Ultimate Balkans Road Trip Itinerary for 3 weeks

Day 1/2 - Irrespective of where you are flying from, you will be landing in Athens if you are covering Greece. You can either choose to explore Athens or leave for one of the Ionian islands directly. We chose to visit Mykonos as it is not yet crowded around this time.

How to reach: You can either fly with one of the local airlines like Aegean airlines or take a ferry from Piraeus port. We took a ferry for two reasons. Firstly it is cheap and secondly, also importantly there is no limit on the baggage. Most ferries leave early morning around 6:30 a.m or 7 a.m.

Preferred partners & cost: Blue Star Ferries (Round trip cost is approx Eur 70)

Day 2,3,4 -We spent most of our time lazing by the pool and at the beach. The best way to explore Mykonos is on a bike. You can wander through the streets of Mykonos town where all houses are painted in different shades of blue and white and gives you a perfect opportunity to click loads of pictures. If you are foodies like us, you will love hopping from one cute cafe to another binging on Greek salads and ice creams. Visit Little Venice, windmills, archaeological museum and few churches along the way. Greece has some of the most amazing sunsets where the sky turns magical with hues of pink and orange. You can grab a spot either in a bar or by the beach to enjoy this beauty. The best spot is in front of the Panagia Paraportiani church overlooking the Mediterranean.

Day 5 - Take theferry back to Athens in the evening which takes around 5 hours and you reach Athens by 8 p.m.

Day 6,7 - There is so much to see in Athens. This city is a perfect blend of ancient history and contemporary charm. Talking about ancient architectural marvels, Acropolis and Parthenon definitely tops the list. We recommend visiting early in the morning to escape crowds. If you love museums do visit the ancient archaeological museum. Depending upon how much time you have, you can visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus which is an astounding piece of architecture in the center of the city and Ancient Agora. One of our favorite places in Athens is the neighborhood of Plaka. It is a charming maze of cobblestoned streets lined with cute cafes and souvenir shops. Hike up to Lycabettus hill for enthralling views of the city.

How to reach: You can either take a bus from Athens or hire a car. We took a bus till Tirana where we rented the car as it is cheaper this way. It takes approximately 12 hours to reach Tirana. Bus leaves at 8 p.m from Athens.

Day 8,9 & 10 - Things to do in Albania really depends on how much time you are spending in the country. There are some epic hiking and nature escapes if you have time. But if you have limited time, we suggest you spend a day in Tirana exploring the cute cafes and museums. Some of the things that you can visit are Skanderbeg Square, Burkart 2 and National History Museum. A must-see in Shkoder is Rozafa castle. You can either drive up or rent a bicycle to reach here. Rozafa castle gives you phenomenal views of the city & the Shkoder lake. If you have more days in Albania we recommend you to do Valbona to Ṭheṭh hike and also Albanian riviera.

How to reach: We drove from Shkoder to Budva and it took us 2.5 hours.

Day 11, 12, 13 & 14 - Undoubtedly our favorite country in the entire Balkan region. We stayed in Kotor and Budva and did a day trip to Perast. Perast is a beautiful postcard-perfect small town. You can either do a boat trip to Perast, Our lady of the Rock and the blue cave from Kotor or take a stop at Perast while driving from Montenegro to Croatia. Here are some of the things you would not want to miss while in Kotor: getting lost in the old town, strolling by Kotor Bay, hiking/cycling up Mount Lovchen to see the floating clouds, enjoying a sunset at San Giovanni Fortress. On the way, you can make a stop to visit Sveti Stefan which is a famous vacationing spot for many Hollywood stars. We also spent a night in Budva to indulge in a little luxury and to enjoy some beach time.

How to reach: We drove from Kotor to Dubrovnik and it took us 3 hours

Day 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 & 20 - Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful & lively country in the Balkan strip. So much to see here from the land of Game of Thrones, to the stunning Adriatic coastline and deep blue waters, to the silvery Dalmatian mountain region, to the party town of Split, to one of the most surreal national parks and lakes in the world, to pretty market squares and towns. You would want to wander here forever.

Our first stop was, of course, Dubrovnik and no trip to Croatia can be complete without visiting the charming old town. Game of Thrones lovers embrace yourselves for this is the King's Landing. You can choose to do the wall tour which is a little expensive but totally worth it. Strolling on these walls feels like you have traveled back in time. You can also take the cable car or hike up Mount Srd for enthralling views of the old town.

Next day leave for Split. Built around a traditional old town, Split is full of beautiful bars, seaside restaurants, cafes, shops all within the old walls. It's dramatic coastal mountains and the blue Adriatic Sea is surely a romantic setting. Don't forget to check out Diocletian Palace, a magnificent roman marvel. Also, it's the place where Khaleesi kept her dragons.

The next morning we took a boat to Hvar, one of the most popular party islands in Croatia. You can do day tours to other islands as well including the tour to the blue cave. It costs around 80 Euros.

The next stop is Rastoke, a postcard village. It is straight out of fairy tale with hundreds of streams and waterfalls. All houses here are built in traditional Croatian style and you can even spend a night in one of the Airbnb here.

Well, the next place is one of my favorite places and also one of the most visited places in the world - Plitvice Lakes in Croatia. A series of cascading lakes and waterfalls, the color in all shades of blue & green. It makes you think if this is even real.

How to reach: We drove from Plitvice to Mostar and it took us 5 hours.

Day 20, 21 & 22 - Mostar is one of the prettiest towns we have ever been to and it feels like you have been transported to a completely different era. The soul of the city is a famous old bridge called Mostar bridge which is around 400 years old. You can see divers jumping from the 78 feet high bridge in the morning and if you are daring enough you can enroll yourself for a jump too. In the night you can take a stroll in the alleys of the delightful Turkish Bazaar which looks brightly illuminated by dazzling lamps, hooked, and souvenirs. Mostar portrays a beautiful amalgamation of different cultures and architectural styles.

Next morning you can leave early to visit the picturesque Blagaj Tekija - a Turkish monastery built on a cliff, on the banks of Buna river. The water in the river is so transparent and pure that it even looks better than the bottled water.

Post that, head to the village of Pocitelj - the Pearl of Herzegovina. A beautiful heritage village, it's known for it's Ottoman-Roman architecture, the towering fort, the Stark buildings that make you feel you are in a different world, and the views of the Nevreta river.

Last but not the least visit the amazing Kravice waterfalls. If you are visiting in the summer season you can make the most of the cool waters. The falls form a natural amphitheater around untouched nature. The turquoise color of the water, the mountain backdrop, the gushing falls make this place an absolute visual delight.

How to reach: We drove from Mostar to Ohrid and it took us 10 hours.

Day 22, 23 & 24 - Macedonia was the last country on our itinerary and quite a fascinating one. We spent time lazing around splendid lake Ohrid and visiting some of the most beautiful churches. Fun fact: there are 365 churches in Ohrid and you can spend an entire year visiting them. We would definitely recommend visiting the church of St. John at Kaneo. Set on a mountain by the vast lake Ohrid, it surely is marvelous.