Private and Tailor-Made Balkan Tours

The Balkans with Your Own Driver-Guide

A tailor-made Balkan tour lets you see several countries in one trip without a group, a fixed schedule or the stress of border crossings, rental cars and hotel bookings. You travel in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver-guide, and we arrange the hotels, local guides and entrance tickets in every country.

We are based in Sarajevo, in the middle of the Balkans, and we know these routes from the ground. We plan trips through Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia, and further on request, from Serbia to Romania.

Ideas for your private Balkan tour

• 7 days, UNESCO highlights: Sarajevo, Mostar, Dubrovnik and Kotor. Based on our 7-Day UNESCO Balkan Tour.
• 7–10 days, five countries: Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia, including Tirana and Lake Ohrid. See our 7-Day Balkan Tour and 10 Days Western Balkan Tour, or read our 10-day Balkan itinerary.
• 8–9 days, Slovenia to Montenegro: Lake Bled, the Adriatic coast, Mostar and Kotor. See the 8 Days Balkan Tour and the 9-Day Western Balkans Tour.
• 15 days, the grand tour: six countries from Slovenia to North Macedonia on our 15 Days Balkan Tour.

Why travel the Balkans privately

• Start where you like: Sarajevo, Dubrovnik, Split, Ljubljana or another city.
• One driver for the whole trip, who knows the history of every place you pass and handles the border crossings.
• Hotels in the right places: inside or next to the old towns, chosen to match your budget.
• Room for spontaneous stops: a roadside lamb restaurant, a 2,000-year-old olive tree, a viewpoint you did not know about.
• Muslim-friendly travel on request, with halal restaurants and prayer breaks. See our Muslim-friendly tours.

How it works

1. Tell us your dates, countries and interests.
2. We send a day-by-day plan and a price within 24 hours.
3. We adjust the plan together, then you confirm and we book everything.

Planning a private Balkan tour from Australia, the USA or Canada

Most of our long-haul guests travel for 12 to 16 days, because after a long flight it is worth seeing more than one or two countries. A few things make the planning easier:

• Fly in and out of different cities. Arrive in Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb or Ljubljana and fly home from Sarajevo, Tirana or Skopje, so you never drive back the same way.
• Travel in May–June or September–October for warm weather and fewer crowds than in July and August.
• Take it easy on day one. We plan a short first day so you can recover from the flight and the time difference.
• Plan with us on your own schedule. We answer on WhatsApp and email, so time zones are not a problem.

Example: a 2-week private Balkan tour

1. Days 1–2: Ljubljana and Lake Bled (Slovenia)
2. Day 3: Plitvice Lakes (Croatia)
3. Days 4–5: Split and the Dalmatian coast
4. Days 6–7: Dubrovnik
5. Day 8: Bay of Kotor and Perast (Montenegro)
6. Days 9–10: Mostar, Blagaj and the Kravica Waterfalls (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
7. Days 11–13: Sarajevo, with a day trip to Travnik and Jajce
8. Day 14: departure from Sarajevo

Prefer to finish further south? From Dubrovnik and Kotor the route can continue through Albania to Tirana and Lake Ohrid and end in Skopje, like our 7-Day Balkan Tour. If you want to plan the route yourself first, read how to plan a Balkan trip.

What our guests say

“Muris was our driver from Sarajevo all the way until we departed from Skopje. In effect, we had a knowledgeable guide travelling with us throughout the entire journey. Contact Elvis. No need to keep searching.” – Mohd Amaluddin Yusoff, Google

“We especially appreciated your prompt responses to all our messages and flexibility in accommodating our requests. Zulfo was with us from Sarajevo to Bucharest.” – Robin Wulff, Google

“Even tho is was a last minute plan Tour Mage made it very easy for us and we had the best driver and guide, Edis.” – Orainab Ansari, Google

Frequently asked questions

How much does a private Balkan tour cost?
It depends on the number of days, travellers, countries and hotel category. As a guide, our scheduled Balkan packages with 4-star hotels start from €1,950 per person for 7 days and €4,550 per person for 15 days, and a private version is priced for your group. Send us your plans and we will reply with an exact price within 24 hours.

Can a solo traveller book a private Balkan tour?
Yes. Private tours work for one traveller as well as for families and groups.

Do you handle border crossings?
Yes. Your driver knows every crossing on the route. You only need a valid passport and, depending on your nationality, any visas required for the countries you visit.

Can the tour start or end in another country?
Yes. Many trips start in Dubrovnik, Split or Ljubljana and end in Sarajevo, Skopje or elsewhere.

What is the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation up to 7 days before the tour starts.

Helpful reading

• Luxury private tours and transportation
• How to Plan a Balkan Trip: Step-by-Step Guide
• The Balkans with a Private Driver: 5 Classic Routes
• The Balkans with Kids: A 10-Day Family Itinerary