Balkan Tour: 5 Countries in 7 Days (Self-Launched)

Land at Sarajevo Airport and take trolleybus 31 or a public taxi-meter car (~£2-4) into the old town area — avoid unmetered 'airport taxi' touts. Drop your bag at a guesthouse/hostel within walking distance of Baščaršija, then spend the afternoon on a free walking tour with a local guide (tip-based, ~£5-8) covering the City Hall, Latin Bridge, Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque garden, Clock Tower, Bezistan, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Jewish Temple and the Old Orthodox Church. Late afternoon, take tram line 3 to Ilidža and walk to Vrelo Bosne (Bosna Springs; small entry fee ~£2). Book a Tunnel of Hope visit (entry ~£5) independently — either combine it with a private taxi from Ilidža (~£10) or join a GetYourGuide 'Sarajevo War Tunnel & siege tour' (~£15-20). Dinner of ćevapi in the old bazaar (~£7).

🚌Trolleybus/tram plus local taxi; ~£6 total

🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Baščaršija, private room/dorm (£16-20)

• →Free walking tour of Baščaršija old town
• →Vrelo Bosne nature park
• →Tunnel of Hope museum (self-booked)

Catch an early bus or train from Sarajevo to Mostar — the train (~£6, 2h, spectacular Neretva canyon scenery) is the highlight of the day; buses run hourly from the main bus station (~£8). Stop off in Konjic on the way (train/bus stop) for a quick look at the Ottoman stone bridge and old town. In Mostar, walk the old town yourself: Stari Most, the Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque (climb its minaret for the classic bridge view, entry ~£4), and the bazaar along Kujundžiluk. Take an afternoon bus from Mostar to Neum (~£8, 1.5-2h) for a cheap seaside overnight. Neum is Bosnia's only coastal town — eat grilled fish on the waterfront (~£10).

🚌Train Sarajevo-Mostar ~£6 + bus Mostar-Neum ~£8

🛏Guesthouse or small hotel in Neum (£18-22)

• →Neretva canyon train ride
• →Konjic stone bridge
• →Mostar Old Bridge and Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque minaret

Take an early bus from Neum to Dubrovnik (~£6, 1.5h including the coastal border crossing). Walk the Old Town walls if you like (entry ~£30, optional) or keep it free: the Stradun, Rector's Palace exterior, the Old Pharmacy inside the Franciscan Monastery, and the waterfront. Take the public No. 6 bus or cable car (cable car ~£22 return) up to Srđ for panoramic photos — bus plus a short walk is the budget option. After lunch, take an afternoon bus from Dubrovnik to Kotor (~£15, 2-2.5h with border crossing) and stroll the walled old town on arrival. Continue by local bus Kotor-Budva (~£3, 30 min) or overnight in Kotor if you prefer. Budva has cheap guesthouses by the beach.

🚌Bus Neum-Dubrovnik ~£6; Dubrovnik-Kotor ~£15; Kotor-Budva ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Budva or Kotor old town (£18-22)

• →Dubrovnik Old Town self-guided walk
• →Srđ hill viewpoint
• →Kotor Old Town stroll

Bus from Budva to Tirana with a change at Podgorica or via Shkodër (~£15-18, 3.5-4.5h total). In Tirana, join the free walking tour from Skanderbeg Square (tip ~£5) covering Skanderbeg Square, Mother Teresa Square, Et'hem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower, the Pyramid and a couple of the concrete bunkers (Bunk'Art 1 entry ~£4 if you want the full history). Grab a byrek and a qofte lunch (~£5) and an evening in the Blloku neighbourhood. Accommodation is cheapest in this stretch — good private rooms from £15.

🚌Intercity bus Budva-Tirana ~£16

🛏Hostel or guesthouse near the centre (£14-18)

• →Tirana free walking tour
• →Et'hem Bey Mosque & Clock Tower
• →Pyramid and Bunk'Art (optional)

Morning bus from Tirana to Ohrid via Elbasan and Struga (~£12-15, 4-5h; services run daily, book the day before at the bus station or via a local agent). Spend the afternoon on Ohrid's old town: the Church of St Sophia, the Zeynel Abidin Pasha Teki, the Pearl shops on the hill, and Samuel's Fortress (entry ~£2) for lake views. Add the Old Paper Factory (a 15-minute walk north, free to wander). In the evening take a one-hour boat trip on Lake Ohrid from the old town harbour (~£10-12, boats leave regularly in season) — or negotiate a shared boat at the quay. Eat lake trout or tavče gravče (~£8).

🚌Bus Tirana-Ohrid ~£13

🛏Guesthouse in Ohrid old town (£16-20)

• →Samuel's Fortress
• →St Sophia & Zeynel Abidin Pasha Teki
• →Ohrid Pearl shops
• →One-hour Lake Ohrid boat ride

Bus from Ohrid to Skopje (~£10, 3-3.5h, several daily departures). Dump your bags and do Skopje on foot: the Old Railway Station (earthquake-damaged, free), the Mother Teresa Memorial House, Macedonia Square with the Warrior on a Horse statue, the Stone Bridge into the old bazaar, Daut Pasha Hamam (now an art gallery), Mustafa Pasha Mosque, and a climb up to Kale Fortress for sunset (free). Finish with a rakija and Skopsko beer in the bazaar (~£10). This is the last full night of the trip, so book a hostel with a social bar if you want company.

🚌Bus Ohrid-Skopje ~£10

🛏Hostel in Skopje centre (£14-18)

• →Old Railway Station
• →Macedonia Square & Stone Bridge
• →Daut Pasha Hamam
• →Mustafa Pasha Mosque
• →Kale Fortress

Breakfast at the hostel or a bazaar bakery (~£3), then a last wander through the Old Bazaar for coffee. Take bus 15 or the shuttle bus from the city centre to Skopje Airport (~£2-3, 30 min) or a taxi (~£15). If your flight is late, the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle or the Aqueduct make good fillers.

🚌Airport bus ~£3

🛏—

• →Old Bazaar coffee stop
• →Optional museum visit