Bosnia and Beyond Explorer

We meet at Dubrovnik Airport and transfer for about one hour to Trebinje in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a beautiful small city. The old town, a short stroll from our hotel, provides a graceful first taste of Herzegovina’s heritage with stone architecture, shaded squares and the Arslanagić Bridge, which dates from the 18th century.

Around 6pm we gather for a welcome briefing, then we share dinner by the banks of the Trebišnjica River – a relaxed start to the journey. If you would like more time in Trebinje or Dubrovnik, you can arrange pre–tour nights through your sales representative.

We bid farewell to Trebinje and transfer about two hours to the coastal town of Kotor in Montenegro. We set out to explore the Unesco–listed Old Town on a guided walk of around two hours, winding through atmospheric lanes and squares lined with elegant palaces, churches and monuments shaped by Venetian and Byzantine influence.

We then transfer about 25 minutes to Perast, once under Venetian rule, where the Church of St Nikola from the 17th century and a Venetian fortress overlook handsome waterfront palaces and gardens. We enjoy lunch with views over the bay before a boat ride to Our Lady of the Rocks island to visit the chapel – the sweeping vistas of the Dinaric Alps are superb. We return to our hotel by boat to round off the day.

We transfer about two hours to Cetinje for a tour. Set at the foot of Mount Lovćen, this former royal capital has been the sacred centre of Montenegro since 1485 and is home to more museums and cultural heritage sites than anywhere else in the country. We visit key sights in this cultural oasis on the Cetinjsko fields.

From Cetinje we continue into the mountains to the holy shrine of St Vasilije at Ostrog. Carved dramatically into a sheer rock face, the Ostrog Monastery is regarded by many as the most inspiring Orthodox sacred site in the former Yugoslavia, drawing pilgrims from multiple faiths. The day ends with a drive of around three hours through isolated villages and high mountain passes to the small ski resort of Zabljak, set on a plateau at 1,500m amid pine forests, alpine peaks and the deep Tara Canyon.

Today we explore the Zabljak Plateau, dotted with lakes and traditional villages. We begin with a lakeside walk where still waters mirror the surrounding peaks. Around lunchtime we transfer to the village of Podgora, part of a regional ecovillage network that supports rural tourism, where a local family serves us a tasty lunch of traditional Montenegrin mountain dishes. We also pause at a viewpoint above the Unesco–listed Tara Canyon for far–reaching views.

We return to Zabljak and the afternoon is free – you can continue exploring, take a scenic walk, enjoy an invigorating dip in the lake or settle into a café for a glass of local wine or beer.

We transfer 2–3 hours to the Montenegro–Bosnia border via the wild interior of Durmitor, with its jagged peaks, remote mountain lakes and deep canyons. The narrow roads thread past occasional shepherds moving sheep to higher summer pastures – a seasonal tradition that has shaped Montenegrin culture for centuries.

We continue to Brod na Drini for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Drina River, then drive on through the rugged east of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Sarajevo.

Today we explore Sarajevo on foot and by bus. One of Europe’s most culturally diverse cities, Sarajevo spent more than four centuries under Ottoman rule before the Austro–Hungarians arrived in the late 19th century. Forty years later, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand here helped trigger the First World War. In the 20th century the city hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics and endured a long siege. Our visits to major historical, cultural and wartime sites help piece together this complex past.

We take a guided walking tour of the main sights and visit the Sarajevo Tunnel Museum – the tunnel provided a vital lifeline during the city’s 1,400 days of isolation, carrying supplies and electricity when all other routes were cut. It is a sobering and compelling experience.

We transfer about two hours to Lukomir, the highest village in Bosnia at 4,820ft (1,469m), home to ancient stećci. Here we gain insight into traditional mountain life, where elements of customary dress are still worn alongside the modern. We walk towards the Rakitnica Canyon to superb viewpoints – the sweep of the mountains and the chasm below make an unforgettable scene. Lunch is in the village, prepared by one of the families who live here, and the family usually joins us – an excellent chance to learn first–hand about daily life in the highlands. We return to Sarajevo in the late afternoon.

We transfer about 2 hours 30 minutes to Mostar for a full day in this beautiful Herzegovinian city. Founded in the 15th century, Mostar blends Turkish ingenuity with Herzegovinian and Dalmatian craftsmanship. We spend the day exploring a city once split by war – scars remain, but today Mostar is warm and bustling with a rich, intriguing history. The rest of the day is free for you to continue your own exploration.

Our first stop is Počitelj, an Unesco World Heritage site that hosts the longest–running art colony in southeast Europe. The skyline is dominated by the Kula, a silo–shaped fort that once housed watchmen guarding the Neretva Valley. We continue to Kravica Waterfall, a green oasis in the rocky Herzegovinian landscape, where a short walk – and perhaps a cooling swim – sets us up for lunch in Blagaj.

In Blagaj the highlights are the powerful Buna Spring and the adjacent Ottoman house–monastery. The river bursts from a 200m cliff to form the Buna, and the sultan ordered a tekija to be built beside it in the 16th century. Nearby are old flour mills once powered by the river. We return to Mostar for the late afternoon and evening.

We travel back to Dubrovnik, stopping at Radimlja to see beautifully carved medieval Christian tombstones, and in Trebinje, the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here we visit a family–owned winery to taste local wines and hear stories from the cellars. The wines of Herzegovina are among the newer producers in the Second World wine category – yet the tradition here dates to Roman times. The sunny Mediterranean climate and fertile hinterland soils produce notably characterful wines.

We continue south to Dubrovnik, a magnificent walled city at Croatia’s southern tip. Formerly a prosperous trading centre, it is now an Unesco World Heritage site with a perfectly preserved Old Town and a lively cultural scene. We end the day with free time – you can swim in the Adriatic or explore the Old Town and walk the ancient city walls.

The trip ends this morning in Dubrovnik after breakfast. If you would like to stay longer to discover more of the city or enjoy the coastline, you can arrange post–tour nights through your sales representative.