Raft the Tara River in Montenegro
Paddle through a UNESCO protected biosphere as you tackle the entire navigable length of the mighty Tara River
Duration
3 nights
Annual Leave
2 days off work
Group Size
Up to 14 people
Season
May—Jun
Location
Montenegro
Meeting Point
Dubrovnik Airport, Croatia
Classic Accommodation
Lodge · Hotel
Customer Reviews
4.5
Difficulty
Easy
…
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Escape to a UNESCO-protected wilderness of plunging waterfalls, lush forests and rushing rivers with water so pure you can drink it straight from the raft
Raft the entire, 70km navigable length of the mighty Tara River and spend each night in a comfortable river side eco-lodge
Charge through exhilarating rapids, soar across a canyon on a zipline and visit some of the most beautiful locations in Montenegro
Day 1
Hello Montenegro
Driving
Head to your eco-lodge on the banks of the lovely Piva River and settle in. Stretch your legs and then get to know your fellow adventurers around the campfire as the cook prepares dinner.
Day 2
Run the river
Rafting
Driving
Take a scenic drive through the Piva and Durmitor National Parks, stopping at the Great Bridge of Djurdjevica Tara. Look down - you'll be passing beneath it later today! Get your heart pumping with a zipline ride across the deepest canyon in Europe and then launch onto the Tara River. Raft for 40 km passing beneath the 165m high bridge you visited earlier and then navigate a section of canyon that narrows to just 4m across. Dock your raft and then spend the night at another eco-lodge where a delicious Montenegrin meal will be waiting for you.
Day 3
Back onto the water
Rafting
Paddle through the most wild and scenic part of the Tara River as it passes through Durmitor National Park. Navigate exhilarating class III, IV and even V rapids - don't worry, with yesterday's experience you'll be more than ready to tackle them. Return to your lodge in the afternoon and take a hike to a Montenegrin monastery or join a body balance class (weather permitting).
Day 4
Time to head home
Driving
Relax over a last Montenegrin breakfast before jumping in the van and returning to Dubrovnik for your flight home.
Included
Guides
Experienced, English-speaking professional rafting guides
Accommodation
3 nights in an eco-lodge
Meals
Munch on tasty food throughout
Transfers
To and from the airport and everything in-between
Equipment
All your rafting equipment (this includes wetsuit, wet booties, anorak, life jacket)
Permits
All entry fees and taxes
Not Included
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
Flights to and from the meeting point
Visas where required
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
You'll enjoy home-cooked meals made with local ingredients whenever possible. Expect lots of fresh and organic fish and meat.
Typical breakfast: Tea and coffee, made-to-order omelettes, fresh doughnuts, fried eggs and bacon, ham and sausage, locally made cheese, granola, yoghurt, milk and fruit. Typical lunch: Delicious soup, quality meat (lamb, veal, chicken, trout or pork), and pasta. Typical dinner: Freshly grilled local specialities like cevapi, pljeskavica, raznjici and musaka, pasta, local cheese, salad, pastries, rice or chips.
All food is freshly prepared and your hosts can accommodate any dietary requests. Just let them know beforehand.
What is the accommodation like?
Riverside Eco-Lodge
You'll spend the first and last night at your host's eco-lodge on the banks of the Piva River. You'll either stay in a new wooden bungalow or in a twin or triple bedroom in the main building. The cabins are built in the style of Montenegrin pioneer cabins, with the addition of a few contemporary comforts like private baths, hot water and comfy beds.
Žabljak Hotel
You'll spend the middle night at the very comfortable Hotel Porto Tara. This four-star hotel offers a private beach and a back to nature-experience with a vast terrace. Rooms are twin-share with private ensuite bathrooms.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, there is an option to upgrade to a private room (subject to availability) - see Optional Extras for prices. Just request at the time of booking.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Dubrovnik Airport, Croatia
16:00
Ends
Dubrovnik Airport, Croatia
15:30
Transfers
Your host will pick you up and drop you off at the airport.
The drive between Dubrovnik Airport and your base in Montenegro takes approximately 4 hours, although this can be longer depending on the traffic and you will also stop for a break on the way. A driver will pick you up at the airport and you will meet your guides upon arrival at your base in Montenegro. You may wish to pick up some snacks for the journey in case of delays and to help to see you through until dinner time.
