Bună Ziua! Welcome to Bucharest. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm today. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask reception where it will take place. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader. Often called the 'Little Paris of the Balkans', Romania's capital is known for its Belle Epoch architecture, thumping nightlife and communist sites. It also likes things big – it’s home to one of Europe's biggest squares and its Palace o...

This morning take an early bus to the provincial city of Tulcea (approx 5 hours), in Romania's east. Located on the banks of the mighty Danube River, Tulcea is a typical Romanian working class town. Upon arrival, you’ll embark on a short orientation walk down to the river's promenade. This has been an important harbour city since ancient times, where the Danube empties out into the Black Sea. Its position has seen it under Byxzantine, Genoese, and Ottoman rule before being reabsorbed in Romania at the end of the 19th century. This afternoon there is the option for you to visit 14th-century Enisala Fortress, which tells the tale of when Genovese merchants controlled the travel and trade routes to the Black Sea. It also boasts fine views across the arid, atmospheric landscape of Dobrogea. With any free time you could also visit ...

Today, head out on a full-day excursion to the remote Danube Delta. This is a UNESCO protected area of ecologically significant lagoons, channels and marshes – one of the largest wetland areas in the world, and one that’s a paradise for birds. There are around 30 different ecosystems in this area of 4,152 square kilometres, putting it just behind the Galapagos and Great Barrier Reef in terms of biodiversity. This is the place where the Danube empties into the Black Sea after journeying 2,860 kilometres through ten countries. The Delta is also home to over 300 species of bird, so keep your eyes peeled for the avifauna that live around the floating reed islands, tree-fringed lakes, pastures, forests, sand dunes, and narrow canals lined with trees. The boat ride also gives you the opportunity to see local life from a unique pers...

This morning, travel by private transport to the border of Moldova and on to Comrat, the provincial capital of the Republic of Gagauzia (approximately 7,5 hours - depending on the Danube ferry and the border crossing). A small strip of land, Gagauzia once vied for independence from Moldova alongside Transnistria, but gave up its aspirations when it was granted a special legal status in 1994. The official name is now Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia. Gagauzia is home to Turkic-speaking people. Theories vary as to why, but many believe that Gagauzians are descendants of Seljuk Turks who migrated here in the 13th century. When you arrive, take some time to wander around the compact town centre. Walk down the main street, still named after Lenin, and see the statue of the revolutionary leader that stands paradoxically near a...

After breakfast, you’ll make your way to Chisinau, Moldova's bustling capital city (approximately 2 hours). Upon arrival, head out on a guided walk around town and visit the buzzing local produce market, where you can barter for your lunch. Chisinau is a perfect example of a city almost entirely rebuilt in a Stalinist style with pre-manufactured concrete slabs, as it was completely destroyed by three events within two years: Soviet occupation and an earthquake in 1940, and then the takeover of the city by the Nazis in 1941. While Soviet high-rise buildings dominate the city, there is a wide main boulevard (named after the great medieval king Stephan III of Moldovia) which bisects two large green parks and along which the main museums and sights lie. You can wander through the central park to the Victory Memorial of the Soviet ...

Head out of town to the little village of Orheiul Vechi, where you'll visit archaeological sites and a 14th-century monastery (approximately 1 hour). This is the country’s most important historical site, a World Heritage site that’s also a place of remote, stark beauty. Here through the ages the Răut River has carved its way through the landscape, creating a valley with high rocky ridges that served as an easily defendable site to settle. Archaeological excavations have uncovered remains of ruins and fortifications estimated to date back as far as the 6th century BC. The most impressive and memorable sights here relate to its use as a religious site. Atop one of the hills is the church of the Ascension of St. Mary, which has some interesting murals inside, but the real treat is the cave monastery. Below a squat bell tower is...

An early morning drive (approximately 3 hours) takes you across the border into Tiraspol, the capital of the breakaway republic of Transnistria. This thin strip of land east of the Dniester River, officially known the Prednistrovie Moldovan Republic (PMR), declared independence after the Soviet Union broke into pieces, and unlike Gagauzia, is continuing the fight to this day. Transnistria is only recognised as an independent entity by other unrecognised former Soviet breakaway republics. It is, however, 'de-facto independent' from Moldova – with its own parliament, police force, currency, and coat of arms among other things – and still upholds Soviet values. In 2014 the head of the Transnistrian parliament asked to join the Russian Federation. Upon arrival, head out on an orientation walk around town along October 25th Street...

