Photo credit: Sighnaghi, Georgia, MIR
Multi-Country Small Group Journeys Across the Balkans, the South Caucasus, and the Danube
Why One Country Isn’t Enough
Empires, trade routes, and religions rarely stopped at today’s borders, and seeing more than one country in a region on a MIR small group tour helps explain why. Balkan Odyssey crosses seven countries that share a tangled, overlapping history despite the borders between them. Treasures of the South Caucasus connects Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, three countries with very different paths but a shared spot at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Bulgaria & Romania: Frescoes & Fortresses pairs two neighboring countries connected by the Danube, each with its own distinct history and culture.
MIR’s small group tours, refined over decades and shaped by direct traveler feedback, handle the logistics on the ground, so your time goes toward understanding how these places fit together. There’s still time to join these small group journeys this season, and it’s not too early to book for next year.
Bulgaria & Romania: Frescoes & Fortresses
Spend two weeks exploring Bulgaria and Romania, from Orthodox monasteries and medieval towns to castles, mountain scenery, and lively city squares. Walk through Sofia and Plovdiv, visit Rila Monastery and Veliko Tarnovo. In Romania, visit Bucharest, the painted monasteries of Bucovina, Sighisoara, Sibiu, Bran Castle, Peles Castle; and visit six UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the way. See the full itinerary >>
Balkan Odyssey: Crossroads of Cultures
This 16-day journey links seven Balkan nations, including Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. Travel by road through regions where religions, languages, cuisines, and architectural styles change within a few hours’ drive. Explore Sarajevo, Mostar, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Ohrid, and other historic centers. See the full itinerary >>
Treasures of the South Caucasus
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia sit at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. MIR’s small group tour explores all three countries in one journey. Visit monasteries carved into mountainsides, Silk Road caravanserais, historic wine regions, and the contrast between Baku’s sleek modern waterfront and the quaint old town. Crossing from one country to the next in the South Caucasus shows how geography, religion, trade, and empire influenced each country in different ways while creating lasting connections across the region. See the full itinerary >>
