Trek and Raft the Via Dinarica Trail across Bosnia and Montenegro
Discover one of Europe’s hidden wonders as you hike through Bosnia and Montenegro and raft the huge Tara River Canyon
Trip Ref #9563
Trek and Raft the Via Dinarica Trail across Bosnia and Montenegro
Discover one of Europe’s hidden wonders as you hike through Bosnia and Montenegro and raft the huge Tara River Canyon
DURATION
7 nights
LOCATION
Bosnia and Herzegovina
ANNUAL LEAVE
5 days off work
SEASON
Jun—Sep
GROUP SIZE
Up to 15 people
MEETING POINT
Sarajevo
ACCOMMODATION
Classic
Hotel · Mountain hut · Guesthouse
DIFFICULTY
Challenging
No hiking experience required, but you'll be crossing untamed terrain for up to eight hours a day.
Hike Europe’s wildest trails through Bosnia and Montenegro along the relatively unknown Via Dinarica
Visit UNESCO protected natural wonders, including the Tara River Canyon – the deepest gorge in Europe, and ascend Bosnia’s highest peak, Mt Maglić (2386m)
Explore limestone peaks, glacial lakes, ancient villages and an unforgettable landscape of untouched beauty that's teeming with wildlife
Day 1
Sarajevo
Check into your hotel in the old, oriental trading quarter, settle in and then head our for a tour of historic Sarajevo alongside your guides.
Day 2
Sutjeska National Park
Hiking
4-5hrs · 9km · 560m up · 635m down
Leave Sarajevo and hike to the beautiful Donje Bare Lake in the Sutjeska National Park. After lunch, cross the rugged and unspoilt terrain to the summit of Uglješin (1,858m) and enjoy the views across the Zelengora Peaks and the rocky cliff wall of Volujak. Hike to Gornje Bare lake via the Tovarnica ridge and then catch the bus to your hotel in the lovely Tjentište Valley.
Day 3
Maglić Mountain
Hiking
9hrs · 14km · 1350m up · 1300m down
Take on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s highest peak, Maglić Mountain (2,386m) and enjoy your lunch while staring across the valleys into Montenegro. Take a dip in Trnovačko Lake, descend into Prijevor and then back to your hotel in time for dinner.
Day 4
Raft Europe’s deepest canyon
Rafting
3-4hrs
Time to face-off against the Tara Canyon - the deepest gorge in Europe - as you white water raft the class II-IV rapids against a backdrop of untouched wilderness. The canyon marks the border between Bosnia and Montenegro, so you’ll spend the day traversing it and then stay in a wooden cabin on the river bank.
Day 5
The Sokolina Plateau
Hiking
6-7hrs · 18km · 1360m up · 580m down
Enter Montenegro and travel to the Mratinje Dam - at 220 metres, one of the highest in Europe. Hike into the beautiful Durmitor National Park and end the day at a guesthouse on the far side of the Tara Canyon.
Day 6
Škrćko Lakes
Hiking
5-6hrs · 12km · 950m up · 200m down
After a short transfer, continue hiking towards the Škrka Mountain Hut and lakes via Sušićko Lake and the Skakala waterfall. After a lunch break - and the opportunity to dip into the cool, glacial waters - continue via Škrka pass (2112m), all the way down to Dobri Do valley. Take in tremendous views of the stunning peaks surrounding the forested trails over rocky, mountain terrain.
Day 7
Bobotov Kuk
Hiking
6-7hrs · 14km · 650m up · 1200m down
The last day of hiking ends with a high point: the summit of Bobotov Kuk (2523m), Montenegro’s highest peak. Starting at 1900m, trek towards Zupci, a magnificent massif with 14 sharp rocky 'teeth' - a trademark of Durmitor. Reach Zeleni Vir, the highest of the glacial lakes in Durmitor, before beginning the steep ascent. With every step, the views expand, until you reach the top of Montenegro. On a clear day, you may be lucky to see all the way to the Adriatic Sea from this vantage point. After a lunch break, descend and return to Žabljak for a well-deserved rest.
Day 8
Head for home
Say goodbye to your guides before heading back to the airport in time for your flight home.
Included
Guides
Qualified English speaking mountain guides
Accommodation
7 nights in guesthouses, hotels, and bungalows.
Meals
Munch on tasty food throughout
Transfers
To and from the airport and everything in-between
Equipment
All your rafting and safety equipment
Permits
All national park entrance fees and taxes
Luggage Transfers
So just hike with a daypack of essentials
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Visas where required
Day 1
Hotel · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 3
Hotel · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Mountain hut
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Guesthouse · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6 – Day 7
Hotel · Twin share
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 8
Departure day
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Lunches will consist of picnic-style treats, like bread, cheeses, meats and sausages, pate, salad, chocolate bars, cookies, trail mix and coffee/tea. Dinners meanwhile will mostly be taken in restaurants known for their tasty, local delicacies. Umoljani village especially will give you a chance to sample a variety of the region’s traditional dishes. When you’re in the mountain huts, your guides will prepare your food. Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for - please just request on your passenger info form and note that options are limited throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What is the accommodation like?
Sarajevo
In Sarajevo, you’ll stay at a newly built, traditionally Bosnian family-run guesthouse called Pansion Kandilj. All rooms come with air-conditioning and private facilities.
Sutjeska National Park
In Sutjeska National Park, you’ll stay in a Hotel Mladost in Tjentiste Valley (Days 2 & 3).
Tara River
On Day 4 you'll stay at simple wooden bungalows next to the river, enjoying the sound of water and campfire.
Montenegro
On the first night in Montenegro (Day 5), you’ll stay in a rustic guest house called Sokolina that’s based in a converted old barn. Expect homecooked meals and stories told around a campfire with your charismatic host Dragan.
