• Group size

    min 4 – max 18 persons

  • Difficulty grade

    Easy

  • Departure dates 2023

    29 April – 05 May

    13 May – 19 May

    03 June – 09 June

    30 Sept. – 06 October

Highlights of the Montenegro coast!

Overview

The Bay of Kotor and the Adriatic coast of Montenegro are gorgeous without any doubt. But the hinterland is equally stunning! With its massive mountains, lovely lakes, and deep green forests, the scenery of the hinterland of Montenegro will leave you spellbound. As you’ll be walking through some of the most beautiful landscapes of Montenegro such as the Bay of Kotor, Lake Skadar and Lovcen National Park, you can rest assured that your time outdoors will be time well spent.

Our walks in nature are combined with must-see visits to Kotor, a UNESCO-listed Natural and Culturo-Historical city, the small baroque town Perast, the Montenegrin metropolis of tourism Budva, Praskvica Monastery, the Old town of Bar, the Old Capital of Montenegro Cetinje.

The Old Town of Bar is one of the oldest inhabited places in Montenegro and a city with a long and turbulent history, around which many armies and invaders have been scattered.

From Virpazar you will discover the Skadar Lake National Park. It is an important bird reserve and one of the last breeding grounds of Dalmatian pelicans.

Visit the Old Capital of Montenegro Cetinje known as the ‘Museum Town of Montenegro’, the best place to learn all about Montenegrin history and get familiar with its culture.

Climb to the Lovcen mountain summit and visit the Mausoleum of Petar II Petrovic Njegos, so you can fully experience the spirit of the area and explore the sacred secrets of Montenegro.

Note

Kotor Bay

Day 1 – Kotor, Perast and Our Lady of Rocks church

Transfer from airport Podgorica/Tivat/Dubrovnik to the town of Kotor, one of the highlights of the Montenegro coast, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here you will see a unique natural fjord on the Mediterranean coast. Despite being a major tourist attraction, Kotor hasn’t lost its authentic charm. The architecture is distinctly Venetian and it’s one of the best-preserved medieval old towns on the Adriatic coast. After exploring the magic of The Old Town it’s time to see those stunning streets from a different perspective. We will climb up to the top of St. John’s hill; follow the stairs by the old ramparts and the Church of Our Lady of Remedy from the 15th century. On top of the hill, there is San Giovanni castle which dominates the bay, the fortification system and the town, from where you will admire the beautiful Boka Bay. Transfer from Kotor to the nearby small town of Perast. If you’ve already seen a postcard of Montenegro, it has likely been from Perast. Despite having only one main street, this tiny town boasts 16 churches and 17 impressive old palaces. Firstly we will visit St. Nikola church and admire a stunning view from the top, and then we will take a boat trip to the artificial island “Our Lady of Rocks” church and its museum.

Walking for the day: 2-3 hours, 4 km ↑ 280 m ↓ 280 m

Day 2 – Budva, Monasteries Praskvica and Rustovo

Today we will visit Budva, a Montenegrin metropolis of tourism famous for its long beaches, beautiful Old Town and many festivals and cultural events that attract a large number of tourists every year. You will have a tour through the Old Town of Budva, where you will have the opportunity to admire stone buildings from the Venetian era, small squares and narrow streets, as well as enjoy amazing sea views. From Budva, we will continue to Praskvica Monastery, just off the highway in the hills, slightly north of Sveti Stefan. This humble 600-year-old monastery, named after the peach-scented water of a brook that flows nearby, rests among an ancient olive grove. After the visit to the monastery Praskvica, we are climbing on the so-called Jegor’s path. This path reveals the story of one-armed Russian friar Jegor Stroganov. In 10 years he managed to build a 3 km long footpath to the village of Celobrdo. From that place, you can enjoy the stunning view of Sveti Stefan, the most photographed place on the Montenegrin coast, as well as the numerous beaches of Budva’s Riviera. We continue to the monastery Rustovo, where we will visit the female monastery dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.

