Just returned from an incredible Balkans tour with Gate1 Travel and it was truly a memorable experience from start to finish. The itinerary was beautifully curated with a perfect mix of history, culture, nature, and local experiences across stunning countries and cities. The hotels, transportation, and overall organization were smooth and stress-free. Our tour managers and local guides were knowledgeable, caring, and passionate about sharing the rich stories of the Balkans. From charming old towns to breathtaking mountain and coastal views, every day felt special. A big thank you to the entire team for making this journey enjoyable, comfortable, and enriching. This was my 18th trip with Gate1, and once again they delivered a wonderful travel experience. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to explore the Balkans with confidence and ease!

I just returned from my tour to Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, and Slovenia. This was my 10th Gate1 tour. I want to send a big complement to our tour leader, Rocky. Our group of 42 was very harmonious and compatible in large part I feel to his energy and organization. And he met challenges so well, for example delays at border crossings and road construction delays. Besides being charming with a warm personality, he is from Serbia so has lived some part of the history of the area and is very well educated on the rest. I also want to acknowledge our excellent driver, Jacob. Despite all the mountain roads I felt so very safe.

My trip through the Balkans was nothing short of fantastic-from the incredible tour guide Rocky to the comfortable hotels, delicious food, and unforgettable destinations. Rocky was full of knowledge and took care of everyone. Zachia, our driver, was very kind and a careful driver. We explored beautiful places like Kotor, Podgorica, Cetinje, Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Bled Castle, Tirana, Kruja, Zagreb, and Split. While every stop had its charm, my absolute favorites were Kotor, Dubrovnik, and Split, along with the breathtaking beauty of Lake Bled, Bled Castle, and the stunning Plitvice Lakes. It was truly an unforgettable journey filled with amazing sights and experiences.

I would like to acknowledge our tour director Nikolina for her fabulous preparation and guidance. She made the trip flawless and unforgettable.

Our tour managers in Croatia were truly exceptional and made this experience unforgettable. From the very first day, they were warm, accommodating, and incredibly friendly, creating an atmosphere that felt less like a tour and more like traveling with trusted friends. Their knowledge of Croatia-its history, traditions, and everyday life-was remarkable, and they shared it with genuine passion and pride. What set them apart, however, were the personal relationships they have built with the local people. Being welcomed into homes for meals was not only humbling, but deeply meaningful. It was clear that these were not transactional stops, but real connections founded on respect and friendship. Because of this, we weren't just shown Croatia-we were invited into it. One of the most memorable and beautiful parts of this tour was the cultural immersion made possible by our guides. Through their relationships with the people we met, we were able to experience authentic hospitality, hear personal stories, and gain a true sense of daily life that you simply can't find in guidebooks. That level of access and authenticity made this trip feel incredibly special and unique. This tour exceeded all expectations, largely because of our outstanding guides and the care they put into every detail.

Trip was wonderful.... Ljubljana is a mythical city. The country Slovenia is beautiful. The people are warm and friendly. It was a special trip and the guide BENA was fantastic not only was he very, very knowledgeable and kind and caring. It was also very funny. -Made the trip very special. This was a winner!!!!

I recently returned from my trip with Gate 1 Travel, and I felt it was very important to take a moment to share my sincere appreciation for the exceptional service provided by our tour manager, Damjan, and our driver exceptionally great. From the very beginning of the trip to the very end, Damjan demonstrated the highest level of professionalism, knowledge, and care. He was incredibly well-informed about every destination we visited, and his insights truly enhanced our overall experience. What stood out the most, however, was his kindness and dedication to each and every traveler in our group. Damjan consistently went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly and that all of us were comfortable, informed, and enjoying our journey. Whether it was handling unexpected situations, offering helpful recommendations, or simply checking in to make sure everyone was doing well, he exceeded all expectations. It is rare to come across someone so genuinely committed to their work and to the people they serve. Damjan made our trip not only seamless but truly memorable.

Re: recent trip to Croatia: Damir deserves accolades. His professionalism, organization, knowledge, and kindness ranks him as my all time favorite tour guide ! He enhanced my love and travel experience to Croatia.

