7-Day Montenegro & Bosnia Discovery — Self-Launched

Arrive in Podgorica (TGD airport bus to the centre is ~€2.50). Take the morning bus or train down to Bar (~1 hour, €3-4), then a local bus or shared taxi the last 10km to Stari Bar, one of the oldest fortified towns in the Balkans. Wander the ruined fortress and aqueduct on foot — it's a compact, easily self-navigated site with an entry fee of around €2-3. Continue by local bus or taxi (~30 min, €2-3) to Ulcinj, where the old walled town sits on a headland above a long sandy beach. Late afternoon swim and a walk along Mala Plaža.

🚌Airport bus to Podgorica centre (~£2), bus/train Podgorica–Bar (~£3.50), local bus/taxi Stari Bar–Ulcinj (~£2.50)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Ulcinj old town / centre, dorm or private room (£12-18)

• →Stari Bar fortress ruins (self-guided, ~£2)
• →Ulcinj Old Town walls and coastal walk
• →Mala Plaža beach sunset

Morning bus up the coast to Budva (~1h45, €6-7). Do the old town and fortress on foot — the Roman ruins and citadel are inside the walled peninsula and easy to explore independently; citadel entry ~€2.50. Have lunch on the marina, then take the frequent coastal bus to Kotor (~40 min, €3). Check into a hostel inside or just outside the old town, then spend the golden hour inside Kotor Old City: Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, the Sea Gate, and the lanes of the squares. If you have energy, start the Castle of St. John (San Giovanni) trailhead in the late afternoon for cooler climbing — the full ascent is ~1,350 steps and best done early morning, so many people split it.

🚌Bus Ulcinj–Budva (~£5.50), bus Budva–Kotor (~£2.50)

🛏Hostel in Kotor Old Town or Dobrota (£14-20 dorm, £25-35 private)

• →Budva Old Town and citadel (self-guided, ~£2.50)
• →Budva marina stroll
• →Kotor Old City: Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, Sea Gate, squares

Climb to the Castle of St. John early (entry ~€8-15 depending on season — go before 8am to beat heat and crowds) for the classic view over the Bay of Kotor. Shower, check out, and take the bus to Mostar. There is no direct Kotor–Mostar line on most days, so the reliable DIY route is: bus Kotor–Trebinje (~2h, €8-10) or a shared minivan, then Trebinje–Mostar (~2h, €8-10). Alternatively take a bus to Dubrovnik and onward, but that's longer. Arrive in Mostar in the late afternoon, check into a guesthouse in or near the old town, and walk the rebuilt Stari Most at sunset — the divers jump most evenings in summer.

🚌Bus Kotor–Trebinje (~£8) + Trebinje–Mostar (~£8); fortress entry ~£10

🛏Guesthouse or hostel steps from the Old Bridge (£12-18 dorm, £22-30 private)

• →Castle of St. John / San Giovanni fortress hike
• →Stari Most at sunset
• →Evening walk through the Old Bazaar (Bazar Kujundziluk)

Morning walking tour of Mostar's old town — either a free/pay-what-you-want guided walk from the old town square (~£8-12 tip) or a self-guided route past the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, the war-damaged buildings, and the sniper tower. Grab a cevapcici lunch (~£4-6). In the early afternoon take local bus No. 10 or a taxi (~€2-3) the 10km to Blagaj, where the Tekija monastery sits beneath a cliff at the source of the Buna River — entry ~€2.50, plus a riverside Turkish coffee. Bus back to Mostar, then the train or bus to Sarajevo: the Sarajevo–Mostar railway is scenic and cheap (~€6-8, 2h) but only runs a couple of times daily — book a seat at the station in the morning. Otherwise buses run hourly (~€10-12, 2h30).

🚌Local bus to Blagaj (~£2.50), train or bus Mostar–Sarajevo (~£7)

🛏Hostel in Sarajevo's Bascarsija or old town (£10-16 dorm, £20-28 private)

• →Mostar old town walking tour (pay-what-you-want, ~£10)
• →Blagaj Tekija monastery and Buna spring
• →Scenic rail or bus ride over the Neretva canyon

A full day on foot plus a couple of cheap taxis. Start in Bascarsija — the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque (~€3), the Old Orthodox Church, and the Sacred Heart Cathedral are all within 10 minutes of each other. Next, the Latin Bridge and the assassination site museum (~€4). In the afternoon take a taxi, tram plus taxi, or a Bolt (~£5-7 each way) to the Tunnel of Hope in Ilidza — entry ~€5-6 with an audio/self-guided presentation. Return for sunset at the Yellow Fortress (free) and a Bosnian coffee on the terrace, then dinner of burek and cevapi in Bascarsija. Check the Eternal Flame on the walk back.

🚌Walking plus trams/taxis across the city (~£5)

🛏Hostel in Sarajevo old town (£10-16 dorm, £20-28 private)

• →Bascarsija bazaar, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque (~£3)
• →Latin Bridge & assassination site museum (~£4)
• →Tunnel of Hope, Ilidza (~£5.50)
• →Yellow Fortress sunset (free)

Long travel day, so start early. The practical DIY route is a bus Sarajevo–Trebinje or Sarajevo–Ploce, then onward via Niksic to Zabljak; some operators run a direct-ish Sarajevo–Zabljak service in summer (~7-8h, €20-25). Check schedules the day before at the Sarajevo bus station. Arrive in Zabljak, drop bags at a hostel or guesthouse, then do the easy 3.5km loop around Black Lake (Crno Jezero) — free access, a flat 1 hour walk through pine forest. Durmitor National Park entry is ~€3-5 if you go deeper into the park the next morning. Dinner of kacamak or grilled trout in town (~£8-10).

🚌Long-distance bus Sarajevo–Zabljak (~£20), park entry (~£4)

🛏Hostel or mountain guesthouse in Zabljak (£12-18 dorm, £22-30 private)

• →Black Lake (Crno Jezero) loop walk
• →Durmitor National Park viewpoints
• →Zabljak town evening

Take an early bus or arrange a shared taxi from Zabljak towards Niksic (~1h30, €7-8), then a local bus or taxi up to Ostrog Monastery (~45 min, €5-8). The white monastery is built into a vertical cliff face and is free to enter — dress modestly, shoulders and knees covered, and drop a small donation. Explore the upper and lower monasteries on foot. Continue down to Podgorica by bus or shared taxi (~1h, €6-8). If time allows, walk Podgorica's old town, the Millennium Bridge and King's Park before your onward flight or bus. Departure flights from TGD are typically cheap evening departures — allow 3 hours from Ostrog.

🚌Bus Zabljak–Niksic (~£7), taxi/bus to Ostrog (~£6), bus Ostrog–Podgorica (~£6)

🛏None (departure day) — optional airport-area hotel if flying out next morning (~£30-40)

• →Ostrog Monastery upper & lower (free, donation ~£3)
• →Podgorica old town and Millennium Bridge walk