Gateway to the Balkans

Option A (from Ston): In the morning you have time to take a drive along the beautiful Peljesac Peninsula then you have a choice of routes inland into Bosnia & Herzegovina to the historic town of Mostar.

Option B (from Ravno): Very close to your starting point is the cave system of Vjetrenica, afterwards we suggest driving towards Mostar via Hutovo Blato Nature Park or Stolac with its ancient necropolis.

Additional places to visit along the way in southern Herzegovina include the historic village of Pocitelj, the pilgrim site of Medugorje and the stunning waterfalls at Kravice.

A full day in Mostar to relax and explore the historic town with its world-famous bridge; you have the option to go walking in the hills nearby. Additional places to visit include nearby Blagaj with its castle and famous Dervish House tucked under the cliff and overlooking the river.

Today you embark upon one of the most scenic drives in the Balkans, along the Neretva river valley with its impressive canyon not far to the north of Mostar. Your route also passes the beautiful lakes of Jablaniko and Ramsko prior to arriving at Jajce.

A full day to relax in this beautiful historic town and to visit the natural and cultural wonders in the area which include waterfalls, castles, watermills, catacombs and Roman temples.

Hugging the sides of the hill just under the spectacular medieval citadel are beautiful Ottoman-style houses which in turn lie above the crashing 27m high waterfalls on the Pliva River. Beneath St Luke's church are the catacombs, where high priests and nobility were buried and nearby is the site of the 3rd Century Temple of Mithras.

Heading north is the Vrbas Canyon - an amazing drive which can be done as a small circuit if you return via Mrkonjic Grad and the Plivsko Lake. In the wide areas of the Pliva you can find many mills that were built during Ottoman times; most of the mills are still in decent shape, and some remain in use.

Drive via a choice of roads, although we definitely recommend passing through Travnik (maybe for lunch by the river) and the Franciscan monastery of Kraljeva Sutjeska, near Kakanj. Once in Sarajevo you can spend the evening taking in the atmosphere of the old town and beginning to appreciate both the history and much more recent turbulent period.

A full day to explore Sarajevo's capital city.

When travelling around Sarajevo you'll feel totally at ease as there is a real, 'welcome to Sarajevo' atmosphere throughout the city. Places to visit include the old town and, in particular, the Bascarsija as well as many fine cultural sites such as the Bosniak institute, which holds various exhibitions on Sarajevo culture and Sarajevo history, the National Theatre of Bosnia and the National Museum. Whilst in the city your curiosity about the War of Independence and the Siege of Sarajevo can be satisfied with a number of sympathetic exhibitions and experiences such as the Freedom Tunnel and we definitely recommend a guided tour to understand what it was like to live here during this turbulent period.

Don't miss an opportunity to visit Jahorina National Park, site of the 1984 Winter Olympics, and, also not far from the city is the second tallest waterfall in Europe (98m), so beautiful that it is worth the short trip. The vegetation surrounding the waterfall contains a variety of rare species.

Yet more scenic routes, east to Rogatica and up the Drina valley to Visegrad with its fabulous 16th century stone bridge. You could opt for an extra night in Visegrad, (or nearby Gorazde) or consider a more direct route, albeit still a scenic one, to Trebinje. This alternative direction out of Sarajevo, southeast, follows the Zeleznica river up-stream and crosses the mountains at the Rogoj Pass (1161m) heading to Foca. This is where the two route options meet.

The final section of the route today involves two mountain passes over 1000m, the Sutjeska National Park and Bilecko Lake as well as so much fabulous scenery in between.

** you may wish to stay an extra night here if you are NOT choosing to end your holiday in Dubrovnik.

A full day in the delightful town of Trebinje in the Republic of Srpska. Trebinje's Stari Grad (old town) is intact and is full of life in the evenings offering locals and visitors alike a choice of bars, restaurants and ice-cream parlours. Trebinje has its own Old Bridge (the Arslanagica) which is worthy of a stroll alongside the river to view and walk over (why not try this as early as possible for some great photos). Return to your hotel and a visit to the traditional market on the main square before heading out of town in the afternoon for the short drive to Dubrovnik.

** or if you have an evening flight you could elect to go straight to the airport and drop off your car directly.

Option 1: If you have stayed an extra night in Trebinje then you'll make the short drive over the hills directly to Dubrovnik Airport, drop off the car and take your flight home.

Option 2: If staying in Dubrovnik you won't need the car so you can explore on foot (and bus/cable car) and we will provide a private departure transfer to the airport on Day 10 or Day 11, depending on how long you wish to stay in Dubrovnik.