5.5 week Balkans itinerary

Wow, my head is spinning just trying to read and get a picture. Off the top of my head, 3 nights in Lake Bled is 3 too many. Add one day to Ljubljana and go to Bled as a day trip. Can I ask what is in Trebinje? We’ve been to Brijuni and it was a big disappointment. Do one day to Pula or Poreć instead or both. Half day in each place is enough.
I have to think about the rest.

Yes, I read this last night and needed time to think.

It IS very fast-paced and you may be tired. Lol. But it does follow a doable path, although there are a few days I got a little lost on. Thoughts:

Korcula 2 nights: you will not have time for a day trip here (Mljet might fit better from Dubrovnik, even though the ferry stops there on the way to Korcula). You CAN stop in Hvar but not sure what you would do with luggage. I don’t see both islands as essential stops when time is short.

Plitvice 1 night: it looks like you plan to arrive in the evening, see the lakes the next morning, and then drive on the afternoon of the 7th. What you do next is tricky.

It’s about a 3 or 3 1/2 hr drive to Banja Luka (plus border) from Plitvice. I would skip the overnight wherever you are planning in the Una River Valley and give yourself 2 nights in Banja Luka. Banja Luka is a cute little town but is best understood with a guide - I would splurge on one here for a half day tour (I can send you a name if you are interested). This area is definitely different than Sarajevo and Mostar in many ways, so is worth a stop for perspective. It would be possible to drive on to Sarajevo if you only stay one night but would make a very long day.

After 2 nights in Banja Luka, drive on to Sarajevo, with an afternoon stop in Jajce for the waterfall and water mills. Full day.

I am officially in love with Sarajevo. Spend the money to take a guided tour on one of your days. Both Dave and I have made recommendations.

In Mostar, be sure to take one of the free (for tips) tours.

I am not seeing the logic of an overnight in Trebinje. It’s only one additional hour on to Kotor, past some amazing scenery. Take this night and add it somewhere else for a longer stay. Almost everywhere you are going could use an extra night. Lol.

Kotor is a popular spot but I will say that this whole area gets really busy and crowded - and I was there in September! I personally loved Budva’s Old Town and the beach was nice enough. But I adore Perast (although beaches are not as good). So look around as you choose lodging and don’t get stuck on Kotor itself. If you wound up with an extra night (maybe Trebinje or from later stops) this area would make a great place for lots to see and lots of beauty and a bit of a mid-trip slow down.

Belgrade 3 nights: I completely understand going (I did) but I will say one full day (2 nights) there would be plenty for me. My trip fell out a little differently in that I had to cut some days (my overnights in Novi Sad) so I ended up with 4 nights in Belgrade that included 2 day trips out of the city (one to Novi Sad). It just was not my favorite place, even though there is a lot to see, and is one of the very few places I have been where I wouldn’t go back. Food for thought.

I agree with flipping Lake Bled and Ljubljana - but also with cutting a night in Bled. Two nights (one full day) there without a car is plenty and would still give you slow-down time. Others may have more help with the rest of your trip. :)

All just thoughts - hope it helps!

I agree with Barbara about Bled. You can walk all the way around the lake in 2-3 hours, so unless you have a lot of day trip plans in the area, you've got way too much time there. It's a short trip from Ljubljana.

Even without a side trip to Lake Bled, I'd want 3 nights in Ljubljana; it's a really nice city.

I also think Zagreb is worth 3 nights on a trip like this--though Barbara warned us some months ago that many of the large museums were still closed due to earthquake damage. It would be prudent to consider what indoor sights are back in operation, but the bi-level historic district itself is worth some time, and I think the Museum of Naive Art and the Museum of Broken Relationships (more interesting than you would think) are both open.

I would skip Montenegro. You have too much already. Kotor is a small less spectacular version of Dubrovnik.

Don't get me wrong, Montenegro is among my favorite countries. But wait till you can do it well.

Thank you all for the quick feedback. There’s a bit to digest but I wanted to share my vision on a few aspects of the trip, which will hopefully help facilitate further thoughts from you too!

