Are you thinking about visiting Kosovo? This Kosovo Travel Guide has all the information you’ll need! From the highlights to the hidden gems.
Kosovo is a small little-visited country. Emerging from a horrific war in 1998-99, Kosovo isn’t on many peoples’ travel radar, but we think it should be!
Kosovo is a place of striking contrasts, where sombre war memorials stand alongside lively street cafes and the youngest population in Europe.
It’s a land of soaring mountains and historic cities, with mosques, monasteries and bold modern monuments. And the people are some of the most kind and welcoming we’ve met anywhere.
Kosovo’s story is complex, but its spirit is full of life.
Whether you’re on a road-trip in a Campervan or Motorhome, hire car or even just a day trip to Kosovo from neighbouring Albania, North Macedonia or Serbia, this travel guide is full of all the best things to see and tips from our experience of travelling in Kosovo.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Purchasing through these links supports our work and allows us to continue bringing you travel guides, like this, for free. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission from qualifying sales. Thank you for your support.
Kosovo Road Trip Travel Guides
For more in-depth information about Kosovo, check out these travel guides, itineraries and blog posts:
*** More coming soon!
Kosovo’s Special Status (and how it impacts travellers)
Kosovo is a small land-locked country on the Balkan peninsula in Europe. It was part of the former Yugoslavia and granted autonomy under the Yugoslavian constitution in 1974. This autonomy was revoked by Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic in 1989.
Throughout the 1990s tensions between the majority ethnic Albanians and minority Serbs increased, leading to the breakout of war in 1998. In 1999 Nato stepped in, bombing Serb targets, albeit without UN approval. Eventually Milosevic withdrew.
While the “war” was over, tensions continued, and to this day there are international KFOR, military peace-keeping and security forces throughout the country.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia has not recognised Kosovo’s independence. Around half the countries in the UN recognise Kosovo, including Australia, NZ, UK, USA and Canada. However, many do not, including Russia, China and even some European nations like Spain and Greece. Many believe this is due to ethnic tensions within their own countries (eg, Basque region and Cyprus).
We have heard reports of difficulty with border crossings, particularly crossing from Kosovo to Serbia. It’s simple enough to get in, but apparently when leaving Serbia there can be problems if you don’t have a Serbian entry stamp (which is not given at the Kosovo-Serbia border as the Serbs don’t recognise that border).
We’ve also heard stories of people being denied entry into Serbia with Kosovo stamps in their passport. However, in June 2025 we crossed into Kosovo at the Morinë border near Kukës, Albania, and we left at the Kula/Spiljani border into Montenegro. Our passports (UK and Aus) weren’t stamped at either border.
Why you should visit Kosovo?
Lively cities – Prishtina and Prizren are two of the liveliest cities we’ve visited. With the youngest median age in Europe, Kosovo has a great vibe, a happening café scene and plenty of culture
Fascinating history – from the war of 1998-99 stretching right back to the Illyrians, Kosovo has plenty to keep the history buffs occupied. We visited archaeological museums, ruined castles and forts, monasteries, churches and mosques – each with a story to tell.
Stunning natural landscapes – the Rugova Canyon and mountains in the north east of Kosovo are breath-taking and there’s almost nobody there!
Few other tourists – we visited Kosovo in June at the beginning of the busy season. And yet we saw almost no other tourists.
Budget friendly – in Kosovo we found prices to be similar to the less touristy areas of Albania. That is – very affordable! From food and drinks to museum and attraction entrances, Kosovo is easy on the wallet!
Friendly locals – our absolute favourite thing about Kosovo was the people. Everywhere we went we found kind, friendly and welcoming people who were interested to meet us and hear how we were enjoying their country. We had a breakdown with our campervan, and we were blown away by the help we had from strangers. (Thank you Kosovo!)
Getting to Kosovo
By Air
You can fly into Prishtina airport (named in honour of Adem Jashari, the founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army). Flights arrive here from several European cities. The airport is situated around 15km from the centre of the capital.
By Road
Most visitors to Kosovo arrive by road. There are modern motorways into Kosovo from Albania and North Macedonia, and smaller roads leading into Montenegro and Serbia.
If you’re driving into Kosovo you may need to purchase 3rd party vehicle insurance at the border. Our campervan is registered and insured in Germany, and Kosovo is one of the only countries in Europe that is NOT covered by our insurance.
By Bus
You can catch a bus into Kosovo from either Albania or North Macedonia.
By Train
Trainkos operates regional passenger trains within Kosovo between Prishtinë and Peja. Trains also run along the international line between Prishtinë and Skopje, North Macedonia though as of 2024 this train may not be running. Apparently buses are quicker and more reliable.
Kosovo Travel Guide – Essential Information
Language
Around 90% of the population of Kosovo is ethnic Albanian, and so speak Albanian. There is a minority of Serb speakers, and a few other languages are also spoken.
We found that most younger people speak English quite well. Surprisingly, we found many 40+ people didn’t speak English but spoke German. A lot of people went to work in Germany and Switzerland before the war.
Currency
Kosovo uses the Euro.
Credit cards and debit cards are accepted in supermarkets, fuel stations and some restaurants. We found that a lot of smaller restaurants and shops would only accept cash.
Our Revolut cards worked fine in Kosovo, both in ATMs and Eftpos.
Visa Requirements
Visitors from Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Canada and most European countries can enter Kosovo for 90 days without a visa. Check with your home country’s government website for up to date information.
Our passports were not stamped at the border although they were scanned.
Kosovo is not part of the Schengen Agreement, so it’s a good place to visit while you are waiting for your 90 days to reset!
Phone and Internet
When we purchased eSIMs for Kosovo we had to fill out an online eKYC identification process. Mobile coverage and 5G internet was quite good throughout the country.
One thing we found very strange, the whole time we were in Kosovo is that AirDrop between our iPhones and Mac computers was VERY slow! Google was unable to help us with why.
FAQs
Is Kosovo worth visiting?
Definitely! Kosovo is one of our favourite countries we have visited in Europe. Full of culture, history, breath-taking natural scenery AND the most warm and friendly locals you’ll meet anywhere.
Is Kosovo safe for travellers?
You may be wondering if it’s safe to visit Kosovo. We felt completely safe there – walking through cities at night, hiking in the mountains, driving on country roads. As always, use common sense wherever you go.
When is the best time to visit Kosovo?
Summer is the busiest time, but even then you won’t see too many other tourists around. If you’re planning to visit the mountains you’ll need to wait till late spring so the snow has melted.
We visited Kosovo in early June and it was perfect!
How long do you need to visit Kosovo?
Kosovo is only small. At around 12,000km2 it is a similar size to Greater Sydney or the state of Maryland. There’s quite a bit to see, but the driving distances are quite short. It’s the perfect country for a road trip!
We would suggest between 7 to 10 days to really see all the highlights and have enough time to relax and get to know some locals.
What is the food like in Kosovo?
In a word – delicious! In another word – very affordable. We ate out on many occasions while we were in Kosovo and rarely paid more than €25 for a meal with drinks for the two of us.
Local specialty include Flia – a “pancake pie” that is prepared on an open fire over several hours; byrek, chevapi, grilled meats and fish, and Sue’s new favourite Liqinet which is a cornbread made with cheese – so yummy!
Kosovo has one of the best wine regions in the Balkans – centred around the town of Rahovec. We visited Stone Castle, the largest winery in Kosovo. All five wines we tasted there were delicious.
Kosovo Travel Films
You can watch our Kosovo vlogs and all our adventure travel films from our Balkans Road Trip on our YouTube Channel.