The most important items for any trip out of the USA are safety and knowledge. Our coach driver and tour manager, Mira, provided 100% communication on safety and knowledge at every step of the way on this trip. I could not expect anything more. They both gave this tour their best at all times. Because of their professionalism, warmth and investment in each location as well as for all of us; this trip has an excellent rating across the board! Without exception. The hotels were just great, the food terrific. No complaints at all. Thank you Gate 1 - this trip will give me many hours of great reflection of the beautiful places I saw and the extremely nice people in this group.

Just completed another trip with Gate 1, as always excellent guides and adventures. Recent trip to Croatia with guide Damir was exceptional. Damir had a excellent combination of humor, regional history, attentiveness to the whole groups individual needs, and compassion. I learned so much about Croatia through Damir's historic and personal narratives.

Edo, our 12 day Tour Guide from Albania to Slovenia was spectacular. He exceeded our every expectation - and we have high expectations, having previously traveled with Gate One and receiving excellent tour guidance. Edo's knowledge and amazing personality added so much to our traveling experience. He reinforced our decision to continue booking trips with Gate One and recommend Gate One to our friends. The local tour guides at the various stops were also superior. Their knowledge, experience, and friendliness was exceptional. Crescha, the driver of our tour bus, was equally friendly and supportive, and provide a very safe and relaxing bus touring experience.

The trip was excellent. A lot of new countries for us, all interesting and beautiful. The highlight of our experience was our tour guide Ana (and the bus driver was excellent, too). Ana made the whole experience incredibly wonderful and fulfilling which reinforces our decision to continue using GATE1 travel. What a wonderful experience!

The trip was fantastic. The hotels were very nicely chosen. No complaints here. The views were excellent and I can't say enough about our Tour Manager Bine. He was a treasure of information, very personable and made us all feel as if he was there just for each one. Our driver, Marjan, was the best, as he patiently guided our bus through the narrowest streets. I highly recommend this trip and look forward to many more experiences with Gate 1.

My recently concluded 9-day Croatia tour was exceptional. This was my first time touring with Gate 1 Travel and I will never go back to doing my international trips without Gate 1. The places we went to were all awesome and I would not be able to access and go there on my own without this tour. The comfort of the hotels we were booked in and the tourist coach to transport us from one place to another exceeded my expectations. There was also a variety of food options. Our Tour Manager, Damjan was phenomenal. He is very knowledgeable, makes every trip fun for us, always available, and he gave us so many treats local to Croatia. Kudos to Damjan!!!

This was my first trip with Gate 1 Travel, and it was fantastic. All the travel arrangements, accommodation, excursions, food and people were great. I want to give " big kudo's " to Jelena, our tour guide, she was awesome, knowledgeable, professional, helpful, organized, pleasant and very funny. Lufthansa lost my luggage and she was very helpful in helping me recover it, which was six days later. On my next trip with Gate 1 Travel, I hope Jelena will be my tour guide, she made my trip " extra special ". Also, Petrar, our bus driver, was a very safe driver, helpful, pleasant and funny. Last note, thank you for the great experience and I hope on next trip, hopefully soon, Jelena will be my tour guide, and I will have another awesome trip.

Jelena our tour guide made us fall in love with Croatia. She embraced us like family and fully immersed us in the Dalmatian culture. Due to highway construction traffic, Samir the bus driver, diverted us off the beaten path which allowed us to experience more charming Croatian towns. This bonus exceeded our expectations. I learned so much through all senses, loving every moment of it to point of thinking of migrating there. This unforgettable memory will forever remain in our hearts. Please mention this to Jelena and Samir.

Ivan was great! He was the best tour manager I have had. The dinner at Plitvice Lakes was great! Excellent food, excellent atmosphere and great staff! Best meal of the trip.

I wanted to specifically share that our Tour Manager Mira was truly wonderful! She goes above & beyond every single day with the excellent care she shows to each & every client in the group! Moreover, Robi, the driver was an excellent & very pleasant driver! God bless both of them, more! Thank you very much Gate One Travel for another wonderful experience visiting another country!

