Montenegro Highlands
MontenegroOn this off-road tour through Montenegro’s breathtaking highlands, we take you on some of the most beautiful routes in the Balkans across wild and romantic high plateaus, through deep canyons and untouched forests.
Montenegro — wild, rugged and enchantingly gentle at the same time — still pristine.
We take you on an off-road trip to a largely unknown land of wild beauty.
Breathtaking campsites on secluded lakes give this off-road trip a very individual character. The natural beauty of the Dinaric Alps offers a dramatic contrast between ancient forests, grassy plateaus and alpine cliffs. On this highland route we cross the world-famous Tara Canyon, visit the Durmitor and Bjelasica National Parks, Sinjajevina, the largest high plateau in the Balkans (average altitude 1700 m), and visit several lakes of breathtaking beauty. We will camp in places of sacred silence and untouched nature and see and taste the old methods of cheese making by Montenegrin hill tribes. It will be an impressive, overwhelming experience for all the senses!
The expedition starts in the northern Montenegrin town of Pljevlja, where we will refuel and get our first supplies before driving around Mount Ljubišnja (2238 m) to some breathtaking views over the Tara Canyon. The first day ends at the official camp near the famous Đurđevića Tara Bridge.
The next day begins with an optional 3‑hour rafting tour on the Tara River (not included in the expedition price). If you don’t want to go rafting, you can enjoy the scenery around the camp and do some photo shoots from the very attractive bridge, or take a zipline ride over the canyon (three different ziplines are available). After lunch, we continue to Durmitor National Park, where we visit the most famous viewpoint before settling down at a campsite near Žabljak, the headquarters of the national park. Optionally, if there is still time, we can take the 80 km round trip through Durmitor — many fascinating views and two mountain passes almost 2000 m high.
Finally, we leave all traces of civilization behind us and embark on a three-day, pure wilderness experience in the central part of the Montenegrin highlands. So before we leave Žabljak, we have to refuel and top up for the next three days, as there will be no opportunity to do so until we reach Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, in the afternoon of the fifth day. During a ride of more than 200 kilometers, we will never drop below 1300 m altitude (the average ride altitude is 1500–1800 m), and our campsites will reach altitudes of up to 1760 m (so it can be quite cold at night towards the end of September, with occasional temperatures below freezing). But it will be worth it, as crossing these mountain ranges will probably be the highlight of the tour, both in terms of scenic beauty and riding enjoyment.
After we have refueled in Podgorica, we meet up at a beautiful wild campsite on Lake Rikavac, right on the Albanian border. The last 15 kilometers of access to the lake are truly exceptional, very similar to the most attractive trails in the Western Alps. Day six takes us further to the south side of the Komovi Mountains and ends on Bjelasica, probably the best mountain for cycling in Montenegro. In several places on the grassy ridges of Bjelasica it is possible to reach over 2000m on bikes, which is not usually possible in the rocky landscape elsewhere in Montenegro.
The next day is dedicated entirely to exploring the trails and views of Bjelasica, ending near another exceptionally beautiful lake at an altitude of almost 1800 meters. On the eighth day, we then take the ridge link to the north side of Komovi Mountain before descending shortly afterwards to the small town of Andrijevica for refueling and recharging. Our route continues to Mokra Mountain, a place where nature has been rich in vegetation and where the tree line rises well above 1900m! We camp at a local nomadic settlement at an altitude of 1750 m, have the opportunity to experience real Montenegrin mountain life with the animals and taste fresh milk, cheese and other local dishes prepared by the shepherds.….
During the tour we mostly sleep on beautiful nature campsites in complete wilderness, often near lakes, at altitudes between 1300 and 1800 m, so prepare warm clothes — even in midsummer the nights can be cold at these altitudes. On three days we will be in official camps. Our average arrival time at the campsite is between 17:00 and 18:00, and departure time in the morning is usually between 8:30 and 9:30. Montenegro is a country rich in wildlife (including wolves and bears), but no attacks on campers have been recorded, so you can relax. To make camping more comfortable, you should bring folding tables and chairs as well as cooking utensils for food, mobile fridge (12 V), etc. In Žabljak there will be a possible bungalow or hotel alternative to camping — we will advise the participants of the tour and if you want to break the camping routine for a day, it is possible to stay overnight here (not included in the expedition price).
You will receive a GPS track on how to reach the starting point (Pljevlja) from your home town in good time, as well as the telephone number of your tour guide. Please make sure that you have travel insurance before starting the tour. We expect you to arrive with a vehicle in good technical condition that can withstand ten days of moderate off-roading. This tour does not require a high level of off-road experience and ability. There will be parts of the tour where we will not have the opportunity to refuel for several days, so you should have a fuel tank (optional with additional fuel tanks) that guarantees a range of 250 km without visiting a gas station. All major credit cards (Visa, Master, Maestro, etc.) work in Montenegro (either at ATMs or to pay for goods), and the official currency in Montenegro is Euro. It is recommended to have at least a small amount of cash for small expenses in the mountain areas.
The average difficulty of the tour is easy to moderate. In practice, this means that most of the time we will be on high-quality slopes, with only the occasional chance of mud. There will be parts of the rocky terrain where care should be taken not to damage important parts of the subsoil (especially when we take shortcuts completely off-road, it is necessary to watch out for hidden rocks in tall grass). We will not have any deep water crossings on our route (therefore no snorkel is required). Our operational communication during the tour will be via CB radio.
We look forward to this ultimate highland experience with you. Let yourself be enchanted by the unique charm of this intoxicating nature.
