Name: Trail Run the Peaks of the Balkans into the Accursed Mountains 2025
Start: 2025-06-29T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-07-05T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Shkodër, Albania

Runcation Travel

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61 reviews

Jun 29 - Jul 5, 2025

Group size: 8 - 14

Trail Run the Peaks of the Balkans into the Accursed Mountains 2025

Shkodër, Albania

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Runcation Travel

Email address verified

61 reviews

$2,499

Deposit: $750

Jun 29 - Jul 5, 2025

Group size: 8 - 14

Called Europe’s last true wilderness, the Peaks of the Balkans provides the world's newest transnational long distance trail running experience through the Western Balkans passing through Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo. You’ll traverse the Bjeshkët e Nëmuna (in Albanian) or Prokletije (Serbo-Croatian) mountains, both translating to the Accursed Mountains. The route connects ancient mule, shepherd, and soldier tracks connecting remote regions and villages once separated by strict borders and filled with bunkers built over two generations ago when communist regimes controlled Yugoslavia and Albania. The concept for this route began as a symbol of peace where all three countries worked together to “protect their fragile environment, stimulate local employment, and promote sustainable visitor activities in the region.”

On this guided trail running tour we’ve included the highlights of the Peaks of the Balkans tour and included other gems not included on the map to make it the an ultimate week-long trail running experience of the top trails and routes in Albania and Montenegro. You’ll get a chance to visit the lakeside city of Shkodër, the lesser known blue-eyes (crystal clear water springs) of the region, and run point to point across the many valleys of the Balkans. Over the course of the week you’ll stay in a mixture of hotels and traditional guesthouses where you’ll refuel on some of the most local and fresh dishes, from grilled local meat with a side of vegetables from the garden, salads, tarator, byrek, cheeses, and in-house baked breads. If you’re a runner that is looking to tackle some mileage and elevation gain over the week but prefers smooth, flowy, non-rocky trails, this trip is for you!

Trip Difficulty: Level 3 (click to learn more about trip difficulty levels).

This trip requires a minimum of 8 to run. Please do not purchase flights until confirming with retreat organizer.

We also this trip as self-guided! Learn more by visiting here.

All accommodations and bookings

Trip logistics of route planning, lodging, and transportation reservations

A 8:1 ratio of expert, professional mountain guides to participants

Baggage transport from hut-to-hut throughout the route (all you carry is a hydration pack!)

Knowledgable local mountain running guide and running coach along the entire route

All meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) included

Border Permits

Entrance Fees for National Parks

All transfers as described in the itinerary

Map

Trip packet with detailed info including packing and weather resources

Access to a personal trip WhatsApp group and community

International airfare

Alcoholic beverages

Travel Insurance

Extra expenses due to a change in itinerary or in case of you having to shorten the day or trip as a whole (including personal return trips to the airport/next destination/etc.)

Pick up and drop off from airport available as an add-on: Transfer Tirana/ Podgorica Airport - Shkodra

Transfer Shkodra - Tirana City available as an add-on

Passport:

Must have a valid passport valid through 6 months upon date of travel.

Travel Insurance:

Must have travel insurance prior to start of trip.

Fitness/Pacing:

While there are guides to accommodate a variety of paces for attending runners, this trip requires participants to be able to run for 10-20 miles on trails at a time in mountainous/high altitude climates with an elevation gain of 3,000-5,000 feet per day. It is suggested that you be able to maintain an average pace of 15-20 minutes/mile on trails with elevation gain/loss and must be prepared to run/jog the downhill and flat sections. Training for this trip is highly recommended, and you can participate in the 12-week group training program designed specifically for this trip as a package add-on to ensure you're able to tackle the trails and get maximum enjoyment of this running retreat!

Weather:

Although the weather in the summer is often ideal, weather in the mountains is variable and trail conditions are subject to change on an hourly basis! Route subjective to change based on the safety of conditions and climate of the trail.

