A Visit to Bulmanipestan

BULgaria + roMANIa + budaPESt + four sTANs = Bulmanipestan, my first big adventure of 2026. And I am leaving in just four days! I’m ready to get moving again after almost three months at home.

Here are all the details:

En route

Wednesday, March 18
Fly to Mexico City

Viva VB1065
Depart GDL 15:55
Arrive MEX 17:15
Check in: Camino Real Aeropuerto México

Thursday, March 19
Fly Mexico City to Istanbul

Turkish Airlines TK189
Depart MEX 05:30

Bulgaria

Friday, March 20
Fly Istanbul to Sofia

Arrive IST 06:15
Turkish Airlines TK1027
Depart IST 08:30
Arrive SOF 08:45
Check in: Grand Hotel Sofia
Day at leisure

Saturday, March 21
Sofia

Free day in Sofia

Sunday, March 22
Sofia

Start tour: OAT Eastern Balkan Experience
Walking tour of Sofia’s Old Town
Welcome dinner with group 

Monday, March 23
Plovdiv

Depart Sofia
Rila Monastery
Plovdiv
Check in: Hilton Plovdiv Center

Tuesday, March 24
Plovdiv

Walking tour of Plovdiv

Wednesday, March 25
Veliko Tarnovo

Depart Plovdiv
Stop for lunch in Kazanlak
Arrive in Veliko Tarnovo
Check in: Hotel Gurko

Thursday, March 26
Veliko Tarnovo

Walking tour of Veliko Tarnovo
Visit to Arbanassi
Samovodska Charshiya market square

Romania

Friday, March 27
Bucharest

Depart Veliko Tarnovo
Stop for lunch in Ruse
Arrive in Bucharest
Check in: Grand Hotel Continental

Saturday, March 28
Bucharest

Guided tour of Bucharest
Conversation about the 1989 “Christmas Revolution“
Optional visit to Ceauşescu Mansion

Sunday, March 29
Bucharest

Visit to Palace of the Parliament

Monday, March 30
Sibiu

Depart Bucharest
Stop at Pitești Prison Memorial
Arrive in Sibiu
Check in: Ramada By Wyndham

Tuesday, March 31
Sibiu

Tour of Sibiu
Visit to the open-air Astra Museum

Wednesday, April 1
Sibiu

Visit to a farm in the village of Sibiel

Thursday, April 2
Brașov

Depart Sibiu
Stop at the medieval fortified village of Brateiu, where we’ll visit a local Roma family
Lunch and free time in Sighisoara
Arrive in Brașov
Check-in: Hotel Atria

Friday, April 3
Brașov

Walking tour of Brașov
Optional tour to Vulcan Fortified Church

Saturday, April 4
Brașov

Visit to Bran Castle

Sunday, April 5
Bucharest

Depart Brașov
Visit Peleș Castle
Arrive in Bucharest
Check in: Grand Hotel Continental
Farewell Dinner with group

Hungary

Monday, April 6
Fly Bucharest to Budapest

Tarom RO231
Depart OTP 07:40
Arrive BUD 08:30
Check-in: Hotel Central Basilica
Morning and afternoon free
Danube River evening cruise

Tuesday, April 7
Budapest

Secret Food Tour

Wednesday, April 8
Budapest

Visit the Hungarian Parliament Building (photo at the top of the page)

Thursday, April 9
Budapest

Széchenyi Thermal Bath
Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra at Vigadó Concert Hall

Friday, April 10
Budapest

Budapest Grand Half-Day Jewish Heritage Tour
Hungarian State Opera: Cavalleria Rusticana in concert

Saturday, April 11
Budapest

Free day in Budapest

Tajikistan

Sunday, April 12
Fly Budapest to Dushanbe via Istanbul

Turkish Airlines TK1036
Depart BUD 08:55
Arrive IST 12:15

Turkish Airlines TK254
Depart IST 20:15

Monday, April 13
Dushanbe

Arrive DYU 01:00
Check-in: Atlas Hotel Dushanbe

Start tour: OAT The Silk Road
Tour of Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Welcome Dinner with the group

