Walking In Montenegro

Your holiday begins with a short transfer of around 30 minutes from Tivat Airport to your four-star hotel in Budva, one of Montenegro's most celebrated coastal towns. After settling in, you'll meet your guidefor a welcome drink and receive a first briefing on the week ahead. Budva's old town  -  a compact medieval walled city rising from the Adriatic shore  - is just a short stroll away, and makes for a perfect gentle introduction to the country before the adventures begin.

After breakfast, you head south to the shores of Skadar Lake — the largest lake in the Balkans and a haven for birdlife. Your walk begins at the old stone bridge in Rijeka Crnojevića and follows the river upstream to the Obodska Cave, a beautiful natural cavern that forms the source of the river feeding the lake. The path is gentle and scenic, winding through traditional Montenegrin countryside with views across the water. Returning to Rijeka Crnojevića, you'll enjoy a wine tasting and lunch at a charming family-run winery — a wonderful chance to sample local varieties in a convivial setting. The afternoon brings a two-hour traditional wooden boat cruise through Skadar Lake's famous lily-lined channels to the village of Virpazar, where there is a little time for sightseeing before returning to Budva for dinner and overnight.

Today is a day rich in history, culture and dramatic scenery. You begin with an exhilarating 11-minute ride on the Kotor–Lovćen gondola cable car, soaring above the rooftops of the Bay of Kotor to panoramic views that stretch across the entire gulf. Descending into the old town, your guide leads you through the medieval streets of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose extraordinary fortifications, Venetian palaces and Romanesque churches date from the 12th to 14th centuries. In the afternoon, a short boat trip takes you across the Bay to Perast and the remarkable islet of Our Lady of the Rock — a manmade island built up by local seamen since 1452, with a beautiful baroque church at its centre. A visit to the island's museum reveals centuries of maritime history and ex-votos left by sailors. A three-course dinner at a local restaurant brings a memorable day to a close.

This morning you check out of your Budva hotel and travel north into Montenegro's mountainous interior, a journey of around two and a half to three hours that reveals a very different side of the country. Your destination is Biogradska Gora National Park, home to one of the last primeval forests in Europe — a cathedral-like landscape of ancient trees, mosses and birdsong that feels genuinely untouched by time. Your circular walk takes you around the shores of Biogradsko Lake, a pristine glacial lake reflecting the peaks above it, through old-growth forest that includes beech, spruce and fir trees estimated to be over 500 years old. It is a peaceful and magical experience. Afterwards, you continue to Kolašin, a welcoming alpine resort town, for two nights at the Hotel Bianca Resort & Spa 4* or Swissotel Kolašin 4*.

Today you venture further into northern Montenegro to explore Durmitor National Park — a vast UNESCO-listed wilderness of 79,000 acres encompassing 48 glacial lakes, ancient forests and some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in Europe. But first, a stop at the famous Đurđevića Tara Bridge, a remarkable feat of engineering spanning the Tara River Canyon at a height of 172 metres — Europe's deepest canyon, plunging 1,600 metres in total. Entering Durmitor, your walk circles the iconic Black Lake, the largest of the park's glacial lakes, where the reflections of the surrounding peaks on the dark water create an almost otherworldly scene. The path is well-marked and manageable, with plenty of opportunities to pause and take in the dramatic landscape. The day ends with a three-course dinner at a local mountain restaurant.

This morning you board the train from Kolašin to Podgorica for one of Montenegro's great journeys — a spectacular ride through deep canyons, across soaring viaducts and through mountain tunnels that showcases the extraordinary engineering required to connect the country's coast and interior. It is a journey that railway enthusiasts and casual travellers alike will treasure. From Podgorica you travel by bus to Cetinje, Montenegro's historic former royal capital, a compact and atmospheric town of 19th-century mansions, embassies and museums that tell the story of a fiercely independent nation. The afternoon takes you up into Lovćen National Park to the Njegoš Mausoleum, the resting place of Prince-Bishop Petar II Petrović-Njegoš — reached by climbing 461 steps to a magnificent mountaintop site with panoramic views across Montenegro. You return to Budva for dinner and your final two nights

Your final full day begins with a relaxed three-to-four-hour shared boat tour around the beautiful waters of Budva Bay. The highlight is sailing past the iconic island of Sveti Stefan — a 15th-century fishing village transformed into a luxury resort, its terracotta roofs and walls rising straight from the sea in one of Montenegro's most photographed images. There is time to swim and soak up the Adriatic sunshine as the boat explores the coastline. The afternoon is free for you to explore Budva's charming old town at your own pace — perhaps browsing the boutiques and galleries within the medieval walls, or simply finding a terrace café with a view of the sea. The week concludes with a farewell dinner at a traditional Konoba restaurant, celebrating a wonderful week in the company of your fellow travellers and guide.

After a final breakfast at the hotel, the morning is free until check-out. A transfer then takes you to Tivat Airport for your return flight home, with memories of glacial lakes, ancient forests, medieval cities and the sparkling Adriatic to last a lifetime.