it’s jaws to the ground as you board a thrilling cable car ride and glide up the mountainside to the top. You won’t want to blink as Kotor shrinks and the whole world spreads out below you. Once you think you’ve had enough views, continue on to National Park Lovćen to find it could get even better! 

As a Fencox traveller, you probably like places that feel off the radar, and your lunch stop in Perast on the way to Dubrovnik will give you that buzz you crave. On the shores of the Adriatic, this spot in Perast feels somehow both elegant and relaxed, with an old-world air that will make you want to linger. Take your time and sneak in a peaceful post-lunch stroll. At every turn, Perast is a treat for the eyes. 

Accommodation: Valamar Lacroma Hotel or Valamar Argosy Hotel, Sumratin, King Richards Royal Residence (or similar), Dubrovnik – Croatia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 16: Meet Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is a popular destination, and even though Fencox travellers generally stay off the well-trodden paths, this one is worth a visit. That said, we’ve arranged an early start today so you’ll be able to enjoy it before the tourists arrive. Let your local guide show you around on a walk through the city, enjoying the Old Town’s medieval architecture, slick stone streets and timeless atmosphere while it’s still quiet. Follow the old wall, marvel at the Rector’s Palace, and walk the main street, Stradun, nearly on your own to find it’s hard not to fall in love with this town! 

You’ve got loads of free time during the day to keep exploring before it’s time to dig deeper into the culture, and you get to choose your adventure. Will it be hands-on mask-making with a local artisan, or will you be enthralled by Croatian folklore performances by a local ensemble?

Accommodation: Valamar Lacroma Hotel or Valamar Argosy Hotel, Sumratin, King Richards Royal Residence (or similar), Dubrovnik – Croatia
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 17: Mljet Island

Two-thirds of the way into this trip, you know the drill: after big cities or busy days, you get the chance to relax in peace. Ditch the crowds and hop on a catamaran to discover the slow-paced, dreamy island of Mljet and its national park. Picture it now: hopping on an e-bike to discover 360-degree panoramas across the Adriatic, dipping your toes in warm saltwater lakes, finding the old monastery or the cave where Odysseus took refuge… Or you may spend most of the day in the shade, letting lunch take just as long as you want while the peaceful atmosphere of this island sinks into you. (Don’t miss the goat cheese, flavoured with Mediterranean herbs from the island!) And the colour of the water? It really is that turquoise. 

Accommodation: Valamar Lacroma Hotel or Valamar Argosy Hotel, Sumratin, King Richards Royal Residence (or similar), Dubrovnik – Croatia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 18: On the Road to Split

You may have heard people talk about Split in revered whispers, and you’re about to find out why it’s so loved. It’s a bit of a drive to get there, but your lunch stop along the road will have you forgetting all about any impatience. It’s hard to prepare you for this leg-stretcher in the coastal town of Omiš, but just a heads’ up, it’s 100% wow-worthy. With karst mountains, cut through by the jewel-green Cetina River as it meets the Adriatic and an Old Town simply bubbling with atmosphere and narrow streets, you may not want to leave it at all! Have lunch, sneak in a walk with your local guide, and soak it all up. Before you know it, that last bit to Split will feel like nothing, as you and your fellow Fencox crew dissect your favourite bits.

Accommodation: Heritage Hotel Fermai (or similar), Split – Croatia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 19: Family Time in Split

You wake up in the middle of Split, the palm-lined riva only a stone’s throw away, and the ancient city is ready for you as soon as you’ve had breakfast. As always, your local guide will know just how to show you the best of the city. A can’t miss? Diocletian’s Palace. Originally the home of the only Roman emperor to actually retire (preferring his Dalmatian vegetable gardens over war), this UNESCO-listed palace is no old ruin to stare at – it’s at the core of the living city, full of homes, shops and restaurants. 

Besides emperors, Croatia is also home to some of the nicest people around. Get to know a few of them tonight, as you’re invited into the home of a family of musicians! Settle in with a glass of wine while they teach you how to make homemade Soparnik, a hyper-local speciality. This evening will fill not just your belly, but probably your heart as well.

Accommodation: Heritage Hotel Fermai (or similar), Split – Croatia
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 20: Plitvice Lakes National Park

First stop today is more than meets the eye as you get to know local legend Sonja Leka. She’s started a project to provide refugees returning home after the War of Independence with income, self-sufficiency, and community. Over some local cheese and meat snacks (didn’t we promise you’d never go hungry in the Balkans?), hear her story and find out what traditional handicrafts the group are making – Fencox gentlemen, you may want to pay especially close attention! 