Tuesday, April 14
Dushanbe

More explorations in Dushanbe

Wednesday, April 15
Khujand

Depart Dushanbe
Stop in Istaravshan for a visit with a local artisan
Arrive in Khujand
Check-in: Sugdiyon Hotel

Thursday, April 16
Khujand

Explore Khujand
Visit Arbob Cultural Palace, former headquarters of a Soviet collective farm

Uzbekistan

Friday, April 17
Tashkent

Depart Khujand
Cross into Uzbekistan
Arrive in Tashkent
Check-in: Lotte City Hotel Tashkent Palace

Saturday, April 18
Tashkent

Explore Tashkent
Welcome Dinner with the group

Sunday, April 19
Tashkent

Tour of Tashkent’s Old Town
Controversial Topic: Life in Uzbekistan post-Soviet Union

Monday, April 20
Samarkand

Depart Tashkent
Arrive in Samarkand
Visit Ulugh Beg Observatory
Check-in: Hotel Asia Samarkand
Visit Gur-e-Amir, the mausoleum of conqueror Tamerlane and his descendants

Tuesday, April 21
Samarkand

City tour of Samarkand
Visit Shah-i-Zinda necropolis
Home-hosted dinner with a local family

Wednesday, April 22
Samarkand

Hike in the Gissar Mountains to the village of Ohilik
Conversation with local women about arranged marriages in Uzbekistan

Thursday, April 23
Bukhara

Train from Samarkand to Bukhara
Check-in: Asia Bukhara Hotel
Walking tour of Bukhara

Friday, April 24
Bukhara

Bolo Hauz Mosque
Chashma Ayub Mausoleum
Ark Citadel

Saturday, April 25
Bukhara

“A Day in the Life”: the village of Nayman

Sunday, April 26
Khiva

Depart Bukhara
Drive across Kyzylkum Desert
Arrive in Khiva
Check-in: Asia Khiva Hotel

Monday, April 27
Khiva

Walking tour of Itchan_Kala

Tuesday, April 28
Nukus

Depart Khiva
Arrive Nukus
Check-in: Jipek Joli Hotel Nukus

Wednesday, April 29
Nukus

Nukus Museum of Art
Dinner with a local family

Thursday, April 30
Tashkent

Fly to Tashkent
Check-in: Lotte City Hotel Tashkent Palace
Farewell Dinner with the group

Kazakhstan

Friday, May 1
Almaty

Fly to Almaty, Kazakhstan
Check-in: Kazzhol Hotel Almaty

Saturday, May 2
Almaty

Explore Almaty
Visit Zenkov Cathedral

Kyrgyzstan

Sunday, May 3
Cholpon-ata

Depart Almaty
Cross into Kyrgyzstan
Arrive at Lake Issyk-Kul
Check-in: Caprice Hotel Cholpon-ata

Monday, May 4
Cholpon-ata

Meet golden eagle hunters in Karakol
Lunch with local Uyghur family
Museum of Nomadic Civilizations
Boat ride on Lake Issyk-Kul

Tuesday, May 5
Bishkek

Depart Cholpon-Ata
Stop at Cholpon-Ata Open-Air Petroglyph Museum
Lunch with a local Kyrgyz family’s home in the village of Donarik
Tour of the Burana historical complex
Visit to a Kyrgyz horse farm
Visit the open-air museum and ruins of the ancient city of Balasagun
Arrive in Bishkek
Check-in: Ramada by Wyndham Bishkek Centre

Wednesday, May 6
Bishkek

Walking tour of Bishkek
Farewell Dinner with the group

Thursday, May 7
Bishkek

Hike around Ala Archa National Park
Visit the Ata-Beyit Memorial Complex in the village of Chong-Tash

En route back home

Friday, May 8

Turkish Airlines TK345
Depart BSZ 10:10
Arrive IST 13:15

Turkish Airlines TK189
Depart IST 20:30

Saturday, May 9

Arrive MEX 01:50

Viva VB1392
Depart MEX 06:00
Arrive GDL 07:15