Žabljak
On Days 6 & 7, you’ll sleep in Žabljak's Hotel Zlatni Bor. It includes comfortable double, triple and quadruple rooms with en-suite bathrooms and has its own traditional restaurant.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, a private room can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability). This is available on days 1, 2, 3, 6 & 7 of the itinerary only and is subject to availability.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ)
13.00 on Day 1
Ends
Podgorica Airport (TGD)
12:00 noon on Day 8
Transfers
You’ll be met in Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ) in Bosnia and Herzegovina by your guides. Please arrive by 13.00 on Day 1
The trip ends with a transfer to Podgorica (TGD) after breakfast on Day 8. The transfer itself takes around 2.5 hrs to Podgorica Airport (TGD). You will arrive there around noon so are free to book flights returning after 14:00.
If you would prefer to be collected/dropped off in the town centres please let your host know.
Travel options
There are regular flights to Sarajevo from airports across the UK and Europe.
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What do I need to bring?
Bags
- Daypack (30-40 litres)
Clothes
- Hiking boots
- Waterproofs
Other
- Refillable water bottle
- Sun protection including sunglasses, sun hat (or cap) and sunscreen
- Flashlight and small pocket knife
- Toiletries
Single Room in Zabljak
Payable Before Departure
Single Room in Zabljak
…
Twin/Double Room in Zabljak
Payable Before Departure
Twin/Double Room in Zabljak
…
Single Room in Sarajevo
Payable Before Departure
Single Room in Sarajevo
… Per Night
Twin/Double Room in Sarajevo
Payable Before Departure
Twin/Double Room in Sarajevo
… Per Night
Optional Private Room Upgrade
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Room Upgrade
…
Airport Transfer Sarajevo airport to start
Payable Before Departure
Airport Transfer Sarajevo airport to start
…
Airport Transfer (Zabljak - Podgorica)
Payable Before Departure
Airport Transfer (Zabljak - Podgorica)
…
A fantastic adventure, in unspoilt lands, with a terrific guide. Highly recommended. Will definitely go back to Sutjeska and Durmitor national parks if I get the chance. Highlight was a rustic stay in a mountain hut with a very hospitable local host. Loved it!
Samer and the rest of the host team did an incredible job taking us on a journey of an unspoilt and truly beautiful part of the world. All of the walks were carefully planned and extremely enjoyable with amazing views and a good level of challenge. The rafting made for a really fun break in the isle of the trip, and is an unforgettable experience. The food was amazing throughout, despite me being vegan, the team helped me to find solutions and I never went even close to hungry! The group was brilliant to spend time with, social and talkative, a great bunch of people to spend the week with. Finally, I cannot say enough about how excellent the team were, they really made this trip special, and it certainly had me wanting more, to come back and experience these stunning countries again and again. You will not regret booking this trip!
An amazing week hiking through Bosnia and Montenegro. Incredible views, varied trails, friendly group and excellent tour guide. Evelin went above and beyond to make sure we were all happy and enjoying the week / he was a fountain of knowledge too and great fun along the way. A mix of hikes with some more challenging than others - each day we would assess weather and take the best route possible for safety and to ensure we had the best possible experience. I loved the white water rafting day midweek / it made a good rest after the intense hiking the day. I would thoroughly recommend. Take kit for all weather conditions - don’t underestimate how quickly it can change. Accommodation was varies, all quite basic but clean.
Stunning views of varied landscapes everyday
A great trip all round to discover the wild beauty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. A rewarding and challenging experience, made very enjoyable with a great group and host. The difficulty rating is fairly spot on. Do take note that if the weather conditions are not ideal as it was on my trip, you would not be able to ascend the summits for Maglic and Bobotov Kuk.
The hiking / rafting trip in Bosnia & Montenegro was absolutely fantastic. We did an 8 day tour that started in Sarajevo and ended in Podgorica. The scenery was stunning, the trip was really well organized and the guides (Evelin & Samer) were great (positive, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, honest, motivational and careful). We travelled with a group of 15 and had so much fun. The hikes were definitely challenging at some points but everybody was able to do it. I enjoyed learning about Bosnia and Montenegro, admiring the landscape and the diverse itinerary of the trip. The guides made us feel safe and taken care of, while also preparing us well for what was to come, with honest and reliable descriptions.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys hiking. It was a great trip to do as a solo traveler because the group was very mixed, with couple / friends / solo travelers (most people in my group were between 23-35 yrs old).
Marvelous experience, the guides were excellent and the landscapes fabulous. I felt very at ease as a solo traveler and the group was very diversified in terms of background and ages. I found some of the hikes challenging but we were under excellent guidance and safety was always first. Accommodations were clean and food was great too.
The local team were professional, caring, knowledgeable and friendly. The trip itself was beautiful, sufficiently challenging and very rewarding. Our group was brilliant.
Our guides, services and schedules were great.
The guide and driver (who was like a second guide) were great!
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 298kg 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 for 2023 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. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
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.
The rafting is entry level, so no previous experience is needed, however, expect to get wet and up close and personal with the enormous Tara Canyon.
You'll need a good level of physical fitness with some previous hiking experience and the ability to walk for six to seven hours a day. Your bags will be transported for you each night so you will just need to carry a daypack with the essentials.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Bosnia and Montenegro have similar climates to most of central Europe. Expect warm temperatures, but pack for mountain weather (layer up) as you never know when a thunderstorm may appear on the horizon.
Unfortunately no. As you start and end in different countries you'll need to have everything with you, however, you do not need to carry all your luggage during the hike.
We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.
For current advice about travelling in Bosnia and Montenegro, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.
Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.
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 in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.
Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.
Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.
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