Exploring Montenegro in three weeks

Panoramic ride to Tara Canyon

As the tour begins about 140 km far from Podgorica, we’ll try to use the transfer to the starting point for visits to some interesting natural and historical sights. First we’ll pass through terrific Morača Canyon, taking short break at medieval Monastery of Morača. Soon we’ll hit another – Tara gorge, enjoying easy ride between two massive rocky walls. You’ll also see protected area of Crna Poda and its huge pine trees as well as magnificent Tara Bridge, the place with more than interesting history. We’ll stay overnight just nearby, preparing for one of the biggest adventures of our lives.

Pure adrenaline on the cleanest river part I

Touring in the North without doing rafting is not an option in our programs, simply because we speak about one of biggest attractions of Montenegrin tourist offer. Tara is known as “teardrop of Europe” because of its crystal clear water (yes, we drink straight from the river!) and officially the deepest canyon in the whole continent. Its slopes rise above 1.000 meters and the highest point is at 1.300. We’ll do rafting at whole navigable part of the river – in total it’s about 75 km.

Day one is reserved for longer part of the route (60 km). Tour starts a bit before grandiose Tara Bridge, passing underneath it and showing us plenty of natural attractions: Ljutica – the shortest river in Europe that spits about 1.000 liters of white water every second, plenty of waterfalls, rapids, side streams, dense forests and terrific rocky boulders above our heads. As well as plenty of natural silence, peace, wildlife and long part of the stream that has been seen by very few people  Real day to enjoy and a great introduction of the program.

Pure adrenaline on the cleanest river part II

Second day we’ll do shorter but the most attractive part of Tara flow which will take us through 18 big rapids. There’ll be plenty of time for wild swimming, jumping from the cliffs and yes – chilling in the bars enjoying fresh drinks.

After the trip we’ll have short transfer to Piva highland. But before it we’ll enjoy Tara a bit longer, having nice lunch on the terrace just above the river.

Exploring the BMW Massif 

Length: 14 km
Altitude: 1.315 meters ascend, 700 meters descend
Average duration: 6 hours of active walking

Beautiful trail that passes through Piva Nature Park, ascending to glacial Stabanska Lakes, untouched forests, meadows and gorges. Bojanska Vrata (2,128 meters of altitude) pass is the highest point of this tour and from that point those who are curious could make one step more, reaching marvelous peak of Volujak (2,336 m). The path ends at heart shaped Trnovačko Lake, surrounded with rocky walls of Maglić and Volujak summits. Most people who know Montenegrin nature well, claim that Trnovačko is our most beautiful lake. Let’s check if they’re right.

Endless views to Bosnia and Montenegro

Length: 15.1 km
Altitude: 826 meters ascending, 1.372 meters descending
Average duration: 7 hours of active walking

Climbing steep up to Carev Do pass (2.363 m a.s.l.), this hike reveals the real beauty of Trnovačko Lake (1.527 m a.s.l.) and whole surrounding massif, as well as parts of Perućica – the biggest virgin forest in whole Europe, Piva Nature Park and Durmitor NP. Original tour gives an option of one more achievement – conquering the highest peak of Maglić Mountain (2,396 m a.s.l.). Second part of the tour descends around awesome foothills of Bioč Mountain, through the hidden treasures of green forests and rocky expanses. It ends at Mratinje village at 1,000 meters of altitude, just nearby astonishing Piva Lake.

It doesn’t happen that often to be in such remote and fabulous spots like Sokolina and it’s the reason take a break and enjoy a day off right there. Back to the roots through enjoying fantastic environment and real, simple life for a day will charge our batteries for new challenges that will start the very next day.

Mystical silence of old Montenegrin villages

Length: 17 km
Altitude: mild hilly terrain – start at 1.457 end at 1.463 m a.s.l. (range between the highest and the lowest point is about 300 meters)
Average duration: 5.5 hours of active walking

 We dare to say that this walk is among the 5 most beautiful trekking tours in whole country. Starting in the forests around Sokolina (1.457 m a.s.l.), it brings us to wide highlands of Piva Mountain, meeting us with original architecture of old Montenegrin villages. All the time path prizes with the view to Durmitor’s high peaks, giving us a couple of breathtaking sights to Tara river rapids several hundred meters lower. Finally, we’ll reach another kingdom of traditional Montenegrin hospitality – Mitrić household that will host us with some more organic food and local drinks. They’re situated in Nedajno village (1.463 m a.s.l.), one of the most beautiful in Montenegro.

Meet His Majesty. 

