Great Italy Greece Balkan Tour - Bursa

Tour details
                             GRAND ITALY & GREECE & BALKAN TOUR
                7 Nights – 9 Days
                Sofia – Belgrade – Ljubljana – Verona – Milan – Venice – Florence – Pisa
                                       Siena – Rome – Pompeii – Igoumenitsa – Thessaloniki
 
Tour Departure Dates :
January 23 / March 14 / April 17 / April 24 / May 15 / May 22 / May 23 / June 5 / June 12 / June 19 / June 26 / June 27 / July 3 / July 4 / July 10 / July 11 / July 17 / July 18 / July 24 / July 25 / July 31 / August 1 / August 7 / August 8 / August 14 / August 15 / August 21 / August 22 / August 28 / August 29 / September 4 / September 18 / September 25  / October 9 / October 16 / October 23 / November 6 / November 7
 

Special Days :
January Semester: January 23
April Semester and Ramadan Feast: March 14
April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day: April 17
May 19 Commemoration of Atatürk Youth and Sports Day: May 15
Eid al-Adha:  May 22 / May 23
July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day: July 10 / July 11 
Republic Day: October 23
November Semester: November 6 / November 7
 

Day 1/2 – Bursa – Sofia – Belgrade
On the first day of our tour, we depart from Bursa Nilüfer Migros at 17:30, passing through Edirne to reach Kapıkule. After completing customs and passport procedures, we enter Bulgaria. Then we arrive in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Upon arrival, a panoramic city tour of Sofia will be organized. The tour will include St. Nedelya Church, Rotunda Church, Russian Church, Hagia Sophia Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Prime Minister's Office, Parliament, Sofia University, and Banya Bashi Mosque. After our tour of Sofia, we proceed to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. After arrival, we will transfer to our hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.

 
Day 3: Belgrade- Venice
After breakfast, we will check out of the rooms and head towards Venice. Guests who wish can join an optional tour to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, organized by your guide (Extra 45 €). In our panoramic city tour, we will see the Ljubljanica River, the Parliament building, Ljubljana University, the Old Square, the Dragon Statue, Dragon Bridge, Tivoli Park, St. Nicholas Cathedral, and Prešeren Square. After leaving the city, we will arrive in Venice. Transfer to our hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.

 
Day 4: Venice - (Milan & Verona)
After breakfast, enjoy some free time. Guests who wish can participate in an optional full-day tour to Milan & Verona organized by your guide (Extra 95 €). First, we will arrive in Verona, which is known for its marble and is the setting for the world's most famous love story, Romeo and Juliet. We will see the old city, the historical Arena, where concerts still take place, the Senior Palace, Brave-Dante, and Erbe Square. After leaving Verona, we will head towards Milan, a city of industry and fashion. In our Milan city tour, we will walk through the elegant streets to the famous Duomo Square. In the square, we will see the Duomo Cathedral, one of Italy's most significant and architecturally impressive works. We will also have time for shopping at Galleria Vittoria Emanuele and the famous Buenos Aires Boulevard. After completing our time in Milan, we will return to Venice. Accommodation at our hotel.

 
Day 5: Venice - Florence
After having breakfast, we will head to Venice center. Upon our arrival in Venice, we will walk towards San Marco Square to get to know Venice better. Guests may opt to take special vaporetto rides to historic San Marco Square (15 €). The square and San Marco Cathedral, Doge's Palace, Grand Canal, and Rialto Bridge will be among the places visited with our guide. Guests who wish can also join an optional gondola ride organized by your guide (Extra 45 €). By taking the gondolas, we will explore the romantic and historic canals in more detail. After our visit to Venice, we will move towards Florence. Guests may participate in a tour of Pisa. In Pisa, we will visit Campo dei Miracoli (Duomo Square) and the cylindrical Baptistery, which is famous for the Leaning Tower (55 EUR). Transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.