Lake Bled - The three nights there were intended as an opportunity to recharge and be less on the move. I thought we could spend a full day between the activities in and around the lake itself coupled with a hike at Vintgar Gorge, followed by an excursion on the second day to Lake Bohinj. Does that seem like too much of the same thing or just not enough to fill two full days?

Korcula - My thinking was either to arrive on an early ferry on day 1 or visit Mljet NP en route (and arrive in the evening), followed by doing whatever we didn’t do on day 1 on day 2. It’s good to get the advice on Hvar and I don’t feel so strongly about going there (RS advises against it in July and August), so perhaps we could spend more time on Korcula on day 3 before catching the ferry to Split. Does that seem like we’d be rushing too much?

Plitvice and NW Bosnia - I appreciate the suggestion on two nights in Banja Luka and would be grateful for a guide recommendation. It would be a long drive after seeing Plitvice, though RS suggests that the park can be seen in 3-4 hours so if we’re staying there, we ought to be able to get on the road in the early afternoon, which would make that doable.

Trebinje - The rationale for spending the night there was to allow sufficient time to see the sights near Mostar on the way out of town (Pocitelj, Stolac, Blagaj) since I thought we’d want to spend a full day in the town itself. I’ll take a further look at drive times from Trebinje to the Bay of Kotor. I’d though it was more than an hour but if not then will certainly consider not stopping there.

Kotor/Montenegro - We have 5.5 weeks in the region (not sure when if ever we’ll have that amount of time again, there’s a lot of the world to see!) so aren’t going to save this relatively small country for another trip! I would consider adding a fourth night though. My rationale for three was in part since I figured we’d have at least half of a day on arrival since we’d be staying in Trebinje the previous night. I’d identified Cetinje/Lovcen NP and Budva/Tivat as day outings, plus the better part of a day for the Bay of Kotor sites. What am I missing? And I’m all ears for recommendations on an alternative base to the town of Kotor (is Perast the best option?).

Belgrade - My only source for research on Serbia so far is Lonely Planet (I know there’s also a Bradt guide), which gives it a rave review (though I appreciate that the nightlife is a big draw, which has no appeal to me). Serbia poses the biggest planning challenge to the trip - I feel like a visit there would round out our perspective on the region but it’s a geographic outlier so between the cost and time required to get there, I want to ensure we spend long enough to make it worth it. Are there other destinations in northern Serbia to consider instead of two full days in Belgrade (what was the other day trip you took besides Novi Sad)? Nis and Novi Pazar look fascinating but at the opposite end of the country so I don’t see how to make them fit with the rest of the itinerary.

Brijuni - What made it such a disappointment? The write up in RS is really positive and I like that it’ll appeal to both the kids and adults.

An extra night in Zagreb or Ljubljana - We are city people so will give this due consideration.

Kotor the town is very negatively affected on days when there's a large ship in port. I recommend checking the port calendar and taking the info into consideration as you plan your days. The drive around the Bay of Kotor is stunning. Other than Perast (which didn't impress me as much as it did the other posters), the only place right on the bay where I walked around was Herceg Novi, which seemed to have more to it than Perast. Ulcinj has a pronounced Turkish feel to it, but it's way in the south and might not be practical for you.

The countryside between Nis and central/western Montenegro is mountainous and lovely, but you can't go everywhere. I just spent the night in Nis in transit between Sofia and Podgorica, so I only had time to form a sort of vague impression. It felt not totally westernized, but there's a Best Western (or there was, in 2015).

I spent a couple of nights in Belgrade, which wasn't enough time to get a feel for a capital city, especially considering the day trip I took to Novi Sad. Serbia sort of felt foreign in a way that much of Montenegro did not (and I do have some background in Russian, so I could decode a lot of signs if I worked at it). I think pushing to see a bit of Serbia is a good idea. It will be harder to return there than to Slovenia and Croatia in the future, unless you plan a trip to Romania and Bulgaria.

