Family Adventure: Exploring Montenegro’s Nature Wonders

Arrival at the airport Podgorica, Tivat, or Dubrovnik. Optional transfer from the airport to your accommodation at Lake Skadar, the biggest lake of the Western Balkans and an important bird sanctuary. Meet with a local representative for a brief orientation meeting. For dinner and your first taste of Montenegrin cuisine, we recommend trying regional specialities from the Lake Skadar area.

After breakfast, you start your first adventure – sea kayaking. Following a short safety introduction and guidance on handling a sit-upon kayak, you begin exploring the lake and its rich wildlife. You paddle through narrow channels covered with carpets of lily pads, passing romantic villages nestled along the shoreline. Enjoy a break on a small beach before heading back toward the settlement. Later, continue to Podgorica, Montenegro’s lively capital, where you are accommodated in the historic centre. Join locals in their daily evening routine.nnKayaking duration: 2–4 hours.

An early morning start takes you on one of the most spectacular train rides in Europe, travelling from Podgorica to Kolasin. Upon arrival, you are transferred to the starting point of today’s hike above Biogradska Gora National Park.nnAfter lunch, you walk along a ridge offering stunning panoramic views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The hike ends at a traditional mountain pasture, where you experience the simple and tranquil lifestyle of Montenegrin families. Overnight in small two-bed wooden cabins with shared toilets and showers. Simple, but clean and atmospheric.

Optional: After a hearty breakfast, follow a steep trail downhill through ancient forest to Biogradska Gora Lake. From there, you are transferred across the Tara Canyon, the deepest canyon in Europe at 1,300 metres, to the starting point of your rafting adventure on the Tara River.nnIn the afternoon, continue onward to Durmitor National Park. Optional alternative: If you prefer not to raft, hike to the summit of Curevac, widely regarded as the best viewpoint to fully appreciate the immense beauty and scale of the Tara Canyon.

After breakfast, you embark on a spectacular hike to the summit of Crvena Greda (Walking Option A), one of the finest viewpoints in Durmitor National Park. With every step, the views grow more impressive.nnAt the top, enjoy time to rest and a picnic lunch while facing snowy peaks, including Bobotov Kuk, the park’s highest summit at 2,523 metres. Views extend across the park toward Zabljak.nnHiking option A: 15 km, 700 m ascent/descent, 5–6 hours. Walking option B: A relaxed walk around Snake Lake and Black Lake, with mostly flat terrain through beautiful scenery. Several small bays invite you for a refreshing swim in Black Lake. 8 km, 2–3 hours, +200 m / -200 m. Optional: Canyoning in Nevidio Canyon. Located south of Durmitor National Park, the canyon entrance is surrounded by glacial lakes and a waterfall. The canyoning experience is graded 2–3 and lasts up to 6 hours depending on group size and fitness. Return to your accommodation in Zabljak.

A scenic farewell drive along the famous Durmitor Ring leads you to the valley of Piva Lake, passing another dramatic canyon landscape. Here, you have the option to ride Montenegro’s longest zip-line across Piva Lake. Continue with a quieter stop at Piva Monastery, which was relocated 300 metres higher during the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the 1960s. Later, stop in Perast, the baroque captain’s town in the Bay of Kotor, for your first swim in the Adriatic Sea. Explore the town and optionally kayak at sunset to the famous church island, Our Lady of the Rocks.nnIn the evening, a short transfer brings you to Kotor.

Today you visit the old town of Budva and stop for photos of Sveti Stefan, the former fishermen’s village and now a luxury hotel, one of Montenegro’s most iconic landscapes.nnBefore beginning your cycling adventure, explore Cetinje, the old royal capital of Montenegro, and learn about the turbulent history of the 19th-century kingdom. The cycling route follows the legendary serpentine road known as the Ladder of Kotor, descending from 1,350 metres above sea level down to the city walls of Kotor. Each bend reveals a new, breathtaking view over the bay.

After breakfast, your adventure trip in Montenegro comes to an end. Transfer from your accommodation to the international airport in Podgorica, Tivat, or Dubrovnik for your return flight home.nnWe recommend extending your stay to further explore the southern coast of Montenegro.