The Balkan 3 Peaks Challenge

One of the most scenic places I’ve been. Many spots on this trip feel as though you’re in a scene from a movie. Our guides and group dynamic were excellent, it was a shame it had to end when I felt we were just hitting our stride. Would easily have enjoyed another week. Be prepared for all sorts of weather! Provides a great look at the Balkans, however brief. I’ll certainly be going back.

We had a great week with first rate guides and a challenging itinerary in beautiful mountains.

Beautiful mountains, great group, lovely accommodation (with better facilities than advertised). Brilliant guides, special shout out to Deni who beasted us up the mountains, ensuring we achieved what we set out to achieve around weather windows.

Despite some fog/rain we still thoroughly enjoyed hiking through beautiful terrain, with the highlight summiting Mt Korab in the snow! We all had an amazing time, ate great food, laughed a lot, and came away with lots of new friends!

This was the second trip that I have booked with MuchBetterAdventures; It is a superb opportunity to visit four countries that are steeped in history, with a challenging itinerary that is ‘off the beaten-track.’

The trip was excellent, made even better by a friendly group of fellow hikers.

Our tour coincided with stormy weather conditions over Central Europe; This meant that the itinerary had to be flexible; But the plan was always carefully briefed by the leaders, after the group dinner, the evening before.

Our leaders were Deni and Tes; they have many years of mountain experience (Deni is also Mountain Rescue) so safe decisions were always made. In encountering all weather conditions we were able to summit two of the three peaks.

The accommodation (guest houses in the mountains and hotels otherwise) were good; The pretty town of Gjakova, in Kosovo, was a particular highlight! The food was fine and, as other reviewers have written, the last day (both lunch and dinner) are quite special!

Fully enjoyed our time in the mountains, it was physically challenging but I felt taken care of throughout, a balanced blend between adventure and holiday.

Food & accommodation were simple as described. More than enough considering how remote we were in the mountains! Do bring snacks if it’s important for you.

Don’t skip anything from the packing list, weather is unpredictable

This trip caught our eye as a chance to tick off a couple of countries and challenge ourselves at the same time, so we went for it with fairly minimal expectations. It turned out to be the best decision and a week we have absolutely loved! From start to finish this tour was exceptionally well organised and ran very smoothly. The guides were knowledgeable, fun and ensured safety on the mountain at all times. The mountain accommodation is fab, with views that are second to none. Whilst slightly basic, it is warm, clean and dry and always serve up a hearty mountain dinner. It is an honour to stay with the local shepherd families. The mountains themselves are beautiful and HAVE to be seen. The hikes are tough and long days. Our group was fit and experienced with ultra-marathoners and mountaineers (Triglav, Olympus, Himalayas, Aconcagua) and we all found it a challenge, the description of “Tough” is accurate and should be respected. Overall, if you love hiking, the mountains and experiencing new cultures and countries then this trip is a must. Huge thank you our wonderful guides Deni and Igli for the best week!

The tour was expertly lead by our experienced guides Deni and Igli. The trip was well organised (like all of the other Much Better Adventures trips I have joined) with a mix of mid-range to more basic accommodation as you'd expect when hiking in the mountains. The trek is challenging in places but worth the slog for the stunning views and in this case, the fantastic company. Not for beginners, and you need more than a basic level of fitness. Get in quick before this itinerary becomes more popular!

Great itinerary through the Balkan peaks w stunning views, thanks to the guide (Deni & Igli) for their help throughout! Would definitely recommend & great for solo travellers :) (note to not take the 'tough' rating lightly)

A fantastic trip. Make no mistake, the hiking is tough particularly the final day to the summit of Zla Kolata but the it's worth every step. The restaurants on the final day are superb. Highly recommended if you like a challenge but not for beginners.

This is a fabulous trekking experience where you really get to taste the culture of the Balkans. The 4 hiking days are fairly tough at times but achievable and well worth the effort. Deni is an extremely competent and professional guide who was dedicated to the safety of the group in what can be dangerous terrain in certain conditions. The accommodation and food was not luxury but exceeded my expectations for mountain hut type living. All in all a great experience, very happy with all aspects and Deni and Igli are world class mountain leaders.

This trip was everything I wanted and more. The scenery was stunning and the hikes were challenging, in a good way. Our group was fantastic and the guides did an excellent job keeping us safe and making it fun. Looking forward to booking the next one!

