Full description of the tour you can find HERE.
 

OVERVIEW, OR WHAT THIS TOUR MAKE SO SPECIAL?

There are three key points to highlight about our tour experience:

First and foremost, there is no time to waste. Guests are on the tour for every minute they've paid for, which means we don't include meal breaks. Our restaurants tend to be slow and often crowded, so we want to avoid delays that aren't necessary. Except for the 23 km stretch of road between Kotor and Budva, every other kilometer you travel is filled with attractions, stunning landscapes, and scenic viewpoints—these are the highlights you are paying for. You will have the opportunity to take a short break at Lipa Cave, as well as before and after boarding the ship.

Secondly, we offer a unique boat ride from Rijeka Crnojevića to Virpazar, providing you with the best experience of Lake Skadar. Unlike most agencies that focus on only one side of the lake, which is the largest in the Balkans, we have created an itinerary that allows you to see the beautiful canyon of the Crnojevića River as well as the expansive big side of the lake, including views of the Albanian side.

Lastly, another advantage of our tour is the small group size. We keep our groups to 4 to 6 people, accompanied by a professional guide. This intimate setting enhances your experience and allows you to participate in the many attractions we visit. The delays are minimal, and we ensure return before the evening traffic jams begin. 

NOTE: The attractions on this excursion cannot be visited using public transportation in a single day, especially not within 10 hours.

WHEN AND WHERE WILL WE START?

The tour starts at 8:00 am from Budva. The next pick-up is in the city of Kotor. From Kotor to Budva is only a 25 km distance. In the off-season, we need 30 minutes of the ride between the cities, but in the very high season, we need 45 minutes which is written in our itinerary. If guests take the private tour we will pick them up from their accommodations. 

The departure point in Kotor is from the ECO PETROL gas station next to the main bus station.
The departure point in Budva is from the ECO PETROL gas station next to the hotel Slovenska Plaža, or at some other location that is more suitable for guests.

NOTE: The temperature in the summer season can be very high, above 35 degrees, so pay attention to protect your body with adequate clothes, skin with sun cream, and head with a hat. Always have enough water. 
 

WHERE WE WILL GO?

We will go to Panorama Road over Boka Bay by Old Serpentines Road, Lovcen National Park, Mausoleum of Petar II Petrović Njegoš, Lipa Cave (Lipska pećina), Paul side-viewpoint on River Crnojevica (Pavlova Strana), a boat ride from River Crnojevica (Rijeka Crnojevica) to Vranjina, St.Stefan-photo stop.

OLD ROAD WITH 25 SERPENTINES AND A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE BOKA BAY 

We will begin our tour by driving slowly from Kotor to  Lovcen National Park, along an old road featuring 25 serpentines, which is protected by UNESCO. After the first curve, you'll be greeted by an amazing view of Tivat Bay. With each successive serpentine, the view expands until we reach the top, where we will make a photo stop. Here, guests will be able to enjoy a full view of Boka Bay.  

The ride lasts 40 minutes, and during that experience, we will make 3 photo stops. One at the beginning of Kotor Bay, the second on the 25th serpentine, and the third close to the top of the Lovcen. From that spot to the Mausoleum is only a few kilometers of ride.

LOVĆEN NATIONAL PARK AND MUSEUM OF PETAR II PETROVIĆ NJEGOŠ 

A few minutes later, we will be at the entrance of Lovcen National Park, and go up to the second-highest peak (Jezerski Vrh) of 1660 meters where is located the famous mausoleum of Petar II Petrović Njegoš. From the car parking to the mausoleum, the viewpoint is appx 500 steep stairs, which could be difficult to manage for some guests, especially when is very hot. This part of the tour is optional, and guests who decide to go to the top should pay an entrance fee of 5 euros per person. This ticket is not included in the price.

From the viewpoint of the Mausoleum, guests can see the panorama of the whole of Montenegro. For this view is worth going up to the top, but the guests who don't want to do it, or cannot, have the option to sit in the lovely restaurant next nearby and enjoy a coffee break or some traditional snack. After 1 hour of visiting the Mausoleum and Jezerski Vrh viewpoint, we will continue our tour drive through Lovcen National Park and visitor center Ivanova Korita, then through the city of Cetinje, and go to the Lipa Cave. The drive lasts appx 45 minutes.

LIPA CAVE

Lipa Cave is located very close to Cetinje, but we don't have time to visit both. Most guests wanted to see the cave instead of the city, so we decided to put the cave on our itinerary. It is the first cave in Montenegro that is fully organized for tourist visits. Guests can visit up to 1km of cave canals, depending on the choice of tour. The cave has been explored for 2.5 km and preserved following world standards for the preservation of natural resources of this type. Landscaped paths and lighting make the cave completely safe, modern, and accessible to everyone. NOTE: Guests who want to see Cetinje can be dropped off there and we will pick them up after we visit the cave.

Lipa Cave is a middle-sized size cave with several smaller halls where stalactites and stalagmites are not bigger than 10 meters. The standard visit route of 400 meters has a duration of 45 minutes, with the guide. Some animals live in the cave, like olm, blind albino cave crabs, blind beetles cave pseudoscorpions, and bats. Sometimes some guests-insects accidentally enter the cave, like butterflies and flies. The cave has a small river that flows and creates very small basins and beaches.

