4 – 27 September 2026 · 7 countries

Balkan Roadtrip

23nights
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Day by day

Times are what we planned, not gospel. Albania is shaded.

4Fri Sep

Drive to St. Veit

familySt. Veit
  • 18:00–21:00 Drive to St. Veit.
  • Meet Carolin and Georg if not too late.
5Sat Sep

St. Veit → Rastoke

campsiteKamp Rastoke
  • Coffee and a chat with Mum. Pop by Carolin and Georg if we missed them.
  • 12:00 Leave St. Veit.
  • 12:00–18:30 Drive to Slunj / Rastoke. Five and a half hours of driving plus an hour of breaks and border buffer.
  • Walk half an hour to the waterfalls and back along the river.
  • The main road is very busy and it is the only way to and from camp.
Rastoke, SlunjTown
Rastoke, Slunj
6Sun Sep

Rastoke → Una NP → Livno

campsiteKamp Sturba, Livno
  • 09:00 Leave. Border crossing at Izačić.
  • 09:00–12:00 Drive to Una National Park, Martin Brod. Two hours driving plus an hour of border buffer.
  • Una entrance €8 (16 BAM). Milančev buk and Rmanj Monastery at Martin Brod. Komoot walk
  • 15:00 Leave south towards the Neretva. Going all the way to Jablanica is 3 h 45, too much.
  • Stop around Livno, two hours, arrive about 17:00. Kamp Sturba sits directly on the river.
  • Food: Ašćinica “Happiness” in Livno, great vegan reviews, 12 min from the campsite. Stop there before going to camp.
Štrbački buk, Una NPMountains
Štrbački buk, Una NP
Sturba river, LivnoCamping
Sturba river, Livno
7Mon Sep

Livno → Jablanica → Potoci → Tjentište

campsiteTjentište or Prijevor
  • Livno to Tjentište is 4 h 30 without buffers.
  • 10:00–12:00 Drive to Jablanica, then down the Neretva.
  • About 40 min on to Potoci.
  • 13:00–15:30 Potoci → Tjentište, two and a half hours.
  • Tjentište → Prijevor is 1 to 1.5 h on bad dirt road. Either today or up in the morning, depending how we feel.
  • Perućica Campsite seems to have nice views. Prijevor
Trnovačko jezero and MaglićMountains
Trnovačko jezero and Maglić
8Tue Sep

Maglić and Trnovačko Lake

wild campPrijevor, tent
  • Option 1 Drive up to Prijevor from Tjentište, start the hike at 10:00.
  • Option 2 Already at Prijevor. Chuck the tent in the car and start at 08:00. There is drinking water at Prijevor.
  • Round hike, Maglić and Trnovačko Lake. bergfex route
  • Helmet and sticks.
  • Going up Maglić via the lake is about 22 km, six to seven hours, no alpine ascent.
9Wed Sep

Prijevor → Kotor

hotelKotor
  • 08:00–13:00 Drive to Kotor. Border crossing at Vraćenovići.
  • Accommodation booked and paid.
  • Check in and walk around.
10Thu Sep

Kotor, second night

hotelKotor
  • Extra night in Kotor.
11Fri Sep

Kotor → Vusanje

wild campNear Vusanje
  • Drive to Vusanje, about three hours.
  • Hike to the ridge.
12Sat Sep

Vusanje, second night

guesthouseVusanje
  • Rainy day, so a second night in the guesthouse.
13Sun Sep

Vusanje → Buni Lakes

wild campBuni Jezerce lakes
14Mon Sep

Buni Lakes → Grnčar → Albania

campsiteSyri i Sheganit
  • 09:00–13:00 Hike back down from the lakes.
  • 14:00 Drive into Albania, crossing at Grnčar. Open, 56 min from Vusanje.
  • Syri i Sheganit Camp by the lake.
Syri i SheganitCamping
Syri i Sheganit
15Tue Sep

Shkodër → Koman → Shala river

undecidedShala river
  • No rush in the morning. Shkodër Castle and Mesi Bridge on the way if there is time, then out to Koman.
  • 16:30 Boat from Koman up to the Shala river.
  • Camp or guesthouse. Camping is not common but there are a few photos of it. Looks possible to walk further upriver and find a more secluded spot. Otherwise nice guesthouses.

Koman → Shala river → Koman

Be at Blini Parking, Koman16:00
Departure, Tue 15th16:30
Travel timeabout 1 h 15
Return departure, Wed 16th15:00

Booking SRT-7D6DC28D, shared boat, 2 adults, €50 paid on arrival.

Arrive 30 min early. The boat boards at the Ferry Terminal, a short walk from the car park, and will not wait. Bring cash for Shala: the restaurant there takes no cards and there is no ATM.

Blini Parking · shalariverboat.com · WhatsApp +355 698 379 474

Shala valleyNature
Shala valley
16Wed Sep

Koman → Dhërmi

hotelDhërmi
  • 15:00 Boat back to Koman.
  • Drive to Dhërmi over the Llogara pass, about 5 h. No overnight at the pass.
  • Hotel, so a late arrival is fine.
DhërmiTown
Dhërmi
GjipeBeach
Gjipe
Himarë FshatTown
Himarë Fshat
17Thu Sep

South end → Lukovë

campsiteMarutzi or Krorëza beach
  • Qeparo i Sipërm and Borsh Castle on the way south.
  • Camp at a small beach walked from Lukovë. Marutzi or Krorëza.
  • Path to Marutzi Start from Plazi i Shpelles. A Google review from 31 August says 20 min on the path from there. Parking about €5 a day. Asphalt road, very curvy, donkeys, cows and goats on the way.
  • If all camping fails: Camping Shpella e Pirateve in the forest.
Qeparo i SipërmTown
Qeparo i Sipërm
Borsh CastleHeritage
Borsh Castle
KrorëzaBeach
Krorëza
19Sat Sep