Just 10/10 scenery from start to finish. The views are incredible. The guides are full of little facts and historic stories of their country. Everything runs as described and was very well put together. I may still not have my breath back, but that could be the fitness, or maybe the vistas

Had the best time on this trip. Our guides Nik and Noli were amazing, they were great at accommodating the varying pace of the group. The views were gorgeous and the local people we met on the way were really friendly.

I got the stomach bug on the last night in the mountains - was very lucky that some people in the group had rehydration tablets - but it didn’t ruin the trip at all.

The boat trip and last night in Tirana were a really fun way to end the trip.

100% would recommend this trip !

Kevin Wirtz

A brilliant week in the Balkans! Deni and Renis were great guides who kept us well-informed and worked really hard to ensure we all had an enjoyable experience. The group dynamic was good and the accommodation was of a really good standard with hot showers, towels and WiFi. The trip catered well for vegetarians too. I did take quite a few snacks for energy but I certainly wasn’t left hungry. Highly recommend to anyone who loves walking in a more remote part of the world. It was the challenge I was looking for so thanks MBA for another great trip!

I have nothing but great things to say about this trip, special thanks to our amazing guides who were next level awesome. I felt safe and looked after the whole trip. I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys a challenge in a beautiful setting.

This was my first group trip and my first visit to the Balkans, and it was great to explore these three contrasting and very scenic peaks, and also to experience the cuisine and culture of Albania and Kosovo. Although the tour was was well within my comfort zone physically and technically, I was certainly glad not to have to worry about all the complex transport logistics and planning, and the company of our friendly group was great.

Our guides, Deni and Renis, communicated very well throughout the trip and really tried to maximise our chances of bagging the three peaks despite some stormy weather. We were delighted that our very early start on Korab and minimal break-times on Gjeravica paid off! Zla Kolata was definitely the highlight thanks to the dramatic limestone terrain.

Other reviews have commented on meagre lunches, but the meals provided suited me, with generous and tasty breakfasts and dinners, and lighter packed lunches supplemented by my own snacks. There were lots of opportunities to buy soft drinks, coffees and beers and on the trail too. Accommodation was more luxurious than expected, with hot showers, electricity and WiFi every night.

This trip had plenty of highlights - sparsely populated trails (unless you count the sheep and cows) with tons of history laced through them, incredible mountain views, comfortable guesthouses, and good company. The pace is fast and the days are long but for anyone interested in exploring a less trekked part of the world, I couldn't recommend it more.

Would definitely recommend hiking in the Balkans, yet this tour didn't quite hit the spot for me. Not particularly challenging IF you're used to multi-day hikes in the mountains (but don't underestimate it if you're not).

The accommodation was generally better than expected, although there were a few issues with room allocations. Lots of great food for dinner but breakfast/lunch was so so. White bread just doesn't do it for me when hiking.

The group was lovely and our guides were good, but they could've done a better job at accommodating what was a very heterogeneous group when it came down to hiking experience/skills. Missing our window for the last peak because they wouldn't split the group was very disappointing.

The last day was a bit tedious (and hot!), but lunch at Mrizi i Zanave was amazing. Could've done with just the starter at dinner though, as it was simply too much food for one day of not doing anything physical.

Beautiful part of the world and incredible landscape.

Some accommodation need improving (double beds to be shared with a stranger should not be a thing), transport is very basic with van with no air cons or not enough seats.

Our leading guide Deni was very good but the assistant guide did add no value and did not know the itinerary.

Der Trip durch Albanien und die Grenzüberschreitungen in den Kosovo und nach Montenegro waren meine Herausforderung für den Sommer 2024. Wir waren eine tolle Reisegruppe, hatten super Guides, die Aussichten waren spektakulär, die Wege ab und an herausfordernd, die Gastgeber in den Unterkünften sehr aufmerksam und allesamt klasse. Ich kann den Trip nur jedem ans Herz legen 🫶

From meadows and lakes, to cliffs and forests, the scenery throughout was breathtaking. As expected the hikes were challenging, with serious ascents/descents as well as unpredictable weather (hot and sunny one minute, rain and fog the next), but achievable for experienced hikers with a decent level of fitness and a positive attitude!

Accommodation was clean and comfortable, albeit three nights were multi-share (as opposed to the one advertised). Evening meals were great, breakfasts and lunches a bit repetitive and small - definitely worth bringing plenty of additional snacks to get you through the hikes!

Our guides Anton and Igli made sure everything ran smoothly whilst bringing a great sense of fun, enjoyment and camaraderie within the group. The boat cruise and lunch on the last day were a fantastic and relaxing way to end the trip.

