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Europe's last great backpacker frontier — Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia all in one epic trip.
The Balkans is the best underrated backpacker route in Europe — Bosnia, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro packed into a small area with a mix of Ottoman, communist and Mediterranean history that goes nowhere else.
Each region has a completely different character. Here is what to expect.
One of Europe's great party cities with little tourist infrastructure. The fortress at Kalemegdan, the bohemian Skadarlija quarter, and floating river clubs (splavovi) that run until dawn.
Sarajevo is the most complex city in Europe — Ottoman bazaar, Austro-Hungarian architecture, and visible scars of the 1990s siege side by side. Mostar's Stari Most bridge is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Bay of Kotor (fjord-like with a medieval walled city), Durmitor National Park (Europe's deepest canyon), and an undeveloped Adriatic coastline.
The fastest-developing tourist destination in Europe — extraordinary beaches on the Albanian Riviera, UNESCO old towns in Gjirokastër and Berat. Still extremely cheap.
The Balkans offers some of Europe's best value.
Serbia and North Macedonia £20-30/day.
Croatia and Slovenia £40-60/day.
Cash is king in markets.
Local food (burek, cevapi, baklava) costs almost nothing..
The Dinaric Alps contain Europe's last primary temperate rainforest — support organisations campaigning against hydropower dam construction. Choose locally-owned accommodation. In Bosnia, community tourism in rural villages directly benefits communities still recovering from the 1990s conflict.
Tell us where you want to go and your budget — we'll build a personalised quote with routes, hostels, and transport sorted.
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