Today is a free day for you to experience this unusual city. Explore the memorials and the military-themed Museum of Headquarters, check out the impressive House of Soviets (Parliament) building, or visit the golden domed Nativity Church. Perhaps head to the bridge at riverside De Wollant Park for panoramic photos of the river and downtown Tiraspol, or embark on a boat tour along the Dniester River itself. You could also take a trip a short distance outside the city to the regional town of Bender, in the buffer zone between Transnistria and Moldova. Here you can drop by the 16th century Ottoman Tighina Fortress, an impressively stout construction on the right bank of the Dniester River. The three miles of walls are dotted with defensive towers and gates, all topped with bright red conical roofs. There’s also a huge local produ...

A train ride today will take you across the border to Odessa, Ukraine, another underrated gem located on the Black Sea (approximately 2.5 hours). The city was founded at the end of the 18th century by Russian ruler Catherine the Great, who sought to create an architectural getaway on the sea shore. Russian aristocrats flocked to this city of Baroque and Renaissance buildings and shady tree-lined streets to cool off in the summer, and today many sun lovers still make their way to this cosmopolitan city for the sandy beaches. The great buildings were neglected during the Soviet years, but now much of the fine plaster and marble work has been restored to its former glory. After an orientation walk with the group, wander down Primorskiy Boulevard, where Babushkas shuffle alongside fashionable mum, and make sure you check out the fa...

Today is a free day to explore the pretty town of Odessa and it's surroundings. Take your time to stroll around the streets and admire the Neoclassical and Baroque buildings – the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre is grand enough to rival any in Central Europe, with rococo style columns, arches, sculptures and intricate mouldings. Wander down the pedestrian Deribasovskaya Street and feel the history, then stop the nearby Sculpture Garden at the Literary Museum, where a new statue is unveiled every year. To see a completely different side to the city, head to the unique underground Museum of Partisan Glory 12 kilometres outside the city. Odessa is built on limestone, and much of it was carved out during the construction of the city in the 1800s. This left some 2,500 kilometres of labyrinthine catacombs running beneath ...

Upon your early morning arrival into Kiev, drop your luggage at the hotel and embark on an orientation walk around this magnificent city. Many travellers say that Kiev is a diamond in the raw, just waiting to be discovered. The city boasts a vibrant energy through it politics, art, and culture, and it’s a place where Soviet grandeur is mixed in with medieval architecture and religious monuments. Make sure you visit the 11th-century Lavra Monastery overlooking the Dnieper River. The exterior of the ‘Monastery of the Caves’ is visually stunning, with tiered frescos of Saints and towers topped by bright gold domes that glisten in the sun. It’s also a wonder underneath, with kilometres of catacombs below where reclusive monks worshipped, studied, lived and died, their bodies preserved by the caves' cool temperature and dry atmo...

Today you will head out of town on a full-day trip to Chernobyl. At the Dytyatky checkpoint, which sits on the edge of the 30-kilometre Exclusion Zone (the circle drawn around the town after the 1986 accident), you’ll meet your guide. In Chernobyl and after a short introductory briefing, embark on an atmospheric tour of the town, passing the robots and vehicles used to clean the radioactive fallout. Then, after another checkpoint, hear the slight click-click of the Geiger counter while you stand in front of Reactor Number 4, where a new sarcophagus is being built. The undisputed highlight of today is the visit to the ghost town of Pripyat, where Chernobyl workers were rapidly evacuated 36 hours after the disaster. There’ll be time to explore Lenin Street, the main square, the Palace of Culture, Polissya Hotel, a supermarket, ...

Today your expedition comes to an end. As no activities are planned, you are free to depart your accommodation at any time. There is so much to see and do in and around Kiev, so you may want to consider extending your stay here. We are happy to book additional accommodation for you, subject to availability. Please enquire at the time of booking.