Walking for the day: 3-4 hours, 6 km ↑ 350 m ↓ 350 m

Note

Budva Old Town

Note

Old Town bar

Day 3 – Bar, Old town of Bar, Old Olive Tree, Virpazar

At the southern edge of Montenegro lies the picturesque city of Bar, one of the highlights of the Montenegro coast. Hidden under the mountain Rumija, it surprises us every second with its historical heritage, variety of cultures, nations, cuisines, customs and idyllic quiet villages. The town of Bar also treasures an Old Olive Tree that is more than 2000 years old. The Old Town of Bar, also known as Montenegrin Pompeii, is the largest urban agglomeration among the ruins in Montenegro. It is one of those magical places where modern meets the shadow of ancient, like Roman aqueducts, old Turkish baths, and orthodox and catholic churches. Climb up to the Citadel, which offers you a great view of the valley with olive trees and Rumija Mountain behind the town. Afterwards, we will visit the little fishermen’s town Virpazar (situated on the bank of Skadar Lake). The town is tiny and very picturesque with lots of flower boxes and restaurants with outdoor tables. Virpazar has three bridges with a medieval fortress Besac above it, which we will visit.

Walking for the day: 3 hours, 4 km ↑ 100 m ↓ 100 m

Day 4 – Skadar Lake boat trip and visit to a winery

Lake Skadar is a national park, the largest lake in the Balkans and one of the biggest bird reserves in Europe. Our task is to introduce you to the wild beauty of Lake Skadar. The best way to explore the lake is to rent a boat and take a ride at the lake. ​While cruising you can enjoy the untouched nature of Lake Skadar, inhabited by many fish and bird species, also recognized as the last breeding ground of the endangered Dalmatian Pelican.

After cruising, we organise a sightseeing walking tour through the village of Godinje with wine & food tasting in the small-scale traditional production winery situated in the heart of the most famous Montenegrin wine region.

Walking for the day: 1 hour, 1-2 km ↑ 50 m ↓ 50 m

Note

Lake Skadar National Park

Note

Cetinje

Day 5 – Rijeka Crnojevica, Old capital Cetinje and Lovcen National Park

Transfer from Virpazar to Rijeka Crnojevica, the place where the first Cyrillic book among the South Slavic nations was printed in 1494 – “Oktoih prvoglasnik”. At the entrance to Rijeka Crnojevica, there is the stone Bridge of Danilo, built-in 1853 by Prince Danilo.

The focus of the day is Cetinje, a lovely old town that was the capital of Montenegro from the 15th century until 1918. This city is known as the ‘Museum Town of Montenegro’. This is the right place to learn all about the turbulent Montenegrin history and get familiar with its culture. One of the most important spiritual relics in Montenegro is the Orthodox white-stone Cetinje monastery. Here are the main relics of the monastery: the relics of St. Peter of Cetinje, the imperishable right hand of St. John the Baptist (Forerunner), as well as part of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

After exploring Cetinje, we will continue our trip to Lovcen National Park, where we will make a short walking tour to the village of Dolovi. On the way to the viewpoint of the Adriatic Sea and the Bay of Boka, we’ll take a photo of an authentic Montenegrin mountain place built in the past.

Walking for the day: 2-3 hours, 6 km ↑ 150 m ↓ 150 m

Day 6 – Visit to Njegos Mausoleum and village of Njegusi

The biggest and most significant monument of Lovcen national park is the Mausoleum of Petar Petrovic Njegos (famous poet and philosopher). The mausoleum is officially the highest mausoleum in the world because it is situated at the top of the second-highest peak of Lovcen mountain, Jezerski Vrh (1657 m). Getting there takes a bit of effort because you need to climb 461 steps up to the entrance where two granite giants guard the tomb of Montenegro’s greatest writer. When you reach the top, take a deep breath of fresh air and keep your eyes wide open. As you slowly turn around, you can see the Bay of Kotor, Skadar Lake, the high mountains of northern Montenegro, and even Albania.

After visiting the mausoleum, we continue to Krstac pass where you can experience wonderful views of Boka bay, Orjen Mountain and many serpentines of the Kotor–Cetinje road. By the road, we find the picturesque mountain village of Njegusi, known as the birthplace of the Petrovic-Njegos dynasty, which ruled Montenegro from 1696 to 1918. With its altitude of around 1000 m and proximity to the sea, Njegusi is a true air spa where the two climates intersect.

Walking for the day: 2 hours, 3 km ↑ 150 m ↓ 150 m

Note

Njegos Mausoleum

Day 7 – Departure or extensions

Departure or extensions. Transfer to airport Podgorica/Tivat/Dubrovnik.

Note:

In case you are arriving/leaving one or two days before/after the group departure do not hesitate to contact us for organizing your stay, activities and/or transfers.