It might be one of Europe’s smallest nations, but this little Balkan marvel packs a whole heap of goodness into its borders. Imposing mountains, expansive sea, idyllic villages blessed with breathtaking beauty, a mild Mediterranean climate and sights from centuries ago, Montenegro is a country you will not want to miss!
Extras
Upon arrival, we transfer to our hotel in Podgorica, stopping en route at a spectacular wine cellar in the vicinity of Podgorica. This old military airport has been transformed into an impressive wine cellar – quite the place to enjoy our welcome drink and food tasting.
We continue onto Podgorica, where we’ll spend our first evening enjoying a walking tour of the capital. Dating back to the Stone Age, its urban history began with the arrival of the Romans in the 2nd Century. Due to the Second World War, some of these buildings and monuments were wiped out, but during our walk of Podgorica, we witness some of the remaining traces of previous centuries and discover how the city was rebuilt.
We will end the day with our first dinner together in Podgorica.
Today we head to Biogradska Gora National Park, enjoying a photo stop at Moraca Canyon & visit the beautiful Moraca Monastery on the way.
When in Biogradska Gora National Park, we enjoy a walk through the forests and around the picturesque Biogradska Lake. Its calm waters provide a mesmerising reflection. This natural reservation preserves dozens of plant and hundreds of animal species, which can only be found in this place in the entire of Europe. (Due to the area, the terrain for the walk is over rocky ground).
We continue on to Kolasin and have dinner at the hotel.
This morning, we journey to the mountain top and enjoy a hiking tour on the peaks of Bjelasica Mountain followed by a lunch at Eko Village – a group of small traditional cottages located directly below the peak Troglava with a magnificent view. The walk is around 3.5 to 4 hours.
Later, we return to our hotel in Kolasin where we have some time at leisure. In the evening, we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
We transfer to Zabljak town via Tara Canyon and visit Dobrilovina Monastery. Located on the Tara river banks, this is the deepest river canyon in Europe. It has been pillaged, abandoned, destroyed and renovated several times since its founding in 1592. Our next stop is the famous Djurdjevica Tara Bridge which at the time of its completion in 1940 was the biggest vehicular concrete arch bridge in Europe.
Today, we explore Lake Skadar National Park – a blissfully pretty area encompassing steep mountains, island monasteries, clear waters and floating meadows of water lilies. Dolphin-shaped Lake Skadar – the Balkans’ largest – has its tail and two-thirds of its body in Montenegro and its nose in Albania. On the Montenegrin side, an area of 400 sq km has been protected by the national park since 1983. Today, Skadar is renowned as one of Europe’s top bird habitats.
We venture out on a full day tour of Old Royal Montenegro today, visiting Budva Old Town, the Old Royal Capital of Cetinje, Lovcen National Park and Njegusi Village.
Our tour will take us through the narrow alleys and squares of the Budva Old Town where we will learn about its turbulent history. In Cetinje – the former capital of Montenegro, we visit King Nicola’s museum and hear stories about the most famous Montenegrin royal family.
We head to Kotor Old Town today – a UNESCO protected heritage site. We visit the Square of the Arms, Clock Tower, Fluor Square, St Tryphon Cathedral, the Bokelian Navy Square, Karampana Well, The St Luke Square, and St Luke and St Nikola’s churches, St Mary of the River and Northern Gate and Skurda River. After the tour, we will have some free time in Kotor.
After breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to the airport for our flight home.
We stay in comfortable hotels throughout as detailed below (or similar)
Frequently Asked Questions
The transfer time from Tivat Airport to the hotel in Podgorica is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. From Budva to Tivat Airport, it is roughly around 30 minutes.
There is some travelling by coach on this tour, please see below:
DAY 1
Tivat Airport – Sipcanik Wine Cellar – 1 hour 30 minutes
Sipcanik Wine Cellar – Podgorica Hotel – 15 minutes
DAY 2
Podgorica – Moraca Monastery – 50 minutes (they will make a few stops along the route in the canyon)
Moraca Monastery – Biogradska Gora National Park – 1 hour
Biogradska Gora National Park – Kolasin hotel – 40 minutes
DAY 3
Kolasin – Eko Katun Vranjak – 20 minutes
Walking tour on Bjelasica for 3.5 – 4hours
Return to the hotel – 20 minutes
DAY 4
Kolasin – Tara Canyon (Djurdjevica Tara Bridge) – 1 hour 15minutes
Djurdjevica Tara bridge – Zabljak – 25 minutes
Zabljak – Budva (stops along the route)
DAY 5
Budva – Skadarsko Lake (Virpazar) – 50 minutes
DAY 6
Budva – Cetinje – 30 minutes
Cetinje – Lovcen National Park – 30 minutes
Lovcen National Park – Njegusi village – 20 minutes
Njegusi Village – Budva – 1 hour
DAY 7
Budva – Kotor – 30 minutes
Kotor – Our Lady of the Rocks – 45 minutes by boat
Our Lady of the Rocks – Perast – 10-15 minutes by boat
Perast – Tivat – 30 minutes by boat
Tivat – Budva – 30-40 minutes by bus.
We suggest a Group Collection to cover guides, transfer drivers, and hotel staff of €30.00 per person. Your Tour Leader will collect this on your behalf and distribute it accordingly, thus relieving you of the burden of who, when and how much to tip. The tipping of housekeeping will be left to your individual discretion (a small amount left in your room on departure should cover this and would be much appreciated). As is customary, ‘the hat’ will be passed around for the driver and guide on all optional excursions. For any meals that are not included in your itinerary, or taxi fares, your Tour Leader can advise of an appropriate % to add on.
Casual daytime wear is recommended. Comfortable walking shoes are a “must” for sightseeing and touring the National Parks. Smart casual clothes will be ideal for the evenings – the emphasis throughout being informality.
Average Temperatures
| Month(s) | Highest temperature | Lowest temperature |
|---|---|---|
| October | 21 °C | 13 °C |
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