In terms of Ljubljana/Bled, maybe you can leave the precise timing of your drive from Ljubljana to Bled up in the air and see whether you want to spend some extra hours in Ljubljana. Vintgar Gorge is a nice walk, though you may have encountered similar ravines in the US (in NY or NC, for two examples). Lake Bohinj is a less touristy area, but I'm not sure about driving there just to look at the lake. Others may be able to make specific suggestions about activities in that area.

Granted, when we went to Brijuni it was many years ago. It is a small island with a very small museum dedicated to Tito. They also have his Cadillac there to see. At one time there was a zoo but there were no animals there. You would have to research to read if they restocked it. For us is was just a miss. S many other places more interesting and worth the time.
If I read your comments correctly, you are traveling with children. Are they young? Cause that would change some of my suggestions.

Lake Bled. Not my area of expertise, but you might consider seeing Ljubljana first, then getting the car as you head to Bled. It IS a nice place to relax, but you might need the car to complete your vision.

Korcula. It’s definitely possible to stop at Mljet on the way to Korcula, as long as you have a solution for luggage. I have only been to Korcula twice and haven’t made that stop yet, so am no help. The 3 stop (or however many you decide) hop on hop off boat trip from Korcula might be easier and also beautiful, especially if you have kids.

Plitvice and NW Bosnia. I totally understand the reasoning and only you can decide. When I was at Plitvice in 2021, I started at 8:30 and finished by 3:00, then making the 3 hour drive to Split - a similar trip. The drive to BL would be longer since you would have some time at the border (I don’t know how much). But it might be worth it to spend 2 nights in the same place.

Trebinje. Makes sense. Again, only you can decide.

I’d though it was more than an hour but if not then will certainly consider not stopping there.

No, it is only one ADDITIONAL hour of driving to get all the way to Kotor as opposed to Trebinje. But I didn’t know you were planning the other stops. Again, you will just have to make choices.,

Kotor/Montenegro. Cetinje/Lovcen NP is definitely a good day trip. This is probably one you will want a guide for as well. There’s lots of natural beauty but without the historical perspective, you lose a lot. And yes, if you stay in Kotor, Budva is a good excursion. But as acraven says, Kotor gets full. That whole road is small and busy. I didn’t have time to make it to Herceg Novi. The only thing I would have against making it a base is it’s about an hour’s drive each way to Kotor or Budva. And I admit Perast is a gorgeous place to “be”, but not to just “pass through”. Although the 3 hr Blue Cave boat trip from Perast went to maybe the most beautiful water I have seen so far in. But with kids, Kotor or Budva may be more practical.

Belgrade I would definitely NOT tell you to not go. But “Serbia sort of felt foreign in a way that much of Montenegro did not” says it well - and for me it had nothing to do with language. It’s an education. I took a small group day trip to the Resava Valley, which was very nice and the guide was great, as well as the day trip to Novi Sad (I needed more time there). I have also been to Nis - glad I have been but it is fairly small and like acraven, I don’t think it would be necessary for a bigger picture. If you want 3 nights in Belgrade, don’t let me talk you out of it. There is plenty to see.

You are covering a lot of ground in this trip in a very short amount of time. I think it’s easy to see that if you had a few extra nights, it would be useful. I think we are all just thinking through how to make the best use of your nights if you DON’T have any potential extras. Ultimately you have to make hard choices - and the best places are the ones you want to see.

I loved 3 nights at Lake Bled, and had the same itinerary that you've described: 1 day around the lake, including the tourist boat ride out to the island; and one day (I drove) to Vintgar Gorge.

If Lake Bled is meant to be a break from the pace of your earlier trip, I agree it's a great spot for it - after either of your days there - to relax with a cream cake and enjoy the view across the lake.

I was there in shoulder season, so traffic and crowds were not an issue. It may not be as serene in late July.

Generally I like the pace. I'd eliminate the 1-night stays

In Beograd (you say Belgrade, but that is wrong), possibly stay in Xotel Moskva. Rooms were $160/night in 2017. I'd take a bus to Novi Sad and back, unless you are doing ancestor touring in that area (my roots are near Novi Sad on Mom's side). Note that any small town in that area will have only Serbian speakers. Also not sure that Novi Sad is a 3-night destination - I'd do 2 nights.

