TL;DR — This 2-week Balkan itinerary strings together four countries — Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia — using buses and shared vans. Total moving time is under 24 hours. Total cost for transport is roughly €90–€110 per person. Every segment below is bookable online; we have linked the busiest legs to our booking partner so you can reserve seats before you arrive.
Why this route works
Most first-time Balkan travellers try to squeeze in too many countries and end up spending half their holiday on buses. This loop is different: it is a logical geographic arc. You start in Belgrade (cheap flights from Western Europe), move south-west through Bosnia's highlands, drop to the Adriatic in Montenegro, then finish in Dubrovnik — one of Europe's most photogenic cities. Every leg is 2–6 hours. No flights needed. No backtracking.
Before you leave: the practical stuff
- Best months: May–June and September–October. July–August is brutally hot inland and Dubrovnik is packed.
- Visas: EU/UK/US/Canada/Australia/NZ citizens enter all four countries visa-free for 90 days.
- Cash: Serbia (RSD), Bosnia (BAM), Montenegro (EUR), Croatia (EUR). Carry small notes for taxis and bus-station snacks.
- Insurance: Get travel insurance that covers all four countries. We recommend SafetyWing Nomad Insurance — one plan covers the whole trip.
Day 1 — Arrive in Belgrade
Fly into Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG). The A1 minibus runs to the city centre every 20 minutes for ~€3, or a taxi is €15–€20 fixed rate. Check into your accommodation in the Savamala or Dorćol neighbourhoods — both are walkable to the old town and nightlife.
Spend the afternoon: Kalemegdan Fortress for sunset over the Danube and Sava rivers. Dinner: Skadarlija (the cobbled bohemian quarter) for grilled meat and live Serbian folk music.
Day 2 — Belgrade
Morning: Saint Sava Temple — one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world. Afternoon: The Museum of Yugoslavia and the House of Flowers (Tito's mausoleum). Evening: Book your bus or van to Sarajevo for tomorrow morning — the Belgrade → Sarajevo route takes 5–6 hours and costs €18–€25.
Day 3 — Belgrade → Sarajevo
Leave on the 08:00 or 09:00 bus. The route crosses the Drina River and winds through the Šumadija hills and eastern Bosnia. You will pass through Zvornik on the border; the scenery is forested mountains and small villages.
Arrive in Sarajevo around 14:00. Check in near Baščaršija, the 500-year-old Ottoman bazaar. Evening: Walk the铜匠街 (Coppersmiths' Street) and have your first Bosnian ćevapi — grilled minced meat in flatbread (somal) with raw onion.
Day 4 — Sarajevo
Morning: The Tunnel of Hope museum — the 800m tunnel that kept Sarajevo alive during the 1992–1995 siege. Afternoon: The Latin Bridge (where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, sparking WWI), the Old Orthodox Church, and Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque. Evening: Take the cable car up Mount Trebević for a panoramic view of the city in the bowl of the Dinaric Alps.
Day 5 — Sarajevo → Mostar
Book the morning bus or van — the Sarajevo → Mostar route is only 2.5 hours and costs €8–€12. The road follows the Neretva River through a limestone canyon. Arrive by midday.
Afternoon: The Stari Most (Old Bridge), a 16th-century Ottoman bridge rebuilt after the war. Watch locals dive 24m into the turquoise Neretva. Explore the old town's cobbled streets and Turkish houses. Evening: Dinner on the riverbank — trout or grilled meat with views of the illuminated bridge.
Day 6 — Mostar & Day Trip to Blagaj
Morning: Local bus to Blagaj (15 minutes, €2), a village at the source of the Buna River. The 600-year-old Dervish house (Tekija) sits under a cliff where the river emerges from a cave. Afternoon: Kravice Waterfalls, 10km south of Mostar — a 25m cascade with swimming pools. Shared taxi or tour van: €10–€15 return. Evening: Back in Mostar for a relaxed dinner.
Day 7 — Mostar → Kotor
This is the longest leg: 4–5 hours by van through southern Bosnia and across the Montenegrin border at Bileća. The route drops from the karst plateau to the Bay of Kotor — a fjord-like inlet of the Adriatic surrounded by sheer mountains. Cost: €22–€28.
Arrive in Kotor Old Town in the afternoon. The walled Venetian city is a UNESCO site. Climb the city walls for sunset (1,350 steps) or take it easy with a stroll through the marble-paved squares.
