Budapest to Istanbul tour
| country: | Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Turkey |
| departures: | 2008: 13 Jul, 20 Jul, 3 Aug, 10 Aug, 24 Aug, 31 Aug, 14 Sep, 21 Sep, 12 Oct 2009: 5 Apr, 26 Apr, 17 May, 31 May, 7 Jun, 28 Jun |
| price: | From £680 (22 days) excluding flights. Local payment €450. Price includes hotels (19 nts), homestay (1 nt), overnight train (1 nt). We can arrange flights from the UK. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Travel across romantic Eastern Europe from Hungary to Turkey and experience the diverse range of cultures and landscapes in between. From beautiful Budapest to the haunted castles of Transylvania, across the stunning Carpathian mountains to Bulgaria and beyond, you'll be enchanted by medieval monasteries, old-world towns and the warm hospitality of this little-travelled region.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Budapest. Be greeted by elegant palaces, beautiful bridges and a vibrant nightlife in Hungary's capital, which straddles a gentle curve in the Danube River. |
| Day 2: | Eger. Check out the 13th century Eger Castle or sample excellent local wines in this pretty Baroque town. Be sure to try the famed 'bull's blood' wine. |
| Day 3-4: | Maramures. Explore Deri Square in Debrecent, with its fountains and colourful buildings. Then experience the wooden churches and ancient traditions of Romanian peasant culture in the villages of Maramures. |
| Day 5-6: | Sighisoara. Be spooked by the blood-curdling myths that surround the land of Transylvania - and keep an eye out for Count Dracula. |
| Day 7: | Transylvania village homestay. Enjoy a home-cooked dinner with a local family - they're far friendlier than the Wallachian prince that once terrorized these lands. Pop into the Sock Project to learn about the odd initiative that supports this Roma community. |
| Day 8-9: | Sibiu. Take a walk through the impressive main square and up 192 steps for a fantastic view of the red-tiled rooftops below. |
| Day 10: | Brasov. An array of ornate churches dot Brasov, including the Gothic Black Church, and there are plenty of funky restaurants. |
| Day 11-12: | Sinaia. Wander the turrets of Dracula's Castle or imagine life inside a fortress at Rasnov. Enjoy alpine life in Sinaia and take an optional visit to the country's most magnificent buliding, the Peles Castle. |
| Day 13: | Bucharest. Check out the Centru Civic, an embodiment of Communist state power, or one of Europe's largest squares, the huge Piata Unirii. |
| Day 14-15: | Veliko Tarnovo. Cross the friendship bridge into Bulgaria and wander through the romantic Renaissance streets of Veliko Tarnovo. |
| Day 16: | Sofia. Take a walk along the tree-lined boulevards of cosmopolitan Sofia, taking in sights such as the impressive gold-domed Alexander Nevski Church. |
| Day 17-18: | Bansko. Unwind in historic 'mehanes', charming stone taverns, and indulge in the delicious local cuisine. |
| Day 19-20: | Plovdiv. Wander among the Byzantine ruins of picturesque Plovdiv, before checking out the magnificent Roman amphitheatre dating from the 2nd century BC. |
| Day 21-22: | Istanbul. Whether you get lost in the Grand Bazaar or in awesome Aya Sofya, Istanbul promises adventure. |
small group adventure holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places! (more) how this holiday makes a difference
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Our focus is on making a positive impact, providing numerous opportunities for local interaction as we cover so much ground using all means of public transport. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn from a friendly local who strikes up a conversation during your journey.
Your leader and local guides will be able to direct you to many local eateries throughout the trip, helping you discover real local fare, at real local prices (and probably helping you learn some local language at the same time). On the many guided town tours we use the services of a local guide, helping to bring money into the local community and giving our travellers the benefit of the experience through the eyes of a local Balkan. For a touch of history we sleep overnight in Oistrog in a very non-commercial 'konak' (simple night quarters) close to the lower monastery, whereas in Transylvania we have the unique opportunity to stay in private apartments run by local families – a very special experience to live as the locals do. In Istanbul, you will have the opportunity to visit the Bakirkoy orphanage. We encourage our travellers to donate any unwanted items and we organise a small shopping trip prior to the visit to buy useful items such as notebooks, pencils and clothing. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |