I am very interested in this tour, but I have noticed there seems to be quite a bit of bus time which I'm afraid will be very tiresome. Can anyone whose taken the tour comment about that and the pace? Did it feel more like a "forced march"?
No, I never felt on a forced march. Buses stop at least every two hours for breaks. Logistics are thoughtfully arranged. The bus time noted on the itinerary is for the entire day and is not done all at once without sites of interest or meal breaks interspersed.
It's been a few years since I took this tour, but I didn't find the bus time tiresome at all. There are plenty of stops and breaks. I do recall a backup crossing the border into Bosnia, but I believe we were just unlucky on that day. This is one of my top two favorite tours that I have taken. Highly recommend it!