Zishaan Hayath Ride: The Western Balkans

Route Map

Eleven days round four countries, a clockwise loop out of Dubrovnik. The Kotor serpentine and the Bay first, then south the length of Albania for the Llogara pass and the ruins of Butrint. North into the Durmitor massif for the Piva canyon's hand-cut tunnels, then home down the Neretva through Konjic, Mostar and Blagaj. Sea, canyon and old stone bridge, all in one loop.

Day	Route	Distance	Highlights	Night stay
01	Dubrovnik → Herceg Novi → Perast → Kotor	100 km 2.5 h	Perast's islet churches mid-bay below Mount Orjen	Kotor
02	Kotor serpentine → Lovćen → Cetinje → Lake Skadar → Shkodër	150 km 4 h	Njegoš's mausoleum on Lovćen above the whole Bay of Kotor	Shkodër
03	Shkodër → Krujë → Tirana → Durrës → Vlorë	240 km 4.5 h	Skanderbeg's castle-town of Krujë on the hillside	Vlorë
04	Vlorë → Llogara pass → Dhërmi → Himarë → Sarandë	120 km 3.5 h	The Llogara descent dropping from pine forest onto the Ionian coast	Sarandë
05	Sarandë → Butrint → Gjirokastra → Tepelenë → Shkodër	250 km 5 h	Butrint's Greek and Roman ruins standing in a lagoon	Shkodër
06	Shkodër → Podgorica → Kolašin → Đurđevića Tara bridge	180 km 4 h	The Tara bridge arching 150 metres above the canyon	Kolašin
07	Tara canyon → Žabljak, Durmitor National Park	90 km 2.5 h	The Black Lake mirroring the Durmitor peaks at Žabljak	Žabljak
08	Durmitor ring: Žabljak → Sedlo → Trsa → Eagle Road → Plužine	130 km 4 h	The Eagle Road's hand-cut tunnels hanging over Piva lake at Trsa	Žabljak
09	Žabljak → Plužine → Šćepan Polje → Foča → Konjic	200 km 4.5 h	Konjic's Ottoman stone bridge over the green Neretva	Konjic
10	Konjic → Jablanica → Mostar → Blagaj	100 km 3 h	The Blagaj tekke under its cliff at the spring of the Buna	Mostar
11	Mostar → Počitelj → Neretva delta → Dubrovnik	150 km 3.5 h	Počitelj's fortress stepping up the gorge above the Neretva	Dubrovnik

Notes

Four countries means many borders – Croatia is in the EU, then Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia are not. Carry the passport, the vehicle logbook and a Green Card insurance that lists Montenegro, Bosnia and Albania, and buy border cover for any it misses. The small crossings at Šćepan Polje and on the Albanian frontier are slow.

Croatia and Montenegro both use the euro, Bosnia the convertible mark, Albania the lek, so carry a little cash for fuel and the odd toll. Fill up before the Durmitor and Piva interior, where the stations thin out.

Main roads are good, but the Piva tunnels and the Sedlo ring are narrow, rough at the edges and gravel in patches, and the canyon tunnels are unlit – carry good lights. A mid-weight adventure or sport-tourer with some ground clearance is ideal; no real off-road.