Trip Difficulty: Level 3

https://runcation.org/which-trip-is-right-for-me

Mountain Hut Experience:

This trip includes staying in mountain huts/refugi. To learn more about the mountain hut experience, click below:

https://runcation.org/mountain-hut-experience

How to Arrive:

Our trail running tour begins and ends Shkoder, Albania. The closest International Airports are Tirana, Albania (~90km away/90 minutes) or Podgorica, Montenegro (~60km/1 hour) You can arrive to Shkoder by an Intercity or International bus, renting a car, or adding transfer as a trip add-on.

12-week training program for this hut-to-hut adventure

$250

Transfer Airport to Shkodra

$105

Transfer from either Tirana Airport or Podgorica Airport to Shkodra, Albania

Transfer Shkodra - Tirana City

$115

Transfer from Shkodra, Albania to Tirana City

Welcome to Albania!
Welcome to Albania!
Day 1
Your trip will start Day 1 in Shkodra/Shkodër where you will meet the guides and then receive transfer from the lakeside city into the mountains! Along the way you’ll watch the scenery change before rolling down your windows for that fresh mountain air. You’ll arrive in time to explore the local blue eye before being welcomed at your first guesthouse in the scenic Theth Valley. For your first meal in Albania you’ll be treated to fresh local cuisine open-air underneath the mountains before catching up on sleep for the day ahead.

Communal accommodation in guesthouse with dinner included
Transfer Shkodra-Theth Included: Drive Time ~2 hours
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Theth-Valbone
Theth-Valbone
Day 2
After breakfast, we'll get an early start on one of the most popular point-to-point trail runs in the region with spectacular views over Valbona and Theth valleys. The route follows route follows the path of an ancient mule track linking the tribal regions of Shala and Nikaj. From Theth (740m) you’ll climb up into old beech and birch forests before reaching a coffee bar with a view. Stop for a traditional cake, soda, or coffee before continuing your climb over the Valbona Pass (1795m) where you’ll be able to view the most southern glacier in the northern hemisphere. The descent starts off steep before smoothing out into singletrack dirt through forests and then a dried riverbed as you drop all the wall down to the to the Valbona valley (940m) in the heart of the national park. Valbona National Park covers a big area in the surrounding valley where the most famous peaks are, such as Jezerca Peak, Rosi Peak, and Kollata Peak. Enjoy a refreshment and a spectacular dinner at your guesthouse for the evening (seriously, it’s one of the best)!

Shared accommodations in communal guesthouse with breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
~10.5 miles /+3,800 ft / -3,100 ft *
*Please note, exact mileage and ascent/descent info each day subject to change, but this is a good guideline
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Into the Wilder Balkans
Into the Wilder Balkans
Day 3
After an early breakfast we'll head out the door of our hotel and back up into the mountains. Don’t let yesterday’s crowds fool you as today we’ll head deeper into the Balkans with the trails to ourselves. You’ll start the day with a short transfer from the guesthouse to cut out a road section before starting your climb with a view down in Cerem valley and west towards Kollata massive and Bori’s Pass. Today you’ll run from Albania into Montenegro entering a beautiful forest that opens occasionally past shepherd’s seasonal settlements. Highlights include views of the Lumi Gashit valley, which is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site. Stop for a traditional blueberry cake of the Balkans or enjoy the forest fruits like blueberries, strawberries, and rasperries along the trail (especially in July and August.

After your first long descent of the day into the traditional village of Doberdol, you’ll make your steepest climb of the day towards the three-border point between Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro (2366 m). After enjoying the views, you’ll do some ridge running where the trail meets up with the the Via Dinarica trail before descending into a typical Montenegrin shepherd village (Montenegrin bosniak Muslim community speaking south Slavic) where you’ll spend the evening.

Shared accommodations in communal guesthouse with breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
~20 miles /+4,900 ft / -3,100 ft
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Running Montenegro
Running Montenegro
Day 4
Just when you thought that there can’t possible be another day of spectacularly runnable ridges with scenic views for miles, you’ll find that there’s plenty more today. This stage is one of the longest sections of the entire Peaks of the Balkans trail. It starts with a shady mellow ascent climbing further and further into a forest. As the trail shoots up for the short but steepest section of the route, you’ll plateau out to a dreamy field with smooth singletrack and views of the Albanian and Montenegrin mountains in the distance. You might pass a herd of sheep or two on your descent to a small village located at the entrance of Ropojane Valley through where the trail continues towards Albania. This village is inhabited entirely by the Albanian Community known for their heart-warm hospitality (and is also a popular destination among the Montenegrin population). Take a side trip to a waterfall, blue eye spring, or relax in your comfortable cabins overlooking the valley.