If you are staying in Dubrovnik before the trip or after, there are regular buses from the airport into town that cost approx. 5Euros a journey. At the end of the trip, please book a flight that departs after 17:30
Travel options
There are regular flights to/from Dubrovnik from airports across the UK and Europe.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What's included?
- All your rafting equipment (this includes wetsuit, neoprene booties, anorak, life jacket, helmet (appropriate for attaching GoPro cameras), 1 waterproof bag per raft for storing cameras or mobile phones)
What do I need to bring?
- Breathable, quick-drying, sport clothes for getting changed into after wearing your wetsuit
- Hiking shoes or boots for the walk through the forest to the monastery
- Casual shoes or sandals/flip flops for outside use when you are not in the water
- Slippers or indoor shoes for use around your accommodation
- Lightweight trousers, shorts or skirts for when you are not in the water
- T-shirts or long sleeve shirts for when you are not in the water
- Swimsuit (towels will be provided by your host)
- Sun hat
- Sunglasses
- Sunblock/suncream
- Warm jumper for evenings by the river
- Light waterproof jacket
- A light rucksack as your overnight bag for the second rafting camp (your main luggage will be safely stored at the Waterfall Rafting Centre)
- Passport
- Cash for any extra bits you'd like to buy. There is a cash-only bar on site, but no card-payment facilities are available.
Optional Private Room Upgrade
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Room Upgrade
… Per Person
Tara River and the canyon was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to! I'd go again today if it was possible.
Rafting on the Tara river is a huge amount of fun with unbelievable scenery.
Excellent rafting with a lovely relaxed guide in a beautiful setting with glorious white fluffy dressing gowns and brandy on arrival at our canyon hotel! Recommend! The hike to the monastery was worth it for the views but take the road, not the forest where there is no path and tics!
Fantastic trip! Great rafting and lots of laughter along the way
An absolute must do trip, from airport pick up to the end, this was my first sole trip and I felt totally safe throughout. The group I was with were all brilliant company and I've made a great set of new friends. The Rafting centre is in a beautiful location and the hosts were brilliant, loved the log fire on and evening, definitely bring a few layers as it did get chilly but the accommodation was cosy and plenty of hot water. Day 2 was definitely the best, lots of great rapids, the guide Marco was so good at navigation through them and made it such fun. Took loads of photos on route down the river and stopped to let us take pictures where waterfalls were so got some great memories to look back on. All in all the best trip can't wait to do more.
Our raft guide, Marco, was excellent and the accommodation was too.
Amazing trip in such a beautiful place. We had a great group and our guide Lazar was brilliant.
Great experience on the Tara River. Quite a lot of driving was required but a night in Dubrovnik before and after made that aspect manageable.
Breathtaking scenery and fantastic white water rafting. I went as a solo traveller and had a fantastic time. Montenegro is a beautiful country and you get to see real beauty in the remote national park. The rafting was exhilarating in May and the guide was brilliant, I felt safe at all times but also challenged. I didn’t want the trip to end!
We loved our trip to Montenegro! Tara river was gorgeous and we appreciated the opportunity to enjoy it in the middle of the wilderness. The rafting guides were knowledgeable and we learned a lot of interesting facts and history about the area and the country as a whole. Guides also stopped in a riverside "bar" and a few other spots where we could have a drink, take photos and see another waterfall on top of being next to the beautiful Tara. The team was diverse and everyone found someone to talk with. Food was great and the staff worked hard to please everyone as much as they could. We also zip-lined over the canyon and had a hike to a monastery, which were all lovely experiences. There were a few hiccups with the length of the transfers, but these were due to snow still covering some parts of the road, so not something host could affect. We would go back to Montenegro in a heartbeat and would recommend this trip to anyone.
Great trip if you like hiking. We went in Summer, which was the perfect time to see the gorges. In sunny weather it provided shade and cool from the water, in rainy weather it provided shelter from the wind and rain.
Excellent trip. Host very accommodating, fantastic scenery, great vibe, would definitely recommend
Loved this trip! Great group, beautiful scenery, what more could you ask for?
