Serbia & Bosnia in 7 Days — Self-Launched

Arrive in Belgrade (Nikola Tesla Airport bus 72 or A1 shuttle to the centre, ~£1.50-3). Drop bags at a hostel in Dorćol or Savamala, then walk the city on your own: Kalemegdan and Belgrade Fortress with its Danube-Sava confluence views, Skadarlija's cobbled kafana street, and Knez Mihailova. In the afternoon take tram 40 or 41 (or a 25-min walk) out to the House of Flowers (Tito's mausoleum, ~£3 entry, closed Mondays) and then bus/tram up to St. Sava Church and its rooftop dome viewpoint (~£2). Local guides run pay-what-you-want Belgrade walking tours most mornings (~£8-10 tip) if you want context. Evening: grilled ćevapi and a Jelen beer in Skadarlija, ~£12.

🚌Airport bus 72/A1 ~£1.50-3; city trams ~£0.80 per ride; day ticket ~£2

🛏Hostel in Dorćol/Savamala (dorm £13-16, private room from £28)

• →Belgrade Fortress & Kalemegdan self-walk
• →House of Flowers (Tito's mausoleum)
• →St. Sava Church and dome viewpoint
• →Skadarlija evening wander

Catch an early train or bus from Belgrade to Novi Sad (~£4-5, 1.5-2 hrs). Base yourself in Novi Sad's old town and use local buses/taxis to reach the hills. Visit Petrovaradin Fortress (free) and its clock tower, then a local bus or shared taxi up to Fruška Gora to see Krušedol Monastery (free entry, dress modestly). Sremski Karlovci — the baroque wine town — is easiest by bus from Novi Sad (~£1.50); taste Bermet dessert wine at a small family cellar (~£5-8 with snacks). Back in Novi Sad, do a self-guided walk of Dunavska street, the Name of Mary Church and the Danube quay. Return to Belgrade on the evening train (~£5).

🚌Belgrade–Novi Sad train/bus ~£4-5 each way; local buses and shared taxi to Fruška Gora ~£5-7 total

🛏Hostel in Belgrade, second night (dorm £13-16)

• →Petrovaradin Fortress
• →Krušedol Monastery
• →Sremski Karlovci wine tasting
• →Novi Sad old town walk

Long travel day, but very doable on public transport. Take an early bus from Belgrade to Bajina Bašta (~3.5-4 hrs, ~£10), then a local bus or shared taxi up to Zaovine/Mokra Gora. From Bajina Bašta it's a short taxi or a 40-min walk to the famous Drina River House viewpoint; the Perućac lake shore is nearby. Arrange a local driver for the afternoon (~£25-30 shared between two) to hit Tara National Park: the Banjska Stena viewpoint hike (easy 30-45 min each way) and the Carpet Meadow (Ćilin pogled) lookouts over Lake Perućac. Sleep in a village guesthouse or sobe in Mokra Gora (~£16-20) — book ahead in summer.

🚌Belgrade–Bajina Bašta bus ~£10; local bus/taxi to Mokra Gora ~£5; half-day local driver ~£12-15 pp shared

🛏Guesthouse/sobe in Mokra Gora or Zaovine (£16-22)

• →Drina River House viewpoint
• →Banjska Stena hike
• →Tara National Park forest walk
• →Lake Perućac views

Book the Šargan Eight (Šarganska osmica) heritage narrow-gauge train directly on the Serbian Railways site or at Mokra Gora station (~£8-10, ~2.5 hrs; book ahead, morning departures fill). Afterwards take a bus or shared taxi down to Višegrad (~1 hr, ~£4) to see the UNESCO-listed Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge over the Drina — a boat ride on the Drina from the riverside (~£6) is a nice add. From Višegrad take the afternoon bus to Sarajevo (~2.5 hrs, ~£8-10). Settle into a hostel or guesthouse in Baščaršija and eat ćevapi at a local tavern (~£8).

🚌Šargan Eight train ~£9; Višegrad bus ~£4; Višegrad–Sarajevo bus ~£9

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Sarajevo old town (dorm £12-15, private from £26)

• →Šargan Eight heritage railway
• →Drina river boat ride
• →Višegrad Old Bridge (UNESCO)

Morning free walking tour of Baščaršija and the old town (tip-based, ~£6-8), taking in the Sebilj fountain, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, the Latin Bridge and the meeting-of-cultures line. Then take tram 3 to Ilidža and a local bus/taxi to the Tunnel of Hope (Tunel spasa) museum (~£4 entry) to understand the siege. In the afternoon ride the Trebević cable car (~£5 return) up the mountain to the abandoned 1984 Olympic bobsleigh track — free to walk, with great views. Finish with a Bosnian coffee and baklava in the bazaar, then a craft-beer or rakija night in the old town (~£12).

🚌Tram ~£1 per ride; taxi/bus to Tunnel of Hope ~£3; Trebević cable car ~£5 return

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Sarajevo old town (dorm £12-15)

• →Baščaršija free walking tour
• →Tunnel of Hope museum
• →Trebević cable car & bobsleigh track
• →Latin Bridge & old town sights

Take the early train from Sarajevo to Mostar (~2 hrs, ~£5-7 — the scenery along the Neretva is the highlight; buses are similar price). Stop off in Konjic on the way if you like (bus ~1 hr) for its 17th-century Ottoman bridge and rafting-company cafés. In Mostar, walk the Old Bridge and old bazaar with a short self-guided loop or a local guide (~£8), then take local bus 36 or a taxi to Blagaj (~£2/£6) to see the Buna river spring and the Dervish House (Blagaj Tekija, ~£4), lunching on grilled trout by the water (~£10). Return by bus/train to Sarajevo in the evening (last trains are early — check times and be ready to use the bus).

🚌Sarajevo–Mostar train/bus ~£6 each way; Konjic stop ~£3; Mostar–Blagaj local bus ~£2

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Sarajevo old town (dorm £12-15)

• →Konjic Old Bridge
• →Mostar Old Bridge & bazaar
• →Blagaj Dervish House & Buna spring
• →Neretva valley train ride

Breakfast in the bazaar (burek and yoghurt, ~£3), then squeeze in anything you missed: the War Childhood Museum (~£5), the Yellow Fortress viewpoint for a free city panorama, or the Sarajevo City Hall. Airport bus/taxi to Sarajevo International is ~£1-4 depending on mode; buses to Belgrade, Zagreb and Mostar run throughout the day if you're continuing onward. Buy a Bosnian SIM (BH Telecom/HT Eronet tourist data, ~£7) early in the trip if you haven't already — useful for checking bus times.

🚌Airport bus/taxi ~£1-4

🛏None (checkout day)

• →War Childhood Museum
• →Yellow Fortress viewpoint
• →Sarajevo City Hall