Balkan Beats | EXIT and Sea Dance Festival

The history, culture and underground nightlife are what makes the Balkans a unique part of Europe. This is why we have chosen this destination to spend 15 days on our tour that runs from Serbia to Croatia. In-between you have a cheeky affair with not one but two amazing music festivals; EXIT Music Festival in Serbia and Sea Dance Music Festival in Montenegro. These festivals are home to some of the biggest names in music from Disclosure to Guns and Roses. Come with us on a journey through the Balkans and visit the home of some of the most beautiful people in the world (in our opinion). Experience locations that have only, in recent decades started to find their identity and believe us when we say they have! From the underground music scene in Belgrade, the beauty and serenity of Sarajevo, to the pumping beach parties in Budva. Our 15 day Balkan Beats tour is definitely not one to miss. What’s included? Our own Transport for the 14 days through Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Croatia Tickets to EXIT Music Festival and Sea Dance Music Festival 14 nights accommodation Not one, but two trained Beats Travel guides full of local knowledge Your own Beats Travel opening and closing parties Optional walking tours [b]Day 1[/b] We get things going our Balkan Beats journey in Split. After a few welcome drinks we get on our way, heading up the coast to the beautiful Roman town of Zadar. After checking into our accommodation, we’ll experience Zadar’s famous sunset before sipping cocktails at one of the most well known lounge bars in the area. [b]Day 2[/b] We depart Zadar and head to Belgrade; a city whose rich underground culture is in full flight. From the artistic and political graffiti that colour the streets to the amazing nightlife that in our eyes rivals Berlin. Here we’ll try some famous homemade Rakija: a Balkan drink that will become a good friend of yours over the next 14 days. Later, we will head down to the Sava River to experience what Serbia is really about with some delicious traditional cuisine before making our way to the river barges. It is here where we will kick off our tour with a Pre-EXIT warm up party hosted by us and involving many of the hostels around Belgrade. [b]Day 3[/b] Today it is time for you guys to explore Belgrade, ‘Beograd’, as the locals call it, and see what this beautiful and damaged city is all about. Today we will explore some of the grand Serbian history at Belgrade’s Kalemegdan Fortress and some other amazing attractions.In the afternoon you have the option to attend an underground walking tour and get the chance to see Belgrade through the eyes of a young local. At night, it's your choice whether you want to head back out for another night or save yourself for the upcoming festival, we will be there to help you out. [b]Day 4-7[/b] Today we head for the big one. EXIT Music Festival! EXIT Festival is held in the small city of Novisad an hour or two from Belgrade, Serbia. The festival has been up and running since the year 2000 and each year gets progressively bigger and better. Not only is it held in a fortress above the Danube River, but it has also played host to a number of big names that will blow your mind. EXIT has, in our opinion, rightly been named as Europe’s Best Major Music Festival at recent festival award ceremonies. Let us give you a taster of some of the artists that have played recently at EXIT over the six different stages! For the first night of the festival, we will have some Pre-Exit drinks with the group and then head to the fortress for the opening night! The morning after, we wake up, wash off our hangovers and discuss the previous nights antics before heading back to the festival to repeat it over and over again! If you want to visit Novisad in the day time it has lots to offer from the local beach on the Danube where the day party kicks off with local DJs, to wandering the quaint and colourful streets of the city centre. [b]Day 8[/b] Time to leave Novisad and all the EXIT craziness behind you for now and for us to arrive in the incredible capital of Bosnia, Sarajevo. This city is not to be missed with its amazing history and Ottoman influenced culture. After settling into our accommodation we will go for dinner at a traditional Bosnian restaurant and then relax in a nearby bar to enjoy a good old Turkish delight or experience a smoke on the Shisha pipe. [b]Day 9[/b] Today is a day for wandering and exploring the historic city of Sarajevo, to experience Bosnia and what it has to offer. You will have time to check out some of the home made goods and markets or we can hook you up with an optional walking tour that will tell you about the history of Sarajevo, including the famous assassination of Franz Ferdinand and a tour of the tunnel that was built during the war of Yugoslavia in the 1990’s. After a day of touring or relaxing in town, we will take you out to experience some of the Bosnian nightlife and Balkan music that Sarajevo does so well. [b]Day 10[/b] We leave Sarajevo and head down south to Montenegro. Time to get your beach on and get ready for the second part of your festival experience with Sea Dance! We will arrive in Budva, a town on the coast of the Adriatic Sea and will spend our first day checking out (and lounging on) the beaches. In the evening we will have a Beats BBQ and a few drinks on the rooftop terrace of our accommodation in preparation for Sea Dance Festival the next day. [b]Day 11-13[/b] Chill in the day and prepare yourselves: at night it all begins! Sea Dance is a three-day beach party held at one of the most beautiful Adriatic beaches, Jaz Beach. Sea Dance was started in 2014 and as it was such as success the past two years, it is back for another year! With 2015 hosting artists such as Prodigy and strong partnerships with labels such as The Sound You Need and UKF, you can see why this festival has returned again for 2016. For the 3 days of the festival we stay in Budva and the option is yours of how much you party and how much you explore. We will be there every day to give you options of different restaurants to try, different bars to pre-drink at and different locations to explore such as the beautiful forts in the historic old town. [b]Day 14[/b] We leave Budva in the morning and head for our final destination: Split, Croatia. On our way, we will check out one of the most spectacular places in the world, Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is known as the Pearl of The Adriatic; for its beauty and strength and for a lot of people will be recognised as a popular filming location from the hit show; Game of Thrones;. We will wander the amazing old town and fortress before heading on to Split. In true Beats Travel style, we are going to go out with a bang. In the late afternoon we will hold our closing party in Split Old Town and (of course) have a few cheeky surprises up our sleeve to finish off our 15 days together before we head our separate ways the next morning. [b]Day 15[/b] Unfortunately, this morning we say our farewells with our sore heads, tired eyes and a lifetime of memories. After breakfast we will head our separate ways and hopefully run into each other again, somewhere off the beat.