Balkan Odyssey: 11-Day Self-Launched Loop from Tirana

Ease into the Balkans with an easy half-day south. Take a local bus or shared furgon from Tirana's South & North Bus Terminal to Durrës (about 45 min, ~£1.50), stash your bag, and walk the Roman amphitheatre and harbour promenade — both free. Then catch a bus from Durrës to Berat (roughly 2 hrs with a change in Lushnjë or direct furgons, ~£4-5). Check into a guesthouse in the Mangalem quarter, climb to Berat Castle before sunset (free entry to the grounds), and pop into the Onufri Museum (small ticket, ~£2.50) if it's still open. Evening: byrek and grilled meat in the old town.

🚌Local bus/furgon Tirana–Durrës (~£1.50), bus Durrës–Berat (~£4-5)

🛏Guesthouse in Mangalem quarter, double/private room (~£18-22)

• →Durrës Roman Amphitheatre (free)
• →Durrës harbour walk
• →Berat Castle at sunset (free)
• →Onufri Museum (~£2.50)
• →Mangalem cobblestone wander

The private tour drives the scenic coastal route; you can too. Take an early furgon/bus from Berat toward Vlorë (~2 hrs, ~£4) and onward along the Albanian Riviera. The Llogara Pass viewpoint is reached on the Vlorë–Sarandë/Himarë road; furgons run this corridor in season and drivers will stop at the pass. From the pass road, taxis or a short local hop get you to the Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër) spring (entry ~£2). Winter/off-season the direct connections thin out — in that case take a Vlorë–Gjirokastër bus (~2.5 hrs, ~£5) and hire a taxi for the Blue Eye detour (~£15 return, split between two). Late afternoon: wander Gjirokastër's Old Bazaar and the castle grounds (~£2).

🚌Furgon Berat–Vlorë (~£4), coastal furgon/bus past Llogara Pass (~£4), taxi to Blue Eye (~£7.50pp shared), onward bus to Gjirokastër (~£3)

🛏Stone-house guesthouse in Gjirokastër old town (~£18-22)

• →Llogara Pass viewpoint
• →Blue Eye spring (~£2 entry)
• →Gjirokastër Castle (~£2)
• →Gjirokastër Old Bazaar

A long transfer day, so start early. First visit Langarica Canyon near Antigone/Çajup — reachable by a short taxi from Gjirokastër (~£10 return, shareable) — and walk the canyon trail to the thermal springs (free; the tour lists the springs as optional, they're a 20-30 min walk). Then take a bus Gjirokastër → Tepelenë/Fier → Pogradec (~4-5 hrs total, ~£7-8). Alternatively a Gjirokastër–Elbasan–Pogradec routing works. Arrive Pogradec on the Albanian shore of Lake Ohrid in the evening for a lakeside walk and koran fish dinner.

🚌Taxi to Langarica Canyon (~£5pp shared), buses Gjirokastër–Pogradec via Fier/Elbasan (~£7-8)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse or budget hotel in Pogradec (~£15-20)

• →Langarica Canyon trail
• →Thermal springs (free)
• →Lake Ohrid sunset promenade

Cross into North Macedonia. A morning local bus/furgon takes you from Pogradec around the lake to Struga or Ohrid (~1-1.5 hrs, ~£2-3). Spend the day in Ohrid: the Samuil Fortress (entry ~£2), the Church of St John at Kaneo on the cliff edge (free/small donation), and the old town lanes. In the late afternoon take the Ohrid–Skopje bus (~3 hrs, ~£8-9). Evening: self-guided loop of Skopje's Macedonia Square, Stone Bridge and Mother Teresa Square — all free and lit up after dark.

🚌Furgon Pogradec–Ohrid (~£2.50), bus Ohrid–Skopje (~£8.50)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel near the old bazaar, Skopje (~£12-16 dorm / ~£22 private)

• →Samuil Fortress (~£2)
• →Church of St John at Kaneo (free)
• →Ohrid old town
• →Skopje Stone Bridge & Macedonia Square (free)

Get to Matka Canyon early — city bus 60 from Skopje's centre runs to the canyon entrance (~30-40 min, ~£0.60). Walk the canyon rim trails (free) or pay for a short boat trip to Vrelo Cave (~£5-7). Back in Skopje, take the afternoon bus to Pristina (~2 hrs, ~£6-7). In Pristina, see the National Library (the famously eccentric building), the Newborn Monument and Mother Teresa Boulevard on foot — all free, all central.

🚌City bus to Matka (~£0.60), boat to Vrelo Cave (~£6), bus Skopje–Pristina (~£6.50)

🛏Hostel or budget apartment in central Pristina (~£14-18)

• →Matka Canyon trails (free)
• →Vrelo Cave boat trip (~£6)
• →National Library of Kosovo
• →Newborn Monument
• →Mother Teresa Boulevard

Morning bus Pristina–Prizren (~1.5-2 hrs, ~£3.50). Detour first to the KLA Memorial Complex at Prekaz if you're interested in Kosovo's recent history — it's awkward by public transport, so either take a taxi from Srbica/Mitrovica area or a direct taxi from Pristina (~£20-25 return, split). Otherwise head straight to Prizren: climb to the Prizren Fortress (free), cross the Ottoman Stone Bridge, and browse the Traditional Bazaar. Evening is the best time for the fortress viewpoint and a coffee on the river.