This visit is not mandatory and the ticket price of 16 euros for adults and 9 euros per child (ages 5-15). Guests who don't want to visit the cave have a very relaxing option in the cafe bar, which is a part of the Lipa cave complex. Here they can also take some tasty traditional snacks, and enjoy the view of the Skadar Lake region.

PAVLOVA STRANA ON RIJEKA CRNOJEVIĆA (RIVER CRNOJEVIC) 

From Lipa Cave to the River Crnojevica on Skadar Lake is 15 km. We will take a slow descent by the local road to the famous viewpoint Pavlova Strana (Paul side), which has the best view of the 13 km long River Crnojevica and its attractive canyon and delta, which is part of Skadar Lake National Park. The photo stop here is one of the most wanted parts of the tour.

After the photo stop, we will go to the small village of Rijeka Crnojevica, where we will start our boat ride. The village and the river got their name thanks to the ruler Ivan Crnojević (1465-1490), wherein in 1493 the first book in Cyrillic "Oktoih Prvoglasnik" was printed, and in which the first pharmacy and weapons workshop in Montenegro was opened. Later, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the village became the largest port and trade center on Skadar Lake.

BOAT RIDE ON SKADAR LAKE FROM RIJEKA CRNOJEVICA TO VRANJINA

We organize a boat ride from Danilo's Bridge in River Crnojevica to Vranjina for 2 hours. At the beginning of the ride, guests will enjoy narrow lake tributaries full of reeds, water lilies, trees, and birds. Waterlilies are in their full glory in spring and early summer. After an hour of the ride, guests will see Skadar Lake in its full size up to the Albanian side. This boat ride gives the full experience of the National Park and it is the highlight of our tour. Both, the ticket for the boat ride and the entrance fee for the national park are included in the price of our tour.

Skadar Lake is the largest lake in the Balkans. 60% of the lake belongs to Montenegro and 40% is Albanian. Since 1983 it has been declared a national park. There are over 250 bird species including pelicans. Guests can take excellent photos, especially when boats pass the bird sanctuary silently at a minimum speed. The water is very warm in the summer and goes up to 27°C, which makes swimming very pleasant.

Skadar Lake has more than 50 islands. The biggest is Vranjina, with the highest peak of 296 m in altitude, and a surface of 4,8 square kilometers. There is the 18th-century Lesendro fortress and a bird sanctuary. We will pass under the bridge and dock at the small port with the viewpoint. From Vranjina, we will continue in the direction of Budva, passing by the longest tunnel in Montenegro of 4,2 km.

SVETI STEFAN (ST.STEFAN)

Right after leaving the tunnel, we will see the sea coast and Budva Riviera, and its panoramas and places Buljarice, Petrovac, and Rezevici. The most beautiful part is St. Stefan island with its village from the 15th century, the pure pearl of Adriatic. We will make the photo stop and then in a few minutes arrive in Budva and then to Kotor.
 

TOUR CONDITIONS 

The tour is organized by middle-class air-conditioned cars or minivans. The price of the private tour is per car, not per person. The maximum number of guests in the car is 4. The private tour from Budva and Kotor is 300 euros. Private tours can depart any day depending on the availability of the guides. We give a discount for groups of more than 10 people.
 

PRICE INCLUDES

Licensed tour guide in the English language.

The boat ride of 1.5 hours (25 km)
 

THE PRICE DOESN'T INCLUDE

Entrance fee for Lovcen National Park of 4 euros

Entrance fee for Skadar Lake National Park of 5 euros

Entrance fee to the Njegos Mausoleum of 5 euros (this visit is not obligatory)

Entrance fee to the Lipa Cave of 16 euros (this visit is not obligatory)

Guests can use their food and drink (breakfast and lunch are not mandatory).

NOTE: Guests who want to bring their luggage on the tour and finish the tour in another city Kotor or Budva can easily do that, in the case that we will have guests from all 2 cities on the tour. There is no luggage fee. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Guests will receive complimentary water, juices, or wine during the boat ride; however, food is not included. Guests are welcome to bring and enjoy own food.

There are no hidden costs or extra charges associated with the tour. The total cost per person, which includes entrance fees to the Mausoleum, Lipa Cave, and National Parks, ranges appx 110 euros.

When guests make an online reservation, their card will be charged automatically only if a minimum group of 6 passengers is reached. If this number is not met, the card will only be authorized, not charged.

Once the tour is confirmed, guests will receive an online ticket along with a detailed email that includes all necessary instructions regarding the departure point, type of vehicle, and the names and contact information of the driver and guide.

If the minimum number of passengers is not found up to 12 hours before departure, the reservation is automatically canceled free of charge. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that there is absolutely no financial risk involved.

Guests do not need to print their tickets; they can simply keep them on their phones and present them to the driver or guide upon arrival.

Before you decide to purchase the tour ticket check our itinerary and terms and conditions. 

For more info about the tour and booking, contact us by e-mail at  montenegrohostel@gmail.com 

or by phone (Viber and WhatsApp) at +38269039751 from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (local time)

 

Hope you will enjoy our tour:)

Montenegro Hostel Travel Agency Team