After my first time to Europe and visiting only the popular cities in the West, I was dreaming of Eastern Europe the whole next year in University waiting for summer to come around. It took ages to plan my sample Eastern Europe itinerary – and I’m going to detail it all here for you now that it’s said and done.

I’ve written about all these cities before so there will be links throughout with proper guides. As I mentioned in my sample western Europe itinerary, I didn’t have the funds at the time to go to Ireland and Spain as they would have required flying with my time constraints. Therefore, I made sure to hit those up first before heading East.

I mentioned Ireland and Spain in my Western Europe itinerary and as I said you could do Ireland first, then the Western Itinerary I wrote about, ending in Spain, then flying to Greece so start this “Eastern Europe” itinerary. So, I will start with Greece now!

Sample Eastern Europe Itinerary for Backpackers

1. Athens, Greece. Flying into Athens was exciting, but nerve-wrecking as my backpack didn’t make it and I didn’t have anything but almonds and my journal in my carry-on. First thing to know about Athens, is in July and hot months no one is there. They are on vacation because it’s so hot! The city was a little dirty and desolate to be honest, but interesting and of course seeing the ancient ruins at Acropolis was very cool. Tips for travel to Athens.

2. Mykonos, Greece. Mykonos is a party island. From Athens, you need to take a ferry to the closest port and you’ll want to find a travel agent in town to book your ferry tickets. They’re a little pricey if you’re comparing to Thailand islands. Mykonos was gorgeous, expensive, had delicious food, and there are quiet areas if you know where to look; we found a cute apartment in a secluded area. Read more: The Best of Mykonos Greece

3. Santorini, Greece. In terms or partying and gorgeousness, Santorini takes the cake. There’s no question as to why this is the most tourist island. It’s stunning. You have the famous sunsets and that white on blue rounded architecture everywhere you look. Food was a little pricey but scrumptious and the shops were full of the cutest stuff. I couchsurfed here mainly to save money and also because we hadn’t experienced Greece like a local. We stayed with a model/scuba instructor and had a blast club hopping the whole time and exploring the island on bikes. Read on for tips: What I love about Santorini Greece: Scuba and the Gods

4. Corfu, Greece. Corfu is the “green” island. The water is so clear, but with lush green forests in the background. Actually, it looks a lot like Thailand. We stayed at popular party hostel the Pink Palace, which is retrospect was a mistake as they trap you a bit from seeing the local parts of the island.

5. Tirana, Albania. So Albania was a bit of an accident. We pretty much were stuck in Santorini and told we had to go to Italy in order to get to our next city (Dubrovnik). The only other option was taking a ferry to the southern bit of Albania and going via taxi north, as local buses are hit and miss. We did take local buses / hitchhike through Albania through Montenegro to Croatia. We started via local bus to Tirana and met a cool chick, Bena, who shared all the secret local hotspots of Albania with us, from beaches and bars to UNESCO sites.

6. Dubrovnik, Croatia. After a couple of days of unplanned travel, we made it to Dubrovnik and I was overwhelmed with how much I loved this city. If there was one place I wanted to go back to and take Ben, it would be this town. I know it’s become more touristy partially with help from Game of Thrones filming on the castle. It’s a medieval wonderful town. Fabulous food and so gorgeous overlooking the sea that I didn’t mind the small crowds. We stayed at a Sobe in the Old Town which I 100% recommend. They will find you at the bus station.

7. Sarajevo, Bosnia. Sarajevo was a bit of a culture shock after being in beach party towns, not to say we didn’t party in Sarajevo (I was only 20 after all). A place not so long ago destroyed by war, you can still see the destruction today and learning about the history of that war is very important. This was the first place I’d been that had a call to prayer, but was interesting in that there were also Christian churches and Synagogues in the same intersection. Also, the food was incredible as well as the coffee! Definitely buy a coffee set here.

8. Belgrade, Serbia. Not only interesting, but affordable. It’s a cool town to see but I was there only a short time. There was a beer festival in Belgrade happening so you can only imagine what I was up to. We found a hotel online and it was 3 bucks a night with breakfast. How is that possible!?

