Planning an activity holiday in Europe with your family? Look no further than the Balkans, a true adventure playground. From white water rafting in Montenegro to exploring the Albanian Alps, the undiscovered lands of this part of the world are full of possibilities.
To get you feeling inspired, we’ve rounded up a list of family-friendly adventure holidays in Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, and beyond which take you off the beaten path and out in nature—the perfect detox to screens and gaming.
At Undiscovered Balkans, we’re parents ourselves, so the below trips have been tested by our own kids and given their seal of approval.
Get wet and wild in Montenegro
Montenegro is becoming the next Croatia along the coast in places like Budva and Kotor, but if lounging by a pool is not your kids’ idea of fun, accompany us to Lake Skadar, Southern Europe’s largest lake, and home to the rare Dalmatian Pelican.
Carpeted by lilypads and teeming with wildlife, Lake Skadar is a feast for the senses. Challenge your kids to spot as many species as they can during a kayaking safari and watch their faces light up when they plunge in for a swim in these pristine waters. Nearby are more opportunities to get active in the great outdoors: hiking in the stunning Durmitor National Park, white water rafting on the Tara River, ziplining on the Tara bridge, and canyoning in the turquoise waters of the Rikavac Canyon. We love the water here at UB and we wear our swimsuits under our clothes like Spiderman wears his suit so we’re ready for a dip at any time.
Choose to stay in one place for the duration of your holiday with our family activity holiday at Lake Skadar, where you will bunk in our traditional restored farmhouse villa (complete with a swimming pool). Alternatively, move about and experience a mixture of traditional guesthouse stays and glamping throughout the week on our Montenegro family activity holiday.
If that’s not enough adventure for you, we ramp things up on our super-active adventure holiday in Montenegro. This means we up the pace and could be completing adventurous activities back to back—high energy and high rewards. Highlights include mountain biking, canyoning, and white water rafting.
Meet the locals in Albania
Albania isn’t just for beach holidays—on the contrary, two-thirds of the country is made up of mountains, rivers and lakes beckoning to be explored. Discover the real Albania and its hospitable people on one of our activity holidays which are equal parts adventure and culture.
Head north to explore the wild Albanian Alps and kayak, swim and SUP on Lake Shkodra (Albania’s share of Lake Skadar), home to diverse wildlife including the Dalmatian Pelican. Meet the artisans keeping traditional Albanian crafts alive in Shkoder and Kruje and explore the 3rd century BCE Rozafa castle, where legend has it the walls leak milk. Head for an unforgettable foodie experience at Mrizi i Zanave, a pioneering agrotourism establishment, and stay with a shepherd’s family for the night in Theth, an alpine village trapped in time.
Check out our North Albania activity holiday.
More local encounters await down south where we start in the seaside county of Vlore for sea kayaking and snorkelling before retreating inland to discover UNESCO World heritage cities and take thrilling rides in the mountains by 4×4 for unbeatable views and a home cooked feast. Later in the week, we’ll go white water rafting on the Vjosa, Europe’s last wild river, but before that we’ll spend the night in a centuries-old farmhouse with the lovely Kalllufe family overlooking the river. Round off this adventure on the pristine Lake Ohrid where more opportunities to kayak, wild swim and observe local life await.
Check out our South Albania activity holiday.
Fancy a bit of both? Look at our original Albania activity holiday which takes you from Lake Shkodra in the north to the Albanian Riviera.
Related:
- Emma’s top tips for adventure travel with kids
- Albania: 7 things to see and do with kids
- Bosnia: 9 things to see and do with kids
Chase waterfalls in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bookended by exploring Sarajevo and Mostar, Bosnia’s two great cities, we pack in a whole host of adventures on our week-long Bosnia activity holiday—white water rafting on the Neretva, via ferrata in Blagaj, and hiking to plunging waterfalls you can’t resist a swim in. Most visitors to Bosnia will head to Kravice Waterfalls, but we have a couple of juicy alternatives up our sleeves.
We love watching youngsters build their confidence with all of these new experiences while having the chance to immerse themselves in a new culture in hands-on ways, such as pottery making with a family in a traditional Bosnian village and trying lots of delicious local food.
Discover Serbia’s wild west
Beyond Belgrade and other cities, Serbia is still something of a mystery to Western Europeans. Few know of the abundance of bucolic beauty in the mountains and forests here which could have you thinking you’re in Canada. Serbians are big on the outdoors, meaning there’s plenty to keep active kids on their toes here.
Our week-long activity holiday in Western Serbia is a slow travel experience which allows you to fully immerse in rural life. During the week, you’ll have the unique opportunity to stay in a traditional shepherd’s village and enjoy the hospitality of a lovely farming family. This is our base for hiking to some incredible viewpoints to spot the rare griffon vulture and meet locals who, more often than not, invite us in for a drink. There’s also the nearby Trešnjica Gorge for adrenaline junkies who fancy canyoning, and the Drina River for kayaking.
Tara National Park, while popular, is a must-visit and we’ll spend a day here hiking and visiting locals, including a family who live completely off-grid there. Other highlights include river hiking, visiting a stunning monastery, and riding the Yugoslav era Šargan 8 train.
Explore Croatia’s quiet alternative to Dubrovnik
Forget heaving streets and overpriced tours.Behold: Ston, a fortified settlement on the Pelješac Peninsula boasting glorious sea views, crumbling medieval architecture, delectable seafood and soft adventures. In fact, its medieval fortress is actually bigger than Dubrovnik’s.
Mali Ston (meaning ‘little Ston’) is our base for the week on our Southern Dalmatia activity holiday. Spend your days sea kayaking to hidden beaches and caves, cycling, exploring the lakes of nearby Mljet National Park, white water rafting, and discovering the area’s gastronomy. Dubrovnik is two hours away if you’re keen to visit and we can arrange transport there.
Our Croatia activity holiday is ideal for families who still want the familiarity of a European beach holiday with some adventure thrown in.
Hike the Peaks of the Balkans as a family
The Peaks of the Balkans trail takes a couple of weeks to complete from start to finish, but our family-friendly version allows you to cover some of its best bits in seven days. Starting in the shepherd’s village of Lëpushë in Albania, you will be treated to astounding views of untouched landscapes and wander into time-warped villages such as Theth, which has landed on more travellers’ to-do lists in recent years.
Whilst there, take a short hike to the Blue Eye waterfall and Nderlyse pools of Theth National Park and at the end of the week, treat your feet to a well-earned rest on board a ferry across Komani Lake, one of Albania’s most beautiful lakes.
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