5 Countries Balkan Tour in 6 Days from Albania

I booked the Balkan tour through TripAdvisor and it was carried out through the Tirana-based Go As Locals tour company. This company gets a 10 out of 10 rating from me for keeping me informed with their rapid responses. Marsia from the company handled most of the correspondence and I applaud her for her diligence. A few days before the start of the Balkans tour she sent me a text to inform me that the tour didn’t have the required minimum number of persons to proceed. I had a panic attack but Marsia came through with some alternatives and the result was a very enjoyable 6-day tour that was top notch with an A+ guide and really nice accommodations. I can’t thank Go As Locals enough for providing me with such a memorable tour. I would not hesitate to use this tour company again. 😊

Intense tour that in a very limited time allowed for "quick trips" to 5 different countries even if they were close to each other. The skilled and professional driver Redi traveled almost 2000 km while perfectly respecting the itinerary. The Albanian operator 'go as local' made a vehicle available for the exclusive use of me and only two other participants, turning what had been proposed as a "small group" into an almost individual trip. The formula I chose was for ground services only (private driver respecting the program and the itinerary predefined by the operator) and I booked the hotels directly on my own. This choice is unfortunately not common since tour operators almost always offer a package that also includes the hotels chosen and booked by them. The trip would have been better modulated differently by dedicating at least two nights (the program always and only provided for one overnight stay for each location on the itinerary) in places that cannot be visited worthily in such a short time considering that the arrival always took place in the late afternoon or evening of the day of the overnight stay and the departures the next day were always scheduled in the morning. Plan for at least two nights at Lake Ohrid at least to have the time to also visit the Monastery of Saint Naum and a minimum of two nights also in Sarajevo. As conceived, it is almost useless to dedicate only a few daylight hours and one night to one of the most fascinating cities in the Balkans. My judgment remains positive anyway because despite the limit of the little time available everything was organized perfectly. When one returns to visit so many countries being able to dedicate more time, also adding Serbia, one will have a more precise idea of how to organize a trip in the right times and in the best way.

This was initially suppose to be a group tour but when I had a delay at the airport, I was then forced to pick a private tour because I truly didn't have a back up plan. Clearly , this made the cost much more pricier but the personal experience was wonderful. Daniel was our guide - he was charming, very knowledgeable throughout the tour, provided pertinent information, and he definitely gave the absolute best restaurant recommendations- every single one was a hit!! This tour covers a lot of ground but doesn't feel rushed and we felt like we got time to take in the different places. Each stop was special and had their own unique components. I will say this is advertised as 5 countries but we only went to 4 and it's definitely was not top tier hotels for the cost. Breakfast was provided and all the hotel staff were extremely friendly. However, thanks to Daniel, and how comfortable he made us feel, I really wasn't upset about what we actually received. Our birthday/anniversary was very memorable and we had some of the most amazing moments. Bottom line would I do this tour again- Absolutely. Would I recommend to my friends- Absolutely. As someone who usually plan everything and make my own arrangements, this was nice trusting someone with all the plans and it being a complete success.

An amazing trip. Friendly knowledgeable guide/driver. We went as a private tour as a couple and it was worth it. The itinerary they have put together is everything you would want to see, and there is plenty of time built into the schedule to do other stuff if you want to. The accommodation providers all surpassed our expectations. It would have been so hard to do this much planning and driving on our own, so this was definitely the right choice for us and we left the area much wiser.

Engjell was an outstanding guide, and driver. He provided lots of details and information about the places that we visited. He included a lot of historical background, especially about the Soviet times. I highly recommend this tour for people with limited time to get a good overview of the five Balkan countries, and the people that live in them.

Wonderful experience of a quick discovery of the 5 balkan countries. Although time is short (6 days), the tour provides a well balanced itinerary with strategic stops in the key attractions and historical monuments. The driver was professional and friendly. Hotel choices were all excellent. I highly recommend the tour!

Very informative and pleasant tour of 5 countries in 6 days. We were lucky to have Daniel as our guide. A very good mix of nature and city life, perfect for everyone who would like to travel fast.

Go as Local was helpful from the beginning and customized trip according our requirement and advised us helpful information before our trip. Accommodations was greatly selected within vicinity of tour areas. Our Tour leader Mr Engjell was very nice and very helpful through out the trip and accommodated our requests during the trip. He has vast knowledge of all countries from history to current affairs and his explanations gives us in depth knowledge of all Balkan countries we visited. Thank you Go as Local n Team. Wish you all the success always

We returned to Albania after some years, and this time we decided to explore a little more, and this tour was the perfect combination. In a short time, we traveled to 5 different countries. Some people may say is a lot, but it was perfect for our style of traveling. We took a private tour to make it more personalised, but we also had the chance to have one more fellow traveler for a better price. The places were not busy, and in each location the atmosphere was great. The hotels were all carefully selected, and we really liked the one in Bosnia. The communication with Go as Local during the booking was very easy, and they can facilitate the entire process by online payment, something not very common in Albania. Last but not least, our guide Endri. He was a blast! Friendly, knowledgeable, easygoing, and an excellent driver, he was more than we could ask for in this kind of tour.