Explore Montenegro & Bosnia and Herzegovina

Let’s begin our Balkans adventure! Upon our arrival into Dubrovnik airport, Croatia, we will meet our expert local guide who will assist us as we travel across the border to Montenegro and onwards to our hotel in the seaside resort of Budva on the Montenegrin Riviera

Let’s take the rest of the day to settle into our hotel. There will be a welcome meal included tonight with our fellow group members in a local restaurant so we can dine together and get to know one another ahead of our action-packed group holiday.

Let’s begin our Balkans adventure! Make your way independently to our hotel in the seaside resort of Budva on the Montenegrin Riviera.

Let’s take the rest of the day to settle into our hotel. There will be a welcome meal included tonight with our fellow group members in a local restaurant so we can dine together and get to know one another ahead of our action-packed group holiday.

Let’s explore more with a guided tour of the surrounding coastline and some of the must see places in Montenegro.

First let’s visit the beautiful baroque town of Perast. From here we will embark on a boat trip across to the island of Our Lady of the Rock, where there is a church where some fishermen claimed to have seen an image of the Virgin Mary. Let’s admire the 17^th century church and take in the blue glittering waters of the Bay of Kotor.

Next, let’s continue to the town of Kotor with its cobblestoned winding streets and imposing fortified walls. Here you will a walking tour with your expert local guide and then have some free time to wander through the maze of streets and travel back in time in this well-preserved medieval town.

Later let’s get to know Montenegro more through its cuisine as we attend a cookery class with a local chef. Let’s learn more about the flavours and ingredients that make up the local delicious food of Montenegro and of course sit down and enjoy the fruits of our labour after!

Let’s uncover more of the Balkans with a kayaking tour on Skadar Lake, the largest lake in Southern Europe. From our unique viewpoint on the water let’s admire the beautiful scenery of the Lake, the steep mountains on the edge and floating meadows of water lilies. Keep an eye out, we may be lucky and spot some of the rare birds who live on the lake.  

On the way back to Budva, let’s reward ourselves after a morning of activity with a wine tasting and a lunch in an authentic local winery. Montenegro is an undiscovered wine producing area particularly known for its intense deep red wine. Let’s learn more about its production with a visit to a local wine cellar and taste some of the produce ourselves with lunch.

All board an adventure to explore more of Montenegro by rail! Today let’s journey from Bar to Kolasin on the railway built by the former Yugoslavian leader Josef Tito in the 1950s. Sit back and admire the breath-taking scenery of the Montenegrin mountains as we pass sights such as Lake Skadar, de Moraca Canyon and the awe-inspiring 200m high Mala-Rijeka Viaduct.

Let’s take to the saddle as we discover more of rural Montenegro by bicycle. We will travel by jeep from Kolasin train station to the start point of our cycle tour. After collecting our bikes, we will ride along the Tara river through rural Montenegrin villages, and enjoying the beautiful landscapes of fields and traditional houses along the way. After arriving in Lipovo village let’s enjoy a traditional lunch in a local household before returning to our start point (Cycling Distance: 30km / Difficulty: Moderate / Elevation: Flat)

Afterwards we will continue to our hotel in Zabljak, the heart of the Durmitor mountain region where we will be based for the next two nights.

Today, let’s explore the magnificent Durmitor National Park. We will start today’s hike at the entrance to the national park and trek through the black Durmitor pine woods to the stunning Black Lake. Located at an altitude of 1416m and taking its name from the surrounding forests, this glacial lake is one of the top attractions in the Durmitor National Park. Let’s walk around the lake and admire its deep blue water before returning to our coach. we will then drive to the start of the Curevac viewpoint, where after a short hike, let’s admire the amazing view of the deepest part of the Tara River Canyon. (Distance: 12km / Difficulty: Moderate)

Let’s say goodbye as we leave the beautiful country of Montenegro and travel onwards to Sarajevo, the historic capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina. After a rest stop in Foca, we will arrive in Sarajevo in the early afternoon. (Approximate driving distance: 170km/ 5 hours)

Let’s settle into our hotel and have the evening free to relax. Your local guide will be happy to suggest local restaurants where you can eat dinner at your leisure.

Bosnia’s capital Sarajevo is located on the crossroads of Europe where east meets west. The city is a melting pot of different cultures, religions, historical influences and cuisines. While the scars of the 1990s Balkan Wars are still visible, Sarajevo has rebuilt itself and is a fascinating and enduring place to visit. Let’s explore this learn more about its complex history and culture on a combined food and sightseeing tour.  

