Self-Launched: Cycle the Backroads of Bosnia

Fly into Dubrovnik (DBV) and cross the border into Bosnia by public transport — take the local bus from Dubrovnik bus station toward Trebinje (roughly 1.5-2hrs, ~£8-10), or the airport shuttle to Dubrovnik centre if arriving late. Settle into a budget guesthouse or hostel in Trebinje's old town near the river and Ottoman arched bridge. Spend the late afternoon wandering the leafy square, the Arslanagic Bridge and the Hercegovačka Gračanica monastery viewpoint above town. Grab a cheap grilled-meat dinner (ćevapi) in the centre (~£6).

🚌Local bus Dubrovnik to Trebinje ~£8-10

🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Trebinje old town, ~£20-25 twin/double

• →Explore Trebinje old town and river square
• →Walk to Arslanagić Bridge
• →Sunset viewpoint at Hercegovačka Gračanica

Take the long-distance bus from Trebinje to Sarajevo (roughly 6-8hrs depending on route, ~£18-22); some services route via Foča near Sutjeska National Park, letting you glimpse the primeval Perućica forest and Maglić peak from the road. Alternatively break the journey with an overnight in Foča if you want a proper Sutjeska stop. Arrive in Sarajevo early evening and check into a hostel or budget hotel in Baščaršija. Stroll the cobbled old town, the Ottoman bazaar, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque and the meeting point of east and west at the Eternal Flame.

🚌Long-distance bus Trebinje to Sarajevo ~£18-22

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Baščaršija, Sarajevo, ~£22-30

• →Scenic bus ride through eastern Herzegovina
• →Optional Sutjeska National Park / Tjentište stop
• →Evening walk through Baščaršija old town

Pick up your pre-booked mountain bike from a Sarajevo rental shop (Specialized Rockhopper or similar, ~£25-30/day including helmet and repair kit; some shops deliver). Ride out of the city and climb into the Igman and Bjelasnica mountains — site of the 1984 Winter Olympic downhill and ski jump events and a lifeline during the 1990s siege. Mix of tarmac and compact gravel, ~38 miles with steady climbing. Ride at your own pace; there's no support vehicle now, so carry water, snacks and a basic tool kit. Overnight at the Vrela Mountain Hut near Tusila — one of the region's friendliest hiking and biking refuges (book ahead, ~£20-25 with dinner).

🚌Mountain bike hire from Sarajevo ~£25-30/day

🛏Vrela Mountain Hut, dorm/refuge bed ~£20-25 including dinner

• →Ride the 1984 Olympic trails over Igman and Bjelasnica
• →Alpine villages and pine forest backroads
• →Overnight at Vrela Mountain Hut

Follow a centuries-old Ottoman caravan route over the Bjelasnica and Visočica ranges. Gentle asphalt out of Tusila, then steeper climbing past the villages of Sinanovići and Glavačevo, with medieval stećci tombstones and wide mountain panoramas. ~33 miles with a 5,300ft descent to the glacial, emerald water of Boračko Lake. Picnic lunch from a village shop en route (~£4-5). Stay at a lakeside guesthouse or the small lakeside campground (rooms ~£20-28; you can swim in the lake in summer).

🚌On bike (carry snacks from Sarajevo)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse or cabin at Boračko Lake, ~£20-28

• →Ride the Ottoman caravan trail
• →Medieval stećci tombstones
• →Swim in Boračko Lake

The big climbing day: ascend from Boračko Lake into the Prenj range, the 'Herzegovinian Himalayas', with steep switchbacks and short gravel sections toward the hilltop village of Ruište. ~37 miles, long descent into Mostar. If the legs give out, flag a local bus or shared taxi on the M17 road rather than pushing through. Arrive in Mostar, check into a hostel near the old town (~£20-28), and walk to the iconic Stari Most bridge — time it to watch the divers and catch it lit up after dark.

🚌On bike (local bus backup on the M17 if needed ~£3)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse near Mostar old town, ~£20-28

• →Climb through the Prenj mountains
• →Descend to Mostar
• →Stari Most bridge and old bazaar at dusk

Pick up the Ciro Trail, the old narrow-gauge Austro-Hungarian railway corridor converted into a cycle route, heading south from Mostar. Pedal past vineyards and farmland along the Neretva river valley — ~40 miles, mostly gentle and lightly travelled, mixing asphalt and well-compacted gravel. Pause at Počitelj's hilltop Ottoman fortress and the Kravice waterfalls if you have legs left. Stay in Čapljina (~£18-25), or base at nearby Međugorje if you'd rather ride out from there tomorrow.

🚌On bike

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Čapljina, ~£18-25

• →Ride the Ciro Trail (old railway corridor)
• →Počitelj Ottoman fortress
• →Optional Kravice waterfalls detour

Final day in the saddle: follow the Ciro Trail further south toward Zavala, crossing old railway bridges and skirting the Hutovo Blato wetlands with their abandoned stations and tunnels. ~37 miles, mostly asphalt with occasional gravel. In Zavala visit the Vjetrenica Cave (entry ~£8) and the 16th-century Orthodox Zavala Monastery, then ride or take a short local bus/taxi transfer into Trebinje (~£5). Celebrate with a wine tasting at a local Trebinje cellar (Tvrdoš or Hercegovina Produkt, ~£8-10) and a farewell dinner.

🚌On bike; short local transfer to Trebinje ~£5

🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Trebinje, ~£20-25

• →Ride the Ciro Trail to Zavala
• →Vjetrenica Cave visit
• →Zavala Monastery
• →Trebinje wine tasting

Return the bike if you rented from Sarajevo (arrange one-way drop or courier in advance — or rent locally in Sarajevo and return there before travelling, which is cheaper but less seamless). Take the local bus from Trebinje back across the border to Dubrovnik (~£8-10, 1.5-2hrs) and on to the airport. If time allows, extend your stay with a couple of days on the Croatian coast. Book onward flights for early afternoon onwards to allow for the border crossing.

🚌Local bus Trebinje to Dubrovnik ~£8-10

🛏N/A (onward travel)

• →Border crossing back into Croatia
• →Optional Dubrovnik coastal extension