The Perfect Roadtrip
Where to start
There are many starting points of this particular route. Take a look at the map and see the marked airports.
The most common ones are Split and Dubrovnik.
I would recommend starting and ending in Split. Save your money by returning the car to the same airport.
Distance & time
The Balkans are the perfect place to road trip. There is always something to see and the distances are manageable.
For example, you can drive from Split to Dubrovnik along the coast in 4 hours, or from Dubrovnik to Sarajevo in 4 hours. The car ferry from Split to Krocula is around 3h 30min.
The road trip below can be done in 7 days, but it’s probably best to spend 14 days on it.
01 - A
Split
Split is a beautiful harbor city, with a modern lifestyle. The old city is very pretty and was built by the Romans. It’s worth going for a day, but I would not recommend staying there overnight. There is a lack of nice beaches, and it’s mostly a busy party town at night.
If you arrive in the morning, rent a car at Split airport, see the city during the day and then take the ferry out to Vela Luka, Korcula Island.
Next
A 3-hour ferry ride from Split to Vela Luka, Korcula.
02 - B
Korčula
This is one of my favorite islands, it has a lot to offer in terms of historical architecture, delicious food and homemade wine. It’s filled with small bays with awesome swim spots and small villages.
It has a nice geo location, so it's easy to reach from Split and Dubrovnik, and it's easy to use it as a base for visiting some of the surrounding islands as well.
I would recommend spending a few days here, just so you can explore everything in the local slow tempo.
Next
From Korcula Town take the 45-min ferry ride and a 2-hour drive to Dubrovnik.
03 - C
Dubrovnik
Due to extreme masses of tourists this city just got named one of the worst to visit during the high season, but don't let this scare you. The fortress old city is one of its kind and definitely worth visiting.
The architecture is amazing and getting lost in the small streets is an experience I would not go without.
I recommend staying here for 1-2 days and continuing to Sarajevo through Mostar.
Next
This is a 3-hour drive. Keep in mind that the boarder crossing can be very busy during summer months. Bring water.
04 - D
Mostar
Mostar comes from the Bosnian name "mostari" meaning "bridge gourds" and that's what this city is most famous for. The Stari Most (Old Bridge) built by the Ottomans in the 16th century is one of most famous landmarks in the country. During the Balkan war the bridge (and the city) was demolished, but reconstructed in 2004.
The city is extremely touristy and I would recommend just spending a few hours here, seeing the bridge and the surrounding shopping streets.
Next
There are 130 km between Mostar and Sarajevo, or about a 2-hour car drive.
05 - E
Enjoy the ride
Neretva
Canyon
06 - F
Sarajevo
Wedged in between mountains lies the charming city of Sarajevo. Also called Little Istanbul, Sarajevo has many small shopping streets and mosques, which becomes busy during the summer months.
It offers loads of history, culture, great food and interesting architecture.
I recommend spending 1-2 days here to see the sights and 3-4 days to experience the nature in the surrounding area.
Next up is a drive through central Bosnia to the old city of Travnik.
Next
90 km, which is around 1.5 hours by car, if the traffic is good…
07 - G
Travnik
This is my home town - I was born here and still have family here. This is why I want people to experience what I love about this city.
It's not very touristy, but has some cool things to offer. The city has a lot of mosques and an old fortress that’s worth a visit.
The food is awesome and you have to try the Travnik cevapi, said to be the best in Bosnia.
There is a laid-back mood downtown with locals sitting on sidewalk cafés. It almost has a small village feel to it.
I would recommend spending maybe one night in the city and a couple of nights on the mountains of Vlasic, a 20-min drive from Travnik.
Next
It’s about a 3-4 hour drive to Makarska from Travnik.
08 - H
Around Livnio you can see
wild
horses
09 - I
Makarska
Makarska Rivera is the coastline around the city of Makarska, which is a very popular tourist destination.
From here you can catch boat for day trips to the islands, and the ferry to Bol. The city is located just beneath the mountain of Bioko, which provides a string of extreme adventures, like mounting biking and paragliding.
I recommend staying in some of the small villages around Makarska and going in to the city during the afternoon to see the sunset, get some food and enjoy the live music in the city square.
Next
Take the coastal road from Makarska to Split - it takes about 2 hours and it’s very scenic.
10 - J
Split Airport
You can now return your car and fly home or continue north to the cities of Primosten, Sibenik and Zadar.
Hope this little plan gives you a nice overview and some ideas for your own road trip.
The end
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I hope that you found great inspiration for your next trip. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Best Regards
Tarik Arnautovic
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Most of the images from the site are from my private collection. Few of the hotel images are from booking.com and some of the food ones are from the respected restaurants’ websites.
Used fonts : Google font Unna + Roboto.
Designed and curated by Tarik Arnautovic – 2020
Thanks to Aika Zikibayeva for copy help.