Self-Launched Western Balkans: Dubrovnik to Sarajevo

Fly into Dubrovnik (DBV) and take the Platanus airport shuttle bus to the Old Town (Pile Gate) or Gruz bus station, around £7-8. Check into a hostel or guesthouse in or just outside the Old Town walls. Spend the late afternoon wandering the Stradun, the city walls exterior and the old harbour, then eat cheaply at a konoba or bakery (burek and pastries are a few pounds). If you want to walk the city walls, do it early tomorrow or late today to avoid peak heat and crowds — tickets are about £30, so check whether it's worth it for you.

🚌Platanus airport shuttle bus DBV to Old Town, ~£7-8; walking in town

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Dubrovnik Old Town / Gruz (dorm £22-30, private room £40-55)

• →Stradun and Old Town stroll
• →Old harbour and Pile Gate
• →Optional: city walls walk (~£30)

Cross the border into Montenegro. The cheapest route is the local bus from Dubrovnik bus station to Herceg Novi (about 1.5-2 hours, £12-15), then a local bus or shared taxi along the bay to Perast. In Perast, take the small shuttle boat out to the islet of Our Lady of the Rocks (about £5-6 return, boats run regularly from the waterfront) and explore the church and its treasury of silver votive plaques. Back in Perast, wander the baroque waterfront palaces and grab lunch. Continue by local bus around the bay to Kotor (about 30-40 minutes, £2-3). Note: bring your passport for the border and check current crossing rules.

🚌Local bus Dubrovnik–Herceg Novi ~£13; local bus/shared taxi to Perast ~£3; boat to the islet ~£5.50; bus Perast–Kotor ~£3

🛏Hostel or small guesthouse inside Kotor's old town walls (dorm £15-22, private £30-40)

• →Boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks islet
• →Perast baroque waterfront walk
• →Bay of Kotor coastal bus ride

Start at Kotor's daily green market just outside the Sea Gate for fruit, cheese and pastries. Then hike the medieval walls and steps up to the Sveti Ivan (San Giovanni) fortress — entry is around £8-10 and the climb takes 1-1.5 hours with big views over the fjord-like bay. In the afternoon, either go sea kayaking in the bay (book direct with a local operator or via GetYourGuide, £20-25 for a half-day) or take a local bus to the beaches at Herceg Novi or Dobrota. Optional: Kotor Maritime Museum (~£4.50) or the Roman mosaics at Risan.

🚌Walking; local bus to beaches ~£2-3 each way

🛏Kotor old town hostel or guesthouse

• →Kotor green market
• →Sveti Ivan fortress hike (~£8-10)
• →Sea kayaking in the bay (£20-25)
• →Optional: Maritime Museum (~£4.50)

Head out to the Kovačević family botanical garden near Herceg Novi — reachable by local bus plus a short taxi, or by arranging a shared taxi from Kotor (roughly £20-25 split between a few travellers). Walk the grounds of this protected monument with around 127 tree and shrub species. Next, arrange a visit and tasting at a small family winery such as Dabović (contact directly by email/phone; a tour and tasting with local brandy and snacks is roughly £15-20). Then cross the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina to Trebinje by local bus or shared taxi. On arrival, walk up to the Hercegovačka Gračanica temple for sunset views over the town.

🚌Shared taxi/local bus to botanical garden ~£10-12 pp; onward bus to Trebinje ~£5-8

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Trebinje old town (private room £22-30, dorm £12-16)

• →Kovačević botanical garden walk (~£3-5 entry)
• →Family winery tour and tasting (£15-20)
• →Hercegovačka Gračanica temple viewpoint

Spend the day on Herzegovina's food trail. Start at Trebinje's green market in the morning to sample local cheese, cured meats, fruit and honey. Contact a local family apiary (several run five-generation operations and welcome visitors — ask your guesthouse to call ahead) for a talk and honey tasting, around £10-15. Then visit a small countryside cheese-making farm for a demonstration and a farm-to-table lunch with the family (about £20-25 including lunch). Arrange these by asking your host to phone directly — it's far cheaper than a booked tour. Evening free in Trebinje's pretty plane-tree squares for a cheap local dinner.

🚌Local bus or shared taxi between farms ~£8-12 total

🛏Guesthouse in Trebinje

• →Trebinje green market visit
• →Family apiary tour and honey tasting (£10-15)
• →Cheese-making farm demo with farm lunch (£20-25)

Take a local bus to Stolac (about 45 minutes) and explore one of Bosnia's oldest towns, including the UNESCO-listed medieval stećci tombstones at the Radimlja and Boljuni necropolises (small entry fee). Continue to Blagaj by local bus or shared taxi. Do an orientation walk to the Buna spring and the Dervish Monastery built into the cliff (modest entry fee, around £2-3). In the free afternoon, hike up to Blagaj Fortress (free, 45-60 minutes up) for views over the river valley, or linger at riverside restaurants. Overnight in Blagaj/Buna or nearby Mostar.

🚌Local bus Trebinje–Stolac ~£3-4; Stolac–Blagaj/Mostar ~£4-6

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Blagaj or hostel in Mostar (dorm £12-16, private £25-35)

• →Radimlja/Boljuni UNESCO stećci necropolis (~£2-4)
• →Blagaj Dervish Monastery (~£2-3)
• →Blagaj Fortress hike (free)

Morning in Mostar: stroll the old bazaar, watch divers plunge from the Stari Most, and visit the Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque minaret for the classic bridge view. Then take the train or bus to Sarajevo. The scenic train from Mostar to Sarajevo is around £6-8 and takes about two hours — book a window seat. In the evening, join a small-group Sarajevo food tour in Baščaršija (bookable via GetYourGuide or AirBnB Experiences, roughly £30-40 including tastings: ćevapi, burek, baklava and Bosnian coffee). Alternatively, DIY it with a market crawl for £12-15.

🚌Train Mostar–Sarajevo ~£7 (or bus ~£9)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Baščaršija, Sarajevo (dorm £12-18, private £28-38)

• →Stari Most and Mostar old bazaar
• →Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque viewpoint (~£5)
• →Sarajevo evening food tour (£30-40)

Take a small-group siege and war-tunnels tour (book via GetYourGuide or a local agency, ~£30-40 for a half-day) covering the Tunnel of Hope and War Tunnel Museum, Trebević Mountain trenches and bobsled track, and the Yellow Fortress viewpoint, with a guide who lived through the siege. Alternatively, do it independently: local bus/tram to the Tunnel of Hope (~£2 entry plus transport) and walk to the Yellow Fortress for free. Spend the afternoon at the Galerija 11/07/95 or the History Museum, then have a farewell dinner of ćevapi in Baščaršija (about £8-10).

🚌Tram/bus to Tunnel of Hope ~£1-2 each way

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Sarajevo

• →Siege of Sarajevo & Tunnel of Hope tour (£30-40)
• →Trebević Mountain and Yellow Fortress
• →Galerija 11/07/95 or History Museum (~£5)

Check out and take the local trolleybus or tram to the main bus/train station (about £1), or a taxi to Sarajevo airport (~£10-12). If your flight is later, squeeze in a last coffee in Baščaršija or a wander through the Vijećnica city hall.

🚌Tram/trolleybus to station ~£1, or taxi to airport ~£11

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Free morning in Baščaršija
• →Optional: Vijećnica city hall