Classic Balkans: Ljubljana to Sarajevo (Self-Launched)

Land at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport and take the public shuttle bus (approx €5-9, ~45 mins) or the cheaper city bus combination into the centre. Check into a hostel in the old town or near the dragon bridge. Spend the afternoon wandering the riverside Plečnik-designed centre, cross the Triple Bridge and climb to Ljubljana Castle on foot (free walk up, ~£10 to enter the tower). Evening: dinner at an outdoor riverside spot in the Old Town.

🚌Airport shuttle bus (~£6)

🛏Hostel in Ljubljana old town (4-6 bed dorm or private twin)

• →Ljubljana old town orientation walk
• →Ljubljana Castle hill climb
• →Riverside dinner

Book a small-group Ljubljana food walking tour independently — operators like Ljubljana Food Tour and Slovenia Food Tours sell seats online from ~£50-65 per person, covering the central market, a bakery, a cheese/deli stop and a wine bar with tasting. Do it yourself much cheaper by hitting Odprta Kuhna (the Friday food market) or the Central Market and sampling štruklji, Kranjska sausage and local wine for ~£20-25. Afternoon free for the castle or the Metelkova street-art district.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel in Ljubljana old town

• →Food walking tour or DIY market tasting
• →Central Market visit
• →Metelkova street art district

Take a Flixbus or Arriva bus from Ljubljana to Piran via Koper (approx 2.5-3 hrs, £8-12), or the train to Koper and local bus onward. Piran is compact and gorgeous — Tartini Square, the Venetian-style waterfront and the walk up to the cathedral bell tower with sea views. Late afternoon take the local bus or a 25-minute walk around the bay to Portorož. Base yourself in a guesthouse here.

🚌Intercity bus (~£10) plus local bus/walk

🛏Guesthouse or apartment in Portorož

• →Piran old town and city walls
• →Tartini Square
• →Coastal walk to Portorož

Cross into Italy on the hourly Arriva/Flixbus from Portorož to Trieste (about 45 mins, £5-8). Do Trieste on foot: Piazza Unità d'Italia, the运河 Canal Grande, and a coffee at a historic Caffè (Trieste's coffee culture is legendary). Optionally take local bus 6/6A to Miramare Castle (~€2, entry ~€10). Return late afternoon. If you want the Vipava wine tasting, book a Vipava Valley wine tour online in advance (~£55-75) rather than doing it same-day, or DIY a tasting at a winery near Postojna on day 5.

🚌Cross-border bus (~£7) plus local bus

🛏Guesthouse or apartment in Portorož

• →Trieste walking tour (DIY)
• →Miramare Castle
• →Trieste coffee tasting

Take a bus/train combination back inland: Portorož/Koper to Ljubljana or Postojna (2.5 hrs, ~£10), then book Postojna Cave tickets directly online (~£22-26 for the cave; ~£35 combined with Predjama Castle). Note the cave is timed-entry and sells out in summer. Then train from Postojna to Lesce-Bled and walk/bus to the lake (entry free). Do the 6km Lake Bled circuit walk yourself — the rowing boat to the island is ~£15-20. Continue by bus to Bohinj and check into a guesthouse or the local hostel (Pod Voglom) in Ribčev Laz.

🚌Bus and train (~£18)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse at Lake Bohinj

• →Postojna Cave guided tour (official guide included in ticket)
• →Lake Bled lakeside walk
• →Lake Bohinj evening walk

Lake Bohinj is the quieter, wilder sibling of Bled. Free options: swim in the lake, walk to the Savica waterfall (~£3 entry plus 45-min climb), or hike the Mostnica Gorge from Stara Fužina (~1.5-2 hrs, ~£4 entry). Adventure add-ons bookable locally: zipline (Zipline Dolinka, ~£40-50), kayak rental (~£20/day), or via ferrata. Regroup for a dinner of Bohinj trout at a local gostilna.

🚌Walking / local bus

🛏Hostel/guesthouse at Lake Bohinj

• →Mostnica Gorge hike
• →Savica Waterfall
• →Lake swimming
• →Zipline (optional)

Take the bus from Bohinj to Ljubljana first (1.5 hrs, ~£6), then the direct Ljubljana-Zagreb train (approx 2.5 hrs, £10-15) — buy on the Slovenian Railways site or at the station. Check into a hostel around Tkalčićeva or the Lower Town. Spend the evening on a DIY street-art and craft-beer wander: Tkalčićeva street, Dolac Market, Ban Jelačić Square. Cheap eats: burek for ~£2-3.

