Self-Launched: The Best of Serbia, Romania & Bulgaria (Belgrade to Sofia)

Land at Nikola Tesla Airport and take bus 72 or the A1 minibus (about £1–2.50) into the city centre; a taxi should be in the region of £15–20. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Skadarlija or Dorćol. Spend the late afternoon wandering the Skadarlija bohemian quarter, then have dinner at a traditional kafana — try ćevapi, sarma and a shot of rakija. Book a free walking tour for tomorrow through a platform like GetYourGuide or FreeTour.com (tip-based, budget £5–10 per person).

🚌Bus 72 or A1 minibus from Nikola Tesla Airport to city centre (~£1–2.50)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Skadarlija/Dorćol (£15–22 dorm, £28–35 private)

• →Skadarlija evening stroll
• →Dinner at a traditional kafana
• →Airport bus transfer

Do a free (tip-based) walking tour of the pedestrian zone and Knez Mihailova, then climb to Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park for the Sava/Danube confluence views. Take tram 2 or the trolleybus to the Temple of Saint Sava — free entry — and walk through the Dedinje district past the Museum of Yugoslavia if time allows. In the afternoon, seek out one of the city's old taverns (kafana) for the 'Serbian daily routine' of coffee and rakija. Optional evening Sava–Danube river cruise from the Sava Quay (roughly £12–20 via GetYourGuide or direct).

🚌Trams/buses around the city (~£2 day ticket)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Belgrade

• →Free walking tour
• →Belgrade Fortress & Kalemegdan Park
• →Temple of Saint Sava
• →Knez Mihailova & Republic Square
• →Coffee & rakija at a historic kafana
• →Optional Sava–Danube river cruise

Take an early train from Belgrade to Sremski Karlovci (roughly £3–5, about 1 hour) — visit the Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas and the Patriarchal Court. From there, use local buses or hike/bike into Fruška Gora National Park to reach Krušedol Monastery. Continue by bus to Novi Sad (about £1–2) and explore the old town, then walk across the Danube to Petrovaradin Fortress for sunset. Optional wine tasting at a Fruška Gora winery — book direct or via GetYourGuide for around £15–25. Overnight in Novi Sad (budget guesthouses £18–30) and take the train back to Belgrade early tomorrow, or keep Belgrade as your base if you prefer a single bed for the night.

🚌Belgrade–Sremski Karlovci train (~£3–5) + local buses (~£3 total)

🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Novi Sad (£18–30)

• →Krušedol Monastery
• →Sremski Karlovci old town
• →Novi Sad & Petrovaradin Fortress
• →Optional Fruška Gora wine tasting

A big travel day. Options: the direct Belgrade–Timișoara bus/minibus from the central bus station takes about 3.5–4 hours (roughly £10–15). Spend a few hours in Timișoara — Unirii Square, the Catholic Cathedral of Saint George, Liberty Square and the Bega riverside — then take the train or bus to Sibiu (roughly 3.5–4.5 hours, £8–12). Alternatively break it up by nighting in Arad or Deva. Arrive Sibiu in the evening and stay in the Old Town; hostels and guesthouses run £18–30.

🚌Belgrade–Timișoara bus (~£10–15) + Timișoara–Sibiu train/bus (~£8–12)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Sibiu Old Town (£18–30)

• →Timișoara Unirii Square & cathedral
• →Liberty Square & Bega riverside
• →Evening arrival in Sibiu Old Town

Morning in Sibiu: Large Square, Small Square, the Bridge of Lies, the Council Tower and the Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity — all walkable and mostly free. Spend a couple of hours at the ASTRA National Museum Complex (entry roughly £5). Getting to the Transfăgărășan and Bâlea Lake independently is the trickiest part: the road is typically open roughly late June to late October. Check the Sibiu bus station for seasonal minibuses to Bâlea Cascadă; otherwise pitch in on a shared day tour or local minibus transfer (roughly £25–45 per person via GetYourGuide or guesthouse contacts). Ride the cable car to Bâlea Lake (about £8–10). Return to Sibiu for the night.

🚌Seasonal minibus or shared tour to Transfăgărășan/Bâlea (~£25–45); cable car ~£8–10

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Sibiu

• →Sibiu Old Town walking route
• →ASTRA National Museum Complex
• →Transfăgărășan scenic drive (seasonal)
• →Bâlea Lake cable car

Take the train from Sibiu to Brașov (roughly 2.5–3.5 hours, £6–10), drop your bag at a hostel, then use the frequent Brașov–Bran buses (about £2) for Bran Castle (entry around £8–10). In the afternoon, ride the train to Sinaia (about 1 hour, £2–4) for Peleș Castle — book tickets ahead on the official Peleș site in high season (roughly £8–12). Explore Brașov's Piața Sfatului and Black Church in the evening (Black Church entry around £3). Buses back to Brașov run until early evening — check the last departure. Overnight in Brașov or Sinaia.

