SELF-GUIDED TOURS
In charge of your own adventure
Self-guided adventures suit independent-minded hikers and cyclists who look for the flexibility to travel at their own pace when and with whom they want without the stress of planning and making reservations. Our individual trips come with everything your adventure-filled holiday requires: Accommodation, transfers, optional luggage transport and an extensive information package for a carefully planned itinerary with the best routes. Leave the details of your self-guided tour of Albania and beyond to us.
Our detailed roadbooks provide an overview of the journey, each of the routes, logistics and hosts. An outdoor GPS unit, turn-by-turn directions and overview map help you navigate stress-free on mostly marked routes. Although you will travel independently without an accompanying guide, our team is there to support you and only ever a phone call away when you need assistance during your trip.
Our self-guided trips are designed to take in the very best of Albania and its neighbouring countries, with the most scenic trails, amazing experiences, historic gems, diverse flora and fauna, delicious local cuisine, and hand-picked accommodation providing warm hospitality. With a combination of flexibility to travel your own way as well as leaving the planning, research and reservations up to us, let us show you the way to some of the Balkans’ most beautiful corners, meeting up with local characters along the way.
In 2015, Zbulo pioneered self-guided adventure travel to Albania. Since then our portfolio of individual trips has grown to cover the majority of trails. See below what we have on offer:
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- Travel whenever and with whomever you want.
- You’re free to move and spend the day at your own pace.
- A budget friendly alternative to a private guided tour.
- We take care of the planning and reservations, you’re free to focus on the journey.
- Accommodation, transfers and luggage transport are pre-arranged by us.
- A detailed roadbook provides details on routes, logistics and hosts.
- A handheld Garmin GPS unit aids your navigation in the field.
- GPX files to load into your preferred GPS navigation app are also available.
8-day self-guided Albanian Alps
Classic circuit with Komani Lake, Valbona, Theth and the Blue Eye
8-day self-guided Albanian Coastal Trail
Coastal paths, olive groves and hilltop villages between the Ionian Sea and Llogara
8-day cycling highlights of southern Albania
Selected highlights of southern Albania’s UNESCO cycling route
8-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans trek
Hiking beyond borders in Albania and Montenegro – the highlights
8-day self-guided Hidden Valley trek
Ancient caravan routes and homestays in southern Albania’s Zagoria Valley
8-day self-guided High Scardus Trail
Demanding self-guided trek through Albania’s eastern highlands, including Mount Korab
10-day complete cycling route through southern Albania
The complete UNESCO cycling route through southern Albania
8-day relaxed cycling in southern Albania
A gentler ride along southern Albania’s UNESCO cycling route
11-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans
Hiking beyond borders in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro
Period: 2024.06.18-28
Our trip was simply wonderful. The organization is fine, almost perfect. The tour overview is an excellent tool for following up the planning.
The trackx (GPX) perfect and a pleasure to navigate.
We navigated without guides, but the roadbook tells you everything you need. (reason of 5 stars)
All people were friendly, helpful, ...
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Period: 2024.06.18-28
Our trip was simply wonderful. The organization is fine, almost perfect. The tour overview is an excellent tool for following up the planning.
The trackx (GPX) perfect and a pleasure to navigate.
We navigated without guides, but the roadbook tells you everything you need. (reason of 5 stars)
All people were friendly, helpful, …
All transfers on time
The food: always too much, the best thing was to be able to put together your own dinner.
The weather: about 30° daily with some rain one day
Please note: the walks are not to be underestimated. On average we gained more than 1000 meters of altitude per day. We did walk all optional walks.
Zbulo does provide abbreviations here and there or options for additional transfer if things become a little more difficult.
11-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans
Hiking beyond borders in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro
Scenery, friendliness of the people.
Choose zbulo!
11-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans
Hiking beyond borders in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro
Everything – truly wonderful experience and Park in Montenegro and circular walk was my highlight
Use Zbulo and arrange soon as my fear is that in years to come the routes/accommodation will become over developed
11-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans
Hiking beyond borders in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro
Peak of the Balkans is a great trail, waymarking good, hospitality excellent and varied mountain scenery
End of June good time with the wild flowers and snow still on the mountains
11-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans
Hiking beyond borders in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro
The walk from Doberdol to Millshevc was a highlight in terms of scenery, as was the walk to Babino Polje (which gets very close to the Doberdol Millshevc route as well). The last full day's walk from Vusanje to Theth was also spectacular. However, there were no days when the walking was not very good.
Certainly to do it. We found the infrastrcuture quite de
The walk from Doberdol to Millshevc was a highlight in terms of scenery, as was the walk to Babino Polje (which gets very close to the Doberdol Millshevc route as well). The last full day’s walk from Vusanje to Theth was also spectacular. However, there were no days when the walking was not very good.
Certainly to do it. We found the infrastrcuture quite developed and the hosts and service providers along the way knew exactly what they were doing. Some of the accomodation was more basic, but never bad, and if one night was more basic generally the next was more luxurious, so never long without a very good shower and bed. The walking is relaitvely easy and the daily distance and vertical very manageable – epecially with bags being ported for you.
11-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans
Hiking beyond borders in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro
The day we did the balloon hike 🙂 the part which official not belong to the peaks of the Balkan
I will recommend this to everyone!
11-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans
Hiking beyond borders in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro
Theth the less.
If you carry your luggage minimize as much as possible, I wld recommend full rain cover incl for backpack, start early in the morning and take your time and – end June/beginning July was perfect
11-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans
Hiking beyond borders in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro
Vusanje – Theth, Doberdol, Grbaja
Great nature experience. Technically not very demanding but physically challenging, a mix of fairly basic and quite modern accommodation. Some hosts very friendly and open, others rather distant.
11-day self-guided Peaks of the Balkans
Hiking beyond borders in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro
