Durmitor National Park Tour

A full day inside Montenegro's most dramatic mountain landscape.

Durmitor National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the north of the country, is a different Montenegro — a high-altitude world of glacial lakes, karst plateaux, black-pine forests and the extraordinary Tara river canyon, at 1,300 metres the deepest canyon in Europe. This full-day private tour is a long, spectacular drive and a genuine change of climate and scenery from the coast.

Early morning — the drive north. After an early hotel pickup, we drive inland through the Morača river canyon — one of the most beautiful road journeys in the Balkans, with the Morača Monastery (a thirteenth-century Serbian Orthodox foundation with restored frescoes) as a scheduled first stop, ninety minutes into the drive.

Late morning — the Tara Bridge. We continue up onto the Durmitor plateau and pause at the Đurđevica Tara Bridge, a graceful five-arch span suspended 172 metres above the canyon floor. For guests who wish, a zip-line runs across the canyon from a platform near the bridge and can be added on request.

Midday — Black Lake and Žabljak. Deeper into the park, we reach Black Lake (Crno Jezero) at the foot of the Meded and Savin Kuk peaks — a still, dark tarn ringed by pines. A gentle three-kilometre walking loop circumnavigates the lake in around an hour, with viewpoints and quiet clearings throughout. Lunch is served in the mountain town of Žabljak, at a traditional restaurant serving Durmitor specialities — kačamak, lamb from the plateau, fresh trout and homemade cheese.

Afternoon — canyon viewpoints and the return. After lunch, we return south by a slightly different route, with stops at the best canyon viewpoints and, for guests who wish, a short optional stop at Ostrog Monastery — the cliff-set pilgrimage site cut into the sheer rock face above the Zeta valley.

Return. The drive back to the coast is around two-and-a-half hours; guests are typically back at their hotel by early evening.

How it runs. Private, air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide; National Park entrance fees; comfort stops at scheduled points; bottled water on board. Because of the mileage, the tour is best suited to guests staying two or more nights on the coast. A two-day version with an overnight in Žabljak is available on request.