Shared accommodations in communal guesthouse with breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
~ 13.5 miles/+4,300 ft / -4,300 ft
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Off the Beaten Path
Off the Beaten Path
Day 5
Today is our shortest day of the trip and we’ll venture to a nearby valley that wasn’t included in the Peaks of the Balkans route, but it definitely deserves to be included on this itinerary! You’ll take a short transfer from the guesthouse to an area rich in beauty and history and have the opportunity to cross the border from Montenegro to Albania which was heavily guarded for 50 years during the Communist Era.. You’ll start through a birch and beech forest before climbing to a ridge with a front and center view of massive limestone peaks. After you complete your loop, make sure you try the most refreshing lemonade you’ve ever had at the coffee shop at the base before transferring back to your guesthouse for another evening in the spectacular valley.

Shared accommodations in communal guesthouse with breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
~ 6 miles/+3,700 ft / -3,700 ft
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Spectacular Finale
Spectacular Finale
Day 6
After a delicious breakfast, we'll head out for our last day on the trails, and one of the most beautiful. We’ll pass by uncrowded blue eyes, massive limestone walls, and fields of green grass and flowers. Today you’ll cross the border again between Montenegro and Albania as you trail run through the craggiest part of the National Park Accursed Mountains. Almost the entire hike is surrounded by steep mountains with stunning views. You’ll also get a look into the region’s past when it was a forbidden zone during the Communist era. A border military post, a bunker and the border crossing pyramid marker still remain while crossing this point. Enjoy one last chance for a mid-run Balkans coffee bar stop (there’s even an espresso maker at this one) before descending down into Theth to complete your trail running week through the Balkans.

Double accommodation in hotel with breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
~ 13.5 miles/+3,600 ft / -3,100 ft
Transfer Theth-Shkodra Included: Drive Time ~2 hours
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Departure
Departure
Day 7
Today enjoy breakfast in the hotel garden before you’re free to depart at any time you like, leaving the Balkans with tons of memories.

Breakfast included
Read more

Welcome to Albania!

Day 1

Your trip will start Day 1 in Shkodra/Shkodër where you will meet the guides and then receive transfer from the lakeside city into the mountains! Along the way you’ll watch the scenery change before rolling down your windows for that fresh mountain air. You’ll arrive in time to explore the local blue eye before being welcomed at your first guesthouse in the scenic Theth Valley. For your first meal in Albania you’ll be treated to fresh local cuisine open-air underneath the mountains before catching up on sleep for the day ahead.

Communal accommodation in guesthouse with dinner included

Transfer Shkodra-Theth Included: Drive Time ~2 hours

Runcation Travel

61 reviews

Runcation Travel creates international running adventures for runners. Instead of having to squeeze in a run on vacation, your run becomes the vehicle to explore and learn different cultures, countries, and landscapes. Our current runcations and trail running trips include hut-to-hut running adventures, retreats, training camps, and guided trail tours of the best trail running in the Italian Dolomites, Chamonix Mont Blanc, Patagonia, Peru, Slovenia, the Balkans, Pyrenees, California's Sierra Nevada, and more. Learn more at Runcation.org

Had a really wonderful time! Our local guide was incredible and showed us the ropes and knew the ins and outs of all the trails. There was a great balance of exercise and down time and our group meshed really well together. Would recommend this trip!

By Melanie M for Patagonia Runcation: Trail Running El Chaltén Feb/March 2025 on Mar 04, 2025

The wonderful country of Peru really showed us a great time! The nature, the food and the people was lovely!