9. Budapest, Hungary. The first thing I learned about Budapest is that one side of the river is Buda and one side is called pest. I recommend doing a walking tour of the city to learn, and I also couchsurfed here. Mostly, we learned about what happened there during world war 2, which has always interested me. Make sure to visit the famous Szechyeni baths, which is a highlight of a trip to Budapest.

10. Krakow, Poland. Although I liked the walking tour and learned a lot, I found the city a bit boring. Perhaps the weather had something to do with it. I did enjoy the town fair and markets. I’m sure it was a fluke that I didn’t have a blast, but I would go back. Read more tips for visiting Krakow.

11. Prague, Czech Republic. Prague is incredible! Spend as much time here as you can. Affordable, great food, amazing history and architecture, and a fun nightlife. I couchsurfed here and loved seeing the city from a locals view. Read for some tips on Prague.

12. Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic. This place is about 4 hours from Prague by a cheap bus that offers hot chocolate and a movie! The town is the “last bohemian town” with a castle uniquely hand-painted to look like it’s more fancy architecture than it really is. There is a moat with beers, lots of little homey bars, and your hostel will possibly offer you a joint fix on arrival.

So, there you have it, my sample Eastern Europe itinerary based on my own trip. All in all I started the trip flying into Irelend, then flying to Spain, then onward via flight to Greece. The rest is as you read, then after Cesky, we took a bus back to Prague to fly to Ireland to catch the roundtrip flight home.

I had more fun on my trip to Eastern Europe than Western Europe, and although some people think it’s not as easy to travel, I found that wasn’t true except lack of buses in Northern Albania and Montenegro. It was very affordable and I learned a lot.

I hope you found this Eastern European backpacking itinerary helpful! Remember to find a cheap flight using my tips and get some travel insurance that covers adventure sports. If you’re planning a trip, check out my tips on how to plan a trip from scratch.

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The International Folklore Festival was taking place while we were in Prague, how lucky is that? It reminded me a lot of Krakow’s festival. Couples, men’s groups, and little kids perform dances and play instruments in traditional clothing. There were of course food stalls and vendors selling chocolates, trinkets, breads, and sausages.

This was the perfect place for me to buy souvenirs. That’s one thing as a backpacker that many people say you have to stop doing- but I can’t. When I’m on a plane home after a big trip abroad, all I think about is giving all the gifts away I purchased. My parents always have to open theirs before we even pull out of the airport parking lot. One thing to buy in Prague: those little dolls that are inside of each other, ­­­“nesting dolls”.

Highlights of Prague

Free walking tour.  Unlike the boring one in Krakow, this walking tour showed me all I needed to know about Prague, plus some! They work with a pub-crawl, which I’m usually not up for because they’re often lame, but our couchsurfing host’s friend was a tour leader. She gave us a discount we couldn’t pass up.

views from above!

check out the preztels on each table. Yum!

After our walking tour, we went on the pub-crawl and it was actually a lot of fun. 10 bucks got us all the vodka, beer, and absinthe we could down, plus free cover at the biggest club in Prague, which has 5 stories, each playing a different type of music.  (PS: working a pub-crawl or free walking tour is a great way to stay on the road. You make commission and you don’t have to be local, you just have to speak English.)

On the walking tour, we saw the National Museum in the town square, which looked just like the one in Berlin! The original town hall is only half a building now. Some overrated tourist sights like interesting statues and the astronomical clock that everyone hovers around until it strikes the hour, the 12 apostles march around, and Christ comes out of a trap door.

We went into an old church with a gross old arm hanging from the ceiling; it’s the hand of a thief from the 1400’s. The Jewish quarter was gorgeous, and the Charles Bridge offered stunning views of the castle and city. There is a massive metronome on top of the hill where Stalin’s statue used to be. A memorial called Anna Chromy Il Commendatore, for the premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in 1787.

church with the severed arm

The story behind the Revolution Keys is one you won’t forget: The Velvet Revolution in 1989 which brought down the end of the communist rule. There had been many student protests around this time, but during this movement, crowds on the street in unison jingled their keys in the air meaning goodbye to the leaders, and that they were unlocking new doors.

