Hiking the Peaks of the Balkans
Nine to twelve days on foot through the Accursed Mountains, crossing between Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro.
The Peaks of the Balkans is the long-distance trek in this part of Europe. It loops for roughly 190 kilometres through the Accursed Mountains, crossing back and forth between Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro on old shepherd paths and mountain passes that were closed borders for most of the last century. It opened as a marked trail in 2012, and it has become one of the most talked-about hikes on the continent.
Each day takes you from one valley to the next: over a high pass, down through beech forest, and into a village or summer pasture where a family guesthouse puts you up for the night with a home-cooked dinner. The scenery shifts constantly, from the limestone walls around Theth and Valbona to the open grass highlands of Kosovo and the lakes around Plav in Montenegro. There are no big cable cars, no crowds of day trippers, and in many places no phone signal.
Most people walk it in 10 to 12 days. The legs run around 15 to 20 kilometres with 500 to 1,000 metres of climbing, which is a solid workout every day but needs no technical skills. The one piece of paperwork is a cross-border permit, since you cross borders away from official checkpoints, and it needs to be arranged in advance. Tour operators handle this, along with guesthouse bookings and bag transfers, which is why most walkers book a self-guided or guided package rather than planning it alone.
9 days, 8 nights
Challenging, good fitness needed
From €990
Mid-June to September
Not stated, good fitness essential
Guided group
Shkodër, Albania
Guide, guesthouses, meals, permits, luggage transfers
Who is it for?
Best for: Fit hikers who want a real multi-day adventure, wild mountain scenery without Alpine crowds, and nights in family guesthouses rather than hotels.
Skip it if: You have never done back-to-back long hiking days, you need reliable phone signal, or you only have a few days. Theth to Valbona gives you the highlight in a single day.
How the day runs
Day 1: arrive in Shkodër for a welcome dinner and trek briefing.
Day 2: transfer to Theth and cross the Valbona Pass to Valbona.
Days 3 to 4: on through the seasonal village of Çerem to the high pastures of Dobërdol.
Day 5: cross into Kosovo and climb Gjeravica (2,656 m), the country's highest peak, on the longest day of the trek.
Days 6 to 7: along the ridge where the three countries meet, past Hrid Lake into Montenegro, then a loop through the Grbaja valley to Vusanje.
Day 8: through the Ropojana valley and over the pass back to Theth, then a transfer to Shkodër.
Day 9: departure.
Expect 6 to 9 hours of walking on trekking days, on steep and sometimes exposed ground. Luggage moves between guesthouses by vehicle, so you only carry a daypack. The exact route can change with weather and conditions.
Peaks of the Balkans questions
Ready for the big one?
Book a 9-day guided trek from Shkodër, with guesthouses, meals, border permits and luggage transfers included.
