My original review (16 Aug 2024):
The worst tour ever!
Everything went wrong with this tour. A few ours after the reservation (which guaranteed real time feedback on availability) the booking was cancelled and postponed two days.
When finally we had the trip, we spent more than 3 h just to cross the border. Of course it is not the fault of the tour operator that the bridge is under repair, but while the bridge is being repaired it does not make sense to offer such tours. It took us 5 h to reach the first site (monastery on the rock). The worst element was the tour guide (Carmen). She definitely has no capability to be a tour guide. She didn't provide any useful information. During the 12 h tour, may be she spoke for 15 min. The tour was supposed to include a nice village near Veliko Turnovo but we just passed by at high speed without stopping. Then at Veliko she told us a few sentences at the entrance of the fortress and left! Why do you need such "guide"?
The driving was very unsafe (but the driver apologized when we called his attention). On the contrary, the "guide" was arrogant. Obviously she does not like her job. So, never take this or any other tour with Carmen.
We had other wonderful tours from Bucharest with other companies and great guides. This one destroyed our day. Being 9 h (out of 12) inside a minivan (without any information from the guide) was not pleasant at all!!!!
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24 Aug 2024:
After this review and my direct complaint, the company Eastern European Experience and the platform GetYourGuide apologized for the bad experience, promising to take measures. They also took the initiative to refund the cost of the tour (received today). This is appreciated as a positive gesture to fix the situation and a sign that they care about customers.
While initially I classified them as 1 star (Terrible), for this gesture I could classify 5 star (thus 3 in average).