Bohemian Bagel is what happens when two American guys decide to open a bagel shop in Prague. They are only in Czech Republic and remind me so much at home that I ate there two times, and would have eaten there more! Their turkey bagel had a third bagel layer in the middle- it was huge. Check out this travel guide to foodie Prague to see all the best local places to eat.

The proximity to Cesky Krumlov means that you MUST take the time to go there! Just three hours by bus, you can explore a bohemian fairy tale land of castles and bears. The bus is only four euro, it served hot chocolate, and played Malibu’s Most Wanted; I mean how could it get better?

love the colors of the buildings, strangely like the beach houses in South Carolina

Make sure you leave an afternoon to not be a tourist. Stop sightseeing and hang out at a beer garden or do some shopping! Although Prague is such a big city with many tourists coming through, I still felt welcomed and had a great time out at local bars and restaurants.

200 shops, could I be happier?

How cute is this? Huck would never. he’d run in and destroy the store. Like, just now I made cookies- he jumped on the counter somehow and ate them. no joke!

Worst of Prague: food poising that kicked it just before my flight to AMERICA. That’s right a transatlantic flight with food poisoning. Europe’s way of punishing me for leaving I guess. Beware of supermarket pre-made sandwiches. They have expiration dates… and you should read them.

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People (ok, not a lot of people, but some, and my pinterest wishlist fits right in) have called my style “boho-chic” which I love, like a few of my fashion idols Nichole Richie and Vanessa Hudgens, so I was ecstatic to be going to what guide books described as the “last true bohemian town”.

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic is just 2 hours by bus from Prague. Turns on, Bohemia is a place in western Czech and that’s where my favorite fashion styles’ name came from. It was assumed the Romani came from that area, and therefore they got called Bohemians.

Monique, Megan, and I in Cesky Krumlov

Who were the Bohemians?

Similar to being called a Gypsy, a Bohemian was someone who loved the arts and was typically poor. They’re discussed in movies and literature from ‘Moulin Rouge’ to ‘On the Road’ by Jack Kerouac- the beat generation considered themselves a new form of Bohemians.  Bohemians are “wanders, travelers, and vagabonds” (wiki tells me…). Most impressively, Mark Twain (who influenced the naming of my dog) considered himself one of them.

What started out as a style for the poor, turned into the artsy way to dress. You see it now with grunge.  Are they homeless or hipster? Living in Seattle I asked myself that a lot, especially after Macklemore’s “Thriftshop”.

Look close at the detail, all hand painted

Cesky Krumlov was in the girlish sense adorable.  We stayed in Hostel 99. After climbing up a ladder to our tree house room we oooh’d and ahh’d about how dreamy it was. The Castle Cesky Krumlov in town took me back in time. All the details were painted to look like architecture.  I’m told this is because there were no architects, only painters, so they had to work with what they had. Click here for rates and availability.

Now for the cutest kicker of all: BEARS IN A MOAT… actual cute fuzzy bears all around the castle. It was actually a little but sad seeing them like that. I didn’t ever find out how well they are cared for. The bars were quaint and full of backpackers having a not-so-sneaky smoke. To top it off the food is incredible, as it is all over Czech Republic.

Getting Adventurous in Cesky

So other than taking a magical trip into a medieval fairytale what is there to do? A drunken river bar crawl!  Shops rent out rafts to groups or your hostel can set it up for you for around 300 kc (15 dollars). The weekend I was there all shops but one declined us because of the rain. After a quick video explained which dams to go left and which to go right, we put on ponchos, grabbed a couple bottles of vodka, and jumped in. After the vodka, the video was completely out of our minds so we had to wing it (luckily no one was hurt!). We stopped at all the open bars on our way down river for a shot and by the end I was trying to drive a van into the water before passing out falling into a dreamy sleep.

small town cozy bar, nothing better

 You should definitely make time for Cesky Krumlov, especially if you are stopping in Prague, it’s like visiting a fantasy world.

Checking out after an awesome few days

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