Gjirokastër → Bënjë → Langarica

campsiteLangarica canyon
  • Këlcyrë Castle Bridge, then the Bënjë baths. 1 h 15 of driving.
  • Camp at Langarica canyon. Vjosa bend and Sopot waterfall if the afternoon allows.
  • Camping at Langarica Apparently lots of places right at the river at the entrance to the canyon. Gets crazy busy during the day, so put the tent up only in the evening. Get there early for a parking place.
  • Alternative, Sarandaporo near Leskovik A 4 km turn-off from the Përmet–Leskovik asphalt road, newly asphalted except the last 2 km, which any car can manage. Under 1 km on foot from the parking to the springs. Paths inside the canyon look a bit tricky. You could camp before it but it does not look nice. walkmyworld write-up
Këlcyrë castle bridgeHeritage
Këlcyrë castle bridge
Bënjë bathsNature
Bënjë baths
Vjosa bendNature
Vjosa bend
20Sun Sep

Albania → North Macedonia → Ohrid

hotelOhrid
  • SH75 through Erseka, Korçë and Pogradec. About four hours to Ohrid.
  • Border options: Tushemisht on the south side of the lake, Qafë Thanë on the north side, Stenje further south. All open.
  • Small detours on the way: Sarandaporo springs and Dardhë.
  • Police registration within 24 h of arrival. A hotel does it for you.
SarandaporoNature
Sarandaporo
DardhëTown
Dardhë
Lake OhridNature
Lake Ohrid
21Mon Sep

Ohrid → Belgrade

hotelBelgrade hotel
  • Border crossing at Tabanovce, open. About seven hours.
22Tue Sep

Belgrade

hotelBelgrade hotel
23Wed Sep

Belgrade → Slavonski Brod

apartmentPrenoćište Šimić, Slavonski Brod
  • About 2.5 hours of driving.
  • Address 17 Ulica Krivača I, 35107 Slavonski Brod
  • Check-in Park between the first and second building. The apartment is in the second building, where there is a bench by the entrance; park next to it. The door is number 4, and the keybox next to it is labelled "Apartment 4".
  • Keybox code
24Thu Sep

Slavonski Brod → Rovinj

apartmentAndronella Apartment, Rovinj
  • About 4.5 hours of driving, maybe via Labin, a hilltop old town on the east coast about an hour before Rovinj.
  • Croatian tolls €37.30 in total, Lipovac to Kanfanar (HAC calculator, car).
  • Address Andronella 7, 52210 Rovinj
  • Parking at Cademia, 1.1 km and about 15 minutes on foot to the apartment.
LabinTown
Labin
25Fri Sep

Rovinj

apartmentAndronella Apartment, Rovinj
  • town Hilltop towns Motovun, Završje, Oprtalj and Grožnjan sit around the Mirna valley within about 15 min of each other, roughly an hour from Rovinj. Hum, the tiny walled one, and Kotli are about 30 min further east. From Grožnjan the Parenzana, an old railway path with tunnels and viaducts, runs down to Livade.
  • swim Kotli an old mill village where the Mirna runs through stone pools you can sit in. After a dry summer the river can be low.
  • town Poreč about 40 min up the coast. Old town on a peninsula and the Euphrasian Basilica.
  • town Krk the island over the bridge past Rijeka, about 1 h 45 each way. A big day.
  • boat Island tour a short boat round the Rovinj islands, 1 to 2 h, from the boards on the harbour. The regular boat to Red Island is €12 return; fewer run in late September, so check the last one back.
  • swim Quiet swims Zlatni rt, the forest park south of the old town: the bars are near the start, so walk on towards Punta Corrente and pick a flat rock. Further off, Kamenjak at the southern tip past Pula, about 50 min, has dozens of empty rocky coves. Skip Pinižule and Debeljak, which have bars. Cars €10 a day after 15 September.
  • hike Walks the coastal path from the old town through Zlatni rt to Cuvi bay, about 5 km each way, flat, in pine forest. Route.
MotovunTown
Motovun
GrožnjanTown
Grožnjan
OprtaljTown
Oprtalj
ZavršjeTown
Završje
HumTown
Hum
KotliNature
Kotli
PorečTown
Poreč
Krk townTown
Krk town
Red IslandBeach
Red Island
Zlatni rtBeach
Zlatni rt
KamenjakBeach
Kamenjak
26Sat Sep

Rovinj

apartmentAndronella Apartment, Rovinj
  • Twin Figs has vegan options. They sound boring but look really good.
  • Bookeria
  • Gelateria Italia chocolate ice cream and vegan croissants.
  • Zita vegan pizzas, no cheese but they look good. The aglio olio looks great too.
  • Augusto Specialty Coffee Shop apparently has cookies, paninis and some pastries.
Twin Figs, dips
Twin Figs, dips
Zita, vegan pizza
Zita, vegan pizza
Gelateria Italia, ice cream
Gelateria Italia, ice cream
Gelateria Italia, croissants
Gelateria Italia, croissants
Mushroom pasta
Mushroom pasta
Cauliflower and hummus
Cauliflower and hummus
27Sun Sep

Drive home

familyHome

Practical

Border crossings

From → toCrossingStatus
Croatia → BosniaIzačićopen
Bosnia → MontenegroVraćenovićiopen
Montenegro → AlbaniaGrnčar / Vermoshopen
Albania → North MacedoniaTushemisht, south of the lake · Qafë Thanë, north · Stenje, further southopen
North Macedonia → SerbiaTabanovceopen

Resources

Albania

Mountains

Blogs and photos