Day 8 — Kotor
Morning: Hike the Ladder of Kotor — an old military trail with 70 switchbacks up to 1,000m, giving you a bird's-eye view of the bay. Allow 2.5 hours up, 1.5 hours down. Afternoon: A boat tour of Our Lady of the Rocks (a church on a man-made island) and Perast, a baroque village 15 minutes up the bay. Evening: Seafood dinner in the old town — try black risotto (squid ink) or grilled Adriatic fish.
Day 9 — Kotor → Budva
Only 30 minutes by bus or shared van (€3–€5), but the two towns feel different. Budva is Montenegro's party capital: beaches, beach clubs, and a small old town on a rocky peninsula. Check in and spend the day swimming at Mogren Beach or people-watching at the marina. Evening: The old town has better nightlife than Kotor — live music bars open until 02:00.
Day 10 — Budva → Dubrovnik
Leave on the morning bus. The Budva → Dubrovnik route is 2.5–3 hours and costs €15–€22. You cross the Montenegro–Croatia border at Debeli Brijeg; in summer this can take 30–60 minutes. Sit on the right side of the bus for sea views.
Arrive in Dubrovnik by early afternoon. Check into accommodation inside the walls or in Lapad (a quieter peninsula 3km west with beaches). Late afternoon: Walk the city walls — 2km of ramparts with views of the Adriatic and the red-tiled old town. Go at 17:00 to avoid the cruise-ship crowds.
Day 11 — Dubrovnik
Morning: The Rector's Palace and the Franciscan Monastery (one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe, operating since 1317). Afternoon: Take the cable car to Mount Srđ (412m) for the best panoramic photo of the walled city. Evening: Dinner at a konoba (tavern) outside the walls in Gruž — half the price and better food than the Stradun tourist strip.
Day 12 — Dubrovnik & Lokrum Island
Morning: Ferry to Lokrum Island (15 minutes, €15 return). Botanic garden, Benedictine monastery, and rocky coves for swimming. Peacocks roam freely. Afternoon: Back in Dubrovnik for a sea kayak tour around the walls and Lokrum — a 3-hour paddle that shows the city from the water. Evening: Sunset drink at Buža Bar, a cliffside bar cut into the rock outside the walls.
Day 13 — Day Trip to Ston & Pelješac
Rent a car for the day (€35–€50) or join a small-group tour. Drive north to Ston, a medieval walled town famous for oysters and the second-longest defensive walls in Europe (after the Great Wall of China). Eat oysters fresh from the bay at Mali Ston. Continue to Orebić on the Pelješac peninsula for wine tasting — Dingač and Postup are robust Croatian reds grown on steep hillside vineyards. Return to Dubrovnik by evening.
Day 14 — Departure from Dubrovnik
Final morning: coffee on the Stradun before the cruise crowds arrive, or a last swim at Banje Beach below the walls. Fly out from Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) — it has direct flights to most major European hubs. If your flight is in the afternoon, leave your bags at the airport bus terminal and squeeze in one last wall walk.
Transport summary & budget
| Leg | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Belgrade → Sarajevo | 5–6h | €18–€25 |
| Sarajevo → Mostar | 2.5h | €8–€12 |
| Mostar → Kotor | 4–5h | €22–€28 |
| Kotor → Budva | 30min | €3–€5 |
| Budva → Dubrovnik | 2.5–3h | €15–€22 |
Total transport: ~€66–€92. Add €20–€30 for local buses, taxis and the Blagaj/Kravice day trip.
Where to book each leg
We partner with Bookaway to show every operator on a single search. You can compare departure times, prices and reviews, then book an instant e-ticket — same price as buying at the station, but with English customer support and free cancellation on most routes.
- Search all Balkan routes on Bookaway
- Belgrade → Sarajevo route page
- Sarajevo → Mostar route page
- Sofia → Niš route page (if you're arriving from Bulgaria)
Alternative: extending to Albania or North Macedonia
If you have 17–18 days, add Tirana after Kotor (5h van, €22) and Ohrid after Tirana (4h van, €18). Or head inland from Sarajevo to Jajce and Travnik for medieval Bosnian towns few tourists visit. The Balkans reward slow travel — the less you rush, the more you see.
Questions about this itinerary? Email infobalkantura@gmail.com or explore all 600+ routes on BalkanTourGuide.