The trip to Croatia was great. The Gate1 Tour Manager was full of knowledge, courteous, friendly, and kind to the members on the trip. The Gate 1 Driver was awesome. The Gate 1Tour Guides, for each visited cities or parks were very knowledgeable, fun, and very interesting. They made the tours awesome. The arrangements from pickup and return to airport and the hotels were outstanding. Each city had beautiful scenery, shops, and restaurants. The food was awesome in hotels and restaurants visited. Gate 1 Special Dinners were very good and tasteful. I am happy my friends talked me into going on this trip and especially grateful we choose Gate 1 Travel.

We just returned from our trip to Croatia, it was a perfect trip, the towns, the local tours, the meals included in the tours, but the highlight of the trip was our tour director Duan. I have been on many Gate1 trips and have never experienced a tour director like Duan. He was organized, had extreme attention to detail, had a wonderful sense of humor, was compassionate and had an excellent knowledge of all the towns we visited. To further prove the extent of the fondness we all felt for him, on the bus ride back from the farewell dinner he asked everyone what our favorite part of the trip was, 38 people spontaneously screamed out "YOU". Before my retirement I was a manager of a large staff, if I had an employee like Duan I would do whatever I could to compensate and ensure their happiness. I respectfully suggest that you do the same! He is an unbelievable asset to your company! I could go on and on, but I'm sure you will get the same comments from others on the trip.

Just wanted to add comments about our tour leader Damian. Absolutely superb! Outstanding customer service and the knowledge of the areas toured was exceptional. Always cheerful and positive. Any challenge was handled efficiently and without panic. He put the guests first in every instance. He sets a very high bar for future group leaders I will be associated with. We had a wonderful trip. Thank you to Damian and our excellent driver Ivan as well.

Our trip to Croatia was wonderful. Our guide, Duane, was the best that we have ever had and we have had good experiences with all three guides on our Gate One tours. Everything was well planned and Duane took great care of all of us. Thanks for a wonderful tour of Croatia!

We recently returned from our trip to Croatia, and I wanted to share what a fantastic experience we had. As first-time travelers with Gate 1, we weren't sure what to expect, but Duan went above and beyond to make our journey as smooth as possible. He was truly exceptional, ensuring we were comfortable and well-informed throughout the entire trip. His knowledge, along with the thoughtful surprises he provided, made the experience very special. Other travelers in our group also commented on his outstanding service. We were thoroughly impressed and have already recommended Gate 1 to others. We look forward to planning more trips with you in the future.

OVERALL TOUR EXPERIENCE: Both the Tour Manager, Elvis, and our driver were excellent! Every check-in process went smoothly thanks to Elvis, and the hotel staffs. Outside of the Hotel Paris, our hotels were of high quality. We were not pleased to learn of extra fees charged by Lufthansa for seats. On one of our flights (Denver to Munich), the seat map that was used to select seats did not match the aircraft, resulting in us not getting the seat location that we requested. Overall, we are very appreciative of the efforts by Gate1 to provide a very enjoyable experience. HIGHLIGHTS: The Traditional Croatian dinner held at the family's farm was the highlight experience of the tour. The performers at the Slovenian meal, and the group hat dance were a lot of fun. Prior to entering the National Park in Croatia, we had lunch at a remote site. We enjoyed the hosts, and the meal. The evening we spent with our local guide in Tirana, Albania was very educational. The day spent in Kruje, Albania, was well done. Our tour guide led us through the museum; and we were entertained by a talented group of performers and dancers.

Just wanted to submit kudos for our Balkans Tour Manager, Damir. His knowledge, respect, and passion for the history and varied cultures of the region were outstanding. Often, I fall asleep on the bus, but I found Damir's history lessons, cultural explanations, and personal stories to be so engaging that I stayed wide awake and engaged, despite the jet lag. Additionally, he ran a tight ship which kept us punctual and maximized our independent time. He also created a lot of additional fun moments, which made the group bond in a way that I haven't experienced on other tours. Damir was the epitome of professionalism and turned this vacation into one of my all-time favorites!

Just want to personally commend Damir, our amazing, funny, and super knowledgeable guide who made our Croatia trip over the top, and the best Gate One experience by far! Looking forward to our next adventure to Dubai!

