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STARTING AT $4495 per person
8-day Balkans Retreat with Leti Alvarez
6-12 people
Pairs with our Croatia Add-On
Trip highlights
Awe & wonder as you explore UNESCO sites in Croatia + ancient villages in Montenegro
Peace & presence as you kayak Skadar Lake and take an alpine hike in Dumitor National Park
Connection and appreciation for wild beauty on a jeep safari through Montenegro’s remote landscapes
Nourishment & community through farm-cooked cuisine and shared meals rooted in culture and seasonality
Daily grounding through yoga and meditation in a peaceful outdoor setting
Croatia and Montenegro offer a remarkable mix of medieval coastal towns, wild mountain landscapes, crystal-clear lakes, and deeply rooted food and hospitality traditions. Yet much of the region still feels wonderfully underexplored. This thoughtfully curated eight-day retreat travels from Dubrovnik into the mountains of Montenegro, balancing cultural discovery, outdoor adventure, meaningful connection, and plenty of time to slow down.
Wander centuries-old UNESCO-listed towns along the Adriatic, kayak through the tranquil waters of Skadar Lake, and venture deep into Durmitor National Park by safari jeep, following winding mountain roads through alpine landscapes, past farms and grazing livestock, and toward some of Montenegro's most dramatic peaks. Along the way, you'll share homemade meals with local families, learn traditional cooking techniques at a farmhouse, and meet the female entrepreneurs, artisans, and community members who are helping shape the region's future while preserving its traditions.
Your days are active but intentionally approachable, with opportunities for hiking, kayaking, exploring, and cultural experiences balanced by daily yoga with Leti Alvarez, restorative downtime, and unhurried meals. Stay in charming accommodations that reflect the character of the places you visit, including rustic mountain cabins surrounded by the landscapes of Durmitor.
This is a journey designed to take you beyond the postcard version of the Balkans—to experience its people, food, history, and landscapes up close, with the space to actually enjoy where you are.
Book our 8-day Balkans Retreat starting at $4495 per person. See all inclusions, itinerary details, and complete pricing in the drop-downs below.
why this trip?
The Balkans reward travelers who are willing to look a little closer. This journey takes you beyond Dubrovnik's famous walls and into Montenegro's villages, mountains, farms, and waterways, where everyday life unfolds at a much slower pace.
Rather than simply sightseeing, you'll experience the region through the people who live here. Share a meal at a local household, learn to prepare traditional Montenegrin dishes at a family farmhouse, meet local women building businesses and preserving regional traditions, and spend time with hosts who are eager to share their food, stories, and way of life. These encounters offer a perspective on the Balkans that you simply can't get from a guidebook or a sightseeing checklist.
The landscapes are equally compelling. Kayak across Skadar Lake through narrow waterways toward historic Lesendro Fortress, then head into the mountains for a safari-jeep journey along Durmitor's scenic ring road. You'll pass alpine valleys, shepherds with their flocks, remote farms, and some of Montenegro's highest peaks—with plenty of opportunities to stop and take it all in.
And while there's plenty to do, this isn't a race from one activity to the next. Daily yoga with Leti Alvarez, leisurely meals, charming accommodations, and intentional downtime create a rhythm that lets you be active, curious, and present without feeling like you need a vacation after your vacation.
Whether you're drawn to the Balkans for the mountains, food, history, cultural connections, or simply the opportunity to experience somewhere less familiar, this retreat offers a meaningful way to explore a region where old traditions and a changing future exist side by side.
Travel with purpose. Every Traverse Journeys departure includes a contribution to a carefully selected Community Partner, supporting local organizations creating meaningful impact in the destinations we visit. For this trip, your booking supports Greensail, a Croatian initiative working with charter companies, marinas, and travelers to protect the Adriatic through pollution prevention, education, recycling, and reducing single-use plastics.
Testimonials
About YOUR Traverse Host & RETREAT LEADER
Ivana Milicevic Kalic - Montenegro Trip Host
Ivana Milicevic Kalic, Montenegro Trip Host
Ivana was born in Serbia, in the north where spaces are measured by sunrises and sunsets, and time by the lengths of shadows. The Milky Way is knee-deep, like spilled straw. You don’t have to climb, stars grow in the bush. It was an amazing childhood. For the last 17 years, Ivana has been living in Montenegro in a religiously mixed family and in a diametrically different relief – beautiful harsh mountains with hundreds of peaks above 2000 meters that call you to climb them. Ivana is also a mom of two boys with the same romantic gene they got from her. Ivana’s love for nature is fed through her work as a travel guide in the Balkan region. Her mission is to teach people about that passion we are born with and present our mixed history and roots. Ivana’s biggest pleasure is when clients leave us as friends and with a wish to explore more of the beautiful Balkans!
Leti Alvarez, Retreat Leader
Leti began her yoga journey years ago and has remained deeply committed to living her yoga. She offers empowering, inspiring flows that encourage students to explore and connect with their deeper, authentic selves. Leti meets students exactly where they are and encourages them to embrace their unique experiences. Leti loves yoga for all its transformative powers –physical and spiritual - and emphatically knows yoga is her “health insurance.”