Length: 14 km
Altitude: 951 meters ascending, 500 meters descending
Average duration: 6.5 hours of active walking

After short transfer from Nedajno to Susica valley (1.163 m a.s.l.), we’ll finally approach Durmitor – “director of all the mountains in Montenegro”. If you’re lucky to book this tour in June, you’ll probably have an opportunity to see fantastic periodical Sušičko Lake that appears in early spring, disappearing just one month later. The trail stretches around the valley and after one hour it climbs up to Škrka valley (1.686 m a.s.l.), the most beautiful valley in the mountain. Two glacial lakes are surrounded with the highest part of Durmitor, as well as with colorful layers of Šareni Pasovi and Prutaš peak. Just amazing spot for a lunch break and wild swimming.

Leaving Škrka Valley, we’ll climb to Škrčko Ždrijelo pass (2,114 meters of altitude) – probably the best view point to the highest peaks of Durmitor. From there we can climb Prutaš (2.394 meters), unofficially the most beautiful peak in the National Park. If you’re not about to do it, we just can go down to Dobri Do valley (1.696 m a.s.l.) to spend a night camping between magnificent peaks of Durmitor, having a dinner at the household who spend their summers with their animals in the mountain.

Hidden treasures under The Big Rock

Length: 16.500 km
Altitude: 600 meters descending
Average duration: 5 hours of active walking

Another top-graded trekking tour and proper recovery walk if your legs have got tired from climbing. It goes through the forests and valleys of Dragišnica, under one of the longest pieces of rock in Europe. More than 3 km long and 800 meters high wall of Boljske grede is something that you shouldn’t miss if you’re visiting this part of Montenegro. About 20 km long tour ends in another beautiful village, blessed with 2 small lakes, awesome views and the last explored canyon in Montenegro. Great place to spend a day off or to have adrenaline canyoning trip through Nevidio!

Pošćenje is simply great spot for a day off – there’s plenty of options to spend the time in some nice way: swimming in the lake nearby the restaurant, having some small but nice walk through the village and view points above it. Or just chilling in the shade and resting our legs for following adventures. For those who want to explore some more, there’s an option to organize day excursion to Žabljak and Black Lake, the most famous and the most beautiful glacial lake in Durmitor National Park.

Enter the last explored canyon in Europe

Length: cca 2 km
Altitude: 125 meters descend
Average duration: 2.5-3 hours of active walk

No doubt, it’s one of the ultimate active tours in Montenegro. Last 4-5 years canyoning has become a big thing in local outdoor tourism as there’s many fantastic gorges whose conquering means super fun and adrenaline experience. And this one is the most special in Montenegro.

Its name – Nevidio – translated from Montenegrin means “never seen” for simple reason that nobody managed to pass through it until 1955. Today it’s most popular canyoning tour and a sort of “trade mark” of our active tourism, thanks to super-experienced and trained guides who know every single rock in this part of Komarnica River flow. Spectacular stone boulders, crystal clean water with many waterfalls, super tiny passes and big halls is something that only Nevidio can offer. If we tried to encounter all the attractions of this canyon it would take too much time. Just come and experience it!

Ancient shepherds’ trails of Lukavica Mountain

Length: 21.5 km
Altitude: 273 meters ascend
Average duration: 2.5-3 hours of active cycling

After some easy time at Pošćenje, we’re back to the wild – next experience is Lukavica Mountain, another wide pasture used in summer months by people who still keep nomad tradition. They stay there with their animals normally from June to the end of October, making cheese and cream from probably the cleanest ingredients you could imagine. We warmly recommend to do this tour with mountain bikes, but for those who are not keen on it, there’s the same attractive way to reach marvelous Kapetanovo Lake by foot and to feel all the beauty of Žurim twin peaks.

Finishing more than half of the program, in this point we offer 2 solutions for next three days – option 1, that implies one active and two days off and option 2, which takes two challenging hikes nd one rest day in Kolašin. Check out both of them:

Option 1: Fairytales of Mrtvica Canyon (full trip)

Length: cca 26 km
Altitude: 1.700 meters descending
Average duration: 7 hours of active walking

The longest and definitely the number 1 trekking day tour in Montenegro. Descending from Kapetanovo Lake between Lukavica and Maganik mountains it heads through whole canyon of Mrtvica. Crystal clean river flows between spectacular rocky walls that rises more than 1000 meters above our heads. Unique path cut in massive rocks in 1960-es leads us through unforgettable complex of different natural shapes, river rapids and waterfalls. Even about 30 km long, this tour is graded as „easy to moderate“, as it slightly goes descending all the time.

