Tours conducted by Balkan Connections are different from any other tour you might have taken. This is what makes them so special.

• Nancy, Iskra, Alex and Bob have worked together for ten years and are dedicated to making the trip as pleasant and of as high a quality as possible.

• We will pick you up and deliver you back to the airport even if you arrive earlier or leave later than the tour. Very assertive native speaking Bulgarians will be available to solve any problems you may have with customs, luggage, or the airlines.

• We can help you arrange pre- or post-tours to specific locations you wish to see that are not part of the tour.

• We keep the tours small, usually no more than 20 people (Choir Tours are an exception to accommodate both a choir and their friends or family who also may wish to come.). Small groups can only visit many of the places we go. For example, we visit Thracian tombs not open to the public. They are on dirt roads in rural Bulgaria and large buses may have difficulty getting to them access them. (We solve this problem for Choir Tours).

• Alex Palichev spent 25 years at the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture. Alex worked on almost every historical or cultural restoration in Bulgaria during that time and can help us see places not open to other tours.

• Because we keep the tours small, we can eat dinner at local restaurants and order off of the restaurant menus. NO dinner buffets with pre-selected menus. (Although to save time, we sometimes order quick luncheon buffets.) Bulgarian beer, wine, and the amazing “rakia” brandy are available at some dinners. They can always be purchased separately. (Choir Tours solve this problem by splitting the group up to eat at local restaurants.)

• We try and arrange for a part of each day to be free for you to explore on your own. You can visit more museums and historical sites, shop in local stores, hike or beach, or just rest.

• Between them, Nancy and Iskra know the very best places to shop and buy amber, silver, and unique local crafts.

• Local guides and translators are always available to help you.

• We don’t stay in grand hotels that separate you from the Bulgarian people. Rather we choose more intimate Bulgarian hotels where you can get to know the proprietors and fellow guests. We believe that is why you come to Bulgaria. You can stay at a Sheraton any time.

Join us for these special visits to a truly remarkable country.