One of my favorite Gate1 Vacations. Nikolina, the guide was the best we've ever had and the same for the driver, Egor, and the coach was so new, clean and comfortable. The hotels, food, optional tours, and local guides were all wonderful. We met so many nice people on the tour that will become lifetime friends Thank you for everything.

I just want to add a special thanks to our tour director, Jelena, who was outstanding. She provided a detailed and professional overview for each of the four nations we visited, and in the case of Serbia, her own nation, she provided an invaluable perspective of what it was like to grow up during a horrible civil war and watch her nation re-emerge as a nation state in the years that followed. Her management of the tour was flawless; she had a great personality. Gate 1 is very fortunate to have her as a tour director.

Jakov was fantastic! He was knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and caring. He made the trip exponentially better. His knowledge and love of the country was wonderful and endearing. He was an excellent communicator and made us feel informed and safe. He was always on time and was happy to interact and answer questions at any time during the trip. I would love to have him as my guide again! Our driver - Silvie - was also fantastic. He was very helpful and made us feel safe. And that was not easy on some of those narrow, windy roads! He always made a point to stop or slow down for us to take photos or see something special. He was also super helpful with the luggage and was very friendly. I could not ask for a better guide or driver than we had with Jakov and Silvie.

The trip was amazing! I think it might be my best Gate 1 yet! Croatia is a beautiful country. I love the mix of history, current life and the blending of cultures. Nicolo, our guide, was AMAZING! So was Samir our bus driver. Their concerns for our safety, comfort, enjoyment and cohesiveness made every better better than the one before it!

Our tour manager Nikoleta was a major contributing factor associated with our Slovenian trip. I consider this trip to be one of my favorite Gate1 adventures. Nikoleta is a gem!!

The 14-day Croatia, Bosnia & Slovenia with Venice tour was my third trip with Gate 1. Even though this was a Classic tour with more than twice the number of travelers than my previous Discovery Tours, everything ran smoothly and the group dynamics were fantastic. Our Tour Manager, Josip, was excellent. His knowledge, organizational skills and humor were top notch. He was very attentive to individual needs and questions. The amazing clear waters of the Adriatic Sea, the water falls and spectacular Fall colors in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, and the Postonja Cave are only a few of the highlights. Definitely worth revisiting in other seasons!

Our tour manager Edo was truly outstanding. Everything about our tour was orchestrated in a most professional way, yet his wonderful personality created a perfect atmosphere for learning and enjoyment. Edo is extremely knowledgeable about the Balkans and all the places we visited and explained everything so well. His patience and kindness were evident as he interacted with all 41 of us. Having Edo as our tour manager truly made the trip a fantastic experience it was.

My husband & I thoroughly enjoyed the Gate 1 8 day Croatian Islands walking tour! This trip by far has been my most favorite one out of the four I have been on. Our tour managers, Vanja & Vana were exceptional! They made sure everyone in the group was safe at all times, and also created a fun & interesting atmosphere. The trails we covered were challenging as described, but having Vanja & Vana lead us along, made them more manageable. They both deserve the highest praise and recognition for not only being true professionals, but also for being kind, considerate and outstanding people. Thank you to both of them and thanks to Gate 1 for this fantastic trip!

I've been on several Gate 1 trips. This one rates at the very top of all. We had only 20 in the group and it was amazing how we all got along and became dear friends. But the icing on the cake was our trip manager, Dusan! He is so knowledgeable about the area, and so customer oriented. He has great communication skills, and is just the nicest, happiest and caring tour manager I've ever had. He represents Gate 1 beautifully. So much so that my sister is planning a trip to Romania next spring because Dusan will be the tour manager. The optional tours were great as usual. The accommodations were always very easily accessible (not miles away like with some tour companies) and all the meals were great.

This was our 8th Gate 1 trip, and we feel it was the best one ever. Our guides, Blaz in Slovenia, and Vivi in Padua were caring, kind, and made us all feel special, safe, and had such wonderful personalities. Everyone on both parts of our trip felt the same. Thank you for the gift of this trip. The tours were all interesting and lovely, and both of our tour guides went over and above with us each day.

