Peaks of the Balkans and Grebaje Valley - Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo

Peaks of the Balkans and Grebaje Valley - Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo

Thu 04th Sep 2025

Members Only 22 Days+

Walk, Back-pack

[TRIP FULL. WAITLIST STARTED.] The Peaks of the Balkans trail is a 192km circuit that passes through the spectacular mountainous border areas of south-eastern Montenegro, northern Albania and western Kosovo. We will start and finish the circuit at the Montenegrin town of Plav. The intention is to allow 23 days for this walking tour. The ‘standard’ time for the Peaks of the Balkans is 10 days. We will also do a number of side-excursions from the trail, including walking to the summits of some of the peaks in the area. We will base ourselves in the Albanian village of Theth for several days, and do some day-walks from there. At the end, we will spend 2-3 days in the spectacular Grebaje area, adjacent to the standard Peaks of the Balkans route. And several rest days are also factored in. The Peaks of the Balkans trail is generally medium in difficulty but with some more demanding sections (and easier sections); some of the day excursions will be strenuous. We will do the walk independently, i.e. without using a commercial guiding service. There is substantial information available on this walk, including the official website: https://peaksofthebalkans.com/. Among other resources, we will use the following guidebooks: Cicerone guides “Trekking the Peaks of the Balkans’ and ‘Trekking the Mountains of Montenegro’ and ‘Peaks of the Balkans’ by Bosse & Bosse-Steinweg (in German). Participants will need to carry their own gear but the use of guesthouses and cabins means that backpacks can be kept relatively light. Parts of the walk will be physically demanding, requiring ascents/descents of 1000m+. Participants should have experience in multi-day walks carrying a backpack. Those interested in this trip should register their interest on Bilby; the leader can provide further information, including a proposed itinerary.

Additional Information

Booking deadline

Fri 31st Jan 2025

Length

Long

Terrain

Medium

Distance (km or hrs)

192km for Peaks of the Balkans trail, plus additional distances for side-excursions(~100km)

Ascent

Peaks of the Balkans cumulative elevation gain ~10,000m; plus ~10,000m for side-excursions.

Descent

As per ascent

Map name

Huber Map - Peaks of the Balkans, 1:60000; maps in guidebooks

Terrain information

Generally medium terrain for the Peaks of the Balkans trail, though some days will be strenuous because of large ascents and/or descents. Rougher and more demanding terrain for some (but not all) of the side-excursions. The main route is a mix of walking paths and 4WD tracks.

Transport information

Airports for Podgorica (capital of Montenegro) and Dubrovnik (Croatia) are the most obvious points of entry for flying from Australia to Montenegro. Several buses per day from Podgorica to Plav (4hrs).

Accommodation options

Lodge-based

Accommodation information

Local guesthouses/cabins on the trail; apartments in towns before and after the trek


A multi day backpacking or base-camping activity.

Date and Time

Start: Thu 04th Sep 2025
Approx Return: Fri 26th Sep 2025
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