 
Day 6: Florence – Rome
After breakfast and checking out of the rooms, upon arrival in the city, we will have a city tour of Florence. In this tour, we will see the Arno River, Ponte Vecchio Bridge, Uffizi Gallery, San Giovanni Battista Baptistery, Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, and Signoria Palace panoramically. After the tour, guests will have free time to explore the city more closely and to shop. After the tour, we will move towards Rome. Guests who wish can join an optional tour to Siena, an important historical city in the Tuscany region organized by your guide. While walking through the medieval streets, we will take a journey through time from the present to the past. We will visit the Piazza del Campo and examples of Gothic Roman architecture (65 EUR). Transfer to the hotel, room distribution, and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 7: Rome
After breakfast, we will have a city tour of Rome. Places to be seen include: Vatican, accepted as the center of Christianity, St. Peter's Cathedral, and the Venice Square designed by the famous architect Bernini. Following this, we will visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trajan Forum, Circus Maximus racetrack, the square from where Mussolini addressed the public, the Vittoriano Monument, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. Free time in the city. Overnight at the hotel. After resting for a while, guests who wish can participate in an optional Night Tour of Rome organized by your guide (Extra 45 €). In this tour, we will have the chance to capture the view of Rome under the lights from the Lovers' Hill, and we will visit Navona Square, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, Via Del Corso, and Piazza Del Popolo under the evening lights. Overnight stay at the hotel.

 
Day 8: Rome – Brindisi (Bari)
After breakfast, we will head towards Brindisi or Bari, the port city of Italy. Your guide will arrange an optional visit to the ancient city of Pompeii at a discounted price (Extra 80 €). In this tour, we will explore Pompeii, one of the few ancient cities that has been preserved in its ancient state due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, where you will see the shops, houses where villagers lived, the amphitheater, and the city square. After our tour, we will head to the port. After completing the customs procedures, we will proceed to the reserved places for our group and depart at 23:30. Our night will be spent on the ferry.

 
Day 9: Igoumenitsa – Thessaloniki – Bursa
In the early morning, we arrive at Igoumenitsa port and head towards Thessaloniki. Following this, we will have a city tour of Thessaloniki. During our city tour, we will see the waterfront, White Tower, Rotunda, Fairground, Ottoman and Byzantine monuments, the largest cathedral in Greece, the Church of St. Demetrius, and the statue of Alexander the Great. At the end of our tour, we will visit the house of the Great Leader Atatürk. After a short break, we will take a walk along the waterfront, which is famous for its cafes, and taste Greece's famous coffee, Frappe. After the city tour, we will have free time. We will meet at the time indicated by our guide and proceed to İpsala via İskece, Gümülcine, and Dedeağaç. After completing customs procedures, we will arrive in Bursa via Tekirdağ. Our tour concludes. We hope to see you in another tour organization. (Estimated arrival time is about 04:30 the next day, depending on customs crossings.)

