Gjakova Day Trips by Bus: Deçan, Peja, Prizren

Choosing a Trip

Three bus routes fan out from Gjakova, and each reaches a town with a UNESCO monument, a river gorge or an old town. Buses to all three run through the day, and fares are low.

  • Deçan: 21 km, about 30 minutes, about 2 EUR.
  • Prizren: 36 km, about 55 minutes, 2.50 to 3 EUR, with buses from about 06:30 to 18:30.
  • Peja: 36 km, about 55 minutes, about 3 EUR, with buses from about 06:15 to 18:00 or 18:30.

Fares differ by operator, so look at the live timetable and note the last bus home.

Deçan and the Monastery

Visoki Dečani is a Serbian Orthodox monastery founded in 1327. It joined the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2004 and appears on the In Danger list since 2006. The church holds twenty fresco cycles, over 1,000 compositions, and the tomb of King Stefan Dečanski.

Opening hours are 09:30 to 14:30 and 15:30 to 17:30, with a midday break. Italian KFOR soldiers guard the site day and night, and visitors give up a passport or ID card at the gate, so bring one. Dress modestly, and take no photographs inside the church. After the bus to Deçan, a short taxi ride or a 10 to 15 minute walk brings you to the entrance.

Prizren, Full Day

Prizren offers an old town, a stone bridge, a fortress and the Sinan Pasha Mosque. Give it a whole day, and be at the station for a bus back before 18:30.

Peja and Rugova

The Patriarchate of Peć, another UNESCO site, is watched by Kosovo Police, and a passport is checked at the entrance. Doors open at about 09:30, and it is wise to check ahead. From the centre, the Rugova Gorge is 3 to 6 km away. Rafting, a via ferrata and a zip line operate in and around it. The gorge is about 40 km from Gjakova, so squeezing it in with Dečani needs a car. Further out, near Radavc, you can find the White Drin Waterfall and the Sleeping Beauty Cave.

Closer to Home

  1. Junik lies 20 km away via Batushë. It has stone kullas and a trailhead into the Accursed Mountains. Gjeravica, 2,656 m, is the highest peak in Kosovo and is climbed with a guide over several days or one long day.
  2. Rahovec is wine country, with the Stone Castle winery.
  3. Kusar Cave, about 9 km out, can be reached by an 8.5 km trail from Shkugëza Park, a walk of about 3 hours. Carry a torch.
  4. Lake Radoniq, 10 to 12 km north, supplies drinking water to the area. Enjoy the shore and the views, and keep out of the water.

On hill trails stay on marked paths, because landmines and unexploded ordnance remain in remoter areas of Kosovo.

Read more: multi-day trips from Gjakova combines these places into a loop.

Current times are on Gjirafa Travel and the monastery lists hours on decani.org . Tours that include these towns are on Viator .