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Discover Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro
9 days / 8 nights
DAY 1: Arrival Belgrade, Serbia
(Total distance for this day 20 KM – total drive only 30 min)
Arrive to Nikola Tesla International Airport of Belgrade. Meeting at the airport with our representative and transfer to the
hotel in Belgrade.
Overnight in Belgrade: Hotel 4* 2 (nights)
DAY 2: Belgrade full-day city tour
Enjoy today a city tour of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia since 1403, when Despot Stefan, son of Tsar Lazar, moved his palace here. We will start our day by cruising the streets of Belgrade. First, we’ll be heading to New Belgrade on the left bank of the Sava River in order to see some Communist-style apartment blocks and to pass by the Sava Congress Center before continuing to Zemun – once a separate town, but now part of greater Belgrade, where we will enjoy the old Tower of Gardos.
Then we will return to the old part of the town to pass through the luxurious residential area of Dedinje. We will stop to pay a visit to the Memorial Complex of Josip Broz Tito. On our way to the old center of the city, we will see the new church of St. Sava. This is the third largest Orthodox church in Europe, being built at the place where in 1594 Sinnan Pasha had the holy relics of St. Sava burned at the stake. We then see the Federal Assembly building of former Yugoslavia and palaces from the Serbian dynasties until WWII.
In the afternoon we will continue our tour from the elegant Republic Square, where we’ll make a close inspection of its architectonic monuments such as the National Theatre and the National Museum. Then we will stroll along unavoidable Knez Mihailova Street – the main shopping and meeting place, in order to see a few other masterpieces of Belgrade’s architecture such as the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, followed by the visit to the oldest quarters of the 19th century with the ‘Question mark sign’ Inn, Princess Ljubica’s Residence (now housing a permanent exhibition of original furniture), the Patriarchy and the Orthodox Cathedral.
Walking through the streets of the old part of town we will arrive to the fortress of Kalemegdan, which is the symbol of Belgrade situated at the mouth of River Sava flowing into the Danube. We start our visit with the Upper fortress area. It includes well-preserved artillery structures dating from the mid-18th century as well as a medieval fortification – an acropolis with original or partly reconstructed ramparts, gateways, towers and the excavated ruins of a 15th century castle. A few Turkish monuments and some older, ancient Roman remains also lie in this area. In this section of the fortification complex we will see the elegant 18th century Baroque Clock Tower and the Roman Well.
Tour of the Eastern Ward includes the Rose Church of Our Lady along with a panoramic view of the Lower fortress and its monuments – the Nebojsa Tower, the Baroque Gate of Karl VI, and the remains of the medieval Metropolitan Palace.
In the evening enjoy your dinner in the atmosphere of the local bohemian quarters of Skadarlija with typical food and music.
Overnight in Belgrade (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 3: Belgrade – Ethno Village Mecavnik
(Total distance for this day 130 KM – total drive only 2h 30min).
After breakfast, we will take a beautiful scenic road, following river Drina, which forms the border between Serbia and Bosnia. The beauty of the River Drina lies not only in its biological diversity and a rare scenic beauty. Everything is so close that you can almost reach out and touch the freezing water beneath you and steep rocks and dark forests along the river banks will surround you. Only the sky is far away from you. It shows up there among the grey rocks as a narrow pale blue stripe…
We will take a nostalgic journey by the old steam engine “Šarganska Osmica” for 15km, crossing breathtaking scenery through 20 tunnels, 10 bridges and across many viaducts. Once, this narrow gauge train, affectionately known as the Ćira (Chira), used to be the only traveling solution for the people of the area. The train cut its path through the astonishing landscapes of Serbia and Bosnia, on its way from Belgrade to Sarajevo, and further on to Dubrovnik. Now it is possible to ride a 15km part of it, famous for its curves in the shape of the number 8 that made it possible to climb the steep slopes of the mountains Šargan and Mokra Gora.
The track was reconstructed in 1999. During the ride, the train makes a few stops, one of which lasts 20 minutes to let you take some fabulous photographs, enjoy the views, or have a refreshment in the cafe of a tiny and charming ‘railway station’.
