Tour Albania – Montenegro – Bosnia

After breakfast, we drive to Budva. Stop in front of St Stefan Island. St Stefan dates back from the 15th century as a Fisherman’s family which was fortified for better control to the sea. For the first time, it has transformed to a hotelier complex during the Yugoslavian Communist time, at the reign of Tito. 

The city of Budva is one of the most important touristic cities of Montenegro with a fascinating history, dating 2600 years ago. The tour of Budva continues in the Old Part of town with some quick visits at the Roman Ruins and the Budva Fortress by the coast offering spectacular views. The tiny streets of Budva are very charming. It is worth spending some time wandering around and visiting some of the local shops.
Free time for lunch.

After our visits, we drive to Kotor. Situated in an unusual gulf, named after the town it has been a very important historical, strategical and trading center. Founded around the 6th century BC, Kotor resembles an Open Book of history where you can spot different tracks and records from different periods of history. We will walk around the small squares, surrounded by typical quarters and visit some of the Highlights for their architecture, historical values and style. 

Check in the hotel in Kotor.

*In the morning we drive to Trebinje, a peaceful and charming old town in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s wine country. The old town is quiet and quaint with greyed stone walls draped in vines and cafes with colorful patio furniture spread out across the small alleyways. 

As soon as we arrive to Mostar, we start our walking tour which will cover most important sites and locations in Mostar.

We focus at Mostar’s Old Bridge, Old Bazaar and Old Town, but offer stories of Mostar’s uniqueness, in regard to historical and cultural diversity. Story of Mostar will be about the Bridge, it’s rise and fall, and how it had risen again. You will learn about Siege of Mostar, about why it is called Mostar, about “Mostarians”. We recreate Mostar for you and with you. In Mostar, if preferred, we give our guests free time to explore on their own as we simply do not like to “hold a candle all the way”.

Sunsets are amazing time in Mostar, so we’ll have drink at place overlooking the bridge panorama and discuss more about everything we did today. When Mostar is done, it is time to go back to Sarajevo, and it will take us around two hours ride before we are “home”.

The reason why, during this day tour, we prefer to arrive to Mostar around 3 or 4 pm and then explore Mostar, is because in the afternoon most of the day tours and big groups passing through Mostar are already gone, so we get to have Mostar for ourselves for maximized experience.

In the morning we drive to Sarajevo, the capital town of Bosnia. 

Sarajevo has many nicknames, acquired through the different periods in the past. The “City of History” could be legitimately one of them. 

The Sarajevo Siege began with a drive down the main road that became known as Sniper Alley. During the 4 years Serbia held Sarajevo, the city was cut off from the outside world. Snipers and artillery surrounded the city from the hills making any open space dangerous. This road was the worst. Showing yourself here exposed you to pot shots from the hills. Literally, for 4 years you risked your life walking the street. In the end over 1,000 people were injured on this stretch of road. 

Ottoman oriental, Islamic, eastern scent is being mixed with “Austro-Hungarian”, western, occidental influence, and all of that in the end was spiced with diverse Yugoslav, communist, brutalist stamp. 

 Standing not more than 150 m as the crow flies from the Bey’s Mosque, a Jewish quarter narrates the story of the most affirmative Sarajevan segment of mutual acceptance and cohabitation. Understand how the Jews came to Bosnia and Sarajevo in 1565, what were their reasons and how they were accepted both by the government and locals.

Ferhadija as the main pedestrian street, therefore, is one of the most crowded places in the Sarajevo downtown. During the high tourist season, many languages could be heard, as many tourists from all over the world could be seen there.

Check in the hotel in Sarajevo.

After breakfast at the hotel depart for Durmitor, the only one of Montenegro’s national parks to be accorded the designation of a UNESCO World Heritage site. With 23 mountain peaks that are over 7,500 feet tall, and bounded by the Tara and the Piva rivers, Durmitor National Park is nestled in the picturesque Dinara Alps. The Tara River Canyon is part of the park, and there are more than a dozen glacial lakes in the park. The park is also home to diverse flora and fauna. The area has historical importance as well. A major World War II battle took place near Žabljak, and there are archaeological digs in the region. Durmitor was designated a National Park in 1952. 