I'd take the train from Beograd to Zagreb.

Move a night from Lake Bled to Venice.

Make sure that Bosnia trips are covered/allowed by your rental agency. I have heard stories that rental cars are a target of B-H police.

My fav part of Europe. Enjoy the trip. Make sure to try the ajvar (red pepper spread) and the rakija. Croatian wines are top-notch.

I’m grateful to everyone for their thoughts. My planning to date has mostly been confined to reading guidebooks so it’s great to get some personal perspectives.

I’m going to make a few changes to my itinerary (skip Una River Valley and spend two nights in Banja Luka, skip the night in Trebinje and spend four nights in Montenegro instead), along with researching a few items further (attractions in/around Lake Bled, time to spend in Zagreb and Ljubljana).

However, I still have a few more follow up queries that others may have input on.

Korcula – RS outlines a fairly complex solution for stopping at Mljet NP en route to Korcula from Dubrovnik with luggage (entailing asking politely to leave it at a hotel near the arrival port, then picking it up at the end of the day and taking a shuttle to the departure port). Yes I have kids and yes that sounds complicated, but I was still going to research it further (or does anyone here have first-hand experience?). The alternative is doing Mljet NP (or another island or two) as a day trip on our full day in Korcula and spending the better parts of the two travel days to/from the island to see Korcula itself. Based on my research that seems feasible but I’m curious to read why those who have been there might feel that it isn’t.

Kotor/Montenegro – I’ve used the website cruisedig.com for other trips to plan around busy cruise days and will do so again here. And I’ll research other places around the Bay as an alternative base to Kotor. I’d read about Ulcinj and it looked interesting, albeit a bit out of the way. The other day trip I was contemplating was Podgorica/Ostrog monastery, which also entails a bit of driving. I suppose Ulcinj could be paired with Budva (for a full day out) instead of needing its own dedicated day, and am curious to get thoughts on the merits of both of those options.

Serbia – I’m particularly grateful for the input here as there’s less comprehensive information available for this country (e.g., no RS!). I think we’ll stick to three nights in Belgrade (is Beograd like saying Türkiye instead of Turkey or is there something else I should know?) to minimize movement and allow ample time to make an impression (and as I wrote, we are city people so will enjoy comparing it to other less touristy cities we’ve been, we were in Thessaloniki for three nights last month and loved it). The argument for three nights in Novi Sad was to have one full day for the city itself and another for the day trip to Subotica. In both of those places we’d also be keen to learn more on the Jewish history. Lonely Planet mentioned some destinations in the vicinity of Novi Sad (like Fruska Gora NP and nearby wine-tasting) that I thought we could get a glimpse of on the travel day back to Belgrade. The Resava Cave looks to be in the wrong direction for this plan but if there are other worthwhile destinations in the north of the country that we should consider, please share. And how does what I’ve written sound?

Another night in Venice (so three in total) sounds wonderful and is something I will try to work into the planning. My wife and I have been there, but pre-kids and it would be a nice place to have two full days at the end to wrap up (even if it’ll be packed with tourists at that time of year).

And is Taughannock Falls (or similar sites near Ithaca) the comparable ravine to Vintgar Gorge that’s in New York? I’ve been there and enjoyed it, though wouldn’t consider it a “must-see” on this type of trip so that’d be good to know.

I think Mljet comes down to a choice and not having been, I can’t compare.

Ostrog Monastery is very interesting. Whether it is worth a half day in the car is a different question. But it’s not something you have to decide ahead of time - you could go spur of the moment. But at about 2 hrs there and 2 back, I would consider carefully. Podgorica can be skipped with your time limitations.

Our tour did a wine tasting in the cute little town of Sremski Karlovci, near Novi Sad, at Vinarija Vinum.

Your specific questions on Slovenia might get more answers with a new question over there.

