Balkans vacation, two week explorer
Highlights
Dubrovnik | Sarajevo | Belgrade | Sofia | Skopje | Lake Ohrid | Tirana | Kotor |
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
Toll free 1-866-821-6866 Calling from outside the US? rosy@responsibletravel.com
Check dates, prices & availability
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Small group adventure vacation
Whether you are traveling alone or with friends/family its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is plenty of free time to explore at your own pace. This trip will appeal to travelers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your vacation will help support conservation and local people.
This tour is fortunate to visit four UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sarajevo, Tirana, Kotor and Dubrovnik. Our entrance fees contribute to the maintenance and restoration of these unique places. We have a published responsible travel policy available on our website which among other things, asks that all travelers respect signage at these sites, take nothing but photographs and do not litter or deface monuments or buildings. We also do not endorse the taking of rocks or stones as souvenirs or purchasing items of this nature from local vendors. This stance is reaffirmed by our tour leader during our pre departure meeting on day one of the tour and reiterated throughout the duration of the trip. In each location on this tour, our hotels are centrally located and within walking distance to the main sights or points of interest. This means that customers are able to walk most places, keeping their carbon footprint low while enjoying exploring the area by foot. Our tour leaders also conducts walking orientation tours in each location, showing guests the area and how to get around.
We have a detailed Responsible Travel policy which you can find on our website and our Reservations Team can send you the link when you send an inquiry. It is full of information about what we do to lower our impact on the regions we travel to and the measures we have put in place. Our tour leaders are trained in responsible travel practices and will reiterate what can be done on tour to lower our environmental impact during the pre departure meeting.
The Impacts of this Trip
We stay at locally owned hotels and our small group policy allows us the luxury of staying in quaint, small hotels, homestays and guesthouses which has the dual benefit of supporting the local economy and providing our travelers with a genuine travel experience with lots of contact with local people. We encourage our travelers to learn about the culture, rather than just photographing it, and become familiar with the recent and ancient history of the area. We encourage communication and attempting to learn phrases in the local languages and familiarising ourselves with the local customs.
The tour leader will introduce the group to local cuisines and encourage them to eat in small, locally owned restaurants for the most authentic experience. Dining at these restaurants allows money to go back into small communities rather than larger restaurant chains and clients are encouraged to tip restaurant staff for good service where appropriate.
Culture - We employ local guides throughout the journey to assist our tour leader with their specialised local knowledge. This is a valuable source of employment to the local communities as well as positive reinforcement to local to preserve and be proud of their culture. This also benefits our travelers who gain greater insight into the area by their contact with these guides.
This tour is fortunate to visit four UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sarajevo, Tirana, Kotor and Dubrovnik. Our entrance fees contribute to the maintenance and restoration of these unique places. We have a published responsible travel policy available on our website which among other things, asks that all travelers respect signage at these sites, take nothing but photographs and do not litter or deface monuments or buildings. We also do not endorse the taking of rocks or stones as souvenirs or purchasing items of this nature from local vendors. This stance is reaffirmed by our tour leader during our pre departure meeting on day one of the tour and reiterated throughout the duration of the trip. In each location on this tour, our hotels are centrally located and within walking distance to the main sights or points of interest. This means that customers are able to walk most places, keeping their carbon footprint low while enjoying exploring the area by foot. Our tour leaders also conducts walking orientation tours in each location, showing guests the area and how to get around.
We have a detailed Responsible Travel policy which you can find on our website and our Reservations Team can send you the link when you send an inquiry. It is full of information about what we do to lower our impact on the regions we travel to and the measures we have put in place. Our tour leaders are trained in responsible travel practices and will reiterate what can be done on tour to lower our environmental impact during the pre departure meeting.
The Impacts of this Trip
We stay at locally owned hotels and our small group policy allows us the luxury of staying in quaint, small hotels, homestays and guesthouses which has the dual benefit of supporting the local economy and providing our travelers with a genuine travel experience with lots of contact with local people. We encourage our travelers to learn about the culture, rather than just photographing it, and become familiar with the recent and ancient history of the area. We encourage communication and attempting to learn phrases in the local languages and familiarising ourselves with the local customs.
The tour leader will introduce the group to local cuisines and encourage them to eat in small, locally owned restaurants for the most authentic experience. Dining at these restaurants allows money to go back into small communities rather than larger restaurant chains and clients are encouraged to tip restaurant staff for good service where appropriate.
Culture - We employ local guides throughout the journey to assist our tour leader with their specialised local knowledge. This is a valuable source of employment to the local communities as well as positive reinforcement to local to preserve and be proud of their culture. This also benefits our travelers who gain greater insight into the area by their contact with these guides.
3 Reviews of Balkans vacation, two week explorer
Reviewed on 20 Oct 2019 by Diane Rowe
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Too many good experiences to pick just one
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Good walking shoes and layers - the weather was warm/hot during the day but dropped significantly in the evening
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Using local hotels and restaurants rather than chains meant more money going to local economy
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent- 4 stars. Lost one star due to the accomodation in Belgrade and Tirana
Read the operator's response here:
adventure!
Best, Rosanna @ Tucan Travel
Reviewed on 10 Sep 2018 by Reid Kincaid
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Dubrovnik.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The operator has policies in place to utilize exchange rates to elevate trip prices, adding two hundred dollars to my price by converting my euro price to dollars. Responsible Travel got the price difference refunded to us. I would be very careful booking anything with this operator, and if you do, go through Responsible Travel as they stick by their customers to ensure a decent outcome. After my experience with the operator's pricing practices I had decided that this,
our first group tour ever, would be our last. We really enjoyed the tour itself however, and will do more small group tours but only through Responsible
Travel.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I believe it did benefit local people as our tour guide intentional chose small vendors for our meals and day trips. Most of the time, this meant an exceptional
experience, including some fantastic restaurants that we never would have found ourselves.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Responsible Travel: Five Stars
The operator: One star for honest business practices, but four stars for the actual trip.
Reviewed on 29 Aug 2017 by Sara Detmer
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing all these places I had been reading about! I can't pick one memory.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Make sure you have Euros with you. Many places will accept Euros, if you run out of local currency.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Amazing!!!
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