Leti has led numerous Traverse Journeys retreat including: May 2026 Africa Safari Retreat / May 2025 Greece Yoga Retreat / November 2024 & June 2022 Guatemala Retreat / May 2024 France Retreat / October 2023 (Dia de los Muertos), March 2022, May 2021 & June 2019 Mexico Yoga & Cooking / December 2022 Dominica Jungle Island Retreat / March 2020 Morocco Yoga & Art
trip inclusions
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7 nights’ accommodations:
2 nights’ in 3-star Dubrovnik hotel, “my own room” upgrades available
2 nights’ Montenegro local apartment style hotel
3 nights’ cozy lodge cabins in Montenegro with private rooms + shared bathrooms
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Airport transfers, arriving in Dubrovnik departing from Podgorica + private transit
Private ground transit & fully dedicated guide in Montenegro
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Dubrovnik guided walking excursion in the Old Town
UNESCO site visits in Kotor and Perast, Montenegro + the Ostrog Monastery
Kayaking experience on Skodar Lake
Lower intermediate hike in Durmitor National Park
Safari jeep nature excursion with lunch with locals
Farmhouse cooking class to learn about and enjoy authentic, homestyle Montenegrin cuisine + Croatian Welcome Peka Dinner experience
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Daily breakfast + 5 dinners + 4 lunches
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Visit with our local Community Partner + donation to their organization
Dedicated Traverse local guide throughout your trip
Traverse representative assisting you from booking to departure
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Extra nights in Podgorica
6-night Croatia Add-On
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International airfare
Additional meals, excursions and activities not listed
Tips to your local guides and drivers
Alcohol or other drinks, unless specified
Required travel insurance
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Trip price based on double occupancy. You'll be paired with a roommate of the same gender unless you request your own room.
STARTING at $4495 per person, double occupancy
+$495 “my own room” option (or single supplement for custom dates with odd number 3, 5, etc.)
Note on cabins: Our mountain cabins are rustic and charming, the real deal! If you book the “my own room” option, you will still have your own room in the cabin. However, the bathrooms in each cabin will be shared typically by 2-3 of your fellow travelers. Rooming will be organized so that males share the bathroom with other males and females with females.
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Extra nights in Dubrovnik or Podgorica, prices on request
6-night Croatia Add-On
FAQS
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Shoulder season in spring (March-May) and fall (Sept/Oct) is our favorite time to visit for fewer crowds and less heat. You can also visit in the winter if you don't mind a bit of rain!
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If you're tired or not feeling up for the Durmitor hike, there is an option to stay back at our cozy cabin for the day.
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YES! Some of the best travel is done by yourself and we have no doubt you’ll leave with friends!
Terms & Conditions
Please refer to your Registration Packet for complete Terms & Conditions, which can also be obtained by submitting a request to hello@traversejourneys.com
Deposit
A $500 deposit per person per trip is required for each traveler to secure the booking. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferrable unless otherwise indicated on booking with the exception of our 24-hour No Regrets policy. A booking is not final until you receive a final confirmation from us.
24-hour No Regrets Policy: If, within 24 hours of submitting your deposit, you decide to cancel your booking you may request a refund, which will be granted less transaction fees.
Payment
Payments can be made either by 1) Normal Payment terms of 50% due 30 days after booking and 50% due 90 days prior to departure or 2) Monthly terms of equal installments with a $10 per month fee. Payments options include ACH, wire, credit card or Zelle. Payee is responsible for all transaction or processing fees. Late payments are given a two-week grace period; after that a $10 per month late payment fee will be charged.
Cancellations Policy
Group Trips & Retreats: Cancellations, less the trip deposit, are refundable up to 120 days prior to the trip start date.
Custom and Self-Guided: All payments non-refundable. Requests for transfers may be considered in extenuating circumstances and may incur a change fee.
To cancel a booking, Traveler must submit a request to us in writing by email to hello@traversejourneys.com
Flexible Booking Policy Specific to COVID-19
In the wake of COVID-19, Traverse has implemented a flexible booking policy that allows for deposits and payments to be transferrable to the greatest extent possible to new trip dates should a recurrence of COVID-19 render travel impossible due to border closures and related travel restrictions.
Travel Insurance
The trip price does not include travel insurance. Trip protection-style travel insurance that includes travel medical coverage is required for all trips with Traverse. The coverage must have a minimum $150,000 of medical coverage and include injury, medical, evacuation, and repatriation. See more info at https://traversejourneys.com/insurance
Documents, Personal Identification, Vaccinations
Traveler assumes complete and full responsibility for all required travel documents including passport, visas, entry or exit fees, and vaccinations. Traveler is also solely responsible for any adverse consequences resulting from incomplete or defective documentation. Traverse does not cover the cost or assist in obtaining any of the above, and reserves the right to collect information on all.