By Tommy S for Run to Machu Picchu Peru Runcation Fall 2024 on Oct 04, 2024

This was our second tour with Runcation (the first was the Tour of Mt. Blanc in Chamonix, France) and we loved it! The course and technicality differed from our first tour and we had to adjust our expectations of runnablity and timing but the views did not disappoint! Iban from Camins met with us in Vielha before we started our trek and gave us many great suggestions for our tour and was friendly and approchable. We were able to contact him as needed with questions about weather, etc, which was really nice. Expect steep and technical climbs up and down with stunning views of lakes, dams, rivers and mountains. We had a few days of excellent running but the rest was mostly fast-hiking as the descents were very technical. We stayed in cozy hotels along the way and our bags made it without issue each and every day. Dinner and breakfast was served in the hotels we stayed in and we found the food to be ok, with a few excellent exceptions along the way, breakfast was always plentiful and varied, even for vegetarians like us. We recommend venturing out in Vielha for a drink and a snack as the town is quaint and lovely with many options for drinking and dining. Weather can be quite unpredictable depending on what area of the mountains you're running through so pack warm clothes and rain jackets in your day pack. Stop along the way for coffee or a snack from the mountain refuges, there was always a warm bowl of something to be had, a bathroom and water, nothing restores the soul from a long day of hard running quite like a bowl of warm soup or a piece of cake. Overall we had an amazing time running through the Pyrenees! People were friendly (even when we didn't understand the local dialect) and helpful and we appreciated an opportunity to see this epically beautiful part of the world. Runcation once again put together a great trip for us! Count us in for the next one!

By Devon H for Devon + Jimmy's Self-Guided Pyrenees Val d'Aran Trail Running on Sep 23, 2024

When I returned home to Australia from Europe, my gorgeous Runcation X Fractel Limited Edition Edelweiss Hat was quietly waiting for me. It is such a unique and fabulous reminder of the spectacular time we spent in the Alps. Love it!

By Julie S for Runcation X Fractel Limited Edition Edelweiss Hats Pre-Order on Sep 12, 2024

The Runcation team were super smooth to communicate with, pulling together a plan that suited my solo run/hike plan for TMB in August. The organisation was easy, the program included all the necessary information, and the luggage service was incredible and made the fastpack fully possible. Coming from Australia and never been on these trails - Runcation took away all the ‘unknown’ in making this adventure epic. Gaia maps was very accurate and had no issues throughout the entire trip, and was easy to change trails to fit in all that I wanted to explore/see/do. Runcation team also emailed information re: major weather events, trail challenges to help preparation. Totally recommend this team for any adventure, the TMB was such a great adventure, will be doing more in the future. Thanks 🤩

By Sarns H for Sarnia's Custom Self-Guided TMB Aug 2-6, 2024 on Sep 07, 2024

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Highest recommendation! So many memories and so many lifetime views! If you've never been on a run vacation, make this company the one you use! They've thought out the best routes, best lodging, and excellent food. Mega!!!

By 534mu5 D on 23 Jun, 2024

My husband and I went on the Hut to Hut run in the Dolomites, July 2022. What a luxury to have all accommodations booked and luggage transport taken care of, for us! The scenery was unimaginable, and you just can't imagine the beauty-you have to be there! We had 8-15 miles runs each day and felt challenged by the ascents and terrain, but not defeated. (We are from Ohio, NO moutains.) The runcation organizer, Liz and guide, Dario took care of all of the logistics and it was amazing to just have to cover ground an eat a bunch of great food! Thanks for a fantastic experience.

By Amanda F on 21 Jul, 2022

The tldr: Do it! This was an amazingly well planned trip (thoughtful planning, clearly),, the runs and views were unforgettable, and I'm already looking at the next one I can go on. The longer version: Runcation in Patagonia was amazing. Every thing was well-planned, the views were unforgettable, the crew was the best you could ask for, we stayed at nice spots with great staff...I could go on and on. Also, as someone who is super type-A, I really appreciate all of the early communication of expectations, what to pack, itineraries, and super quick responses from Liz.

By Marne P on 05 Jan, 2020

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Trail Run the Peaks of the Balkans into the Accursed Mountains 2025

Trail Run the Peaks of the Balkans into the Accursed Mountains 2025

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