The Ultimate Balkans Tour with Busabout: REVIEW
When I first decided I wanted to travel solo, I knew I’d have to start off on a group tour. There’s something both extremely exhilarating and daunting at the very thought of entering a tour alone, but it was the best thing I’ve ever done.
I knew I always wanted to go with Busabout because of the rave reviews and awesome tours they offered, but choosing one was almost impossible. I wanted to go where few travel, and when I came across the Ultimate Balkans tour I knew I absolutely had to go.
Below is a completely honest and true review of how I found the entire tour, things I’d possibly change and things that I loved.
The Itinerary
The number one thing that drew me towards this tour was the sheer amount of countries visited in such a short amount of time, and also the actual countries. These countries are not often visited by tourists, and to be able to visit them and see their natural beauty was an absolute honour. Below are the countries and places you can expect to visit on the Busabout Ultimate Balkans Tour:
Day One: Croatio to Montenegro
- Begin in Split
- Stop in Dubrovnik (Game of Thrones tour!)
- Stay overnight in Kotor (Hostel)
Day Two: Montenegro
- Free day to wander around the city.
- Spent the day in Budva
- Night time BBQ at the Kotor fort
- Stay overnight in Kotor (Hostel)
Day Three: Montenegro to Albania
- Long(ish) bus day
- Tirana Cable Car ride over all of the city is epic
- Radio Bar for a great drink
- Stay overnight in Albania (Hotel)
Day Four: Albania to Greece
- Lunch stop in Gjrokastra (make sure you see the fort!)
- Long bus day
- Stay overnight in Kalambaka (Hotel)
Day Five: Greece
- Spend the morning exploring the temples of Meteora
- Brief stop at Thermomapalyae (Sparta!)
- Stay overnight in Athens (Hostel)
Day Six: Greece
- Completely free day to do as you like
- Checked out the Acropolis and museum
- Stay overnight in Athens (Hostel)
Day Seven: Greece
- Say goodbye to Athens
- GREAT stop in Delphi (my favourite stop!) to explore the ruins
- Stay overnight in Thessalonoki (Hotel)
Day Eight: Greece to Macedonia
- LONG bus day
- Arrive in Lake Ohrid
- Walking tour & dinner (optional extra)
- Stay overnight in Lake Ohrid (Hotel)
Day Nine: Macedonia
- Drive from Lake Ohrid to Skopje
- AWESOME walking tour in Skopje
- Dinner included as optional extra
- Stay overnight in Skopje (Hotel)
Day Ten: Macedonia to Serbia
- Another super long bus day
- Stopover in Nis for lunch
- Pub crawl and walking tour in Belgrade tonight (optional extras)
- Stay overnight in Belgrade (Hotel)
Day Eleven: Serbia
- Free day to do whatever you’d like
- I’d highly recommend going to Ava Cintura (Adventure Park) and hiring a bike. It’s a great bike ride and was one of my favourite days of the entire tour.
- Stay overnight in Belgrade (Hotel)
Day Twelve: Serbia to Bosnia
- Long bus day
- Option to do solo dinner
- Stay overnight in Sarajevo (Hotel)
Day Thirteen: Bosnia
- Free day in Sarajevo
- Highly recommend visiting the abandoned 1984 winter Olympics bob sled track, super cool!
- Go out for dinner to fun brewery and then Pirate Bar
Day Fourteen: Bosnia to Croatia
- Short drive to Mostar
- See Mostar bridge and explore the gorgeous town
- Long drive to Split for last group dinner
- Stay overnight in Split (Hostel)
What are the guides like?
Now I can’t speak for every guide, but our guide, Wes Baimbridge, was an absolutely brilliant guide who I feel very lucky to have had. He knew EVERYTHING about each country, including; snippets of local language, in-depth history for each location we stopped at, recommendations for things to do, places to eat and bars to drink at.
Wes always posted extra things on our Facebook page for those who didn’t hear them on the coach, and he was there 24/7 to help in any emergency. He went above and beyond to make sure every single person was included, and oh my lord he was the one of the funniest, friendliest people I’ve ever met.
The Busabout guides go through an extensive training process to become guides, and I know that to even be considered a guide the checklist and interview process is intense. When you go with Busabout, you can feel reassured that your guide will be extremely knowledgeable and lovely.
How much does it cost?
This tour is an absolute bargain, and it was worth every penny. At just 1099 euro, this tour means you can tick off seven countries off your bucket list, without feeling like you’re rushed at all.
What is included?
- 14 nights of accommodation (with the majority been hotels!)
- 14 breakfasts
- Transportation with an epic bus driver around the Balkans
- A local guide in Mostar
- Orientation walks in Thessalonoki, Tirana, Nis, Gjirokastra and Split
- Entry into two monasteries in Meteora (Kalambaka)
What was my favourite part?
As cliché as it may sound, it really was the tour group that made my Busabout experience unforgettable. From Wes, our hilarious, knowledgeable and passionate guide to each and every traveller that was on that trip.
Each destination we stopped at was another opportunity to make a new friend, and it really did blow my mind how many solo female travellers were on our journey. It makes you realise that there is nothing scary about solo travelling, and that it’s an incredible way to make new friends and start from scratch.
Travelling on your own in a tour group means you have the option to hang out with the unreal people in your group, but also having the option to go off on your own and explore a destination.
Another one of my favourite things about the Busabout tour was how much free time we had. There was no pressure to drink or party, but rather a warm invitation to join the group for dinner and participate in the optional activities.
While there was plenty of opportunity to be by yourself, I chose to spend it with my beautiful friends I made on my trip. They really were the highlight of my trip, and having such a tight-knit group meant there was never a bad day on the tour.
If I had to choose a favourite place we visited, it would have to be Kotor in Montenegro. You stay in the heart of Old Town, where ancient civilizations roamed and built the walls so high to purposely confuse the enemy. On the second night we stayed there, we went up to the tallest fort in Kotor and watched the sun set with a bbq. I remember thinking to myself at the time, does it get any better than this?!
What was my least favourite part?
As with ANY tour you’ll do throughout Europe, there are going to be loooooong bus days. There were a few days where we spent 6+ hours on the bus, and there is no bus on Earth that is truly comfortable!
In saying that, we were never on the bus for more than 90 minutes at a time. There are laws throughout the Balkans that mean drivers need a 15 minute break every 90 minutes, and that suited all of us perfectly. Whether we stopped at a really cool monument (THIS IS SPARTA!) or just a service station, we were all grateful for the chance to jump off the bus, give our legs a stretch and attempt to connect to the wifi because #roamingdatasucks.
Overall, I had the absolute time of my life on the Ultimate Balkans Busabout tour, and I’m already planning my next trip! You’ll make friends that will last a lifetime, see places you never knew were possible and have experiences that will truly forever.