Peaks of the Balkans Trail: The Complete Guide to the Hike Through Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo

The Peaks of the Balkans is the hike people come home from and can’t stop talking about. The full route is a 192 km (119-mile) loop through the Accursed Mountains, where Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro meet, with shepherds’ summer villages, high passes and a different country every few days.

I’m Laurel, founder of Monkeys and Mountains, and I’ve hiked the Peaks of the Balkans myself.

This guide covers everything you need to plan it, from the trail map and stages to the permits and the best time to go. It also covers the easiest way to do it: our Peaks of the Balkans hiking tours, where we book everything and you just hike.

Peaks of the Balkans Hiking Tours: 3 Ways to Hike It in 2027

Want to hike the Peaks of the Balkans without spending your evenings on border permits and guesthouse phone calls? Our tours are open for 2027, and there are 3 ways to do it.

We book your guesthouses, transfers and border permits, so all you have to do is hike and practice saying Gjeravica.

• Peaks of the Balkans Self-Guided Hiking Tour with Taljanka Peak (7 Days, Moderate): the easier option, with 5 hiking days in Albania and Montenegro, the Blue Eye, the Valbona Pass and Taljanka peak, from €710 per person.
• Peaks of the Balkans Self-Guided Hiking Tour: Full Loop (11 Days): 9 hiking days through Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro at your own pace, with GPS tracks for every hiking day, from €850 per person.
• Peaks of the Balkans Guided Hiking Tour: Full Loop (11 Days): the full loop with a local mountain guide every hiking day, in a group of 16 at most, from €980 per person.

Compare All 3 Peaks of the Balkans Hiking Tours

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Not sure which suits you? Here’s what a self-guided hiking tour includes, and how it compares with a guided one.

Peaks of the Balkans Trail Map: Where the Loop Goes in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro

The Peaks of the Balkans Trail map is a loop, so you can start in any of the three countries. Most hikers start in Theth in Albania and head counterclockwise: east over the Valbona Pass into Kosovo, west into Montenegro and south back to Theth.

That’s the route of our 11-day Peaks of the Balkans hiking tours, which start and finish in Shkodra, Albania’s lakeside city at the foot of the mountains. Your transfers to and from Theth are included.

Planning it on your own? Plav in Montenegro and Peja in Kosovo are the other two main starting points, and the official Peaks of the Balkans website has the trail map and the cross-border forms.

On the trail, most hikers follow a Peaks of the Balkans GPX track on their phone alongside the waymarks, since a few sections in Kosovo and Montenegro are marked less clearly. On our self-guided tours, you get GPS tracks for every hiking day.

What Is the Peaks of the Balkans Trail?

The Peaks of the Balkans Trail is a long-distance hiking loop through the Accursed Mountains, also called the Prokletije or the Albanian Alps, the wild limestone range on the borders of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro.

For most of the 20th century these were some of the most closely guarded borders in Europe.

Families in villages a single pass apart couldn’t visit each other. The trail opened in 2012 to link those valleys again, and today you can hike over passes that were off limits for generations.

What makes the Peaks of the Balkans special is the life along it. In summer the shepherds bring their animals up to high villages like Doberdol and Milisevc, and the families there open their homes to hikers.

You eat what they cook, sleep under their roof and wake up to the sound of sheep bells.

The Peaks of the Balkans also isn’t to be confused with the Balkan Mountains, the range that runs across Bulgaria and gave the whole peninsula its name. The two are hundreds of kilometers apart.

How Long Is the Full Peaks of the Balkans Route, and Why Don’t We Recommend Hiking All of It?

The full Peaks of the Balkans route is 192 km (119 miles). That’s the original trail, and we don’t recommend hiking all of it.

The trail was recently modified because parts of the original route were paved and poorly maintained, which makes those sections unattractive for hiking. Nobody crosses an ocean to hike along a road.

So our 11-day Peaks of the Balkans hiking tours are designed to include all the trail’s highlights: 146.5 km (91 miles) on the self-guided full loop and 141.6 km (88 miles) on the guided full loop. You still cross all three countries, and you still earn every dinner.

Want to experience the Peaks of the Balkans with easier days? Our 7-day self-guided hiking tour gives you the Blue Eye, the Valbona Pass and Taljanka peak in a week, with gentler days and fewer moves.

