Choose your own dates and take a private tour with Cox & Kings’ The Balkan Explorer. Covering the best of the culture and history of Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Serbia, the eight-night journey begins in Dubrovnik with a tour of monuments that includes the Gates of Pile and Ploce, ancient city walls, Franciscan monastery, Church of St. Blaise and Sponza Palace. Next, the expedition moves on to Split for a walking tour and visits to the Palace of Diocletian, Golden and Silber gates, and the Cathedral of St. Domnius.

On the fifth day, a drive from Split leads via the walled port city of Zadar to the World Heritage site of Plitvice Lakes National Park and its stunning landscape of waterfalls. The route continues to Sarajevo, where sites include the Tunnel Museum and the Bascarsijska district with its colorful bazaars and Ottoman-inspired architecture. There’s also a stop at the cultural capital of Mostar on the way back to Dubrovnik. Leisure time for shopping and exploring on your own is built in along the way. U.K. departure and overseas airport taxes, English-speaking guides, entrance fees (unless otherwise indicated), and local transfers in air-conditioned vehicles are all included.