Roadtrip in the Balkans
Based on your budget and time you can choose to drive yourself or backpack with bus between the destinations. We chose to take the bus most of the trip and it worked perfectly. Most of the destinations we chose are not that far from each other and you can buy tickets easily online or at the bus station.
I will summarize what I think is the perfect itinerary for a great summer vacation that gives you a little bit of everything. However, as I said the destinations are not that far apart so it is easy to start or stop somewhere else or skip some destinations if you want.
1. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Our first stop was Dubrovnik where we had a couple of days to explore the historic old town and enjoy the sights.
If you want more tips on what to do in Dubrovnik, you can read a separate post on that here.
2. Mostar, Bosnia-Hercegovina
We only spent a day on Mostar, but it was absolutely worth the trip.
One of the biggest sights there is the bridge Stari Most which has been there since 1566. Today cliff divers use it and put up quite the show for tourists walking by and seeing the incredibly high jump.
The old town in itself is not very big, but extremely charming with cobbled streets, old buildings overlooking the water, cozy restaurants at every corner and some of the best ice cream I have ever had ( It gives Italy a run for its money).
Visiting Mostar is also something many companies offer as a daytrip from Dubrovnik if you don't want to drive yourself.
3. Kotor, Montenegro
Next stop on our trip was Kotor and I was pleasantly surprised. I did not know very much about the city when we came, and if I had I would have probably planned for a longer stay. The city of Kotor and the surrounding area is truly breathtaking and should be on everyone's bucket list. Amongst other things you should climb up the city walls for an amazing view, catch a boat ride to the Lady of the rocks, wander every corner of the old city and swim in the crystal clear water.
4. Budva, Montenegro
Not far from Kotor, you will find the next stop which is Budva. Even though Budva also offers a charming old town, it displays more of a party scene and younger crowd than Kotor. However nothing like some of the Greek islands during summer. Every evening massive crowds headed towards the old town for drinks and dinner, I have personally never seen something like it before. However, when you entered the old town it did not feel overcrowded at all and we had no problem finding somewhere nice to sit down. In addition to having a charming old town to explore, there is also a modern city exploding around it at the moment and you could see the structure of an emerging city coming along.
Another thing I would recommend doing while staying in Budva is to visit the beach called Sveti Stefan which was truly charming and unique.
5. Prizren, Kosovo
Next destination is Prizren in Kosovo. Another small town which beholds a lot of history. It has a charming combination of a lot of churches and mosques. I would highly recommend to walk up to the Prizren fortress to take in the view of the city and later on have a relaxing break at one of the many cute cafe's along the riverbank.
6. Tirane, Albania
Tirane is the capital of Albania and the only places on this itinerary without a coastline. To say it gets hot during summer is an understatement. For me personally it was hard being outside during the day, so we waited for the coolness of the evening before we explored the city. However there are lots if interesting museums we spent our time exploring during the day.
7. Ohrid, North-Macedonia
Ohrid is a must see for everyone traveling the Balkans. This is a town i know I am coming back to at some point. Its a sleepy little town where everything seems to move a little slower for some reason. Maybe because its not packed with tourists during the summer.
Ohrid is on the UNESCO Worlds heritage site both for the lake and the old Town. And it beholds one of the most beautiful landmarks in the Balkans, in my opinion, the Church of Saint John.
8. Sarande, Albania
We traveled a lot around in Sarande and saw some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. Either you enjoy the beaches close to Sarande, or if you take a trip to Ksamil or opt for a boat ride you will not be dissapointed. One word of advice is to get there early to get a nice spot because the beaches you can drive to will fill up easily. We had the most fun just renting a boat or going on a tour to islands around where the beaches are not that accessible and you can swim from the boat. The water is truly spectacular.
9. Corfu, Greece
From Albania you can easily get to Corfu by boat. We chose to end our trip here and were not disappointed. Even if you are starting to get tired of old towns, the one in Corfu is worth a visit. You could spend days just looking at the amazing buildings, the old fortress and the bustling harbour. And of course you cant really go wrong with greek food! We spent some time here, but chose to spend more days enjoying the beautiful beaches before returning home. It is worth mentioning that everything gets significantly more expensive as soon as you cross the water from Albania to Greece.
