Private Montenegro Highlights Tour from Bar

Departing from the port of Bar, Montenegro, you will begin a journey north that ends with a dramatic drive up the side of the mountain behind the town of Kotor. As the road continues to climb, you will get incredible panoramas at almost every switchback as you climb up more than 3000 feet above the town. A photo stop will be made near the top of the mountain of Kotor, the bay, and, depending on visibility, the view all the way to the sea.

You will then pass through a gap in the mountains and into a completely different landscape. As you make your way to the mountain village of Njegusi, you will pass through charming agricultural lands. If you would like, you can make an optional stop in the village Njegusi to purchase the local smoked ham, cheese and honey wine in a local restaurant.

Departing the village, the landscape soon changes again as you climb through the Montenegrin karsts formations, the most ice-eroded section of the Balkan Peninsula during the last glacial period. The rocky limestone terrain has no resemblance to the farmland you just left. In a valley just beyond these peaks, you will come to the Old Royal Capital of Montenegro, Cetinje.

Your guide will lead you on a short walking tour of its small central pedestrian area. The town dates to 1482 when the capital was moved to this inaccessible location to avoid the conquests of the Turks. Two years later a monastery was built making the town the center of secular life and the spiritual center of Montenegro. During your walk, you will see the exterior of the Royal Palace in Cetinje.

You will then turn west and begin driving back towards the coast. A different route will take you south of Kotor to the Riviera of Montenegro. You will first see the resort town of Budva as you descend from the mountains above. Upon arrival, your guide will take you on a short walking tour of the older section of Budva and its adjacent waterfront.

Next, you will return to Kotor where you will depart your transportation and take an approximately 50-minute stroll through this UNESCO World Heritage site. The town was first mentioned in 168 BC and was settled during Ancient Roman times, when it was known as Acruvium. It has been fortified since the early Middle Ages. The city became part of the Venetian Republic in 1420 and except for two periods of Ottoman rule, it remained under Venice until 1797. It is these four centuries of Venetian domination that have given the city the typical Venetian architecture.

Kotor served as a naval base during World War I and luckily avoided any serious damage. It is one of the best-preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic and is home to several sights of interest, including the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon (1166), and the ancient walls which stretch for 3 miles on the steep hillside directly above the city.

Your tour ends with a peaceful drive back to the port of Bar, where you will return to your waiting cruise ship.