Small Group: Balkan Grand Circle, 19 days (Self-Launched)

Fly into Nikola Tesla Airport (SUR) and take bus 72 or A1 shuttle (about £2–4) or a shared minivan to the city centre. Settle into a hostel in Stari Grad or Vračar. In the evening head to Skadarlija, the cobbled bohemian quarter, for a cheap kafana dinner (ćevapi, ajvar, rakija for about £9–12) and live music.

🚌Airport bus 72/A1 or shared shuttle, ~£2–4

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Stari Grad (£14–20)

• →Evening stroll through Skadarlija and dinner in a traditional kafana

Join a free (tip-based) walking tour of the centre covering Republic Square and Knez Mihailova Street, then walk up to Belgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park for the Sava/Danube confluence views. Afternoon tram or bus to the Temple of Saint Sava and the Museum of Yugoslavia (Tito's mausoleum) — entry roughly £6. Stop for Serbian coffee and rakija at a historic tavern. Optional evening sundown river cruise on the Sava and Danube, ~£10–15 booked locally or via GetYourGuide.

🚌Trams/buses across the city, day ticket ~£2

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Stari Grad (£14–20)

• →Free tip-based city walking tour
• →Belgrade Fortress & Kalemegdan Park
• →Temple of Saint Sava & Museum of Yugoslavia (~£6)
• →Optional Sava/Danube sunset cruise (~£12)

Take a morning bus or train from Belgrade to Novi Sad (roughly 1.5 hours, £4–6). From there take a local bus to Sremski Karlovci to see the Patriarchal Court and Orthodox Cathedral, then a short bus or taxi ride to Krušedol Monastery in Fruška Gora National Park. Book a small winery tasting independently in the Fruška Gora hills (probus wine cellars charge roughly £10–15 for a tasting). Finish at Petrovaradin Fortress before the evening return bus to Belgrade.

🚌Belgrade–Novi Sad bus/train £4–6 each way; local buses £1–2

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Stari Grad (£14–20)

• →Krušedol Monastery
• →Sremski Karlovci old town
• →Fruška Gora winery tasting (~£12)
• →Petrovaradin Fortress

Long travel day: morning bus from Belgrade to Timișoara (3–4 hours, ~£12) — see Unirii Square, the Catholic Cathedral of Saint George and Liberty Square on a quick self-guided loop. Then take an afternoon train or bus to Sibiu (via Arad/Deva, roughly 4–5 hours, £10–15). It's a full day but manageable; alternatively split it with an overnight in Timișoara. Check into a guesthouse inside or near the old town.

🚌Belgrade–Timișoara bus ~£12; Timișoara–Sibiu train/bus £10–15

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Sibiu old town (£20–26)

• →Self-guided walk of Timișoara's Unirii and Victory Squares
• →Evening stroll through Sibiu's Large and Small Squares

Morning at the ASTRA National Museum Complex (open-air village museum, entry ~£3). Then drive or take a tour shuttle along the Transfăgărășan Road, the spectacular Carpathian pass, and the Bâlea Lake cable car (~£8 return) — note the road is typically open June–October only. Local day-tour minivans from Sibiu run roughly £30–40 including transport. In the evening continue to Sinaia by train (Sibiu–Sinaia, 3–4 hours, £8–12).

🚌Sibiu–Sinaia train £8–12; Transfăgărășan day tour ~£35

🛏Guesthouse in Sinaia (£20–26)

• →ASTRA National Museum Complex (~£3)
• →Transfăgărășan Road scenic drive
• →Bâlea Lake cable car (~£8)

Book Peleș Castle tickets online in advance (about £8–10, closed Mondays). Then take a local bus or train to Brașov (1 hour, ~£3) and wander Piața Sfatului and the Black Church. Hop a bus to Bran (45 minutes, ~£2) for Bran Castle (entry ~£10). Return to Sinaia by evening bus or train. Doing this by public transport rather than a private coach is very doable but plan the timetables — the last Bran–Brașov buses run around 8pm in summer.

🚌Sinaia–Brașov train/bus ~£3; Brașov–Bran bus ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Sinaia (£20–26)

• →Peleș Castle (~£9)
• →Brașov old town & Black Church
• →Bran Castle (~£10)

Travel from Sinaia to Bucharest by train (1.5 hours, £6–10), dropping off your bag at your hostel. Half-day wine tour to Dealu Mare — several wineries (e.g. Lacerta, Budureasca) offer cellar visits and tastings from around £20–30, usually reachable by train to Ploiești or Urlati plus a taxi. Return to Bucharest by evening and explore the Old Town.

