Frequently Asked Questions

Send us an enquiry via the contact form or email info@legacybalkans.com with your preferred tour, dates, and group size. We'll confirm availability and send you a booking form within 48 hours.

We require a 25% deposit to confirm your booking. The remaining balance is due 60 days before departure. For bookings made within 60 days of departure, the full amount is due at booking.

We accept bank transfer and PayPal. Payment details are provided on confirmation of your booking. All prices are quoted in EUR.

Cancellations made more than 60 days before departure: full refund minus a €150 administration fee.

Cancellations 30–60 days before departure: 50% refund.

Cancellations fewer than 30 days before departure: no refund.

We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation. If we cancel a tour due to minimum numbers not being reached, you will receive a full refund.

Yes — bookings made 90 or more days before departure receive a 10% discount on the tour price. This applies to all scheduled tours and cannot be combined with other offers.

All Legacy Balkans tours operate with a maximum of 12 guests. This is not a marketing figure — it is a logistical and cultural commitment. Access to private homes, local restaurants, archives, and specialist guides requires small numbers. Larger groups change the nature of what is possible.

Included: All accommodation (hand-selected boutique properties), all ground transport, entrance fees to all listed sites, specialist guide throughout, most meals as specified in the itinerary, pre-departure reading pack.

Not included: International flights, travel insurance, personal expenses, meals not specified in the itinerary, optional activities.

Yes. Solo travellers are welcome on all scheduled tours. A single supplement applies for solo occupancy of accommodation — please enquire for the current rate. Solo travellers frequently find our small-group format particularly well-suited to their style of travel.

Yes — this is a significant part of what we do. We design private tours for individuals, couples, families, and groups with specific interests. Tell us what you want to understand, how long you have, and what kind of experience you are looking for, and we will build an itinerary around that brief. Contact us to start the conversation.

All scheduled tours are conducted in English. Our guides speak English fluently and provide translation from local languages throughout. For private tours, we can accommodate groups requiring French, German, or Turkish as the primary language — please enquire when booking.

It varies by tour. Each tour page includes a physical rating. Most tours involve moderate walking on uneven surfaces — cobblestones, hillside sites, and village paths are common. Some tours include optional hiking. None of our tours require a high level of fitness, but they do require the ability to walk comfortably for several hours a day. If you have specific mobility concerns, contact us and we will advise honestly.

Visa requirements depend on your passport. Citizens of the EU, UK, USA, Canada, and Australia do not require visas for most western Balkan countries for stays under 90 days. Kosovo has specific entry rules depending on nationality. We will advise on the specific requirements for your tour's itinerary — and we strongly recommend checking with your country's foreign ministry before travel.

May–June and September–October are our preferred months — mild temperatures, manageable crowds, and good light. July and August are very hot in most of the region and crowded at coastal destinations. We do not operate tours in January and February. Winter tours (November–March) are available in specific formats for those who want the region without the tourist infrastructure.

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance covering cancellation, medical expenses, and emergency repatriation. For some tours operating in more remote areas, we require proof of adequate coverage before departure. Please ensure your policy covers the specific countries on your itinerary.

We use boutique hotels, family-run guesthouses, and small heritage properties — never chain hotels. Selection is based on character, location, and quality of host, not star rating. Rooms are always private with en-suite bathrooms. In very remote areas, accommodation may be simpler — this will be clearly noted in the tour itinerary.

Our operations are based in Skopje, North Macedonia, with an Istanbul office for Turkish and regional enquiries. We operate across the full Balkan geography — Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Thrace.

Legacy Balkans has been operating since 2012. In that time we have guided travellers from more than 30 countries across 25+ distinct routes. Our guides have, in most cases, worked with us for the majority of that period.

Our guides are specialists, not generalists. Each guide works exclusively in their region and typically holds academic or professional expertise in the subject matter of the tours they lead — architecture, history, food, music. They are not tour guides in the conventional sense. They are people who know their territory deeply and have agreed to share it.

Yes. We offer net rates and commission structures for travel agents and DMC partners. If you are an agent or operator interested in working with us, please write to info@legacybalkans.com with "Partnership Enquiry" in the subject line.