About this trip
A rail journey through the Balkans, running from Slovenia down to Kosovo via Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia. You move through the region the way locals do, hopping local trains rather than tour coaches.
The route mixes well-known stops with places most travellers skip, giving you a real sense of how the former Yugoslavia has changed and what's stayed the same. Expect a fair bit of ground covered and a new base most nights.
Food and drink along the way stays local throughout, and one of the highlights is an overnight sleeper train between Bar and Belgrade.
What you'll do
- Ride the Bar to Belgrade sleeper train
- See the waterfalls of Plitvice National Park
- Walk across the rebuilt bridge in Mostar
- Explore the capitals of Belgrade and Skopje
- Travel by local rail across six countries
- Fast-paced — you change base most nights
- Moderate activity level, with a lot of travel days built in
- Fully guided throughout, with private rooms rather than shared dorms
Worth it if you love Balkan history and can handle a relentless pace. Think twice if you need comfort or want to linger anywhere.
- City guides across all 6 countries were knowledgeable, passionate and genuinely excellent at explaining local history.
- The Bar to Belgrade overnight sleeper train is ancient, filthy, noisy, cramped and runs 14 hours not 12; border guards enter cabins mid-sleep.
- Six countries in 16 days means many one-night stops with early departures; you'll spend considerable time on buses and trains rather than exploring.
- Plitvice Lakes, Mostar, Sarajevo and Ljubljana are genuinely beautiful; scenery and history-rich locations justify the grueling itinerary.
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Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Ljubljana · 28 Aug – 29 Aug
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