🚌Sinaia–Bucharest train £6–10; local trains/taxis to Dealu Mare ~£10

🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Old Town (£20–28)

• →Dealu Mare winery tour & tasting (~£25)
• →Evening walk through Bucharest Old Town

Book a Palace of the Parliament tour in advance (about £10–12, passport required). Walk the Arcul de Triumf, Bulevardul Unirii and the People's Salvation Cathedral, then a free tip-based Old Town walking tour covering the Romanian Athenaeum, Royal Palace and Stavropoleos Monastery. Optional Art Nouveau-style dinner in a restored 19th-century restaurant, about £20–25.

🚌Metro and trams, day pass ~£2

🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Old Town (£20–28)

• →Palace of the Parliament tour (~£11)
• →Free Old Town walking tour
• →Arcul de Triumf & People's Salvation Cathedral

Take the morning bus from Bucharest to Ruse (1 hour, ~£7), cross into Bulgaria, then a bus or shared taxi to Veliko Tarnovo (1.5–2 hours, ~£5). Climb to Tsarevets Fortress (entry ~£4) and wander the old town's artisan streets. Short local bus or taxi up to Arbanasi village (open-air heritage museum, ~£2–3), and stay in a traditional guesthouse — Arbanashki Han-style ethno houses book from around £25–30 for a private room.

🚌Bucharest–Ruse bus ~£7; Ruse–Veliko Tarnovo bus ~£5; local bus to Arbanasi ~£2

🛏Traditional guesthouse in Arbanasi or Veliko Tarnovo (£22–30)

• →Tsarevets Fortress (~£4)
• →Arbanasi heritage village walk
• →Veliko Tarnovo old town

Early bus from Veliko Tarnovo to Gabrovo (1.5 hours, ~£4), then a local bus to the Etar Open Air Ethnographic Museum (~£2). Join a workshop at Etar Traditional Crafts to make herbal cosmetics (small fee, ~£5–8). Continue by bus to Kazanlak in the Valley of Roses (~£4) for a Damascena Complex factory tour and rose oil purchase — best mid-May to mid-June during the rose harvest. Then catch a bus to Plovdiv (2 hours, ~£5). Evening in the Kapana creative district.

🚌Buses Veliko Tarnovo–Gabrovo–Kazanlak–Plovdiv, ~£15 total

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Plovdiv old town (£16–22)

• →Etar Open Air Ethnographic Museum (~£2)
• →Herbal cosmetics workshop (~£7)
• →Damascena rose oil factory tour

Morning exploring Plovdiv's Old Town: the Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis, Revival-era houses and cobbled lanes — join a free tip-based walking tour if you want the history. Afternoon bus to Sofia (2 hours, £5–7). Evening free walking tour or self-guided loop of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the tiny Church of Saint Nicholas the Miracle-Maker, Banya Bashi Mosque, Sofia Synagogue and the Roman ruins at Largo.

🚌Plovdiv–Sofia bus ~£6; metro day pass ~£1.50

🛏Hostel in central Sofia (£14–20)

• →Plovdiv Old Town & Ancient Theatre
• →Free Plovdiv walking tour
• →Sofia evening city walk

Take the morning bus from Sofia to Niš (2.5–3 hours, ~£9). Explore Niš Fortress and Tinkers Alley, then a local bus or shared taxi out to Manasija Monastery in the Resava Valley (~£5). Continue by bus to Belgrade (3.5 hours, ~£12) in the late afternoon. A long day — an overnight in Niš is a fair alternative if you'd rather not push on.

🚌Sofia–Niš bus ~£9; Niš–Belgrade bus ~£12; local buses ~£4

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Belgrade (£14–20)

• →Niš Fortress
• →Tinkers Alley
• →Manasija Monastery

Head south from Belgrade: bus to Topola for the Oplenac royal mausoleum and the King Peter I winery (~£3 entry, tastings ~£8). Add a stop at a century-old Šumadija cellar for a three-wine tasting. Continue on to Zlatibor Mountain by bus (via Užice, ~£10, 3.5–4 hours) — popular with locals, so book accommodation ahead in summer. Dinner of traditional Zlatibor fare: kajmak, ajvar, cured meats, proja and veal.