Option 2: Explore the magic of Moračke Mountains’ peaks and valleys

Length: cca 20 km
Altitude: 800 meters ascending
Average duration: 6-7 hours of active walking

This tour will guide us through Moračke Mountains, probably the most underestimated mountain massif in Montenegro. Situated in the middle of the countryside, but quite far from any main roads, they’re like real resort of peace and pristine touch of Mother Nature for all those who don’t mind to give a bit bigger effort for some unique experience. We’ll reach the highest peak of the massif – Kapa Moračka at 2.226 meters of altitude, passing its mild foothills, then over unreal loneliness of surrounding valleys and ridges we’ll discover another mountainous pearl. It’s Lola Mountain, wide highlands covered with grass, decorated with several peaks over 2,000 meters and plenty of shepherds’ cottages. And yes, locals will be probably the only people that you will meet there. Even language barriers are not the obstacle strong enough for them to show their good will and hospitality. At one of those households we’ll spend a night, enjoying their company and food that they produce on their own.

Terrific beauty of Sinjajevina Mountain

Length: cca 22 km
Altitude: cca 800 meters descend
Average duration: 8 hours of active walking

Another trip through hidden treasures of Montenegro. Even it could be fair competition to most of popular mountains in Balkans, Sinjajevina massif definitely didn’t meet many tourists so far. Being there is the real privilege for those who are willing and who are brave enough to approach the widest and one of the roughest mountain areas in Montenegro. True, we’ll not do some challenging peaks but we’ll enjoy the view of their slopes. Tour goes over another two-thousander –  the highest peak of Gradišta Mountain (Vranova Glava at 2.215 meters), showing us terrifying beauty of Torna Peak as well as another view to Moračke Mountains, Durmitor, Komovi, Prokletije… After the same spectacular descent, tour ends in the opposite side of the mountain in Gornje Lipovo village.

Having so many days in really wild and calm areas, we’d use this day to enjoy some of urban benefits. Kolašin is small and tourist town in Central Montenegro, place of really good restaurants, bars, cozy streets and we would like to show it to you. If you want to have some relaxed time in spa, there’s really good one in Bianca Hotel and Resort, one of the best hotels in Montenegro. Also, we could organize visit of local botanical garden, lovely place with a lovely story or if you want to enjoy some more nature, we could bring you to Biogradska Gora NP. There you could chill having a drink on the shore of amazing Biogradsko Lake, enjoy swimming in crystal clear water or have an easy and relaxing walk around it.

Pastures and forests of Bjelasica Mountain

Length: 18.7 km
Altitude difference: 556 m ascending, 560 m descending (cumulative)
Average duration: 5 hours of active walk

This tour is not only “recovery walk” or the way to connect last part of the program with everything what we have done so far, it’s much more than this – excellent introduction with another magnificent mountain complex. Komovi Mountains is the name that should be pinned as “highlights of Montenegro”. It doesn’t cover too big territory, but its peaks are rising up in spectacular way to the heights of almost 2,500 meters above sea. Our trail starts from Bjelasica Mountain, the most popular Montenegrin ski resort, leading over the mountain mostly by dirt road, through beautiful forests and pastures, showing us part of the beauty that we’ll enjoy in our last day of hiking. The end of the tour is at charming eco resort Štavna in Komovi’s foothills – amazing place to spend next two nights and to chill on the terrace enjoying the view.

Komovi Mountains and Mojanska River, the line between reality and dream

Length: 19 km
Altitude: 600 meters ascending, 1.200 meters descending
Average duration: 6 hours of active walking

It’s very difficult to pick the most beautiful tour from this program, but we’re sure that this tour will definitely disrupt the order of your favorites. Trail goes around the mountain almost touching Albanian border, showing us amazing views not only to Komovi’s heights, but also Kuči Mountains, Prokletije, Bjelasica and much, much more. Old shepherds’ paths will lead us closer to Kuči Mountains through the grassy kingdom and summer villages, bringing us to the valley of Mojanska River and last eight kilometers we’ll enjoy the walk beside its rapids and waterfalls until we reach our next accommodation.

Stunning views of the Accursed Mountains part I

Length: 14 km
Altitude: 800 meters ascending, 800 meters descending
Average duration: 6 hours of active walking

The day will start with a short transfer (12 km) to amazing wild area just nearby Albanian border, the starting point for one of the most beautiful panoramic hikes in Prokletije. We’ll do a reef tour of Greben Mountain, an entrance to this magnificent massif, conquering its highest peak (2.055 m a.s.l.) enjoying stunning views of terrific, craggy peaks and valleys of Albanian Alps. Second part of the tour will lead us through the mix of pastures and beech forests, down to a small town of Gusinje, final point of this trip.

Stunning views of the Accursed Mountains part II

Length: 11 km
Altitude: 1.000 meters ascending, 1.000 meters descending
Average duration: 6 hours of active walking

Another day in real hiking paradise. As the most of tours in Prokletije NP are highly physically and technically demanding, this walk is rated as one of the easiest. True – we’ll climb more than 1.000 meters of attitude, but it’s definitely worth the effort.