🚌Bus Pristina–Prizren (~£3.50); optional taxi to Prekaz (~£10-12pp split)

🛏Guesthouse in Prizren old town (~£16-20)

• →Prizren Fortress (free)
• →Stone Bridge
• →Traditional Bazaar
• →KLA Memorial Complex (optional, taxi)

A big transit day. Bus Prizren → Pristina/Gjakovë → Shkodër is fiddly; the simplest route is Prizren back to Pristina then the Pristina–Shkodër/Ulcinj services, or a Prizren–Tirana connection north. Realistically allow 5-6 hrs (~£10-12). In Shkodër see Rozafa Castle (~£2.50, great lake views), the Historical Museum (~£2) and the pedestrian zone. Then take the evening bus Shkodër–Podgorica (~1.5 hrs, ~£5) and onward bus or shared van to Žabljak (~2.5 hrs, ~£7) — arrive late, so pre-book a guesthouse. A taxi/transfer from Podgorica to Žabljak is ~£35 if buses don't line up.

🚌Buses Prizren–Shkodër (~£11), Shkodër–Podgorica (~£5), Podgorica–Žabljak (~£7)

🛏Mountain guesthouse in Žabljak (~£18-22)

• →Rozafa Castle (~£2.50)
• →Shkodër Historical Museum (~£2)
• →Shkodër pedestrian zone
• →Lake Shkodër viewpoint

Start with a morning in Durmitor National Park — the Black Lake (Crno Jezero) loop is a flat 3.5 km walk from Žabljak centre with a small park entry fee (~£3). Then catch the bus Žabljak → Sarajevo (~6 hrs with a change in Pljevlja or via Podgorica, ~£15-18); check schedules the day before as departures are limited. Arrive Sarajevo in the evening: stroll Baščaršija and see the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque and the Latin Bridge (all free from outside).

🚌Durmitor park entry walk (no transport), bus Žabljak–Sarajevo via Pljevlja (~£16)

🛏Hostel in Baščaršija, Sarajevo (~£12-15 dorm / ~£22 private)

• →Black Lake loop, Durmitor NP (~£3 entry)
• →Baščaršija old bazaar
• →Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque
• →Latin Bridge

Morning train Sarajevo–Mostar (one of Europe's most scenic rail routes, ~2 hrs, ~£7) — sit on the right for the Neretva canyon. Drop bags at your hostel, then take local bus 5 or a taxi (~£8 return) to Blagaj Tekke, the dervish house at the mouth of the Buna spring (~£2.50 entry). Back in Mostar, spend golden hour on and around Stari Most, and try Bosnian coffee in a courtyard café.

🚌Train Sarajevo–Mostar (~£7), local bus/taxi to Blagaj (~£4pp)

🛏Guesthouse near Stari Most, Mostar (~£15-20)

• →Sarajevo–Mostar scenic train
• →Blagaj Tekke (~£2.50)
• →Buna River spring
• →Stari Most & old bazaar
• →Bosnian coffee

Bus Mostar → Trebinje or Mostar → Dubrovnik-area connections to Kotor; the most reliable option is Mostar–Trebinje (~2 hrs) then Trebinje–Herceg Novi–Kotor (~2.5-3 hrs), roughly £12-15 total and 5-6 hrs. Once in Kotor, explore the Old Town free of charge, step into St Tryphon's Cathedral (~£3), and walk the city walls. If you have energy, hike to the Kotor Fortress up the Ladder of Kotor (~£5 entry via the paid trail, allow 1-1.5 hrs up) for the classic bay view at sunset.

🚌Bus Mostar–Trebinje (~£5), bus Trebinje–Kotor via Herceg Novi (~£8)

🛏Old Town guesthouse or hostel in Kotor (~£18-25)

• →Kotor Old Town
• →St Tryphon's Cathedral (~£3)
• →Kotor Fortress hike (~£5)
• →Kotor Bay sunset

Morning bus Kotor → Budva (~30 min, ~£2). Wander Budva Old Town and the beach promenade, and if time allows, a local bus to the Sveti Stefan viewpoint (~£2 each way). Then the long ride back to Tirana: Budva–Bar–Shkodër–Tirana buses total ~4.5-5.5 hrs, roughly £10-13. St. Stefan and Budva are easiest seen before noon to make the last Tirana connection — check the last Shkodër–Tirana buses (usually early evening). End the loop in Tirana with a farewell dinner.

🚌Bus Kotor–Budva (~£2), Sveti Stefan return bus (~£4), buses Budva–Tirana via Shkodër (~£11)

🛏Optional final night in Tirana hostel (~£14-18) or onward departure

• →Budva Old Town
• →Budva promenade
• →Sveti Stefan viewpoint
• →Tirana farewell dinner