Experience a traditional Slovenian evening with folk dancing and live music, as costumed performers bring Alpine rhythms to life. Feast on regional specialities—think jota stew, Kranjska sausage and farmhouse breads—paired with local wines. This cultural showcase is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Rooted in village festivals and mountain customs, the performance highlights Slovenia’s diverse regions, where Central European and Mediterranean influences meet. Warm hospitality, clinking glasses and upbeat accordion melodies create a convivial, story-rich night.

Dine in a traditional Dalmatian tavern (konoba) where stone walls and candlelight set the tone. Taste peka slow-cooked specialities, line-caught Adriatic fish, herb-scented olive oils and sample regional wines like Plavac Mali. This culinary experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Rooted in fishermen’s kitchens and island traditions, konobas champion simple ingredients elevated by time-honoured techniques. The flavours of Dalmatia—sun, sea and rosemary—pair beautifully with the Roman setting of Diocletian’s Palace just beyond the door.

Celebrate the coast with an optional farewell dinner at a scenic spot overlooking stone ramparts and the sea. Share platters of seafood, black cuttlefish risotto and garden-fresh salads as the sunset over the Adriatic gilds the rooftops. Raise a toast to new friends—this experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Drawing on Ragusan traditions and Mediterranean produce, the menu reflects centuries of maritime exchange. Lively conversation, sea breeze and city lights make a fitting close to your Balkan journey.

Join a guided panoramic tour to Budapest’s emblematic sights, taking in Heroes’ Square (Hosok tere), Andrássy Avenue and the stately Chain Bridge. Admire the riverside grandeur of the Hungarian Parliament Building, then ascend Castle Hill to Fisherman’s Bastion for sweeping views across the Danube to Pest’s elegant boulevards.

Unpack layers of history from Ottoman rule to the Habsburg era as your guide reveals monumental stories—like the Millennium Monument of 1896 and the neo-Gothic spires of Parliament—set against the city’s ever-buzzing café culture.

Explore Slovenia’s alpine showstopper on a relaxed circuit of the water, where you’ll walk around the scenic lake framed by the Julian Alps. Pause at viewpoints for photographs of Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption, its bell tower rising from the mirrored surface.

Learn how a glacial basin and karst springs shaped this turquoise jewel, with medieval Bled Castle poised high on a cliff. Crisp mountain air, ringing church bells and forested shores create a calm that invites pause for photos and reflection.

Discover Croatia’s most celebrated landscape on wooden boardwalks threading between terraced basins and veil-like falls. Watch limestone pools glow turquoise beneath overhanging beech and fir, and feel the mist near the thundering Veliki Slap waterfall as dragonflies flicker in the spray.

A UNESCO site since 1979, Plitvice is a living laboratory of travertine—mineral-rich waters building natural dams that reroute streams into cascading tiers. Seasonal colours, from spring greens to autumn russets, heighten the sense of misty forest spray and raw karst drama.

Stroll the UNESCO-listed Old Town with a knowledgeable local guide, tracing the marble-polished Stradun past Onofrio’s Fountain, the Franciscan Monastery and the elegant Rector’s Palace. Learn how limestone streets and terracotta roofs meet the Adriatic’s blue edge beneath formidable city walls.

Hear tales of the Republic of Ragusa, the 1667 earthquake and seafaring wealth, while spotting Game of Thrones film locations hidden among baroque facades. Forts and viewpoints invite you to pause for photos and reflection on a city shaped by trade, resilience and sea light.

• 2 Dinner (D)
• 7 Breakfast (B)

• London: A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.

• Budapest: An expert walking tour that’ll take you past the Royal Palace, Chain Bridge and Fisherman’s Bastion.
• Lake Bled: Take it easy with your new besties as you walk around the scenic lake, framed by the Julian Alps. 
• Plitvice Lakes National Park: Turquoise lakes. Sparkling waterfalls. Lush green forests. You’ll never want to leave this little slice of heaven. 
• Dubrovnik: Stroll through the UNESCO-listed old town with a local guide. And play a game of ‘spot the Game of Thrones film set’ as you go.  

Contiki

Gather in Hungary’s capital to meet your Tour Director and travelling companions over a convivial welcome dinner. Expect paprika-warmed dishes and local pours as the city’s lights glow along the embankments. Raise a glass to new adventures while the Danube at sunset frames Budapest’s bridges and skyline.

Discover how historic Buda and vibrant Pest formed a single metropolis, once a jewel of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. From comforting goulash to sweet Tokaji, flavours and stories set the scene for the journey ahead.