What we’re about
Take a trip with us to villages rarely visited by tourists and the peaks of the Balkan mountains. Enjoy white water rafting on the fast rivers, swimming in the blue seas and lakes and, in waterfalls and mountain lakes. Come skiing, dog sledging, snow shoeing and horse riding, and learn how to cook Balkan food. Led by certified local mountain guides, staying with local hosts who make the most delicious food, Hiking the Balkans is your gateway to an authentic Balkan experience.
Are you interested in hiking, mountaineering, open water swimming, white water rafting, kayaking, cycling and enjoying the outdoors? Do you want to discover new cultures and enjoy tasty organic food and home made dishes? If you have said yes to all, Hiking the Balkans is the right group for you.
The idea behind Hiking the Balkans is to promote the Balkan countries to nature lovers who enjoy the outdoors and want to have first-hand experience of this fascinating region of Europe. All trips organised by Hiking the Balkans are developed by locals. All the food we eat is locally sourced and traditionally made.
We offer tailored, guided, small group culture and adventure trips to those interested in discovering the Balkans. We have chosen unique locations stretching from Croatia down to Bulgaria and Albania, including Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Greece and Macedonia. We will not put you on a bus and show you the whole of the Balkans in ten days, because that is not how we do things. But we can take you there again and again. As long as you want to come.
We are opening the gate to hiking amazing mountain ranges and stopping in villages for freshly baked bread. We are taking you across the Peaks of the Balkans, cross border hiking, to hidden waterfalls and mountain lakes where you can swim exclusively, without being surrounded by other tourists.
Our extensive knowledge of the Balkans enables us to offer authentic itineraries, very few of our trips are repeated, and we continuously tweak and modify them in the process of discovering new areas of interest.
Hiking the Balkans provides a real insight into the nine countries we are working in including their culture, history and nature and we give you an opportunity for genuine interaction with the locals.
Our local guides are internationally trained and licensed. We are also committed to assist young people from disadvantaged backgrounds originating from the Balkans to develop careers in mountain guiding in future.
We participate in annual activities for clearing up mountaineering paths, building natural shelters for mountaineers as well as marking new trails.
All our trips are guided and the maximum size of our groups is 18 participants.
You need to be relatively healthy and fit and be a regular walker in order to enjoy our trips. But most of all you need to have an open and curious mind and zest for life.
Here is what people who travelled before with us say about our trips:
" I have always been fascinated by the idea of travelling the Balkans, which history I had so little knowledge of. However, my work and life commitments hardly gave me any time to plan for a holiday. Back in May I joined the London European trip that Maja organised in Montenegro and a month later I had already booked my second and third trip. It's been a truly amazing experience to travel with someone who has such an incredible passion and knowledge about the history and politics of the region. I have been mesmerised by the gems this big region has to offer. There are mountains, sun, rivers, lakes and also a very sad past which scars are still fresh in the hearth of the people. I could breathe the authenticity in every place we've been. I highly recommend it! "
Stefano Palmerini
"I've been on three trips to the Balkans with this group and will go on a fourth in a few months. Each time was a fantastic experience with great people in amazing locations, guided by locals passionate about their country and its nature. One highlight of our last trip was being served coffee and AMAZING home-made bread and cheese by Albanian seasonal farmers on a forlorn foggy mountainside."
Carlo Teubner
"It has it all - stunning scenery, so many sites of historic interest, crystal clear water, tasty organic food and friendly locals. I would never have known how much there is to treasure in this area, without your carefully researched and selected trips, and I'd like to thank you for some of the best holidays I've been on."
Kuldip Singh
So come along and have an adventure of a lifetime with us.
Hiking the Balkans team
