Destinations / Balkans (Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria)

Balkans (Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria)

1 itinerary · 0 open departures · 0 missions

The Balkans is a diverse region in southeastern Europe encompassing countries like Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria, each offering a distinct blend of history, culture, and landscape. The region is renowned for its dramatic Adriatic and Ionian coastlines, medieval old towns, Ottoman-era bazaars, and rugged mountain ranges such as the Dinaric Alps and the Balkans range itself. Travellers are drawn here for sailing and island-hopping along the Croatian coast, hiking in Albania's Accursed Mountains, exploring UNESCO-listed heritage sites, and discovering some of Europe's most affordable and least-touristy destinations. The Balkans rewards those who venture beyond the mainstream with raw natural beauty, vibrant local culture, and a layered history shaped by Byzantine, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian influences.

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Itineraries

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Save £445 (52% off)

£855 retail with Penguin Travel → £410 self-launched

Balkans (Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria) · 8 days

Copycat

Balkan Express Southbound: Dubrovnik to Sofia (Self-Launched)

A self-launched, backpacker-friendly version of Penguin Travel's 8-day Balkan Express Southbound trip, crossing six countries from Dubrovnik to Sofia by public bus, minivan and shared taxi. You'll cover the same headline stops — Kotor Bay, Peja (Pec) and Visoki Decani Monastery, Prizren, Tirana, Ohrid and Skopje — without a guide, using hostels and guesthouses, self-bookable walking tours and cheap local transport. Costs are approximate and based on backpacker rates in GBP; Balkan buses are frequent and cheap but rarely run to a strict timetable, so a little flexibility goes a long way. Note that Kosovo↔Albania and Kosovo↔North Macedonia crossings are best done on direct international buses booked 1-2 days ahead, and carry your passport (and a printed bus ticket) at every border.

culturebudgetbackpacker

Travel Crew

~£410

Missions

Nobody's posted a Mission for Balkans (Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria) yet — which, frankly, is an opportunity.

Wait, what's a Mission?It's not a scheduled trip with dates and a minimum group size like a Departure — it's a goal. Learn to dive, do a Muay Thai camp, live somewhere for a month and work on something, chase one very specific experience. Post it, and other people chasing the same thing find you.

Be the first to post one: "Eat the strangest thing on the menu every single day for a week and document the regret."

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