During this tour you’ll taste traditional pies, delicious local cheeses, meat products, and homemade brandy while seeing the top things to see in Sarajevo such as the Sarajevo City Market, the Orthodox Church, Obala Kulina bana street, the Eternal Flame, the Latin Bridge and the Old town. Our journey through Sarajevo will end in the intimate atmosphere of the Bosnian tavern with a toast of homemade rakija.

You will then have the afternoon at leisure to explore more of this beautiful historical city at your own pace.

Today you will have the full day at leisure to explore more of Sarajevo’s cobblestoned streets. Why not walk to the Yellow Fortress and admire Sarajevo from above? Or else sit at café in the Old Town and watch the world go by. Your local expert guide will be happy to make recommendations to suit your taste.

Let’s learn more about Bosnia’s recent past with an optional visit to the Sarajevo Tunnel of Hope Museum. Covertly built during Sarajevo’s siege in the 1990s, the tunnel underneath the airport provided the citizens of Sarajevo with a lifeline and was the only reliable way of secretly transporting vital water, goods, and electricity to the city as all other supply lines were cut off by the Serbian Army. See parts of the restored tunnel and learn more about its construction and conditions in the city during the siege. Transfers, entry into the museum and a local guide are included in your tour.

Please note this excursion is subject to minimum numbers.

Let’s adventure more today as we discover the hidden gems of the hills surrounding Sarajevo with a hike around Trebevic Mountain. First, we’ll take a cable car ride to the top of the mountain. This cable car, once the pride of the modern city of Sarajevo, was destroyed during the war. Newly rebuilt, it is now a symbol of the city’s resilience and determination. Let’s admire the views of Sarajevo as we travel upwards. From the top we will have a guided hike through the forests seeing sights along the way such as the Serbian sniper positions or the abandoned bobsled track that was built for the 1984 Winter Olympics. (Difficulty: Moderate)

After our hike we will return to Sarajevo where we will have some free time for lunch before travelling onwards to the town of Mostar, where west meets east, a mix of Ottoman and Balkan architecture and culture and our home for the next 3 nights.

Today let’s explore more of the highlights of Bosnia’s southern Herzegovina region on a full day sightseeing trip.

First let’s visit Blagaj, located at the base of the Buna Springs, known for its glittering blue waters. Here let’s explore the Monastery built for the Ottoman Dervish monks, and revel in the calm of this holy place.

Next let’s continue onto the fortified town of Pocitelj where we will have some time to wander around the stone streets and admire the views of the surrounding countryside from its ramparts.

Then let’s travel on to Kravice Waterfalls, a wonderful oasis, with flowing cascades of water surrounded by green forests and one of the must see places in Herzegovina. Let’s enjoy some free time here and perhaps even a cooling swim.

We will then return to Mostar for our final sightseeing tour of the day where our expert local guide will show us sights such as the old bazaar in Kujundziluk, the Koski Mehmed Pasa Mosque, The Spanish Square and of course, the iconic Stari Most bridge, the symbol of Mostar. Seen to be the symbol of the connection between Islam and Christianity in Mostar it was destroyed during the war in 1993. Newly rebuilt, it now represents the newly rebuilt Bosnia and Hervegovina.

Let’s finish our day with a visit to Mostar’s Turkish House where we will enjoy some traditional dishes as well as enjoy a folklore show.

Let’s immerse ourselves in Bosnia’s natural surroundings today by hiking in Blidnje National Park. Let’s walk through history as we hike the King Karadjordjevic’s old hunting trails in the wilderness. On this hike, we’ll trek from the green Diva Grabovica valley through a vibrant beech forest. The trail leads us to several natural springs, filled with fresh and icy water where we can refill our bottles for our final ascent.  After a steady uphill climb of about 2.5 hours, we will have reached our destination, with views overlooking the largest rock face on the Balkan Peninsula. After marvelling at this massive 1,000m rock face for a while, we’ll head back down the way we came and return to Mostar. (Distance: 12km/ Difficulty: Moderate / Duration 4-5hrs)

Let’s join our fellow group members at our hotel for a farewell dinner. This is the perfect time for us to reminisce on the adventures we have shared over the last few days in the Balkans. Once dinner has come to an end you are free to spend the remainder of the evening as you wish.

Today it is time to bid a fond farewell to the beautiful country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. But before we leave, let’s travel over the border to Croatia and enjoy a walking tour of the old town of Split centred around Diocletian’s palace, the retirement villa of the Roman emperor and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will then have the rest of the day at leisure to explore the shops, bars and restaurants built in the arches of these ruins before heading to Split airport for our return flight home

On your final day, enjoy breakfast at our hotel and check out independently. We hope you leave with wonderful memories of your holiday Montenegro & Bosnia.