🚌Bus and train (~£18)

🛏Hostel in central Zagreb

• →Zagreb Lower Town orientation walk
• →Dolac Market
• →Tkalčićeva street evening

Take the Flixbus or Arriva bus Zagreb to Plitvice (~2 hrs, £8-12) and buy your park ticket online in advance (prices vary by season, roughly £18-35 for a one-day entry — timed slots sell out). Spend the whole day on the wooden boardwalks and boat across Lake Kozjak. Stay overnight in the Rastoke area or the guesthouses along the D1 near Entrance 1 — far better than day-tripping.

🚌Intercity bus (~£10)

🛏Guesthouse near Plitvice Entrance 1 or Rastoke

• →Plitvice Lakes National Park boardwalk circuit
• →Kozjak Lake boat crossing
• →Upper and Lower Lakes trail

Bus Plitvice to Zadar (2 hrs, ~£10). In Zadar, do a DIY food walk through the Old Town: the morning market, gregada or pašticada at a konoba, and a Maraschino cherry liqueur sample (~£20 total). Don't miss the Sea Organ and Greeting to the Sun. Then take the bus Zadar to Skradin (1-1.5 hrs, ~£6) for Krka National Park — entry ~£8-25 seasonally — and walk the boardwalk to Skradinski Buk falls. Late bus Skradin to Šibenik (~25 mins, £3).

🚌Buses (~£19)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Šibenik old town

• →Zadar Old Town and Sea Organ
• →DIY Zadar food tasting
• →Krka National Park waterfall trail

Walk to Šibenik pier and catch the local Jadrolinija passenger ferry to Prvić (Šepurine) — about 30-45 mins, roughly £3-5 each way. Wander the car-free old village and swim. Then hop the ferry via Šibenik or direct to Zlarin (~£4), known for its coral jewellery heritage, the walk up to the viewpoint and quiet coves. Return to Šibenik by late afternoon, stroll the old town and St Michael's Fortress (~£8). Check ferry timetables the day before — winter service is reduced, which is why the original tour drops Prvić out of season.

🚌Local ferries (~£12)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Šibenik old town

• →Ferry to Prvić island
• →Zlarin island walk and viewpoint
• →Šibenik St Michael's Fortress

Take the bus Šibenik to Split (1.5 hrs, £7-10). Explore Diocletian's Palace (free to walk around; ~£3-6 for the cathedral and baptistery), the Riva promenade and the Green Market. Buy a sandwich lunch on the go. In the late afternoon take the bus Split to Makarska (1.5 hrs, ~£8). Check into a guesthouse near the old town and eat seafood on the harbour.

🚌Intercity buses (~£16)

🛏Guesthouse in Makarska old town

• →Diocletian's Palace and Split old town
• →Riva promenade
• →Green Market

Pick your own adventure. Cheapest bet: the free pebble beach at Donja Luka and the walk up to the Sveti Petar peninsula for sunset views over Brač and Hvar. Alternatively take the ferry from Makarska or nearby Drvenik to Sućuraj on Brač (or the Makarska-Brač excursion boat, ~£15-20 return) for a beach day. Inland: zip-line over Tučepi (~£30-40), quad hire, or hike up to the Biokovo Skywalk (~£12-15 park entry, plus transport). Book any of these locally or via GetYourGuide 2-3 days ahead in high season.

🚌Walking / local bus

🛏Guesthouse in Makarska old town

• →Makarska beaches and Sveti Petar walk
• →Brač island ferry day trip (optional)
• →Biokovo Skywalk (optional)
• →Zip-line Tučepi (optional)

Take the bus up the coast from Makarska to Ston (~2 hrs, £9) and walk a section of the famous Ston city walls (€10 for the full wall, €5 for a shorter stretch). Ston is also oyster and mussel country — grab a plate at a konoba for ~£10-12. Continue by bus Ston/Doli to Dubrovnik (~1 hr, ~£6). Check into a hostel in the Old Town or Lapad and take an evening stroll around the city walls.

🚌Intercity buses (~£15)

🛏Hostel in Dubrovnik (Old Town or Lapad)

• →Ston city walls
• →Ston oyster tasting
• →Dubrovnik Old Town evening stroll

Buy the Dubrovnik City Pass or just pay for what you use: city walls walk (~£30, book online with a timed slot in summer to skip queues), the cable car up Srđ (~£20 return) for the classic view, and a wander around the Old Town's side alleys. Do the G for Good equivalent for free by shopping at a local recycling co-op or the Dubrovnik green market, or join a Dubrovnik 'History and War' small-group walking tour (~£20-25 on GetYourGuide). Evening: a cheap konoba meal off the Stradun (the Stradun restaurants are overpriced).

