The Ultimate Balkans: 8 Countries in 15 Days — Self-Launched

Land at Sofia Airport and take the metro (M4, ~50p) or a taxi (~£8) into the centre. Check into a hostel near Vitosha Boulevard or the Serdica metro stop. In the afternoon do the loop on foot: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Roman Rotunda of St. George, the Serdica Roman ruins under the metro, and a stroll down Vitosha Boulevard. Join the free Sofia walking tour (tip ~£8) at 11am or 6pm — it covers the same ground the operator's guide would. Grab dinner in the Vitoshka area for £6-9.

🚌Sofia Airport metro M4 to Serdica, ~50p; all sightseeing on foot

🛏Hostel in Sofia centre (dorm £10-14, private £22-30)

• →Free walking tour of Sofia (pay the guide a tip)
• →Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• →Roman Rotunda of St. George
• →Serdica Roman ruins
• →Vitosha Boulevard

Morning bus or train to Belgrade — the bus is faster (~6.5 hrs, ~£15-20, several daily with Balkan Express / Niš-Ekspres). Alternatively the daily train takes ~9 hrs but is cheap (~£12). Arrive mid-afternoon, check into a hostel in Stari Grad (the old town). Walk Kalemegdan Fortress at sunset — free and the best view over the Sava/Danube confluence. Stroll Knez Mihailova and see St. Sava Temple, an easy 20-min walk. Join the free Belgrade walking tour (tip ~£8) if timing allows next morning instead.

🚌Sofia–Belgrade bus ~£15-20, 6.5 hrs (Balkan Express / Niš-Ekspres)

🛏Hostel in Stari Grad, Belgrade (dorm £9-13)

• →Kalemegdan Fortress (free)
• →Knez Mihailova Street
• →St. Sava Temple
• →Free Belgrade walking tour (optional, tip-based)

Long travel day. Direct buses run Belgrade–Sarajevo in ~8 hrs (~£20-25), but if you're up for a nicer route, take a morning bus to Užice or Bajina Bašta and visit Mokra Gora (the Šargan Eight narrow-gauge railway, tickets ~£8) and Višegrad's UNESCO-listed Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, then continue to Sarajevo. The simplest doable version: direct bus, with a lunch/photo stop at Višegrad if you switch services. Check into a hostel in Baščaršija. Evening on Pigeon Square for ćevapi (£4-6).

🚌Belgrade–Sarajevo direct bus ~£20-25, 8 hrs; or via Užice/Višegrad with a connecting bus

🛏Hostel in Baščaršija, Sarajevo (dorm £9-14)

• →Mokra Gora / Šargan Eight railway (optional, ~£8)
• →Višegrad Bridge on the Drina (UNESCO)
• →Baščaršija bazaar at night

Morning free walking tour of Baščaršija (tip-based) covering Sarajevo City Hall (Vijećnica), the Latin Bridge where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, the Eternal Flame, and the Ottoman core. Afternoon optional add-ons: the Tunnel of Hope (£4 entry) reached by tram + short taxi; the cable car up to the 1984 Olympic bobsleigh track (~£6 return); or a traditional hammam (£10-15). Dinner in the bazaar, then coffee in the old caravanserai. Keep an eye out for free-entry viewpoints on the hills.

🚌Tram/taxi within Sarajevo, ~£3-5 total

🛏Hostel in Baščaršija, Sarajevo (dorm £9-14)

• →Free Sarajevo walking tour
• →Latin Bridge
• →Eternal Flame
• →Sarajevo City Hall
• →Tunnel of Hope (optional, ~£4)
• →Olympic bobsleigh track cable car (optional, ~£6)

Take the morning train Sarajevo–Mostar (~2 hrs, ~£6) — one of the most scenic rail routes in Europe. En route or as a day add-on, Tito's secret bunker ARK D-0 near Konjic is reachable by bus + taxi (~£8 entry plus transport). In Mostar, walk the Old Bazaar, the Stari Most bridge, and watch the divers. Evenings are slack — sit by the Neretva with a coffee. Hostels cluster right in the old town so you can leave bags and wander.