I thought the most interesting thing about Podgorica was its current name (formerly Titograd), but in fairness I mainly used the city as a base for bus trips to other places in Montenegro. I didn't do as much walking around as usual, and I hadn't done much pre-trip research.

When I needed a place to store my suitcase in Viterbo (Italy) prior to the upsurge in private luggage-storage operations, I walked into a low-end 3-star hotel that looked large enough to have a staffed reception desk, placed a 5-euro note on the counter and asked whether they could store my suitcase for a few hours. They were happy to do so. That's the reaction I'd expect at most hotels, but only desperation would cause me to try that at a super-deluxe place.

I believe the NY gorge that reminded me of Vintgar was near Lake Placid. Vintgar is very attractive and a good place to get in some walking, but it was busy even back in 2015, so understand that it will not be a wilderness experience.

The historic area of Novi Sad is funky in a hippie sort of way--very different from Beograd. I've been to Subotica, too, but I approached it from the north (Szeged) on my 2018 trip to Hungary. I didn't dig into Jewish history in Subotica, opting to walk around looking for Art Nouveau buildings.

One thing I remember about Subotica is buying burek (though it may go by a different name in Serbia), a cheese-filled pastry with many layers of phyllo, which is usually baked in large pans and cut into squares or rectangles. It's sometimes available in both sweet and savory versions. If you think you might want to try it, Google for translations of "sweet cheese" and "salty cheese" so you can express a preference. It's quite oily, so having a plastic bag with you is a very good idea. You may well encounter burek elsewhere during your trip; it's sold at least as far east as Turkiye.

Podgorica isn't much more than an airport location. Ostrog was memorable for me, but it's not a day trip it's a stop on the way to the mountains and the Tara River Canyon. I would still make Montenegto a future trip. I like it better than Croatia but the time on this one is better spent elsewhere and come back for a week in Montenegro .... maybe paired with Albania.

The real experts are on the case in this thread, but here’s my two cents.

Re: Mijet. I was dead set on visiting here, and in the end begged off without regrets. The logistics are difficult. It’s an all-day affair no matter how you slice it, with fairly long ferry rides each way (it adds up.) But the real decider was simply that the scenery, water, everything, everywhere was so gorgeous it felt absurd to put myself out over more of the same. There are some small islands you can access within 15min of Korcula for a few bucks, and you’re not so committed. Having enough water and supplies on a day like that can be a real concern. I would just drop it.

I kind of don’t have a problem with the 1 nighters after Plitvice since you’re driving. It’s rather idyllic countryside, and even with brief stops counts as “slow travel” imo.

It still feels like an aggressive itinerary overall, and I think it would benefit from a hard decision or two. Maybe Rovinj? It’s three nights and a solid drive of an outlier. The other coastal towns on your itinerary are similar “beautiful, stony, post Venetian/medieval” places. Adding a night or two to Korcula, Ljubljana, or wherever else feels tight makes sense to me.

Wow, this is the most traction I’ve gotten on an itinerary query and I’m really grateful for it! It’s great to read these opinions and pick up additional tidbits on some of the destinations.

I’ll research Mljet NP further in due course but feel comfortable with my plan for two nights in Korcula (which translates to 2.5 days if we take the right ferries) for now. We’re not such beach people and it’ll hardly be the only swimming opportunity we’ll have on this trip.

I also think I’ll write off the Ostrog Monastery, not since it doesn’t look appealing but simply since the bang for our buck may not be there given all of the travel time. I'll research Ulcinj further though.

That last suggestion on cutting out Rovinj has got me thinking. The drive times to some of the Istria highlights from Piran/the karst country in Slovenia aren’t so far to preclude taking a day trip or two to the region instead if we base ourselves well (and could give us an extra day or two elsewhere, particularly if we forget about Brijuni). I’m going to research further, since having a third night in Zagreb, Venice, and Ljubljana (depending on how we split the time with Lake Bled) strongly appeals to me and seems to be a recurring theme in the responses.

Let the trip planning continue!

I loved Ulcinj. But my taste is ...