Our Tour Managers, Ivan and Alan were excellent. In my opinion, they went above and beyond being helpful, knowledgeable and empathetic to our needs. You should be proud to have such exceptional Tour Managers in your employ.......do not loose them!!!

Aside from being extremely knowledgeable and informative about all the sites that were visited on this tour, Tour Guide Damir provided an extra element to ensure that each traveler had an outstanding experience. Whether it was his concern for and attention to ailing travelers, providing recommendations and suggestions for free time activities, or in my case celebrating a birthday, his attention to detail and his pleasant demeanor was much appreciated and added that special touch to this trip. He is an outstanding tour manager.

Just back from the Discovery Tour of Slovenia, Croatia and the Dalmatian Islands. Nikoletta was our tour guide, and she was fantastic. She was knowledgeable, kind, informative and she made the trip stress free from start to finish. Every tour we took was wonderful, the scenery was breathtaking, and we had some free time to explore what interested us. I highly recommend this tour.

Just want to let you know that our Tour Manager, Damjan, was excellent. He was friendly, very professional, and knew so much about the history of the places he took us to. He is a credit to Gate 1 Travel.

We completed the survey but wanted to add our thoughts about the tour program. Most every answer was excellent - it was a memorable and well-managed trip. They say the best party was the host and our "host" - Milos - was an excellent tour director. He was amazing, his knowledge was remarkable, his personality engaging and his ability to make each guest feel special and included was exceptional. He treated us as family and offered personal experiences to enrich our tours. He was always respectful, took time to listen and allowed us, as a group, to decide options. We owe Milos so much as he made each day special and memorable. And I must mention that our driver Željko, he was the most responsible and congenial driver we have ever had the privilege to share a motor coach with. Great guy, smooth and safe driver, any request honored -- a true professional. Kudos to him and again our host Milos. Gate 1 is lucky to have these two professionals who reflect your reputation and marketing promises made. When we book another tour program with Gate 1, I hope to have this dynamic duo at the helm.

Zjelijko and Mate were excellent hosts/guides. I will travel again with Gate 1 because of their expertise. Zeljko has a compelling combination of being a professor, an athlete, and a detail-oriented tour manager. His ability to share stories of Croatian economic, historical, agricultural, and environmental issues is exceptional. He took great care to ensure that guests were hiking within their abilities, and he provided opportunities for both faster and slower guests to travel at their own pace. Zjelijko's humor was compelling. Mate exuded positivity and humor as well. His knowledge of marine biology and Croatian culture was appreciated. Indeed, their compassion for guests, knowledge, and athleticism are outstanding-many thanks to them for a memorable, fun, and instructional week.

The 8-day Croatian Walking/Hiking tour was everything we hoped for. Beautiful sights, hiking adventures, lovely accommodations and new friends. Our guide Vonja, kept a group of 20 hikers of varying abilities together and happy. She make transitions to ferries and hotels smooth and effortless. She deserves special recognition.

I want to say this trip was PERFECT! the variety of locations to visit, the quality of the hotels, the incredible tour guide Vlaho and our driver Jeko. It was all wonderful. Our tour guide was very skilled in ensuring harmony with the group. We had a mix of newbies and seasoned Gate 1 travelers, and the expectations were all over the place and Vlaho navigated it all with exemplary diplomacy and finesse. We all felt like a very big family very soon after starting the adventure together. Vlaho was so funny and kept the atmosphere very light and fun. I believe this on my list was one of the most wonderful adventures and I cannot wait for my next one. I know I will be back in Croatia for more. 10 days was not enough.

We enjoyed a wonderful first-time tour experience with Gate1 Travel and will plan to participate in future tours! We were most impressed with our tour Manager, Mario! Mario was so well organized and was an excellent communicator. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history and culture over the entire 12-day, 3 country itineraries. More importantly, his ever-pleasing personality and extra steps to ensure his guests' comfort and security along the way were most satisfying. He is a great asset to Gate1 and is a big part of our plan to book our next adventure. I need to add that our driver, Alex, was truly amazing and skillful in his operation of our bus tour along the way. We always felt safe and in good hands as he expertly navigated many narrow and busy roads. Thank you, Alex!