THE BALKANS
Sep 4 – 17, 2026
PRICE
$3,900
DURATION
14 DAYS / 13 NIGHTS
GROUP MAX
8 PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Fall-like, 60F-80F
TOUR OVERVIEW
SLOVENIA, CROATIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, MONTENEGRO
Take a journey through FOUR overlooked yet beautiful countries, each fascinating in its own right. Start with the natural beauty of the Lake Bled district in Slovenia, followed by Ljubljana and Zagreb, the Plitvice Lakes National Park, Split and the Croatian islands, Mostar and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, and ending in the beautiful walled city of Dubrovnik.
TOUR LEADER
Terry Giansanti
TOUR PRICE
$3,900
8 SPACES LEFT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
DAY 1 • • •
Arrive in Ljubljana. We recommend arriving one day earlier. Transfer to Lake Bled area. Orientation and brief exploration. Have a group welcome dinner. Stay in the Lake Bled area for 2 nights.
DAY 2 • • •
Explore the Lake Bled area all day long. Walk around Lake Bled, take a pletna boat ride, and also go up to Bled Castle. Possible trip to the Soteska Vintgar gorge.
DAY 3 • • •
Depart Lake Bled for Ljubljana, where we tour the old city and wander its cobbled streets. Visit the Riverside Market area and the National and University Library. In the afternoon, drive to Zagreb. Sleep in Zagreb for 1 night.
DAY 4 • • •
Spend the morning touring Zagreb with a local Deaf guide. Visit landmarks and learn more about the history of Croatia and its part in the Yugoslavian war. In the afternoon, we will drive to a small town near our next day’s adventure. Visit the cute town of Rostoke. Stay overnight in Slunj.
DAY 5 • • •
Get up bright and early to visit the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a world-famous attraction well known for its stunning scenery and countless waterfalls. We will take a long hike through the park. Afterwards we continue on to Split. Sleep in Split for 2 nights.
DAY 6 • • •
Visit Diocletian’s Palace in central Split. Afterwards, go to Trogir to enjoy the beautiful old town center.
DAY 7 • • •
Take the morning ferry from Split to Hvar and tour Hvar all day. Return to the mainland via the Sucuraj – Drevnik ferry. Drive on to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sleep in Mostar for three nights.
DAY 8 • • •
Morning tour of Mostar with a local deaf Bosnian. In the afternoon go to visit Medugorje which is a famous Catholic pilgrimage site, then cool off with a swim at the Kravica Waterfalls if you desire.
DAY 9 • • •
Take a long day trip to Sarajevo to visit the highlights of the city with a local deaf guide. Return to Mostar in the evening.
DAY 10 • • •
Visit Blagaj and its house of the Whirling Dervishes on our way to Montenegro. Upon our arrival in Kotor Bay, we stop to have lunch at a romantic mill farm. We then continue on to the old town of Kotor. Stay in Kotor for two nights.
DAY 11 • • •
We get on a full-day private Kotor Bay Cruise, which will touch on the highlights of the UNESCO- recognized Bay of Kotor. We visit the Blue Cave, the old towns of Kotor and Perast, the °Our Lady of the Rocks” island, and much more.
DAY 12 • • •
Depart Montenegro towards Dubrovnik. Stop by the town of Cavtat for a stroll on the waterfront, then go up the mountain for an eagle’s eye view over Dubrovnik. Evening orientation walk in the old walled town of Dubrovnik. Sleep in Dubrovnik for two nights.
DAY 13 • • •
Our last day of this trip will be a relaxing day in Dubrovnik. We can take the ferry to nearby Lokrum Island, or simply lounge in the old town. Group farewell dinner in the evening.
DAY 14 • • •
We transfer to the Dubrovnik airport for your departure flights.
- 13 nights in 3-star accommodations.
- 15 meals: Breakfast (12), Lunch (1), Dinner (2)
- Services of a deaf Tour Leader on call 24 hours a day.
- Services of local deaf and/or hearing guides.
- All transportation expenses.
- All admission fees for attractions and museums mentioned in the itinerary.
- Most tips, except for your Tour Leader.
- Informative travel preparation packet.
- Pre-tour and/or post-tour itinerary consultation.
- $100 discount per person on your next regular tour.
- Domestic and/or international airfares.
- All other meals not mentioned in the itinerary and personal expenses.
- Travel Insurance.
- Any COVID-19 related tests.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MoreTOUR LEADER
Terry Giansanti
TOUR PRICE
$3,900
8 SPACES LEFT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MorePRICE
$3,900
DURATION
14 DAYS / 13 NIGHTS
GROUP MAX
8 PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
Moderate
WEATHER
Fall-like, 60F-80F
GALLERY
Got a Question?