After a short drive we will arrive to the ethno village of Mecavnik, the ‘Wooden City’, built as a setting for the latest film of the very
famous movie director Emir Kusturica. The amazing village was, until recently, merely a couple of salvaged traditional wooden houses on a bluff above a beautiful valley. This village will be our home for tonight.
Overnight in Mecevnik: Hotel 4* (1 night) (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 4: Ethno Village Mecavnik – Visegrad BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA – Sarajevo
(Total distance for this day 130 KM – total drive only 2h 30min)
This morning after breakfast, we will leave Serbia and cross the border to Bosnia & Herzegovina. After a short drive, we will visit Visegrad, nested here in the valley at a particularly beautiful point. Just like the well-known city of Mostar, Višegrad also has a famous stone bridge (UNESCO) that hails from the Ottoman era. The bridge in Višegrad was designed by the famous Ottoman architect Sinan and completed in 1571. It is an Ottoman structure of pumice stone, and was the inspiration for a novel by Ivo Andric, “The Bridge On The River Drina” which got him the 1961 Nobel Prize for Literature.
After arrival to Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Hercegovina , we will enjoy walking tour of the city. This magical town with all its charms takes us instantly back to the Ottoman day as we visit beautiful Ottoman mosques, old quarters and the authentic Turkish“carsija”, with its oriental sweets shops, cafes and traditional Bosnian food. Sarajevo is also a town in which for more than 400 years mosques, orthodox churches, roman-catholic churches and synagogues have been standing together.
Overnight in Sarajevo: Hotel 4* (1 night) (Breakfast)
DAY 5: Sarajevo – Mostar – Scepan Polje MONTENEGRO
(Total distance for this day 300 KM – total drive only 6h)
After breakfast, we will enjoy walking tour of the city. This magical town with all its charms takes us instantly back to the Ottoman day as we visit beautiful Ottoman mosques, old quarters and the authentic Turkish “carsija”, with its oriental sweets shops, cafes and traditional Bosnian food.
Our drive south will take us along the river Neretva, through its breath taking canyon, where we will have lunch in the local restaurant.
No visit of Bosnia & Herzegovina is complete without a visit to Mostar. We tour Mostar, a picturesque town, more than 5 centuries old and made famous by the old Turkish bridge (UNESCO) that once was the only means uniting the city over the emerald waters of the Neretva River. The bridge always played a central role in lives of its inhabitants. The original bridge was wooden, built at the beginning of the 15th century, and it was a very important link of the two parts of Herzegovina, not only strategically but also in respect of trade linking the sea to the interior. This soon brought the urgent need to replace the old unsafe wooden chain bridge with a new which could meet the growing requirements. The construction of the bridge began in 1557 and continued for nine years making it the masterpiece of Hajrudin, and under the close observation of the Caliph, Suleyman the Magnificent (builder). We stroll through medieval style old bazaar with astounding Ottoman Islamic architecture.
In the afternoon we will cross the border into Montenegro and settle in our camp. Dinner and overnight will be in Rafting Camp.
Overnight 1 night (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 6: Scepan Polje – Rafting – Zabljak
(Total distance for this day 80 KM – total drive only 2h)
This will be our program for today organized by rafting camp https://www.rafting-tara.me
– Breakfast will be served till 10:30 am – specialties of domestic kitchen
– Preparations for rafting / equipping with life jacket, helmets and protecting clothing and footwear
– 11.30 – After short driving with off-road vehicles or vans to Brstanovica (the starting point of rafting). You will meet skipper and
other participants, and get instructions for behavior on the boat
– Rafts have a capacity for 8 to 10 people and it is important that all participants follow rafting instructions
–12.00h – Rafting through the most attractive part of Tara River in the length of 18 km, where plenty of nice excitement – such as
cascades (waterfalls) cells and Vjernovića ranked with 5; Borovi, Varda, Cegrlo categorized with 4, and the other 17 categories 2-3).