Peaks of the Balkans Stages: Our 11-Day Full Loop, Day by Day

Here are the 9 hiking days of our 11-day self-guided full loop, from Theth around the Accursed Mountains and back. Day 1 and day 11 are in Shkodra.

The 11-day guided tour hikes almost the same loop, with a night in the Gacaferi hut in Kosovo on day 6, for 141.6 km (88 miles) in total.

Theth, Nderlyse and the Blue Eye: Your First Day on the Trail

The loop starts in Theth, a stone village at the end of a long valley in Albania. You hike past the Lock Tower, where men caught up in old blood feuds once shut themselves away, to Nderlyse and the turquoise Blue Eye pool.

It’s 19.8 km (12.3 miles) with 520 m (1706 ft) of climbing, and it’s a great way to meet your legs for the week.

Theth to Valbona: The Most Famous Stage of the Peaks of the Balkans

The Theth to Valbona hike is the stage everyone has heard of, and it’s the most famous day hike in Albania. You climb out of Theth on an old mule track to the Valbona Pass, with both valleys opening out below you, then drop into Valbona.

It’s 16.6 km (10.3 miles) with 1175 m (3855 ft) of climbing, and the highest point of the day is 1854 m (6083 ft).

Valbona to Cerem and Doberdol: Into the Shepherds’ Pastures

There are two ways from Valbona to Cerem: the official route along a tractor track, and the high route over the Prosllopi Pass. Our tours take the high one, because nobody crosses an ocean for a tractor track.

From the pass, strong hikers can add Zla Kolata, at 2535 m (8317 ft) the highest peak in Montenegro.

The next day crosses the high pastures to Doberdol, right below the point where Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro meet. No ordinary car can reach Doberdol, which is a big part of why it’s so memorable.

Gjeravica, the Three-Border Peak and Milisevc: Into Kosovo

From Doberdol you can climb Gjeravica, at 2656 m (8714 ft) the highest mountain in Kosovo, as a day loop.

Legs asking for a day off? On our self-guided full loop, you can stay in Doberdol instead. No judgment from the sheep.

Then the trail crosses into Kosovo over the Three-Border peak, 2366 m (7762 ft), to the summer village of Milisevc. Three countries, two feet: plan your photo.

Babino Polje, Taljanka Peak and Vusanje in Montenegro

The original route continues through Reka e Allages, Drelaj and Plav. Our 11-day tours leave it for some of the least-visited trails on the Kosovo side, then cross to Babino Polje, a shepherds’ village famous for its dairy and cooking.

It’s 12.9 km (8 miles) with 597 m (1959 ft) of climbing, so arrive hungry.

From Babino Polje, a transfer takes you to the Grbaja Valley to climb Taljanka peak, at 2057 m (6749 ft), facing the rock wall of Karanfil. It’s 9.6 km (6 miles) with 995 m (3264 ft) of climbing, followed by a transfer to Vusanje.

Vusanje Back to Theth Over the Peja Pass

The last stage closes the loop. You hike up the Ropojana Valley, past an old military bunker and the former border markers, over the Peja Pass and down through meadows to Theth.

It’s 17.8 km (11.1 miles) with 1140 m (3740 ft) of climbing and 1400 m (4593 ft) of descent, and it’s on both of our tour lengths, so nobody misses it.

How Long Does It Take to Hike the Peaks of the Balkans?

Hiking the full 192 km (119-mile) Peaks of the Balkans route takes about 10 days. Most stages are 14 to 20 km (8.7 to 12.4 miles), and you’ll spend 6 to 8 hours on the trail on most hiking days, including stops.

Our 11-day Peaks of the Balkans hiking tours give you 9 hiking days, including Gjeravica, the highest peak in Kosovo, and Taljanka peak above the Grbaja Valley.

Short on time? Our 7-day self-guided hiking tour has 5 hiking days. You hike over the Valbona Pass, cross from Cerem into Montenegro at Vusanje, climb Taljanka peak and finish with the big day from Vusanje back to Theth.

How Hard Is the Peaks of the Balkans Hike?

The Peaks of the Balkans is a challenging multi-day hike. Most stages climb around 1000 m (3281 ft) and many come down just as far, day after day, on paths that range from grassy ridges and forest trails to loose rock.

You don’t need any mountaineering experience for the main loop. What you do need is the stamina for back-to-back long days.

