Montenegro Packraft
- 8 days
- Tara River and Skadar Lake
- Intermediate
- 4 - 8
- Apr - Oct
Summary
During this week-long adventure you will experience parts of Montenegro few others do!
Tara Canyon features pure wilderness in one of the world’s deepest, and arguably most beautiful canyons. You will paddle your own packraft down 60 km of Tara’s numerous rapids and its crystal clear waters. Each day you will pass through an incredible scenery of white water, stunning waterfalls and sheer cliffs. Often, you will be rewarded with sightings of big game wildlife.
For a small change of scenery, we decided to add packrafting Skadar Lake and Morača River. During this part of the adventure you will packraft through Europe’s biggest bird reserve. Naturally, you will see numerous bird species and beautiful nature, both along the river and the lake. If you are really lucky, you might even see pelicans!
Finally, in order to show you more of our beautiful country, we will also take you on a hike to two beautiful mountain lakes.
All nights are spent in hand-picked locations, featuring two incredible river camps, a magical, remote village and a lake lodge.
So, join ME on this adventure and have a truly unforgettable experience!
Itinerary
Transfer from and back to Podgorica Airport of Podgorica area is included in the price. If you need to be picked up from elsewhere, there is an additional cost. The overnight stays are in comfortable lodge-type accommodation. We always select accommodation in the logistically most convenient locations. However, if the bookings are made for high season or at short notice the preferred accommodation, from our itinerary, may not be available. In this instance we find the best alternative of a similar standard.
Highlights
- Navigating your own packraft along 70 km of incredible scenery
- Pure wilderness in one of the world’s most beautiful canyons
- Opportunity to see big game wildlife
- Packrafting Europe’s largest bird reserve
- A magical hike to mountain lakes
- Accommodation in hand-picked locations
- A fully guided packrafting adventure
- Transport from and to Podgorica Airport
- National park permits and river taxes
- Experienced bilingual local guide/s
- 7 nights’ accommodation
- Food – 7 dinners, 7 breakfasts
- Flights
- Insurance
- Trainers
- Sliders or sandals
- Warm socks
- Down jacket
- Rain jacket
- Appropriate clothing for hot and cold weather
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat
- Filter water bottle
- A plate/bowl, a cup and a spork
Transfer from Podgorica Airport or other – drive to Camp Grab on Tara River. The overnight stay is in private rooms or bungalow. The camp has a beautiful bar and a restaurant on the river bank. A traditional cooked dinner served at the restaurant is included in the first night’s stay.
In the morning, we will provide you with the gear and give you a short introduction to packrafting. Then, we will get you straight into the packraft and practicing in the calm area in front of the camp.
If you master the basics and are comfortable paddling in the calm parts, we will go for a proper river run in the afternoon. We will paddle from the camp, down to the Bosnian border crossing. This section is 8 km long and is mainly made up of class I and II rapids. Perfect for beginners!
We make our early morning way to the starting point of the Tara Canyon part of the adventure, near Žabljak. The journey is through the mountains, along breathtaking landscapes.
The first day’s packrafting is a 23 km journey through the canyon, that will leave you speechelss. The canyon features untouched wilderness and on most trips we sight big game wildlife, including chamois, deer, or if extremely lucky, wolves or bears.
The first night in the canyon is spent in Tepca Village, in the locals’ guest accommodation or wild camping on the beach next to the river. The village has incredible views of the canyon and the surroundings. Staying here offers an authentic experience, where you’ll witness traditional Montenegrin rural lifestyle, along with its people and food.
The second packrafting day through the canyon is a 22 km one. It is just as beautiful as the fist day, if not more so. This packrafting day takes us through the deepest part of the canyon along stunning scenery. We make regular stops during the journey, on both days, for you to stretch your legs, have a snack and enjoy some waterfalls.
The second night in the canyon is spent in the magical Camp Encian, on the river bank, on the Bosnian side. The camp has great atmosphere and here you will be able to get a few evening drinks in, along with plenty of food.
The third day in the canyon is adrenaline-charged! On this day we will packraft two sections. The first, from Camp Encian to Camp Grab, is the fastest section of the river and is 6 km long. The rapids here include a number of class III, with an occasional class IV rapid.
Following a short and necessary re-composure stop at Camp Grab’s beach, we will continue packrafting another 8 km, down to the Bosnian border crossing. Here we will get picked and we will drive back to Camp Grab for a well deserved drink and rest!
We will depart from Camp Grab in the morning. To switch it up a bit from packrafting, and to break up the journey to Skadar Lake, we offer you a hike to two beautiful mountain lakes. The round trip is approximately 12 km, with a 450 m elevation gain.
Following the hike, we will continue towards Skadar Lake. The drive is approximately 3 hours.
The accommodation on the night will be in a lodge on the banks of the lake or Morača River.
The paddling tour of Morača River and Skadar Lake is a relaxing reward after the Tara Canyon. We will start paddling depending on the temperatures, avoiding being on the water on the hottest time of the day. This decision will be made on the day. Depending on the availability of our equipment on the day, we will paddle in packrafts, SUPs or kayaks.
The paddling journey starts from Vranjina Village, on the banks of the lake. It’s a 12 km loop, where we paddle along the lake to enter one of the streams of the bifurcated Morača River. We paddle up the river to enter the other stream at the bifurcation point, paddling back down river, along the the lake, back to Vranjina Village.
On the last day, it’s a short drive from the lake back to the airport or Podgorica.
If you are staying longer in Montenegro you can always join us on another adventure 😊