The trail starts from glacial valley of Grebaje and goes ascend through the forest, bringing us to the cleared space of grassy ridge, the longest and the most beautiful panoramic part of the trail in Prokletije. Walking it we’ll conquer three peaks: Volusnica (1.879), Popadija (2057 m) and Talijanka (2056 m), finishing the program in a big style.

Accommodation: Katun Maja Karanfili

Celebrating differences

It would be pretty shame to stay that close to Albania and not to be there for at least one day. One hour of transfer will bring us to Skadar, beautiful city in the North that speaks a lot about the past and ethnical diversity in Balkans. We’ll walk its colorful streets, visiting medieval Rozafa castle, enjoying great Mediterranean cuisine and traditional Albanian hospitality.

Depending on further plans of the group, transfer from Skadar will be arranged in desired time and to the agreed location in Montenegro.

Accommodation: Picturesque place on the river’s shore, nice wooden cabins and restaurant. Shared facilities.

Accommodation: Zvono jazz house & apartments – pretty unexpected place for such remote area. Great atmosphere, music and charm, fantastic food and local homemade drinks will drag you stay for some nights longer. Nice rooms with separate bathrooms.

Accommodation: Trnovačko Lake is the place where people normally sleep in tents, but we’d rather skip carrying of camping equipment and use accommodation in the only house that exists there. It’s basic with big dorms and shared facilities, but nice and clean. On the terrace, except from fantastic view of the Lake and the Mountain, we can enjoy warm tea, coffee and beer!

Accommodation: Sokolina Guesthouse – an almost 100 years old house settled at 1.400 meters of altitude, straight at the edge of Tara canyon. Surrounded with three mountains – Ljubišnja, Durmitor and Bioč-Maglić-Volujak Massif, Sokolina is a real kingdom of peace and amazing nature. The guesthouse is run by Dragan, an engineer who has changed his city life for inner peace at his family property. You’ll see that at this spot time really has some different flow.

Nice dorms and tasty homemade food. Shared facilities.

Accommodation: Sokolina Guesthouse

Accommodation: Mitrić family house/wooden bungalows. Clean and nice rooms with shared facilities.

Accommodation: Camping at the widest valley in Durmitor NP. Dinner and breakfast at a local household.

Accommodation: Nevidio eco village – it has 9 nice and clean mountain houses (with separate bathrooms) built in traditional style, as well as restaurant with excellent menu. Originally intended for hikers and all outdoor lovers, this resort is good enough to fulfill expectations of all those that want to explore this area in some other way. Great restaurant’s terrace and two beautiful small lakes in the neighborhood.

Accommodation: Nevidio eco village.

Accommodation: Nevidio eco village.

Accommodation: Mountain cottages at local household – very basic, but charming conditions. It’s expected to sleep in multi–bedding dorm with shared toilets and no shower facilities. Very hospitable hosts, great food and good supply of drinks. Another spot with a “private” lake, another chance to enjoy swimming in crystal clear water.

Accommodation:

Option 1: Mirović apartments – top rated private accommodation in Kolašin. Greatly furnished rooms with separate bathrooms, awesome yard and small tavern. Another super-nice and hospitable family, you just should check their guests’ reviews at Booking.com and AIRBNB.

Option 2: Camping in traditional shepherds’ village. Dinner and breakfast at a local family.

Accommodation: Mirović apartments – top rated private accommodation in Kolašin. Greatly furnished rooms with separate bathrooms, awesome yard and small tavern. Another super-nice and hospitable family, you just should check their guests’ reviews at Booking.com and AIRBNB!

Accommodation: Mirović apartments.

Accommodation: Štavna eco village is another resort that offers just perfect service to all the nature lovers who are about to visit Komovi. Charming bungalows with wooden furniture, clean rooms and separate bathrooms are more than enough comfortable. In their restaurant you can enjoy one of best menus regarding our national cuisine. Amazing view to Komovi high peaks is one more reason to stay there for more than one night!

Accommodation: Mojan Hostel – nice and clean rooms with shared bathrooms. Excellent location and hosts, fantastic food.

Accommodation: We’ll spend a night in Katun Maja Karanfili, an awesome resort in Grebaje Valley situated between high walls of Prokletije Mountains. Mix of great position, perfect views, nice and hospitable hosts, excellent service and comfortable bungalows makes this spot a really good choice for last two nights of the program.

Accommodation: Katun Maja Karanfili.

Accommodation: Hotel Tradita – really nice accommodation furnished in traditional Albanian style. Clean and comfortable rooms and restaurant with fantastic menu.