🚌Belgrade–Topola–Užice–Zlatibor buses, ~£13 total

🛏Guesthouse or apartment in Zlatibor (£18–25)

• →Oplenac mausoleum & winery (~£10)
• →Šumadija winery tasting
• →Traditional Zlatibor dinner (~£12)

Morning at Drvengrad (Wooden Town) ethno village near Mokra Gora (~£3 entry) and the Šargan Eight heritage railway ride (book online with Serbian Railways, roughly £8–12 for the loop). Continue by local bus to Višegrad in Bosnia (~£5) to see Andričgrad and the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge on the Drina. Evening bus to Sarajevo (2.5–3 hours, ~£9). Border crossings are straightforward but carry your passport.

🚌Local buses Zlatibor–Mokra Gora–Višegrad ~£8; Višegrad–Sarajevo ~£9

🛏Hostel in Baščaršija, Sarajevo (£14–18)

• →Drvengrad (Wooden Town) (~£3)
• →Šargan Eight heritage railway (~£10)
• →Višegrad bridge & Andričgrad

Breakfast burek at a local bakery (about £2). Join a free tip-based walking tour of the old town hitting the Eternal Flame, Ferhadiya, Sacred Heart Cathedral, the 16th-century Orthodox church, Vijećnica City Hall, Latin Bridge, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque and Sahat Tower. Taste ćevapi in Baščaršija (~£6), do a Bosnian coffee experience and finish with baklava. Optional afternoon: Yellow Fortress sunset viewpoint or the Tunnel of Hope museum (~£5).

🚌Trams (~£1.50 day ticket)

🛏Hostel in Baščaršija, Sarajevo (£14–18)

• →Free Sarajevo old-town walking tour
• →Ćevapi & baklava tasting (~£8)
• →Bosnian coffee ritual (~£3)
• →Optional Tunnel of Hope (~£5)

Morning train from Sarajevo to Mostar (2 hours, ~£6) — the ride through the Neretva canyon is one of Europe's best. Walk the Old Bridge, Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque and the Crooked Bridge, and book a copper-modelling workshop in the old bazaar (small independent studios ~£10). Afternoon bus to Trebinje (2.5 hours, ~£7), visiting Hercegovačka Gračanica temple and Arslanagića Bridge and Poet's Square at sunset.

🚌Sarajevo–Mostar train ~£6; Mostar–Trebinje bus ~£7

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Trebinje old town (£18–24)

• →Mostar Old Bridge & old town
• →Copper modelling workshop (~£10)
• →Hercegovačka Gračanica & Arslanagića Bridge

Shop the Trebinje market in the morning, then bus to Herceg Novi and cross into Montenegro (~£5). From Herceg Novi take a local bus to Perast (~£3) and a small boat out to Our Lady of the Rocks island (~£5 return). Walk Kotor old town — Saint Nicholas, Saint Luke and the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon — then catch an evening cross-border bus to Dubrovnik (~£10, allow for border time).

🚌Trebinje–Herceg Novi bus ~£5; local buses ~£3; boat to Our Lady of the Rocks ~£5; Kotor–Dubrovnik bus ~£10

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Lapad/old town Dubrovnik (£25–35)

• →Trebinje local market
• →Our Lady of the Rocks boat trip
• →Kotor old town walk

Walk the Stradun, Pile Gate and Rector's Palace, then buy the City Walls ticket (~£31, the priciest single item on the trip — go early to beat crowds and heat). Lunch at a modest konoba rather than the walls themselves to keep costs down (~£10). Optional cable car to Srđ Hill (~£18 return) or, cheaper, hike up. Optional sunset cruise on the Karaka galleon (~£25) if you fancy it.

🚌Local buses ~£2

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Lapad/old town Dubrovnik (£25–35)

• →Dubrovnik City Walls (~£31)
• →Stradun & Pile Gate
• →Optional Srđ cable car (~£18)

Easy morning: coffee on the Stradun, last swim at Banje beach if time allows, then airport bus (Line 11, ~£5) or shared shuttle to Dubrovnik Airport. If you're extending, there are frequent ferries to Split, Korčula and Hvar from Gruž port.

🚌Airport bus ~£5

🛏—

• →Optional final swim at Banje beach