Beautiful hikes that are tough but manageable as long as you've got a good level of fitness. The hikes still feel unexplored compared to most I've done. My first MBA holiday and the advantages of having to do minimal organising and having a great group of people to hike with (not to mention great guides) makes it a sure thing that I'll be booking another sometime soon.

challenging but extremely rewarding trip. Thank for such great and unforgivable experience

Firstly, the area is amazing. Endless, dramatic, unspoilt, beautiful mountains. The days are long and physically demanding but well worth the effort. Our guides were excellent throughout, setting a realistic pace and managing group expectations well. They also allowed time for inevitable additional stops so we never felt rushed. This helped to develop a great group dynamic. Transport was reasonable, well organised and always waiting for us although for some reason, the Albanians were not keen on using the air conditioning which made things uncomfortably hot at times. Food was plentiful and fresh although not a huge variety on the trail, given the remoteness of some of our locations. One of the great aspects of this trip was the final day. We hadn't even thought about it, staying focused on completing the challenge. So to be taken on a relaxing and stunning 2 hour river boat trip was a fantastic treat in stark contrast to the other days. This was topped off by a delicious taster menu meal in what must be one of Albania's best restaurants (Mrizi i Zanave). Overall, a fantastic experience that I would recommend for those who love rugged mountainous country.

Loved this trip which me, my husband and son just completed - our 3rd MBA trip.

As a woman in my 50's, I was nervous about whether it would be too much for me - dont under estimate the challenge - every day is long and you need a decent level of fitness, but our guides Anton and Igli were absolutely brilliant and supported everyone to get the very best out of it. They knew I was a bit uncertain over the exposed sections and put me at ease -There is always an option to miss them out if you're really uncomfortable. Unfortunately I couldn't summit the final peak due to picking up a tummy bug, but on reflection that didn't spoil the trip.

Food and accommodation were great - nice contrast of basic, local guest house lodgings and more comfortable hotels. The restaurant lunch on the last day was unexpectedly incredible.

A memorable week, a good challenge, with some lovely people. Thanks MBA :-)

What a week from the minute we all first met on the bus everyone all got on . All very different people but all with the same goal. Everything about the experience was brilliant from the places we stayed , the food we ate to the routes we walked. A special thanks to the 2 guides Anton and Igli for making it all run smoothly. It was my first but definitely not my last trip with much better adventures.

This was my third Much Better Adventures trip (after Mount Toubkal and Kilimanjaro), and it was the biggest challenge out of the three. We had incredibly hot weather, which put us through our paces (July), and I think I came home twice as fit as I left. This is definitely one for those used to being on their feet all day hiking. The pace was also quite quick as there was a lot to fit in each day.

The trip itself was incredible, the views and trails were stunning and very quiet. This trip is a perfect sense of achievement mixed with a real awe inspiring week away. I shall be returning to explore and learn more!

A few top tips others may find helpful:

• Pack zinc oxide tape - for minimising the risk of blisters. There will be many of these.
• Suncream - bring plenty of a high factor, the sun is very strong!
• Make sure the spare trainers you bring are trail shoes, due to the mileage we were doing, we had a couple of people’s hiking boots give up, so having a back up pair of shoes was great, if push came to shove.
• Take trekking poles - I’ve never used them on my mountain hikes before, but they were so useful on this trip.
• Pack electrolyte tablets for your water
• Bring plenty of snacks!

Get booking now!

I couldn't recommend this trip more to any regular hikers who want a bit of a challenge! The hikes were insanely beautiful and incredibly well organised. Blendi and Igli really made the trip as good as it was by being excellent guides who adapted to both the weather and the needs of the group throughout the trip. Being less confident on some of the steeper descends, I never felt rushed and really benefitted from the unwavering patience and skill of our guides. Not only were they knowledgeable and supportive, they were also great fun and we all trusted them completely. Thunder and lightning meant we were unable to summit the last peak, but we still had a fantastic day of hiking regardless. All the hikes were accessible if you had a good level of fitness and there was varying hiking experience in the group. However, almost everyone in our group had experience of multiday hikes or participated regularly in other endurance sports, so had the fitness and stamina to keep up with the demands of nearly 8 hours of hiking steep terrain for 4 days in a row at a decent pace in considerable heat.The accommodation was clean and comfortable and the food was great throughout too. We all took extra energy bars/dried frui and nuts/sweets too which kept us going. It truly was a very special trip, made even more so by the wonderful group of hikers I was lucky enough to share the adventure with!