🚌Sibiu–Brașov train (~£6–10) + Brașov–Bran bus (~£2) + Brașov–Sinaia train (~£2–4)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Brașov or Sinaia (£18–30)

• →Bran Castle
• →Peleș Castle in Sinaia
• →Brașov Piața Sfatului & Black Church

Take a morning train from Brașov to Bucharest (around 2.5–3 hours, £8–12) and leave your bags at your hostel. For the Dealu Mare wine region, the independent option is a taxi or shared transfer to a winery near Urlați or Ceptura (roughly 1.5–2 hours each way); expect wine tastings at around £15–25 per person, booked directly with the winery in advance. If that's too much for a travel day, swap in a Bucharest craft-beer or wine bar evening instead — several wine bars in the Old Town run tastings for £15–20.

🚌Brașov–Bucharest train (~£8–12) + taxi/shared transfer to Dealu Mare (~£10–15 share)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Bucharest centre (£15–25 dorm, £30–40 private)

• →Train to Bucharest
• →Dealu Mare winery tasting (direct booking) or Bucharest Old Town wine bar

Book the Palace of the Parliament tour online in advance (roughly £10–12, passport required, ID mandatory). Add the House of Ceaușescu (Primăverii Palace, around £8–10), the Romanian Athenaeum exterior, Stavropoleos Monastery, the People's Salvation Cathedral and a walk along Bulevardul Unirii. A free walking tour of the Old Town is a good way to knit it all together (tip £5–10). Evening: dinner in the Old Town — Bucharest has excellent Romanian restaurants in the £10–15 range for a main.

🚌Metro and trams (~£2–3)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Bucharest centre

• →Palace of the Parliament tour
• →House of Ceaușescu
• →Old Town free walking tour
• →Stavropoleos Monastery
• →People's Salvation Cathedral & Bulevardul Unirii

Take the morning bus from Bucharest to Ruse (about 1.5–2 hours, £7–10), cross the Danube, then continue by bus or train to Veliko Tarnovo (another 2–2.5 hours, £5–8). Veliko Tarnovo's Tsarevets Fortress is a must (entry roughly £4–5; evening sound-and-light show runs in summer and is free from the viewpoints). Arbanasi village is a 20-minute taxi or local bus ride away (about £3–5) — visit its church frescoes and the traditional-house museum. Stay in a family guesthouse in Veliko Tarnovo or Arbanasi (£18–28) — many are far more atmospheric than the tour's 4-stars anyway.

🚌Bucharest–Ruse bus (~£7–10) + Ruse–Veliko Tarnovo bus/train (~£5–8) + taxi to Arbanasi (~£3–5)

🛏Family guesthouse in Veliko Tarnovo/Arbanasi (£18–28)

• →Tsarevets Fortress
• →Veliko Tarnovo old town walk
• →Arbanasi village & church frescoes
• →Summer sound-and-light show (free)

Take an early bus to Gabrovo (roughly 1.5 hours, £4–6), then a local bus or taxi to the Etar Open Air Ethnographic Museum (entry around £3–4); craft demonstrations — soap or calendula ointment — are often free with entry or a small fee. Continue south to Kazanlăk in the Valley of Roses (bus £4–6) for the Damascena complex and a rose-oil distillery visit (roughly £5–10). Then take the train or bus to Plovdiv (around 1.5–2 hours, £4–6). Evening in the Kapana creative quarter — Plovdiv's best food and bar scene, mains £8–12.

🚌Veliko Tarnovo–Gabrovo bus (~£4–6) + Etar local transfer (~£3) + Gabrovo–Kazanlăk (~£4–6) + Kazanlăk–Plovdiv (~£4–6)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Plovdiv Old Town/Kapana (£15–25)

• →Etar Open Air Ethnographic Museum & craft demo
• →Damascena complex, Valley of Roses
• →Rose oil distillery tour
• →Kapana district evening

Morning walking Plovdiv's Old Town — the Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis (partly viewable free from outside; guided entry around £3–5), the Roman Stadium and the colourful revival houses. Then take the bus or train to Sofia (train about 2.5–3 hours, £7–10; buses are similar). In Sofia, do a self-guided loop: Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Church of Saint Nicholas the Miracle-Maker, the Church of Saint George, Banya Bashi Mosque, the Sofia Synagogue, the Largo and the National Palace of Culture. A free walking tour runs twice daily if you want context (tip £5–10). Rakia and shopska salad for a farewell dinner (£10–15).

🚌Plovdiv–Sofia train or bus (~£7–10) + city trams (~£1)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in central Sofia (£15–25 dorm, £28–38 private)

• →Plovdiv Old Town & Ancient Theatre
• →Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• →Church of Saint George & Banya Bashi Mosque
• →Sofia Synagogue & Largo
• →Free walking tour of Sofia

Depending on your flight time, squeeze in a coffee on Vitosha Boulevard or the Central Market Hall before heading out. Metro Line 1/4 runs from Serdika to Sofia Airport in about 20 minutes for under £1 — far cheaper than a taxi (£10–15). If you have a late flight, the Museum of Socialist Art or the Roman ruins under the Serdika metro station are easy final stops.

🚌Sofia metro to airport (~£1)

🛏—

• →Vitosha Boulevard coffee stop
• →Optional Museum of Socialist Art
• →Metro to Sofia Airport