Day 1 – Arrival in Eastern Slovakia

Arrival at Košice International Airport, welcome by the local guide and private coach transfer to Prešov.

Check-in at a 3-star hotel and overnight in Prešov.

Overnight: Prešov

Day 2 – UNESCO Bardejov, Spa Heritage & Wooden Church

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning transfer to Bardejov, one of Slovakia’s most beautifully preserved historic towns and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Guided walking tour through the medieval centre with its remarkable central square, historic town houses, fortifications and the Basilica of St. Giles.

Lunch in the historic centre.

Continue to Bardejovské Kúpele, a traditional spa resort whose mineral springs have attracted visitors for centuries. Guests enjoy a guided introduction followed by free time to discover the spa park and atmosphere individually.

The day concludes at nearby Hervartov, home to the 15th-century wooden Roman Catholic Church of St. Francis of Assisi, part of the UNESCO-listed Wooden Churches of the Slovak Carpathians.

Return to Prešov.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Overnight: Prešov

Day 3 – Slovak Opal Mines & Šariš Castle

Breakfast at the hotel.

Travel into the volcanic Slanské Hills to discover one of the region’s most unusual attractions, the Slovak Opal Mines.

During the underground tour, guests explore the historic mining tunnels and discover the story of precious Slovak opal, once prized by European royal courts. The Dubník mining complex comprises more than 35 kilometres of underground tunnels and was historically the world’s major source of precious opal before the discovery of Australian deposits.

After the visit, time is available for shopping before continuing for lunch.

In the afternoon, travel to Veľký Šariš and walk up to Šariš Castle, one of the dominant landmarks of the Šariš region. The extensive hilltop castle complex offers an open-air historical experience and panoramic views across the surrounding countryside.

Return to Prešov and free evening.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Overnight: Prešov

Day 4 – Prešov & Departure

Breakfast and hotel check-out.

Short transfer into the historic centre of Prešov for a guided walking tour.

Discover the colourful main street, historic churches and architecture of the traditional centre of the Šariš region.

After the tour, guests have approximately three hours of free time for shopping, cafés or an individual lunch.

Private coach transfer to Košice International Airport, check-in and departure.

Meals: Breakfast

Dates & Prices



Operating period	1 May – 15 October 2027
Duration	4 days / 3 nights
Minimum group size	30 paying guests
Accommodation	3 nights in a 3-star hotel
Transport	Private 44-seat coach
Guide	Private English-speaking guide
Approx. road distance	259 km

Price includes

private coach transportation throughout the programme
airport transfers Košice Airport – Prešov – Košice Airport
private English-speaking guide
3 nights in a 3-star hotel
accommodation in standard twin rooms / studios
3 breakfasts
2 lunches
entrance fees to attractions included in the programme
tour operator insolvency protection

Price does not include

flights to/from Košice
comprehensive personal travel insurance
meals and services not specified in the programme
optional experiences

Prešov

A colourful historic city and the natural base for exploring the Šariš region.

Prešov combines a compact historic centre with an authentic local atmosphere away from Slovakia’s busiest tourist routes. Its elongated main square is lined with historic town houses, churches and cafés, making the city an ideal base for excursions across Northeast Slovakia.

For this programme, Prešov also works exceptionally well logistically: Bardejov, the opal mines and Šariš Castle can all be reached without spending large parts of the holiday travelling.

Bardejov – UNESCO World Heritage

One of Slovakia’s finest preserved medieval towns.

Bardejov is one of the cultural highlights of Eastern Slovakia. Its historic centre was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 and is centred around an exceptionally well-preserved medieval square surrounded by historic burgher houses.

The town combines Gothic and Renaissance architecture, historic fortifications and the monumental Basilica of St. Giles within a very compact pedestrian centre.

Bardejovské Kúpele

Centuries of European spa tradition surrounded by forests and historic architecture.