Good trip overall, very welcoming hosts and some of the most amazing scenery you will ever see. The mind still boggles that we rafted down a canyon that was over 1km deep in places. Transfers were unexpectedly long but worth it for the scenery!
Absolutely incredible trip, without doubt the best MBA trip I've done, and probably the best short trip I've ever done. Montenegro is absolutely stunning, totally blew my mind and expectations out of the water.
The hosts are wonderful on this trip, so welcoming and accommodating, the accommodation is also situated in the most beautiful place.
Couldn't recommend this trip enough, would do it again tomorrow.
We had an incredible time on the trip. Hosts were amazing and we met some great people. Montenegro is a beautiful country and should be on more people's must-do lists!
Transfer arrangements were poor. We received incorrect vehicle transfer information on our first day making it difficult to meet the transfer at the airport. The transfer home was over an hour late, meaning that it was very stressful wondering if we would get back to Dubronvik airport in time for flights and onward connections. Rafting on day 1 was very tame, many of us in the raft felt it was a bit boring. 2nd day a bit more interesting
The trip itself, including the experience, the scenery and the adventure was phenomenal. Our guide on the raft was very experienced and ensured it was both safe and thrilling. The group were fantastic and gelled immediately. Make sure you bring more cash than you think. Perhaps don’t book after June if you are looking for intense rapids as the river was becoming calmer in mid-June.
This trip was excellent value for money. The coach journeys were long without many toilet stops, but the scenery was breathtaking. The rafting was great fun but a basic level of fitness is needed. The host was very accomodating
Great adventure with a lovely group, organised by some very conscientious hosts. Would highly recommend
Great to get the chance to do this unique experience. Dogs were great, as was the company.
Lovely bunch of people, so chatty, helpful and welcoming and made it a great place to spend a few nights. The place is amazing! A real oasis. And what really made our trip was our guide - from the stops along the way to explore caves & waterfall to his jokes and stories. Just the most lovely, chilled out guy. It was really nice to meet and chat with so many of the locals.
Beautiful place, absolutely stunning! Cosy accommodation.
The staff were brilliant, friendly and helpful. The food was good and the weather perfect.
Had an awesome time. The guide and the group were great.
The entire trip from start to finish was incredible! Milada is an amazing and wonderfully friendly host and someone I hope will be a life-long friend. She is incredibly generous with her time, wonderfully patient with our questions about Montenegro and wanted us to genuinely have the best time at the Waterfall rafting centre. I had the most incredible time in Montenegro and I know I will be back to visit her and her wonderful staff at the centre. Thank you so much Milada for an amazing time in Montenegro!!!
Good equipment, good boats, experienced raft people, good at stay over, cheap beers, campfire!
The hosts, organisation, the guide Marco and generally the whole experience was great.
Fantastic value for the price. And great vegetarian food options. Lots of fun activities. And everything included so it's easy.
Nice cabins, good overall trip. ...
Nice cabins, good overall trip.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 85kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
During the high water season when the rapids are at their best you’ll raft a 90km section of the Tara River.
On the first day, you'll mostly encounter class II and III rapids, which are fun and exciting and a good way to prepare for the second day.
On the second day, you'll navigate class III, IV and V rapids. These are big enough to get the heart racing and challenge even experienced rafters, but your guides will ensure you get through safely.
The duration of rafting on days 2 and 3 may vary if the water levels are particularly high or particularly low.
No rafting experience is needed, just confidence in the water and the ability to handle 4-5 hours of activity each day. Your guide will give you full instructions and a safety briefing before you start.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Summer is the best season to explore the Montenegrin Mountains. The average temperature is around 25 degrees, but it cools down at night so you may want to bring warm clothes for sitting around the campfire.
The best time of year to run the river is between April and June when the water levels are at their highest and most exciting. Guides will monitor water levels and weather conditions especially during early springtime to ensure the safety of the group.
You can leave your excess luggage at your host's eco-lodge on the banks of the Piva River, where you will be staying during the first and last night of your trip.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.
Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.
Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. See here for more info about the local teams we partner with.
TRIP DEPARTURE DATES
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