 
What's included
*Bus transportation services between Bursa – Sofia – Belgrade – Venice – Florence – Rome – Bari – Igoumenitsa – Thessaloniki.
*City tours to be conducted in Rome – Florence – Venice – Thessaloniki – Belgrade – Sofia.
*1 night accommodation with breakfast in a 3* or 4* hotel in Belgrade.
*2 nights accommodation with breakfast in a 3* or 4* hotel in Venice (surroundings).
*1 night accommodation with breakfast in a 3* or 4* hotel in Florence (surroundings).
*2 nights accommodation with breakfast in a 3* or 4* hotel in Rome.
*Ferry crossing between Bari (Brindisi) - Igoumenitsa.
*Professional Turkish guiding services.
*Limited water served in the vehicle.
*All highway check-point and parking fees.
*Customs duties.
Not included
*Visa fee and service charge (Multiple Entry Schengen Visa)
*International departure tax,
*Travel Health Insurance
*Additional tours.
*City Accommodation Taxes, Italy Ear Service, Venice Entrance Fee (50 EUR per person, paid to the guide during the tour)
*Museum, site, etc. entrance fees
*Lunch and Dinner,
*Additional tours organized by the guide
*All personal expenses,
*Optional driver tips
Need to Know
- Participants must have a valid multi-entry Schengen visa for the entire duration of the tour. (Green passport holders are exempt from visa requirements.) - For shopping and spending in all countries included in the program, it is sufficient to have euros. In regions where the local currency is used, the guide will assist with currency exchange. - During the trip, comfortable walking shoes or sneakers should be preferred. It is advisable to bring a cardigan or similar clothing for the evening. - On our tours, seat planning is rotated on a daily basis, and fixed seats or front-row seat guarantees are not provided. Seat changes are organized by the vehicle guide. - When entering Turkey from abroad, in order to bring goods (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.) at least 3 days of accommodation is required. - Duty-free shopping allowance when entering Turkey from abroad: Cigarettes: 3 cartons, Alcoholic beverages: 1 liter of alcoholic drinks (excluding alcoholic drinks with more than 22% alcohol, wine and champagne), Alcoholic beverages: 2 liters of alcoholic drinks (including alcoholic drinks with less than 22% alcohol, wine and champagne), Perfume: 600 ml, Makeup or skincare products: 5 items, Chocolate and confectionery: 2 kg, Coffee: 1 kg, Tea: 1 kg. - The guide may make changes to the itinerary flow depending on weather and road conditions, provided that all places stated in the program are shown. - Guests who have registered for the tour have the right to cancel free of charge up to 30 days before the tour. If there are fewer than 30 days until the tour date, a 30% penalty applies, and if there are 20 days or less remaining, a 100% penalty applies. Documents submitted with the cancellation request, such as hospital reports or employer leave certificates obtained from authorities in Turkey, unfortunately are not accepted for the cancellation of hotels and services to be used outside Turkey. - The tour program is organized with a minimum participation of 25 people. If sufficient participation is not reached, the latest cancellation notice date is 20 days before the tour departure. The tour will be canceled by Viyatravel due to insufficient participation. - When hotel names are not specified in the tour program and only category information is given, or when there are multiple options for the same destination, the hotel(s) will be announced by Viyatravel 2 days before departure. - During periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events, sports tournaments, etc., hotels may be used farther than the stated distances. In such a case, information will be provided by Viyatravel 15 days before the tour departure date. - Triple rooms are provided subject to the availability of the hotels, and the bed assigned to the third person in such rooms is smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed + 1 extra bed. Since extra beds are folding beds or coach beds, tour participants making reservations for a third person and/or child are deemed to have accepted the possible crowding in the room and the type of bed. Child discounts apply only to one child in the applicable age group staying with 2 adults. - Breakfasts included in the tour program are served in accordance with the breakfast culture of the country visited, generally as a limited continental breakfast menu consisting of butter, jam, bread, tea, or coffee, and may be served in a separate hall allocated to the group. - Panoramic city tours included in the tour package are tours arranged for the general introduction of the cities, carried out panoramically with guide commentary from inside the vehicle, and do not include museum or archaeological site entrances, lasting no more than 2-3 hours. Viyatravel is not responsible if panoramic tours, as well as other tours mentioned in the program, cannot be carried out on the day and time scheduled due to places not being permitted to be visited or entered by local authorities, closed roads due to any event, or weather conditions making the tour impossible. Some tours may be conducted by public transport or on foot where roads are closed or vehicle access is not permitted. - Waiting times at customs gates crossed by road during travel may exceed standard times; Viyatravel cannot be held responsible for any inconveniences arising from such waiting times. - Extra tours are organized by the local agency we work with, with a minimum participation requirement of 20 people. If the required number is not met, the excursions may not be organized, or the prices, content, and type of vehicle used for extra tours may vary depending on the number of participants. In addition, the days and times of the tours may be changed by the guide depending on the opening/closing status of museums and archaeological sites at the destinations and weather conditions. - Extra tours are optional and not mandatory. Passengers who do not wish to join extra tours organized during the trip are deemed to have accepted waiting at a suitable rest area along the route. These passengers will be dropped off at a roadside rest area before the extra tour begins and picked up again from the same point after the tour ends. - For those joining flight-based tours, check-in and boarding procedures are personal responsibilities and must be completed by the guest before the flight, either at the relevant airline counters at the airport or online on the airlines’ websites. - Viyatravel is not responsible for passengers who do not arrive at the airport at the times announced by Viyatravel for participation in the tour, do not complete check-in and boarding on time, or complete check-in and boarding on time but do not board the plane. Passengers who miss the flight are responsible for all costs related to the new round-trip tickets required to join the tour and the transfers in the destination area. - Viyatravel acts as an intermediary between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol dated 28.09.1955. There may be a risk of delays on scheduled and special flights, or times may change before the current trip and flight. Viyatravel is obliged to notify such changes as soon as possible. The passenger has purchased the trip accepting the risk of schedule changes. Children aged 0-2 do not pay airport tax or airport service fees. - The types of vehicles used in our tours are classified as follows according to the number of participants. The vehicle types listed below are assigned according to the number of people on each tour. - Coaches: (used for 25 - 46 people) *Mercedes Travego/Tourismo *NEOPLAN Cityliner/Tourliner -*Temsa Safir/Maraton *Man Fortuna - Midibuses: (used for 17 - 24 people) *Isuzu Turkuaz, *Otokar Mega - Minibuses: (used for up to 16 people) *Vw Volt, *Mercedes Sprinter - All guests are deemed to have completed the tour sale by accepting the above-mentioned terms.