Just outside Bardejov lies one of Slovakia’s traditional spa resorts. Its history is connected with mineral springs documented as early as the 13th century.

Over the centuries, the spa attracted aristocratic and royal visitors including Emperor Joseph II, Russian Tsar Alexander I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi. Today, historic spa architecture, landscaped parks and mineral springs preserve the atmosphere of a classic Central European spa town.

Hervartov Wooden Church – UNESCO

A remarkable survival of medieval wooden architecture.

The Roman Catholic Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Hervartov dates from the end of the 15th century and is regarded as Slovakia’s oldest and best-preserved wooden church.

Together with seven other wooden churches of the Slovak Carpathians, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008. Its historic Gothic paintings and later wall paintings survive inside the compact timber structure.

Slovak Opal Mines

An underground story that once supplied precious opal to European royalty.

Hidden beneath the Slanské Hills between Prešov and Košice is an extensive historic mining system associated with Slovak precious opal.

The Dubník mines contain more than 35 kilometres of tunnels. Until major Australian deposits were discovered in the late 19th century, this area was the world’s principal historic source of precious opal.

Among the famous stones associated with the mines is the Harlequin opal, now held by the Natural History Museum in Vienna.

This is one of the strongest differentiators of the entire NEST programme because it is not simply another castle, church or city tour. It gives international visitors an attraction strongly connected specifically with this part of Slovakia.

Šariš Castle

A hilltop fortress overlooking the heart of the Šariš region.

Above the town of Veľký Šariš stand the extensive ruins of Šariš Castle. The castle grounds can be explored on foot and its elevated position provides broad views over the surrounding landscape.

The site is particularly suitable as the final experience of the day after the underground opal mines: visitors move from a mysterious subterranean attraction into an open landscape and one of the region’s dominant historic landmarks. The castle site is accessible year-round, with visitor services operating seasonally.

Product Positioning

A compact cultural discovery programme for groups looking for an alternative Central European destination beyond the established Prague – Vienna – Budapest circuit.

Within only four days, clients experience:

a UNESCO medieval town
UNESCO wooden heritage
a historic European spa resort
one of the world’s most remarkable historic opal-mining locations
a major medieval castle
the regional capital of Prešov
local gastronomy
comfortable private transportation

Why this product works commercially

Very compact geography.
The programme contains substantial sightseeing without requiring long-distance coach transfers.

Easy air access.
The itinerary begins and ends at Košice International Airport, allowing it to operate as a self-contained short-break product.

Strong product differentiation.
Bardejov and Hervartov provide recognised UNESCO heritage, while the Slovak Opal Mines create a distinctive experience that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Balanced programme.
Historic towns, spa culture, underground exploration, landscapes, castles, gastronomy and free time are combined rather than concentrating on a single type of attraction.

Clear group economics.
The programme is calculated from a minimum of 30 paying participants.

Expandable.
Welcome and farewell dinners, special cultural experiences, enhanced mine visits and additional sightseeing in Košice can be added depending on the target market.

Best suited for

cultural touring groups
senior and active-senior groups
associations and special-interest groups
Central European discovery programmes
first-time visitors to Slovakia
groups arriving through Košice Airport
tour operators looking for destinations outside heavily visited European tourism corridors

Product format

Duration: 4 days / 3 nights
Gateway: Košice International Airport
Base: Prešov
Operating season: May – mid-October
Minimum group: 30 paying guests
Transport: Private coach
Guiding: English-speaking guide

Short B2B description

A four-day discovery of Eastern Slovakia designed for international groups arriving via Košice Airport.

Based in Prešov, the programme combines UNESCO-listed Bardejov and Hervartov with the historic Bardejov Spa, the extraordinary Slovak Opal Mines and Šariš Castle.

Short driving distances make it possible to offer a varied Central European programme within only three nights, combining heritage, local culture, gastronomy and experiences that remain largely undiscovered by international visitors.

PAX	30, 40