🚌Sarajevo–Mostar train ~£6, 2 hrs (or bus ~£9)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Mostar Old Town (dorm £9-13, private £25-35)

• →Stari Most bridge
• →Old Bazaar
• →Tito's Bunker ARK D-0 (optional, ~£8 entry)
• →Neretva riverside evening

Bus Mostar–Dubrovnik runs ~3 hrs (~£15-20) via the Neum corridor. Arrive by early afternoon, check into a hostel or soba (private room) in the old town or Lapad. Walk Pile Gate, Stradun, the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries, and the Cathedral of St. Blaise — all doable on a self-guided loop, or join a tip-based Dubrovnik walking tour (~£10 tip). Splurge option: the City Walls (~£30) or Mount Srđ cable car (~£20). Cheaper alternative: climb the free-ish hill paths or swim off Buža cliff bar at sunset.

🚌Mostar–Dubrovnik bus ~£15-20, 3 hrs

🛏Hostel/soba in Dubrovnik old town or Lapad (dorm £15-22)

• →Dubrovnik Old Town self-guided walk
• →Pile Gate and Stradun
• →City Walls (optional, ~£30)
• →Mount Srđ cable car (optional, ~£20)

Bus Dubrovnik–Kotor (~2.5 hrs, ~£15) with a ferry-style drive around the bay. Optional stop in Perast and a boat to Our Lady of the Rocks (~£8 boat). In Kotor, walk the Old Town, St. Trifon's Cathedral and St. Luka Square, then climb the fortress walls for panoramic views (~£15 entry, or the free switchback route many walk). Hostel in Kotor old town or Dobrota. Dinner for £8-12.

🚌Dubrovnik–Kotor bus ~£15, 2.5 hrs

🛏Hostel in Kotor Old Town / Dobrota (dorm £13-18)

• →Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks boat trip (optional, ~£8)
• →Kotor Old Town walk
• →Fortress walls ascent (~£15 or free route)

Take the bus Kotor–Podgorica (~2 hrs, ~£6), spend an hour at Independence Square and the Old Ribnica River Bridge, then continue by bus to Peja/Peć (~4 hrs, ~£12). Cross the Montenegro–Kosovo border — carry your passport. Evening arrival, check into a guesthouse in the centre. Dinner cheap: burek, grilled meat, rakia for £6-9.

🚌Kotor–Podgorica bus ~£6; Podgorica–Peja bus ~£12

🛏Guesthouse in Peja centre (private room £18-28)

• →Podgorica Independence Square
• →Ribnica River Bridge and park
• →Evening stroll through Peja bazaar

Morning trip to Visoki Dečani Monastery (UNESCO, free entry, ~£4 taxi/minibus from Peja) — dress modestly and bring ID. Then bus Peja–Prizren (~2 hrs, ~£6). Mid-afternoon walking tour of Prizren: Sinan Pasha Mosque, Our Lady of Ljeviš Church, the Old Stone Bridge, and the fortress at sunset (free). Free afternoon maps well here — sit in a café by the Bistrica river and eat traditional flija. Hostel or budget hotel in the old town.

🚌Peja–Dečani minibus/taxi ~£4; Peja–Prizren bus ~£6, 2 hrs

🛏Hostel/guesthouse Prizren old town (dorm £10-14)

• →Visoki Dečani Monastery
• →Prizren walking tour
• →Sinan Pasha Mosque
• →Our Lady of Ljeviš Church
• →Old Stone Bridge
• →Prizren fortress at sunset (free)

Bus Prizren–Tirana (~3 hrs, ~£10) with the option of breaking the journey at Kruja. From Tirana, a local bus or shared taxi to Kruja (~£4 return) gets you to Kruja Castle, the Skanderbeg Museum (~£4) and the Kruja Bazaar for souvenirs. Back in Tirana by evening — check into a hostel in Blloku. Explore the painted buildings, cafés and Skanderbeg Square after dark.

