The Great Balkan Experience

Traveler Reviews

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  Cam4.0•June 2026
  Having lived in Zagreb for a year(1976)- knew but never visited the rest. Our trip was well planned, good local...
  Having lived in Zagreb for a year(1976)- knew but never visited the rest. Our trip was well planned, good local guides except Alexander in Skopje, who denigrated the country, was in a big hurry, and caused us to get a parking tyre clamp.Belgrade hotel not great, an American restaurant— UGH,and difficult parking areas for the van. Primoz our leader had a very difficult task— border crossings that he had no up front information,causing delays,He was both driver, and tour orator— he did an excellent job, as he had not been to several places before— all new.He was most accomodating on requests.His google direction information, was inaccurate, and not helpful on occasion— especially with parking. It would have been much better to have the included meal at night, rather than mid- day where it was often delayed and well into mid afternoon. Sarajevo, with it’s sordid history and terrific guide Lada made us all sad.Show more
  Traveled in May 2026
  

  Reply from: PALMA DMC & TO

  Dear Cam, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your journey through the Balkans. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the overall itinerary and that the trip allowed you to revisit Zagreb while discovering other fascinating destinations in the region. We are especially grateful for your kind words about Primož. Leading a multi-country tour through the Balkans can indeed be challenging, particularly when dealing with unpredictable border crossing procedures and local traffic conditions. We are delighted to hear that his flexibility, professionalism, and dedication contributed positively to your experience. We will be sure to pass along your compliments to him. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the local guides, hotels, parking logistics, and meal scheduling. While we are sorry to hear that your experience with the guide in Skopje did not meet expectations, your comments have been noted and will be reviewed with our local partners to help us improve future departures. Thank you as well for highlighting Lada's excellent guiding in Sarajevo. The city's history leaves a lasting impression on many visitors, and we are glad that her insights helped bring its story to life. Your observations are valuable to us as we continuously work to improve our tours and provide the best possible experience for our guests. Thank you again for traveling with us, and we hope to welcome you on another adventure in the future. Kind regards, The Palma DMC Team

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• MH

  Meredith5.0•May 2026
  We highly recommend ‘The Great Balkan Experience’ to other travellers. We had a fascinating journey visiting 6...
  We highly recommend ‘The Great Balkan Experience’ to other travellers. We had a fascinating journey visiting 6 countries in the area. Each was different and interesting. We learnt so much about the history, geography, culture of the people and of course, food and wine. Accomodation was high quality, clean, comfortable. Our guide was friendly and highly professional. He was so knowledgeable of each area and his flexibility and good humour was much appreciated. Dejan navigated mountains, scenic roads, busy highways, border crossings, parking, with skill and grace. We commend the company Palyma for their efficiency, organisation and communication throughout the trip.Show more
  Traveled in April 2026
  

  Reply from: PALMA DMC & TO

  Thank you so much for your wonderful review and kind words! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring the Balkans and discovering the history, culture, food, and wine of each country. Your recognition of Dejan and the entire Palyma team truly means a lot to us. We hope to welcome you again on another adventure in the future!

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  Robyn5.0•September 2025
  Overall the trip was very good. It gave us a thorough insight into the region, the history and culture of the...
  Overall the trip was very good. It gave us a thorough insight into the region, the history and culture of the various countries visited. Since we were the only 2 people booked, we benefited from a private tour with the guide who was knowledgeable, flexible and friendly, and effectively handled all the driving and arrangements (which was great for us not to have to worry about). We enjoyed everywhere we visited however the highlights were definitely Dubrovnik, Split, Kotor (where I wish we had stayed overnight and had more time to climb the fortress), Ohrid, and Zagreb. Some of the hotels were good, but some were not what I would expect from 4* and should be reviewed. (esp Belgrade). Also the location of the hotels was mostly not ideal to the city centers so it was not convenient to walk back and forth eg after a tour and before going for dinner (esp Zagreb, Ohrid, Dubrovnik, Split….). Besides more time in Kotor, I might have liked to add Slovenia to the trip and reduced time in Belgrade and Sarajevo although I realize that would have added to the intensity of the driving. Overall a very insightful and enjoyable trip.Show more
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  Traveled in September 2025
  

  Reply from: PALMA DMC & TO

  Dear Robyn, Thank you so much for sharing your detailed review of The Great Balkan Experience. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the overall trip, found it insightful, and appreciated the guidance and support of our private tour guide. It’s wonderful that the highlights such as Dubrovnik, Split, Kotor, Ohrid, and Zagreb left such a positive impression on you. We also greatly value your constructive feedback regarding the accommodation. We will carefully review the hotels you mentioned, especially in Belgrade, to ensure they align with the quality we aim to provide. Your comments on hotel locations and the convenience of walking access are very helpful for improving future itineraries. Your suggestion to include more time in Kotor and even add Slovenia is a thoughtful idea, and we will certainly take it into consideration when refining our tours. We understand that balancing driving time and city stays is important to the overall experience. Once again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. We’re very happy you found the trip enjoyable and insightful, and we would be thrilled to welcome you back for another adventure in the future. Warm regards, The Palma Travel Team

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• EJ

  Eric5.0•October 2022
  Fantastic experience! Dan was great and made everything so interesting for us. He was able to improvise in difficult...
  Fantastic experience! Dan was great and made everything so interesting for us. He was able to improvise in difficult situations to make things easier for us . He went to great lengths to provide the very best experiences for our group. The best tour my wife and I have ever been on! Eric and Nancy JenisonShow more
  Traveled in September 2022
  

  Reply from: PALMA DMC & TO

  Thank you for taking time to write a review. We really appreciate it. And we are really happy to hear you enjoyed your trip and hoping you choose to travel again with us in the future!

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