🚌Walking / local bus

🛏Hostel in Dubrovnik

• →Dubrovnik city walls
• →Mount Srđ cable car
• →Local market shopping
• →Optional war history walking tour

Cross the border into Bosnia. Take the bus from Dubrovnik to Trebinje (~1.5-2 hrs, £6-9, several daily). Trebinje is a compact, leafy, café-culture town with Austro-Hungarian architecture and a lovely plane-tree square. Afternoon: visit Tvrdoš Monastery (a short taxi or a 5km walk) for a wine tasting in the cellars (~£8-12) — book direct when you arrive. Evening: dinner of Herzegovinian grilled meat or trout.

🚌Cross-border bus (~£8)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Trebinje centre

• →Trebinje old town orientation walk
• →Tvrdoš Monastery and wine tasting
• →Trebinje market

The original tour bundles four food stops into one day; DIY it instead. Many Trebinje-area farms (apiaries, cheese-makers in the Popovo polje and Ljubinje direction) welcome visitors — arrange the day before by phone/email through your guesthouse, or book a Herzegovina food and wine day tour via GetYourGuide (~£60-80, which bundles transport). Budget ~£25 for DIY tastings at 2-3 stops. If you have a car-savvy guesthouse host, ask for the Stolac detour to see the medieval Bogomil stećci tombstones (free).

🚌Shared taxi or locally arranged transfers (~£15)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Trebinje centre

• →Local apiary/honey tasting
• →Cheese farm visit
• →Stolac necropolis tombstones

The two big waterfalls are tricky without a car, so either book a Herzegovina waterfalls day tour on GetYourGuide (~£45-60 including transport), or take a local bus toward Ljubuški and a short taxi to Kravica (~£10 entry, swim in the pools under the falls), then a second taxi/bus hop to Koćuša near Ljubuški (free-ish, more rustic, with riverside restaurants). Overnight back in Trebinje or push on and overnight near Mostar.

🚌Local bus and taxi / shared tour transport (~£20)

🛏Guesthouse in Trebinje or near Mostar

• →Kravica Waterfall
• →Koćuša Waterfall
• →Swimming in the Neretva tributaries

Bus Trebinje to Mostar (~2 hrs, £6-8). Do the classic Herzegovina circuit yourself: local bus to Počitelj (Ottoman stone town, ~£1) and on to Blagaj for the Dervish Monastery at the Buna spring (~£2 entry). The hike to Blagaj Fortress takes ~40 mins up a rocky path — free, big views. Return to Mostar, walk the Stari Most, watch the divers, and wander the bazaar. Book a small-group Mostar walking tour on GetYourGuide (~£12-18) if you want the history properly told.

🚌Buses and local transport (~£8)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Mostar old town

• →Počitelj Ottoman town
• →Blagaj Dervish Monastery and fortress hike
• →Mostar Old Bridge and bazaar
• →Optional Mostar walking tour

Take the scenic train or bus Mostar to Sarajevo. The train (2 hrs, ~£6-8, two departures daily, book a day ahead) is one of Europe's best rail rides, running along the Neretva gorge. Alternatively the bus (2.5 hrs, ~£8). Check into a hostel in Baščaršija, then walk the Ottoman Quarter, the Sebilj fountain, and the 'Sarajevo meeting of cultures' line outside the old synagogue. Evening: ćevapi at a Baščaršija grill house (~£5-7) and Bosnian coffee.

🚌Train or bus (~£8)

🛏Hostel in Sarajevo old town

• →Sarajevo-Mostar scenic train
• →Baščaršija old bazaar
• →Latin Bridge and city history walk

Book a Sarajevo food walking tour on GetYourGuide or direct with a local operator (~£35-45) — expect burek, ćevapi, dolma and sweets, plus market and coffee-house stops. In the afternoon, do the war history independently: the Tunnel of Hope / War Tunnel Museum (bus to Dobrinja, ~£3 entry plus ~£5), Gallery 11/07/95 (~£6), and the Yellow Fortress sunset walk (free). The 'Times of Misfortune' tour is ~£14 if you'd rather be guided. Optional: the National Museum (~£5).

🚌Local bus/tram (~£4)

🛏Hostel in Sarajevo old town

• →Sarajevo food walking tour
• →War Tunnel Museum
• →Gallery 11/07/95
• →Yellow Fortress sunset

Last morning for coffee and a stroll through the Baščaršija or Mt Trebević cable car (~£8 return) if time allows. Take the local trolleybus or the airport bus to Sarajevo Airport (~£1.50-3). Trip ends.

🚌Public bus/trolleybus to the airport (~£2)

🛏—

• →Final old town wander
• →Optional Trebević cable car