The Balkans for first-timers: where to go, how to get there, and why you should just book it

The Western Balkans is a region that fell off the tourist map for obvious reasons in the 1990s and hasn't entirely climbed back on since. For most British travellers, the Balkans conjures either "isn't that where the war was?" or "isn't that just Croatia?"

Both are understandable responses, both are incomplete.

The region — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia, along with Croatia on the Adriatic coast — is extraordinary in a way that's difficult to overstate. It has Ottoman bazaars and Roman ruins and Byzantine churches and socialist concrete and fishing villages on medieval walls, all within a few hours of each other. It's cheap by any European standard. And it's still far enough off the beaten tourist track that you have encounters there that are genuinely impossible in Paris or Lisbon.

This guide is for first-time Balkans visitors — where to go, how to string a trip together, and what to understand before you arrive.

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Start here: what the Balkans actually is

"The Balkans" refers to the peninsula roughly south of the Sava and Danube rivers. For practical travel purposes, UK visitors typically focus on the Western Balkans — the countries that were, or were part of, Yugoslavia.

These countries are in various stages of EU membership:

• Croatia: EU member since 2013, Schengen since 2023

• Montenegro: EU candidate

• Albania: EU candidate

• North Macedonia: EU candidate

• Bosnia and Herzegovina: EU candidate

• Kosovo: not yet an EU candidate (most complicated political status in the region)

• Serbia: EU candidate

None of the non-Croatian countries use the EU as your roaming zone, so your UK mobile plan almost certainly won't work in most of them. Sort an Airalo eSIM with Balkan coverage before you leave.

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The main Balkans itineraries

One week: the western sweep

This is the most accessible introduction for first-timers flying from the UK:

• Day 1–2: Dubrovnik, Croatia — fly in (Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways all fly direct from the UK). The walled city is genuinely magnificent; the crowds in summer are significant. Walk the walls early morning or evening. Yes, it's Game of Thrones famous. It's also 2,000 years old. Worth one night.

• Day 3–4: Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina — two hours by road or a scenic mountain bus. The rebuilt Stari Most (Old Bridge), the Turkish quarter, the Ottoman houses on the Neretva River. Mostar is smaller than it looks in photos but excellent for a day and a night.

• Day 5–6: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — three hours from Mostar by bus. The city that triggered the First World War and survived a siege in the 1990s. The War Childhood Museum is one of the most quietly devastating experiences in Europe. The food is excellent, the coffee culture is serious, and the prices are strikingly low.

• Day 7: fly home from Sarajevo, or return to Dubrovnik to fly out.

Budget for one week (per person): flights £80–£180 return to Dubrovnik; accommodation and food £40–£70 per day total; guided experiences £50–£100. All-in: approximately £500–£800.

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Two weeks: adding Albania and Kosovo

Everything above, plus:

• Fly Sarajevo to Tirana, Albania (short flight, £30–£70). Two nights in Tirana: the old Blloku district, the communist-era museums, excellent coffee at Albanian prices.

• Day trip or overnight to Berat or Gjirokastër: UNESCO-listed Ottoman towns, extraordinary architecture, almost no tourists. Gjirokastër's castle is one of the best in Albania.

• Three nights in Kosovo: take a furgon (shared minibus, around £5) from Tirana to Pristina. Two nights in Pristina, then a day trip or overnight to Prizren — an Ottoman-era city on the Bistrica river that most UK travellers have never heard of and many list as the highlight of the whole trip.

• Fly home from Pristina (Wizz Air to London Luton) or return to Tirana.

Budget for two weeks: flights £200–£400 return including internal; accommodation and food £35–£60 per day; activities £80–£150. All-in: approximately £800–£1,300.

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Transport across the region

The Western Balkans doesn't have comprehensive rail links — this is a car and bus region.

Buses: reliable, cheap, and the main form of inter-city transport. Flixbus connects some city pairs; local bus companies cover the rest. Tirana to Pristina: £5–8 by furgon. Dubrovnik to Mostar: £10–15. Mostar to Sarajevo: £8–12.

Shared furgons (minibuses): the informal but widely used transport across much of Albania and Kosovo. Cheaper than formal buses, run when full, no set timetables. You'll use them — they're fine.

Trains: limited to Croatia, Serbia, and parts of Bosnia. Don't rely on trains for Albania or Kosovo.

Flying: useful for longer jumps (Dubrovnik to Tirana, Pristina to London). Check Wizz Air routes extensively — they're the dominant low-cost carrier for the region.

Driving: a genuine option if you're comfortable with varied road conditions and are aware of insurance requirements. Check rental car cross-border policies — not all allow you to take the car into all Balkan countries.

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Money across the region

• Croatia — Euro — £70–£100/day (most expensive in the region)

• Montenegro — Euro — £45–£70/day

• Bosnia & Herzegovina — Convertible Mark (BAM) — £30–£50/day

• Albania — Albanian Lek (ALL), Euro widely accepted — £30–£50/day

• Serbia — Serbian Dinar (RSD) — £30–£50/day

• North Macedonia — Macedonian Denar (MKD) — £25–£40/day

• Kosovo — Euro — £25–£40/day (cheapest in the region)

Use a fee-free card (Starling, Wise) for everything you can and carry small amounts of cash for markets and smaller local restaurants.

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What to understand before you go

History: the Yugoslav Wars (1991–2001) are living memory for everyone you'll meet who is over 35. This isn't dusty textbook history — it shaped every city you'll visit, every border you'll cross. You don't need to be an expert, but a basic understanding of what happened is both respectful and genuinely enriching. Misha Glenny's "The Fall of Yugoslavia" or Tim Judah's "The Serbs" are both accessible.

Languages: each country has its own language(s). However, younger people in tourist areas across the whole region generally speak good English. The further from tourist infrastructure, the less so. Having Google Translate downloaded offline is useful.

Religion: the region is a genuine patchwork of Orthodox Christianity, Islam (primarily in Albania, Kosovo, and Bosnia), and Catholicism. This coexistence — sometimes harmonious, sometimes painfully not — is part of what makes the region fascinating. Dress respectfully when entering religious buildings (both mosques and churches): covered shoulders and knees.

Safety: the Western Balkans is safe for tourists by any reasonable measure. Pickpocketing exists in tourist areas as everywhere; the political situation in various countries is complex but not dangerous for visitors. Standard urban common sense applies.

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Where to book your Balkans trip

Search flights to Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, Tirana, or Pristina from our site — we compare across airlines including Wizz Air, Ryanair, easyJet, and full-service carriers. Compare hotels in all the cities above, and browse guided walking tours and day trips through Viator — local guides in Sarajevo and Tirana in particular add an enormous amount to the experience.

Don't wait for the Balkans to become mainstream. Go while it's still this good.

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