– Rafting lasts for about 3.5 to 4 hours with breaks for swimming and relaxation on Kulina, Manita Šipčanickom springs and creek.
– Arrival around 16:00 h
– Lunch – domestic specialties
(Rafting is convenient for all guests, no previous experience needed)
After lunch we will say goodbye to our new friends and continue our tour. We will end our day by arriving to Žabljak, a small village on the top of Durmitor Mountain, which lies at the very center of this vast and wonderful National Park. Zabljak is located at 1456m above sea level, which make it the highest town in the Balkans. It is surrounded by 23 hilltops, the highest of which is 2300m. Within the territory of the National Park there are 17 glacial lakes, known as the “eyes of the mountains “, the most famous being Black Lake. Dinner and overnight in Zabljak.
Overnight in Zabljak: 1 night (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 7: Zabljak – River Tara Canyon (UNESCO) – Budva
(Total distance for this day 230 KM – total drive only 5h)
After breakfast we will take a walk through the National Park and around Black Lake.
Leaving Zabljak we will drive through the canyon of river Tara, a unique rival to the Grand Canyon of Colorado. It is part of the National Park of Durmitor and is a UNESCO site. River Tara has its source in the mountains at the northern part of the country and runs 140 km before it joins river Piva, forming Drina, one of the largest and most rich rivers of the Balkans. For centuries, Tara eroded the soft limestone, forming a spectacular gorge, measuring 82 km long and in some places 1300m deep, making this the second largest gorge in the world.
We will make a stop at breathtaking spot of Djurdjevica Tara where many zip-lines are available for the bravest of us. Late afternoon we will drive south to the coast finishing our exciting day in the coastal town of Budva.
Overnight in Budva: 1 night (Breakfast, Lunch)
DAY 8: Budva – Boka Bay – Kotor
Today, first we will visit, small coastal town of Budva, is one of the oldest inhabited places in the area, known since Illyrian times. The town of Budva that we can see now is medieval and is definitely the most attractive tourist place on the Riviera. Budva has a fortified old part of the town with the typical architecture of narrow streets and stone buildings placed around the main cathedral. This area is now used as a gathering place for tourists, containing many shops and taverns.
Budva also has several attractive beaches and hotels. We will enjoy a marvelous drive around beautiful Boka Kotorska Bay, passing by many old fishing villages, churches, monasteries, marinas and beaches.
On the other side of the Boca Bay, we will visit Herceg Novi. We will go for a walk through the narrow streets of the medieval town, which was founded by the Bosnian King Tvrdko in 1382. The town played a very important role in the trade and economy of whole area in the 14th and 15th centuries, even after it was given to the Turks at the end of the 15th century. The town was ruled at times by Venice, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and France before it was finally given to Montenegro in 1918.
We will see the city walls, the main western entrance, the Sahat Kula tower, then Kanli Kula, also known as the Bloody Tower, as it was used as a prison during the times of Ottoman rule. We will also see Forte Mare, a citadel from Venetian times, as well as the church of St. Archangel Mihail.
In the afternoon, we will get to know Kotor, a town museum, (UNESCO site), was inhabited even at the times of the Illyrians and Romans. However, our walk through the city will take us back to medieval times, as most of the monuments we can observe now are from the 14th to 18th centuries. The city is surrounded by strong walls, a renaissance tower stands on the main square, and there are numerous churches and lovely houses still remaining. We will see the Cathedral of St. Tripuna, St. Luka Church, St. Mihail Church, and many more.
Overnight in Budva 1 night (Breakfast, Lunch)
DAY 9: Budva departure
After breakfast will be the transfer to the airport for your flight home. (Breakfast)
Hotels:
Hotels listed in the itineraries are the usual ones based on which rates are given. The final hotel list will be given together with the confirmation for the tour. So some hotels may be different due to the availability at the time of booking, similar hotels can be used with the same standard and within a given budget.
Rates are given based on double/twin rooms.
English Speaking Guide:
Our professional English-speaking guide will accompany the group, at all times the group is with us – so from arrival to the airport where the tour begins till departure at the airport where the tour finishes, except when the group has free time.
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