Montenegro Explorer: Mountains, Coastlines & Culture

Fly from your chosen airport to Tivat. Upon arrival, drive to coastal Kotor for lunch. Enjoy a late afternoon walking tour of its medieval Old Town. Spend two nights at either the 4-star Historic Boutique Hotel Cattaro or the 4-star Boutique Hotel Astoria. (L)

This morning, take the cable car from Kotor to Lovcen National Park, where you will find the panoramic mountaintop home to the mausoleum of Montenegrin leader and poet Petar II Petrovic Njegos. Visit Njegusi, the birthplace of this great man, to enjoy a tasting of locally produced prosciutto and cheese. Continue the tour to Montenegro’s elegant old royal capital, Cetinje, to visit the Museum of King Nikola, the palace of the country’s last royal ruler, and the Njegos Museum, the residence of 19th-century ruler, philosopher, prince-bishop, and sainted Petar II. Travel via Budva to Tivat to board a boat and cruise the Strait of Verige to the village of Perast. Visit the artificial islet of Our Lady of the Rocks, built by fishermen in 1630. Enjoy dinner in Perast before returning to Kotor. (B, D)

We head towards the largest lake of the Balkan Peninsula, Lake Skadar National Park, which spans about 500 km². We embark in Virpazar, small fishing village, on a boat ride during which we can observe many different bird species in this area, as Lake Skadar is an important bird sanctuary. Among these, the most famous is the rare Dalmatian Pelican. Our boat ride concludes in the village of Rijeka Crnojevica, once a winter retreat for local rulers and notable as the location of the first book printing press in this region, only a few years after Gutenberg's invention. Later, enjoy a tasting of wine at a small farm. Drive along the dramatic Moraca Canyon and visit the medieval Moraca Monastery, known for its frescoes and 18th-century icons. Continue to Kolasin for an overnight stay at the 4-star Bianca Resort & Spa. (B, D) 

We start the day with a visit to Biogradska Gora National Park, which is located in one of the three remaining primeval forests of Europe. We take a short stroll to explore the national park's diverse nature and giant trees. We then proceed to Pljevlja in the north, which features one of the finest and oldest mosques. Here, we learn about the Ottoman heritage of this particular region of the Balkans and witness a demonstration of traditional mill operation, followed by lunch. Our final journey takes us to Tara Canyon, Europe’s deepest gorge and second only to the Grand Canyon. We visit the Tara Bridge, which was built 172 meters above the river surface. The bridge, completed and opened in 1940, was then the longest traffic bridge made of concrete and merges sublimely with the surrounding dramatic landscape of the canyon. In the late afternoon, we arrive in Zabljak, the highest located town in the Balkans at 1400 meters within Durmitor National Park. Overnight at the 3-star Hotel Polar Star. (B, L, D)

Explore the spectacular scenery of Durmitor National Park, encompassing limestone peaks, pine forests, alpine meadows, and four river canyons, including a visit to the glacial Black Lake, the pearl of the park. Travel via the astonishing Ostrog Monastery, built into two caves in a sheer cliff-face, and known as St Basil’s Miracle, to Petrovac on the coast. Spend three nights at the 4-star Monte Casa Hotel.
(B)

Enjoy a day at leisure in Petrovac, spread behind a sandy half-moon bay, a pebble beach, and a little harbour. Waterfront cafés, shops and restaurants are tucked between its herb-scented headlands, and the town’s Venetian Fortress looks out to a couple of islets in the bay.
(B)

An optional excursion visits Ulcinj to explore the Old Town, set within forbidding fortress walls which climb the cliffs from the sea, filled with a maze of steps and lanes, and steeped in myths and legends. Continue to Bar for a tasing of local olive oil; and visit the ruins of Stari Bar, where foundations show the skeleton of the citadel, cobbled paths dip under ancient arches, and the long aqueduct is still standing proud (bookable locally).
(B, D)

Transfer to Tivat airport for the return flight.
(B)