Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro & Albania — four countries by rental car
One of our favourite routes ever: a self-drive loop down the Adriatic and back, linking the walled cities of Croatia, the Ottoman old town of Mostar, Montenegro’s fjord-like Bay of Kotor, and the wild, uncrowded coast of Albania. Everything below is drivable — the map shows the actual road route.
| Day | Where | Plan | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Dubrovnik, Croatia | Fly in; walk the walls of the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’; pick up the rental car | Dubrovnik |
| 4–5 | Split, Croatia | ~3 hr drive; Diocletian’s Palace; climb the St Domnius bell tower | Split |
| 6 | Trogir → Hvar | 0.5 hr to Trogir; ferry to Hvar; boat day to the Pakleni Islands | Hvar |
| 7 | Zadar & Plitvice | Zadar sea organ & sunsets; Plitvice Lakes National Park | Zadar |
| 8 | Mostar, Bosnia | Cross into Bosnia; the rebuilt old bridge & Ottoman old town | Mostar |
| 9 | Bay of Kotor, Montenegro | ~2 hr drive; the serpentine Boka Bay road | Kotor |
| 10 | Virpazar → Ulcinj | Lake Skadar; relax on the Ulcinj coast near the Albanian border | Ulcinj |
| 11–12 | Shkodër & Krujë, Albania | Rozafa Castle above Shkodër; the historic bazaar town of Krujë | Albania |
| 13 | Durrës, Albania | Beach day on the Adriatic coast | Durrës |
| 14 | Back to Dubrovnik | ~5 hr drive north to fly out | — |
We started in Dubrovnik, the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” then worked up the coast to Split and its living Roman core, Diocletian’s Palace — climb the Cathedral of St Domnius bell tower for the red-roof view. Side trips to Trogir and the party island of Hvar (with a boat day to the Pakleni Islands) rounded out the Croatian leg.
Inland to Croatia’s crown jewel, Plitvice Lakes National Park — a UNESCO chain of turquoise pools and waterfalls — with sunset stops in Zadar (the sea organ and ‘magical sunsets’) and time in the capital, Zagreb.
Across the border, Mostar’s medieval old town and its famous rebuilt bridge, named for the mostari bridge-keepers — a short but unforgettable stop, easily paired with Herzegovina’s waterfalls.
The Bay of Kotor (Boka Bay) is the scenic high point — a serpentine Adriatic inlet ringed by mountains — with quieter nights inland at Virpazar on Lake Skadar and relaxed beach time at Ulcinj near the Albanian border.
Albania surprised us most: the hilltop Rozafa Castle above Shkodër, the historic bazaar town of Krujë, and a final relaxed stretch on the Durrës coast before the long drive back up to Dubrovnik to fly out.
We turn routes like this into a full day-by-day planner — flights, hotels, tours and maps in one file. Grab the downloadable Croatia · Bosnia · Montenegro · Albania itinerary or have us build a custom version for your dates.