This trip is suitable for off-road vehicles and SUVs with sufficient ground clearance. At least all-terrain tires. Winch not necessary.
- Camp tour with unique wild campsites
- Self-catering
- min. 4 & max. 10 vehicles
- depending on group size 1 or 2 organization vehicles from NPL-Overland and serbienoutdoor4x4
- Fees for campsites
- Rafting self-paying
- Travel insurance certificate
- Radio on loan
- Detailed travel documents
What our customers say about the tour:
Super
Diverse landscapes, stunning views and great overnight stops. Lots of driving fun and adventure through a washed away road or a damaged bridge. Nikola and Tom did a great job of guiding our large group, even in the event of a breakdown.
Waanzinnig mooi
Voor ons was het de allereerste off-road toer. Onze James (VW Transporter T6 firmatoon sperdifferentiel) kon de rit goed aan. Nikola en Tom zorgden voor een uitstekende service. De toer zelf was buitengewoon mooi. Kamperen op afgelegen plaatsjes in de prachtige natuur. Ook de groep was heel fijn! Een echte aanrader. We hope nog eens een toer te kunnen meemaken!
Impressive mountains — beautiful tracks
After traveling the Balkans twice with Nils and NPL in recent years, this year it was the Highlands in Montenegro. First of all: — It was a really nice tour. At the beginning we had some concerns due to the group size of more than 10 vehicles, but everything worked out wonderfully. The local guide Nikola chose beautiful routes and great camping spots and gave us lots of information about the country, people and culture. In addition to the contact with local farmers around the campfire every evening, he even established a radio connection to the ISS — interesting. Nils in his indescribable manner and Tom as co-guide took care of the group and cohesion — as always very pleasant and relaxed. And as well as learning about the country, people and culture, we learned a lot about repairing fan belts, fuel pumps and filters, gearshift linkages, starter motors etc.. A big thank you to Patrick, the mechanic in the group, who always found a solution, regardless of the brand. Once again, it was great fun and the days went by far too quickly. Many thanks to the guides and see you next time …
It was fantastic
The tour was just great. We rode super beautiful, varied routes and trails with fantastic panoramas and camped in fantastic places. Montenegro surprised us with its versatility and our guides Nils and Alex did their best to show us everything in these 10 days. We are very grateful for this and would never have experienced it like this on our own. We were at beautiful lakes either for lunch breaks or for swimming and camping. We were guests in the mountains with a shepherd family who overwhelmed us with their hospitality and traditional food. There was a campfire every evening where everyone got together and talked about the day’s experiences. The days were super relaxed thanks to the good organization. We can only warmly recommend the tour. :)
Secret Carpathians + Montenegro Highland 2021
We are repeat offenders and have just treated ourselves to both tours in a row this year. I think that says a lot about how impressed we are with the NPL Overland and Rustikatravel tours! Each tour was special in its own way. Serbia with a very small great group, wonderful landscapes and one or two challenges for man and machine. Montenegro with a rather large group that nevertheless harmonized well. Something that certainly speaks for the guide qualities of Nils and Aleksandar. Apart from that, Montenegro offers varied landscapes and beautiful camping spots. What we always like are the contacts with the locals and the local meals that are organized. The guides Nils and Aleksander are a dream team. On the one hand Aleksandar, who knows the Balkans like the back of his hand and takes you to the real “secrets”. And on the other side is Nils, who always has an open ear and makes everyone in the group feel at ease. Even in tricky situations, which can occur on an off-road tour, it was clear that both of them, with their years of experience, know exactly what to do. Conclusion, anytime again!
A journey of contrasts
Montengro was not our first trip to the Balkans, but it made a deep impression on us. A country full of contrasts, where everyone gets their money’s worth. In the touristy south, sun, beach and sea on the beautiful Adriatic coast, which is in no way inferior to Croatia or Italy. An ideal opportunity to relax before or after the tour. Even in the capital, everything looks very modern and European. Most of the rest of the country, on the other hand, is still very pristine. Only a few small villages, churches or wooden huts. In between, there are always beautiful, secluded mountain lakes. A paradise for nature lovers of all kinds. And it was precisely into this untouched hinterland that Nils and Aleksandar’s fantastic tour took us. This tour was characterized by magnificent and very varied mountain landscapes. As the driving days were usually not too long, there was enough time to jump into the lake, go for a short hike or simply relax in the beautiful landscape. There was often the opportunity to get in touch with the friendly locals and enjoy the traditional meals. Aleksandar’s good contact with the locals made such authentic experiences possible. When it comes to navigation and routing, nobody can match the knowledge that Aleksandar has acquired over decades in the Balkans. He simply always knows the best off-road routes, wild camps, viewpoints, water sources and anything else you could wish for. Nils is always concerned about the satisfaction of each individual and manages like no other to reconcile the different needs of the group participants. If there are any difficulties in the terrain, he is always on hand with help and advice and will even give instructions if necessary. His evening campfire contributes to a cozy end to the day. These two guides complement each other perfectly. The entire tour was very professionally organized and carried out. Many thanks for that! It certainly wasn’t the last tour with these two!!!
Everything went perfectly
The Montenegro Highlands Tour 2021 was wonderful. Varied routes, totally different landscapes, beautiful camps. The tour guides Nils and Alexandar are absolutely professional, competent, simply likeable, nice and friendly. They are also funny :-) We had a lot of fun and felt very comfortable !!! I can only recommend them. Many thanks for this great tour! Jan and Kathrin