Welcome to Balkan Tracks
Responsible tourism in the Southern Balkans
Discover somewhere new
Where people have
lived for millennia
Home to some of Europe's finest plants and animals
Guided in small groups by the people who live here
and peace of mind
Your holiday with us is protected by UK and EU laws, the most important being the Package Tour Regulation.
You can read our quick guide about how these laws protect you here.
Nature
Culture
Eco-tours
We offer relaxed, small group tours, with no more than seven people, to natural and cultural monuments around the borders of four Balkan countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and North Macedonia.
Our managing director lived in the region for many years, working for an environmental organisation in Prespa and exploring the nooks and crannies that few have toured since Byron, Lear and Leigh Fermor.
For guides. we work with local ecologists, many of them working in the field as ornithologists and mammologists – monitoring large carnivores, designing management plans for nature reserves or whole conservation projects for species like the Egyptian vulture. They, in turn, select a cast of local folk to help them show you around their home.
Discover somewhere new with us.
Secrets of ...
Birds PLUS
Albania, Lesvos, Prespa, Ohrid, Rhodope.
Some are known to a select group of nature lovers.
Some of these places aren’t known at all.
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Kerkini.
Laid-back, gentle walks where we marvel in the scenery
and enjoy what happens to fly by.
a conservation tour with PPNEA
Cost:
from £1,645
Days:
8
Group:
4-6
Walking:
Gentle
Dates:
25 Apr - 2 May 2020
24 Apr - 1 May 2021
Wallcreepers, tombs & castles
Cost:
from £1,495
Days:
8
Group:
4-7
Walking:
Gentle
Dates:
07 May - 14 May 2020
tbc - May 2021
Island of birds, orchids & walks
Cost:
from £1,695
Days:
9
Group:
3-7
Walking:
Gentle
Dates:
21 Apr - 29 Apr 2020
19 Apr - 27 Apr 2021
Spring migration in full force
Cost:
from £1,695
Days:
8
Group:
4-7
Walking:
Gentle
Dates:
21 Mar - 28 Mar 2020
tbc - Mar 2021
3 countries, 3 lakes, 1000s of species
Cost:
from £1,695
Days:
9
Group:
4-7
Walking:
Gentle
Dates:
06 Jun - 14 Jun 2020
20 Jun - 28 Jun 2020
Warblers, shrikes & waterbirds
Cost:
from £1,295
Days:
7
Group:
4-7
Walking:
Gentle
Dates:
07 May - 13 May 2020
tbc - May 2021
Bird & mammal ecology
Cost:
from £1,545
Days:
8
Group:
4-6
Walking:
Medium
Dates:
02 Nov - 09 Nov 2020
26 Sep - 03 Oct 2021
Dalmatian pelican wonderland
Cost:
from £1,195
Days:
6
Group:
4-7
Walking:
Gentle
Dates:
25 Jan - 31 Jan 2020
tbc - Jan 2021
Click map
Click map
The region is a hotspot for all sorts of wildlife.
Just Prespa, an area smaller than London, has more than 1,800 species of plant, 200 species of bird and 160 species of butterfly. If you add in the nearby Ohrid and Kerkini lakes, and Mts Olympos and Kaimaktsalan, then these numbers keep rising.
For butterflies in Europe, only the Alps and Pyrenees can compete (see map below). But here you'll be walking in places that very few people visit.
Why are the Southern Balkans so special for nature?
Habitats. The region has a vast collection of habitats, which are very close together. In one day you can easily visit Ramsar wetlands and lakeshores, alpine meadows and ancient forests, caves and cliffs. All home to different species.
You can find out more about the region's nature on our Nature Pages.
Since 2005 we've been working, living and travelling around a corner of the Balkans on the borders of Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and fYR* of Macedonia.
The borders intersect giant lakes and sit on the crossroads of huge mountain ranges.
Dalmatian pelican (c) T. Kastritis
Where are we?
Man has lived here through the rise and fall of various empires and wars. The mountains are dotted with monasteries and mosques, and the ruins of Roman cities and wartime battlements.
Traditional farming has played a positive and important role over time in shaping the habitats that give the region its diverse wildlife.
Learn more about the religious sites, architecture and traditional way of life in our Culture Section.
We work with friends & colleagues in the region to offer you Responsible Eco-Tour.
Whether you want to see nature, culture, or mix them both, we like to follow the same structure:
1. INTERPRETATION
We don't just show you nature. You'll see the whole ecosystem and human history; how everything interacts.
2. WORKING WITH LOCALS
Whenever possible, local residents show you their home and tell their stories. Farmers, fishermen, beekeepers, rangers.
3. DIALOGUE
We only offer tours for small groups, so you can chat with locals, in the field or at dinner, via translators in each country.
Many of our visitors design tailor-made tours.
Choosing their own:
- group size
- dates
- hotels
- pace
- ratio of Natural and Cultural site
You can visit our custom tour builder here >
If you're in the region already,
or there's a particular species or place you'd like to see, you can book our guides on a half or daily basis, subject to their availability.
Send us an email at info@balkantracks.com with your request
