When I did itJuly / August
My own footage
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Waymarked — Thru-Trails · Three borders on foot — Albania · Kosovo · Montenegro
Peaks of the Balkans
For hikers who want a proper long-distance trail that still feels wild in places, and don't mind trading a fixed hut schedule for a tent and some flexibility. Also a solid first long-distance hike — guesthouses along the way mean there's somewhere to fall back on if your gear or your legs give out.
8–12 days€200
Read the route ↓First hiked a stretch of this trail in 2017, then came back in 2023 for nearly the whole thing. Some sections have seen development since and lost a bit of their edge, but plenty of side routes still cut through terrain that's stayed properly remote — knowing which sections to skip is easier when you're still in touch with people who actually live out here.
On certain stretches, locals have rigged up small mountain shops — little more than a shack, shaded by branches and leaves — cooling Coke and beer in cold mountain streams. No hut-style comfort, just exactly enough of it, without disturbing the view. Hut to hut works fine, but carrying your own tent opens up sleeping beside mountain lakes most hikers on the main route never reach.
In one of the more remote stretches, a family shares whatever they've grown that day — you end up playing with their kids before the tent goes up. Winters here are harsh enough that these communities only live here through summer, growing and eating what the land gives them, so what ends up on your plate is about as fresh as food gets. Want the full traverse, or just the wildest section? Tell me your timeframe and we'll route around whatever's changed.
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At a glance
The facts before you fall for it
- Length
- 8–12 days
- Typical budget from
- €300 camping – €700 guesthouse to guesthouse, per person
- From budget hostels to boutique stays — same plan, your call.
- Best time
- Mid-June to mid-September
- Effort
- Moderate — daily climbs, easy exits
- Best for
- A first long-distance hike
- Not for
- Anyone after groomed, busy trails
Shorter on time? I'll trim the route to fit your days — deciding what to cut is part of the planning.
On the ground, excluding international flights. One plan covers up to four of you — backpacker or luxury, it follows your budget, not mine.
Assumes you already own the gear. Starting from scratch? Budget roughly €1,000–1,500 for a basic setup — your packing list shows exactly what you need.
Why this route, from me
I've done it end to end. Here's what that buys you.
When I did itMost hikers stick to the main route, which has seen new roads and building in places.
This oneSwaps the developed stretches for side routes that are still remote, with nights by mountain lakes.
- 1Cross-border permits that have to be applied for weeks ahead
- 2Where you can actually pitch a tent between villages — and how to ask
- 3Starting in one country and finishing in another: getting there and getting home
All of it is solved in your plan.
What's included
The parts most travel planners leave out
What any good planner gives you
You get all of this from me too, done properly. It's just not the reason to hire me.
- A planning call before anything is written
- A day-by-day route shaped on that call
- Where to stay, stop by stop
- A printable packing list
And then the part that's mine
Most plans stop at the list on the left. Mine keeps going — this is where a trip actually holds together.
How to get between every stop — which bus, ferry, train or transfer, how often it runs, and what to do when it doesn't.
Flight routing — which airports to use, and the multi-city combinations that save you a day of backtracking.
Entry requirements, checked at the source — visa rules, permits and border notes, plus the official application site, so you don't pay a lookalike site three times the fee.
Two or three side-quests, and my own notes — alternatives you can swap in, plus what I'd skip and what I'd do differently next time.
Good to know
I don't book, so nobody pays to be in your plan.
No commissions, no sponsored stays, no “partner” hotels. Every recommendation is there because it's right for your trip, not because it pays me. You make the bookings yourself, in your own name — and the plan tells you exactly what to book, in what order, and how far ahead.
Maximum four travelers per booking
How it works
The full process →01
Buy & a 10-min form.
Dates, group, and the logistics that shape it.
02
Intake call.
Where we both check it's a fit — if it isn't, you get a full refund.
03
Draft in 3–4 days.
Business days, for Thru-Trails.
04
Revision call → final PDF.
We go through it together, then you get the finished plan.
Want this one, adapted to you?