First, please scroll through our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have further questions or need help with a specific topic, feel free to contact us! Thank you.
RESERVATION
Spots are based on a first come, first serve basis. A $500 deposit per person is required to reserve your space and can be paid with a debit or credit card. Alternative payment options include personal check or wire transfer. After registration, you will receive an automatic email response with further instructions. Full payment is due 90 days before the start of your tour.
Absolutely yes! You can contact us by clicking this link and fill out the form and we will get back to you. Above all, we want to make your tour a memorable one for your group.
HOT is proud of the three distinct reasons that allow it to be different from other tour companies: they use sign language exclusively, travel in small groups which provide an intimate experience while also having more flexibility on their schedule, and spend time visiting places they love versus wasting time at places where there wasn’t much interest..
Generally, all tours will provide accommodations in double rooms with private bathrooms and breakfast, transportation expenses including lunch and dinner (depending on the itinerary), museum entrance fees along with a $100 credit towards your next full tour. In addition we provide you with information about each specific tour so that you can be fully aware of what is included.
We will be happy to assist you with a custom-designed tour, tailored towards your preferences. If not, stay up to date by joining our mailing list in order for us to provide you with any future tours that we may have availability for.
Did you know that we have travel consultants who can assist you? You can go to our Travel Consulting page for more information. The best way to accomplish this would be to seek out friends and/or family members (usually in order of 6 people) so they will lower the costs significantly, or advertise open spots on your tour publicly. We also have discounts, and some other advantages! What’s more- we are able to lower the level of accommodations as well as remove extras all together which make it feasible for a low cost.
It is often easier for us to permit single travelers when it comes time to sign up for our tours. If you are unable to find a partner and need assistance, please contact us as we may have singles available on the list- pending your approval first. There are some tours that allow exceptions for those seeking not only with partners but also without them too!
If somebody backs out, please register on our wait list or contact us directly so that we can put you on the wait list for a similar tour. We will also keep your name up to date with our latest tours and alerts about similar upcoming trips in order to give you a chance at joining them.
TRAVEL PROTECTION
Hands On Travel recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. To learn more about how to help protect you and your trip investment, visit the following link: TRAVEL PROTECTION
Don’t hesitate. We will stay in touch with you from the date of deposit until your arrival at the starting point of your tour, to make sure that all is well before departure. You can contact us via phone or e-mail any time for questions and we will remain in communication throughout your trip!
BILLING
No, we do not charge any extra fees or fuel surcharges. The listed price is the price you pay. Including tax.
You can find this under our Terms & Conditions. If you find it necessary to cancel your confirmed tour reservation, you must notify HOT about it by e-mail. You may transfer your space to another suitable person or request us to seek replacements. If your replacement is found, HOT will, at its discretion depending on the time frame, refund your deposits/payments or apply it towards a future Hands on Travel tour that is to be taken no more than 3 years after the dates of the original tour. If your replacement is not found, the cancellation of your reservation will become effective and the following charges will apply: (a) if cancelled more than 90 days before the first day of the tour, all installment or additional payments will be refunded to you minus the non-refundable deposit of US $500 per person and any non-refundable payments that HOT has made to suppliers. (b) if cancelled less than 90 days before the first day of the tour, no refunds will be made.
Since tour prices are quoted as a package, no partial refunds can be made for the unused portion of any tour including lodging, meals, or any other items that are included in the tour price. This does not apply to those who wish to participate in only a portion of a tour. In this case, we can pro-rate costs for the unused days.
After registration, you will receive an automatic email reply with further instructions. A $500 per person booking deposit is required to reserve your spot on the trip and can be paid by personal check, credit card and/or wire transfer. Full payment is due no less than 90 days before the start of the trip.
If you need to cancel or postpone your trip 3 or more months before the start, all monies paid will be refunded minus the $500 non-refundable deposit. You can also transfer the entire amount of your deposit to be used for a later trip if we are able to find replacements.
DURING THE TOUR
Big coach buses separate us from local people. We fail to experience or understand the “hands on” lives of locals.
We started out as a walking tour company. Walking offers close-up experiences with local people and hidden gems to discover.
It’s much easier to communicate full to everyone in semi-circle and make sign language 100% accessible. No more missing what is being said.
We’d be able to dine in smaller, cozier and unique restaurants that would offer a local culinary experience unlike large, tourist-oriented restaurants. And, we’d be able to stay at smaller accommodations in prime locations unlike large chain hotels outside the city limits.
We strive to include local guides for certain days to promote maximum cultural experience as well as exchange deaf-related insights.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
