Tour Overview
The Balkans offer one of Europe's most dramatic and underexplored road trip routes. In just nine days, you'll drive through four countries — Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and back through Croatia — threading together UNESCO World Heritage sites, Ottoman bazaars, Adriatic coastline, and Byzantine sea fortresses. All in the comfort of a BMW X3 or Renault Captur, with full MotoRover support throughout.
This is not a highway tour. Every route segment has been chosen for its scenery, cultural significance, or pure driving pleasure. The serpentine descent into Kotor Bay, the coastal Makarska Riviera, the mountain road into Sarajevo — these are roads that stay with you long after you've returned home.
Route Map
Day-by-Day Itinerary
| Day | Date | Route | Activity | Meals | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Apr 10 | Zagreb | Arrival, Gornji Grad old city, St. Mark's Church, welcome dinner | Meals included — Dinner | — km |
| Day 2 | Apr 11 | Zagreb → Plitvice → Split | UNESCO Plitvice Lakes — turquoise terraced waterfalls in ancient forest. Board the cars and press south through Dalmatia to Split, Croatia's storied coastal city. | Meals included — Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | 340 km |
| Day 3 | Apr 12 | Split | Diocletian's Palace (UNESCO) — a Roman emperor's retirement home now lived in and loved by an entire city. Day trip to medieval Trogir. Optional Brač island ferry. | Meals included — Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | — km |
| Day 4 | Apr 13 | Split → Makarska → Mostar | Drive the Adriatic Riviera — limestone karst cliffs dropping into impossibly blue sea. Cross the Neretva into Bosnia. Stari Most: the 16th-century Ottoman bridge that defines Mostar, rebuilt after war, now a UNESCO symbol of reconciliation. | Meals included — Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | 130 km |
| Day 5 | Apr 14 | Mostar → Sarajevo | The mountain road to Sarajevo is one of Europe's most underrated drives — through river gorges and cedar forests. The city itself is the Olympic city of 1984: Baščaršija bazaar, the war memorial, the intersection of empires. | Meals included — Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | 130 km |
| Day 6 | Apr 15 | Sarajevo → Montenegro | Drive south through Sutjeska National Park — a UNESCO-protected primeval forest and the site of some of Europe's deepest river canyons. The road is breathtaking. Montenegro border crossing and arrival in the highlands. | Meals included — Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | 200 km |
| Day 7 | Apr 16 | Montenegro → Kotor | The serpentine descent from the Montenegrin plateau to Kotor Bay is one of the finest drives in Europe — 25 hairpin bends with the sea opening below you at every turn. UNESCO Kotor's medieval old city awaits at the bottom. | Meals included — Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | 150 km |
| Day 8 | Apr 17 | Kotor → Budva → Dubrovnik | Drive the Montenegrin Riviera — past the island village of Sveti Stefan, one of the most photographed scenes in the Adriatic. Cross into Croatia and arrive in Dubrovnik, the pearl of the coast, for a farewell dinner. | Meals included — Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | 160 km |
| Day 9 | Apr 18 | Dubrovnik | Walk the full circuit of Dubrovnik's Old City walls — one of the great walks in Europe. Fort Lovrijenac in the morning light. Departure. The Balkans do not let go easily. | Meals included — Breakfast | — km |
Vehicle Options
-
BMW X3 or Similar -
Renault Captur or Similar -
BMW X1 or Similar
Tour Inclusions
- BMW X3 or Renault Captur with insurance & fuel
- 8 nights boutique twin-share hotels
- Daily breakfast + welcome & farewell dinners
- MotoRover tour manager + local guide
- Support vehicle + mechanic
- GPS & offline maps
- Airport transfers (Zagreb arrival + Dubrovnik departure)
- National park entries (Plitvice)
- Ferry tickets
- Border crossing assistance
- Tour merchandise (MotoRover kit)
- GST & TCS included
Optional Services
- Single Room Supplement €625
- Extra Night — Zagreb / Dubrovnik (Twin) €245
- Extra Night — Zagreb / Dubrovnik (Single) €210
Tour Exclusions
- International flights (typically INR 45,000–60,000 return from India)
- Most meals (est. €20–30 per day)
- Personal travel insurance (from India, budget roughly INR 3,000)
- Schengen/EU entry visa when required — often around INR 9,000 including service fees
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities (cable car €30, sea kayaking €45)
Tour Details
Food and Water
Breakfasts, Lunches and Dinners as per the Itinerary
Accommodation
4* hotels and boutique stays
Total Travel Distance
1200kms
Riding / Driving Time
4 to 5 hours on driving days with multiple breaks
Terrain
100% paved roads. Mix of scenic coastal roads, mountain twisties, cobbled urban streets, highway sections
Air Connectivity
Zagreb and Dubrovnik are both well connected to India via European hubs like Paris, Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich and even Gulf countries
Weather Forecast
Average temperature in April is 20 to 25 degree celsius in the day and 10 to 15 degree Celsius at night
Additional Costs
Airfare – INR 85,000 Onwards
Schengen Visa – INR 13000
Personal Travel Insurance – INR 2000 to 3000
Tour Video
Tour Gallery
Traveller Testimonials
Real, verified Google reviews from travellers who have toured with MotoRover.
Once you sign up, MotoRover takes away all your worries. I have done my second driving adventure with this family to Russia during the winters, the first being the Summer Baltic Tour. The tour managers are well trained and go out of their way to look after and pamper us. What I like best is they drive us through county roads as much as possible instead of the highways — this makes the drive a lot more scenic and you get a better feel of the country you are visiting. MotoRover feeds us very well, too well in fact, and the hotels they pick are amongst the best.
This was my first ever self-drive tour experience and I am glad my wife reached out to MotoRover for the Balkan Self-Drive Tour. Route planning (detours through National Parks), properties selected for night stays, coffee breaks and meals couldn't have been better. The local guide was an experienced professional, very passionate about giving us the best experience with safety first as his guiding principle. The ever-smiling tour manager from India added to the quality of experience. But the final takeaway was the awesome camaraderie that blossomed among fellow travellers — the best return on investment! Cheers to Kabir and Piyush.
This Russia 2024 Snow Drive with MotoRover has been by far the best experience for us. From fun to adventure and getting the best weather each day made the trip just amazing. Huskies, hovercraft, snow ATV, walks on a frozen lake, a stay in igloos, reaching the edge of the world, great local food, and so much more. Also making 16 friends who were unknown before and are now like family. BIG SHOUT to team MotoRover. This Russia Tour is a MUST do before you kick the bucket!
The self-drive trip in Kyrgyzstan in June 2024 with MotoRover was an exquisite experience. The unparalleled natural beauty of Kyrgyzstan was perfectly complemented by the meticulous planning and execution of the expedition by MotoRover and its team. Pragyesh, Simon, Luda, and the other members of the team put forth their best efforts to make the entire trip memorable for all of us.
Excellent tour management and hospitality. The team really cares about its customers and goes out of the way to ensure customer comfort and experience are maintained with high benchmarks. I have been with them on the Central Asia road trip and had the best experience from booking to arrival back in India. Customers are briefed well in advance regarding itinerary, routes, travel arrangements and vehicle support — the whole experience was seamless. The biggest highlight was two 70-year-old ladies who accompanied us; Piyush and his team took extra care to ensure their comfort was a top priority. A true example of customer-first thinking. Kudos to MotoRover!