Self-Launched Balkans Loop: Montenegro, Albania & Kosovo from Dubrovnik

Catch the early bus from Dubrovnik bus station to Herceg Novi/Kotor (roughly 2–2.5 hrs, about £12–15 one way) — book on getbybus.com or at the station the day before. Drop bags at your hostel near Kotor's Sea Gate and walk the UNESCO-listed Old Town: the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, the maze of squares, and St Luke's Church tucked into the lanes. If you have energy, climb the city walls trail for the bay view (free unofficial path, or paid entry via the north side). Mid-afternoon take a local bus or 20-minute taxi to Budva (~£3–5), check into a guesthouse in or just outside the Old Town, then wander the Venetian walls, St Ivan Church and the Church of St Mary. Sunset on Mogren beach or a swim off Slovenska Plaža, then dinner in the New Budva strip.

🚌Public bus Dubrovnik–Kotor ~£12–15; local bus Kotor–Budva ~£3–5

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Budva Old Town / Slovenska Plaža area (dorm £12–16, private £25–35)

• →Kotor Old Town and St Luke's Church self-walk
• →Kotor city walls viewpoint
• →Budva Old Town, St Ivan Church and Church of St Mary
• →Mogren beach sunset

This is the trickiest leg: take an early bus from Budva to Podgorica (~2 hrs, £6–8), then a bus or shared furgon onward toward Prizren via the Morina border crossing (3–4 hrs, £10–14). If you want the farm experience the tour includes, look for small agro-tourism stays (e.g. around Rahovec/Orahovac or the Sharr foothills) and pre-arrange a farm lunch and tour by email a few days ahead — expect £10–15 for lunch and a walk around the vineyards and orchards. Arrive Prizren late afternoon: explore the Ottoman old town, the Sinan Pasha Mosque, the stone bridge, and the filigree metalwork workshops on the main street. End the day with the short climb to Prizren Fortress for the sunset panorama over the minarets. Try tavë kosi or flija for dinner near Shatërvan square.

🚌Bus Budva–Podgorica ~£6–8; bus/furgon Podgorica–Prizren ~£10–14

🛏Hostel or small guesthouse in Prizren old town (dorm £10–14, private £20–30)

• →Agro-tourism farm visit and traditional lunch (pre-booked)
• →Prizren Old Town and Sinan Pasha Mosque
• →Filigree metalwork shops
• →Prizren Fortress sunset climb

Take a morning furgon or bus from Prizren to Tirana (via Kukës, 3.5–4.5 hrs, £10–13) — departures are frequent but slow, so start by 08:00. From Tirana's intercity terminal, hop a local minibus up to Krujë (~1 hr, £2–3 each way). Spend the afternoon in the Medieval Old Bazaar — copper and carpet stalls, souvenir shopping, and a byrek or qofte lunch — then walk up to Kruja Castle, Skanderbeg's citadel, and follow the hidden fortress paths behind the walls. Back to Tirana for the evening: check into a hostel in Blloku, walk to Tirana Castle (Fortress of Justinian) and grab dinner and a drink in the buzzy Blloku bar strip.

🚌Prizren–Tirana bus ~£10–13; minibus Tirana–Krujë ~£2–3 each way

🛏Hostel in Blloku, Tirana (dorm £10–15, private £25–35)

• →Krujë Medieval Old Bazaar
• →Kruja Castle and Skanderbeg Museum
• →Tirana Castle / Fortress of Justinian
• →Blloku neighbourhood evening

Start with a local byrek breakfast (£1–2) at a bakery near Çam Bazaar, then join a self-booked small-group Tirana food walk (book on GetYourGuide or Airbnb Experiences, £25–35, 3 hrs) covering the New Bazaar, Çam Bazaar and the Bicycle Bazaar, with tastings of Albanian pastry, coffee culture and a traditional lunch. If you'd rather DIY: the New Bazaar plus a coffee at one of the city's classic cafés and lunch at a byrek/qofte spot costs about £10–12. Late afternoon take the bus to Shkodër (1.5–2 hrs, £3–4), check in, and walk the Venetian-influenced centre (Gjuhadol, the cathedral, the pedestrian street). Optional: Bunk'Art 1 in Tirana if you skipped it (book ahead, £5–7).

🚌Bus Tirana–Shkodër ~£3–4

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in central Shkodër (£10–16 dorm, £22–30 private)

• →Self-booked Tirana food and market walking tour (GetYourGuide)
• →Çam Bazaar and New Bazaar food stalls
• →Bicycle Bazaar browse
• →Shkodër city wander

Get up early for Rozafa Castle on its hill above Lake Shkodër — walk up or take a short taxi (£3–4), entry is around £3. The walls and views over the lake and the Buna/Morača confluence are the highlight, especially in the morning light before the tour buses arrive. Grab a coffee and a last byrek in town, then take the bus to Herceg Novi or Dubrovnik (Shkodër–Dubrovnik is roughly 4–5 hrs with a border crossing, £13–17; there are morning departures, so check times the day before at the station). Arrive Dubrovnik late afternoon/early evening with plenty of time to catch a flight or settle into a final night in the old town.

🚌Local taxi to Rozafa ~£3–4; bus Shkodër–Dubrovnik ~£13–17

🛏Not included — onward flight or a final Dubrovnik hostel night (£20–30 dorm)

• →Rozafa Castle and Lake Shkodër views
• →Shkodër morning coffee and market
• →Scenic cross-border bus ride to Dubrovnik