After Durmitor we drive to Zhabljak.  It is the highest town in the Balkans, located at 1,450 meters above sea level. OPTIONAL Lunch with traditional Montenegrin food. 

Continue to Nikšić, the second biggest city in Montenegro, and make another stop for pictures at the artificial Salty Lake. In the surroundings of Nikšić there are three artificial lakes. One of them is Slano Lake (Slano jezero), which was created in 1950 in order to serve the needs of Perućica hydro-power plant. Lake Slano has an area of 9 km² and is located in the western part of the field of Niksic, surrounded by medium-sized and high mountains. The coastline is rugged, with a lot of islands and peninsulas, and the waters of the lake are incredibly clean and clear. You will be charmed by the wild beauty of the lake and unspoiled nature, which surrounds it with the abundance of plant and animal species. 
Afterward, we hit the road towards Podgorica.

Check in the hotel in Podgorica. 

Podgorica’s old town, known as Stara Varoš, is a charming district full of small streets, old buildings, and plenty of cafes and restaurants. You can start your tour at the Clock Tower, a symbol of the city, and wander around the narrow alleys, admiring the mixture of Ottoman and Venetian styles. 

Podgorica has several museums that showcase the history, art, and culture of the city and the country. The City Museum (Optional), located in the old town, has a collection of artifacts and exhibits that showcase the city’s history from prehistoric times to modern-day. The Natural History Museum (Optional), also located in the old town, has a collection of fossils, minerals, and animals that are native to the region. The National Museum of Montenegro (Optional), located in the center of the city, has a rich collection of art and historical objects that showcase the culture and heritage of Montenegro and the Balkans.

After the visit we drive to Kruja, Albania. Kruja is the center of Albanian resistance against the Ottomans under our National Hero Scanderbeg. He kept the Ottoman armies from crossing into Western Europe for 25 years, thus earning the title “Athleta Christi” awarded by the pope of the time. We will visit the Skanderbeg Museum one of the best in the country where we get to know more about the history of Albania and our hero Scanderbeg. Finally, we make our way through Kruja’s famous Bazaar full of traditional artic rafts.

Check in the hotel in Tirana.

After breakfast at the hotel depart for Berat a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We drive through Dumrea region also known as the Tuscany of Albania. Dumrea is famous for the beautiful landscape and more than 80 lakes. We stop for a coffee break in Belsh, a nice town by the lake. After Belsh we continue to Berat. Being more than 2400-year-old Berat it is one of the most attractive towns in Albania. Established in the 5th century B.C by an Illyrian tribe of central Albania with a protective castle, it was known as the fortified city of Antipatrea.  Hike up to Berat Castle, which offers panoramic views of the city and surrounding landscapes. This castle is the city of Berat's pride and joy. 

It is famous for its white-washed houses with their many windows which seem to have been built on top of each other, that give it the nickname the town “one thousand and one windows”. It retains a unique style of architecture. We will visit the Castle, St Mary’s Church turned Onufri Museum (optional), which houses an amazingly diverse collection of Icons and two other churches not open to the public. 
Lunch can be in a traditional house within the castle run by a local couple. Afterwards we drive back to Tirana for overnight.

In the morning we drive off roading towards the Bovilla canyons, one of the most beautiful panoramic roads around Tirana. When we reach the lake Bovilla, we have a nice stop for a photo opportunity with nice background over the lake and the mountains of rural Tirana. On the safari off road ride, we have some other small stops for photos until we reach the nice caffe restaurant Bovilla that the local family has recently constructed overlooking the lake on top of the mountain. Then we take a small hike, around 20 minutes to the top of Gamti mountain where at the view-point we have breathtaking views that can’t be expressed with words, it can only be experienced.

Dajti Mountain Cable Car Ride

In the afternoon we drive back to the feet of Dajti Mountain, meet the Cable Car. Take the cable car ride 15 minutes up the National Park Dajti Mountain and have a nice relaxing walk in the park. There we have the possibility to play mini golf, have a coffee at the infinity bar overlooking Tirana and the whole valley down to the Adriatic Sea, play at the Dajti Adventure Park etc. Afterwards we drive back to Tirana for overnight.

End of our service.