Two of the biggest days are Valbona to Cerem on the high route, with 1215 m (3986 ft) of climbing, and Vusanje to Theth, with 1400 m (4593 ft) of descent. Poles make a big difference on the long descents.

Want the Peaks of the Balkans with easier days? Our 7-day self-guided hiking tour is graded Moderate, and our 11-day tours are graded Challenging.

On the 7-day tour you hike 75.7 km (47 miles) over 5 days, instead of 146.5 km (91 miles) over 9, and your highest point is 2057 m (6749 ft), not 2656 m (8714 ft).

You still get the Valbona Pass and the trail from Vusanje to Theth, the two days people come here for.

Every one of our Peaks of the Balkans hiking tours also includes a free custom training plan, valued at €300.

Best Time to Hike the Peaks of the Balkans

The best time to hike the Peaks of the Balkans is from June to September. That’s when the shepherds are up in their summer villages and the guesthouses along the route are open.

July and August are the warmest months, with long days and wildflowers in the high meadows. September brings cooler days for hiking.

For 2027, our self-guided tours start on any day from June 1st to October 10th, and our guided tour has ten Saturday departures from May 22nd to October 2nd.

Hiking on your own outside the summer? Snow can linger on high passes like the Valbona Pass in May and early June, so check that the guesthouses on your route are open before you go.

Peaks of the Balkans Border Permits: How the Cross-Border Permit Works

You need a cross-border permit to hike the Peaks of the Balkans, because the trail crosses between Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro on mountain passes rather than at official border posts.

Rather skip the paperwork? When you book one of our Peaks of the Balkans hiking tours, we do this for you. Just send us a copy of your passport, and your permits arrive with your other trip documents.

Doing it yourself? You apply to the border police, with a copy of your passport and your itinerary, including where and when you’ll cross each border.

The official trail website asks for at least 15 days’ notice, so apply at least two weeks before your first crossing, and earlier in July and August.

The permits are free in Albania and Kosovo, and Montenegro charges a small administration fee. Carry printed and offline copies of every approval, plus your passport, since you may be asked for them on the trail.

Where You Sleep on the Peaks of the Balkans: Village Guesthouses

On the Peaks of the Balkans you sleep in family-run guesthouses, from stone houses in Theth and Valbona to wooden summer houses in the shepherds’ villages. Most offer dinner, bed and breakfast, and many can pack you a lunch for the trail.

Rooms are often shared, with 2 to 5 beds, especially in the high villages like Doberdol and Cerem. On our Peaks of the Balkans hiking tours, every night is booked before you arrive, with a hotel in Shkodra at the start and finish.

You’ll be surprised how good the food is. Dinner is home-cooked, often with cheese, eggs and vegetables from the family’s own farm, and someone will almost certainly offer you a glass of rakija.

If you have a special diet, tell your hosts ahead of time, or tell us when you book.

Peaks of the Balkans Practical Tips: Money, Water and What to Pack

• Money: Albania uses the Albanian lek, and Kosovo and Montenegro both use the euro. Carry cash for the guesthouses in the mountain villages.
• Water: there are springs and streams along most of the trail. Bring a filter or purification tablets and refill as you go.
• Navigation: load a Peaks of the Balkans GPX track onto your phone before you leave, and carry a power bank. GPS tracks come with our self-guided hiking tours.
• Luggage: luggage transfer is included on our guided tour, and you can add it for your group on our self-guided tours.
• Documents: your passport and printed copies of your cross-border permits, every day.
• Gear: broken-in hiking boots, poles, a rain jacket, a warm layer for the evenings and sun protection for the open ridges.
• Insurance: make sure your policy covers hiking at altitude in all three countries. Our free Adventure Travel Insurance Finder gives you a tailored recommendation in under 60 seconds.

Hiking the Peaks of the Balkans on Your Own vs. With a Tour

You can hike the Peaks of the Balkans on your own. Here’s what that means you organize before you go, and what we take off your plate.

Peaks of the Balkans FAQs

Ready to Hike the Peaks of the Balkans in Europe in 2027?

Three countries, high passes, shepherds’ villages and some of the warmest welcomes in the mountains of Europe: the Peaks of the Balkans is a hike you’ll be telling stories about for years.

See our Peaks of the Balkans hiking tours