🚌Prizren–Tirana bus ~£10, 3 hrs; local bus to Kruja ~£4 return

🛏Hostel in Blloku or centre, Tirana (dorm £9-14)

• →Kruja Castle
• →Skanderbeg Museum (~£4)
• →Kruja Bazaar
• →Evening walk in Blloku

Join the free Tirana walking tour (11am or 5pm, tip-based ~£8) covering Skanderbeg Square, the Et'hem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower, the National History Museum exterior, Saint Paul Catholic Cathedral, the Pyramid, and Blloku. The rest of the day is yours: the Bunk'Art 1 museum (~£5) is worth it, or use the cable car to Dajti Mountain (~£7). Eat at a local byrek shop for £3-5, or a sit-down Albanian meal for £10-14.

🚌All in Tirana, walking + occasional taxi (~£3)

🛏Hostel in Blloku or centre, Tirana (dorm £9-14)

• →Free Tirana walking tour
• →Et'hem Bey Mosque
• →Clock Tower
• →The Pyramid
• →Blloku district
• →Bunk'Art 1 (optional, ~£5)

Bus Tirana–Ohrid takes ~3 hrs (~£12). On arrival, take a local minibus or boat to St. Naum Monastery (~£5, 30 mins south) for lakeside peace, peacocks and the springs. Return to Ohrid and walk the old town: Samuil's Fortress (~£3), St. John Kaneo Church, and the shore promenade. Hostel or guesthouse in the old town with lake views for £12-18.

🚌Tirana–Ohrid bus ~£12, 3 hrs; Ohrid–St. Naum minibus/boat ~£5

🛏Hostel/guesthouse Ohrid old town (dorm £12-18)

• →St. Naum Monastery
• →Ohrid old town walking tour
• →Samuil's Fortress (~£3)
• →St. John Kaneo Church
• →Lake Ohrid shore

Bus Ohrid–Skopje (~3.5 hrs, ~£10). Drop your bag at a hostel in the old bazaar, then head out to Matka Canyon by local bus or taxi (~£6 return). Boat ride through the canyon (~£8) and a short walk to Vrelo Cave. Back in Skopje, self-navigate: Macedonia Square and the Warrior on a Horse statue, the Stone Bridge, the Old Bazaar and the Mother Teresa Memorial House — all walkable and mostly free. Kafana dinner for £8-12.

🚌Ohrid–Skopje bus ~£10, 3.5 hrs; Matka local bus/taxi ~£6 return

🛏Hostel in Skopje Old Bazaar (dorm £9-13)

• →Matka Canyon boat ride (~£8)
• →Skopje Old Bazaar
• →Stone Bridge
• →Macedonia Square
• →Mother Teresa Memorial House (free)

Bus Skopje–Sofia (~3.5 hrs, ~£12). Hop off near Rila (~£8 taxi/shared van from the Sofia–Rila bus, or a pre-booked GetYourGuide day tour from Sofia ~£25 with transport). Visit Rila Monastery and the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin — free entry, modest dress. Continue to Sofia by late afternoon and check into your original hostel. Last dinner out on Vitosha Boulevard for £8-12.

🚌Skopje–Sofia bus ~£12; Sofia/Kocherinovo–Rila bus + shuttle ~£10-15

🛏Hostel in Sofia centre (dorm £10-14)

• →Rila Monastery (free)
• →Church of the Nativity of the Virgin
• →Final evening in Sofia

No set itinerary — take a final easy morning walk, sort out any last souvenirs, and grab a coffee near the National Palace of Culture. Metro M4 to Sofia Airport (~50p) or a fixed-price taxi (~£8) depending on your flight time. If you have a late departure, the National Archaeological Museum or the Sofia History Museum make a good last stop for £3-5entry.

🚌Sofia centre to Airport metro M4 ~50p or taxi ~£8

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Last-minute wander
• →Optional Sofia History Museum (~£3-5)