Then it’s on to Plitvice Lakes National Park, and you’ll be staying smack in the middle of the park. Drop your bags, then head straight out for an evening visit to the upper lakes. With one of our favourite local guides at your side and the evening light casting a golden glow across the cascading waterfalls and chessboard of serene lakes, it’s cameras out, for sure.

Accommodation: Hotel Jezero (or similar), Plitvice – Croatia
Included: Breakfast, Light snacks, and Dinner

DAY 21: On to Zagreb

Start your day strictly on your own terms—whether that’s sleeping in, lingering over a slow breakfast, or heading back to the trails for another look at the park. If you do choose to venture back into the lakes, those piercing turquoise waters are waiting in the crisp morning light, along with the quick flash of a rare bird before you turn the bend to see Croatia’s largest waterfall, 78 metres of water tumbling toward the ground. Spectacular isn’t superlative enough!  

By afternoon, you roll into Zagreb with 100 new pictures in your camera. You’ve time to decompress and freshen up, but then head back out to embrace this city that’s so chill it feels more like a village, where people seem to be perpetually on a coffee break. Start exploring with the help of a local guide. Wondering who it is? A very particular hallmark will point them out!

Accommodation: Le Premier (or similar), Zagreb – Croatia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 22: Wine tasting in Jastrebarsko

We know Fencox travellers are looking to learn about a region’s culture, but what is wine if not exactly that? Set your museum visits aside for a day and indulge yourself. Only an hour outside of town, you find Jastrebarsko, where practically every home has a wine cellar and every family makes their own wine. There’s even a road called Plešivica Wine Road, dotted with wineries along gentle slopes. Explore the fields, dip into wine cellars, and then come together for a lunch all together – wine tasting included, of course. Can you trust a bottle of sparkling or two to survive the journey home? It’s worth a shot! 

You’ll be back in Zagreb by late afternoon, with plenty of time to follow up on those interesting places you spotted last night… Maybe the WW2 underground tunnel or the Museum of Broken Relationships? Or maybe it’s time to join the locals and relax into that coffee break…

Accommodation: Le Premier (or similar), Zagreb – Croatia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 23: Lake Bled

The trip is quickly nearing an end, but we’ve filled it with dial-it-up special moments to take your mind off that return ticket. Case in point: today’s destination, Bled. 

As you head into your seventh Balkan country, Slovenia welcomes you with the same hospitality that has spoiled you for weeks. Come lunchtime, you’re invited into yet another home. This time, Petra is here to show you how to make traditional Slovenian food, with recipes and skills you can bring home. Get cooking and soon you’ll be full of both food and belly-laughs. The rest of the day is yours to explore the dreamy town, which sits right on Lake Bled but could just as well come out of a storybook, with its tiny island church, its mountainside castle and Julian Alps beyond. Make the most of your last few days with your fellow Fencox crew, wandering the town and asking yourselves why it feels almost Bavarian.

Accommodation: Astoria Hotel (or similar), Bled – Slovenia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 24: Ljubljana

Your last full day on this adventure, and you’re making the absolute most of it. Head to Ljubljana on a morning train. Walking around here is dreamy since many of the streets are car-free, and the feeling that you’re still in a storybook lingers… At every turn, you’re looking at gingerbread-house architecture, stone bridges, open-air markets teeming with locals – ask your local guide for directions to the best backdrop for a group photo, right away. 

Speaking of the group, today is also your chance to really celebrate what a tight-knit crew you’ve become. Before this trip, you were strangers, and now it feels like maybe you’ve known each other forever. Toast your friendships and the memories you’ve shared over one final farewell dinner. We’ve booked you a table at a truly celebratory spot, and getting there will be half the fun. Enjoy!

Accommodation: City Hotel Ljubljana (or similar), Ljubljana – Slovenia
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 25: Farewell, Friends!

This morning, there’s nothing left to do but pack up the last of your souvenirs (any bottles of bubbly?), swap contact info with your Fencox family, hop in a private transfer to the airport and, as you think back to the last three weeks in the Balkans, ask yourself… Is it time to start planning the next one?

Included: Breakfast