Istup Canyon – The hidden pearl of the Mediterranean 

Following more than 10 years of work with our small family travel agency, and though we spent our whole lives traveling the Balkans and the world, we are still tirelessly exploring and still discovering the hidden gems of this beautiful country. Every time we discover a new miracle, we fall in love again with it, and we protect it even more. Rather than share it publicly, we jealously kept this adventure to ourselves and a small circle of friends and nature lovers for quite some time. Now, we are happy to offer you what we really love the most, and what we consider our greatest wealth – the wild and untouched beauty of Herzegovina.
We selected for you the best that Bosnia and Herzegovina has, and these are some of the wildest, most spectacular, and least visited rivers in Europe.
We will show you the most beautiful places, canyons and rivers with the purest water of beautiful green and turquoise color.
With us, you will see places where you will not meet other people, where you hear only your breath and thoughts, crickets, the sound of water and breeze, where you will smell the irresistible scent of aromatic Mediterranean herbs and pines.
We will take you to these hidden beauties that are right around the corner, and yet completely wild and almost untouched.
It is up to you to sense this call of the wild, invoke the primordial gene and indulge in our expert guidance in pushing your own boundaries and creating an unforgettable adventure.

The best kept secret – Istup canyon tour

The venue of this unique adventure is the surroundings of Stolac, the city that has the most registered historical monuments in the country, some of which we will see during this tour.
However, what is more important for this Istup canyon tour, we will see breathtaking natural beauties that not many people have seen thus far. Karst rivers that flow from the high chains of the Dinaric Alps in the direction of the sea, form a network of canyons, each special in its own way, and we will see on this tour many of them, even perhaps most beautiful ones.

First we will see the Bregava canyon where the town of Stolac is located, a beautiful emerald green river that forms waterfalls, cascades and pools – favorite places for locals to swim in, during hot summer days when the water temperature is ideal for refreshment.
After that we will see, in the summer, almost dry canyon of the river Radimlja, through which our path passes to our final destination, a hidden canyon of its small tributary that seems so exotic, almost unreal.
When we finally find ourselves there, we think that we are no longer in Europe, in the Mediterranean, but that we passed through some portal to another world. We will feel privileged, grateful and rewarded.

This tour is available from May – August
Grade of Difficulty: Medium moderate (suitable for children over 12 yrs of age)
Total Walking Hours: 3-4

TOUR PRICE:
2-4 persons – 75 eur/person
5-8 persons – 60 eur/person

PLEASE NOTE: Our tours are private tours for independent visitors and for pre-formed groups. We pick you up from your accommodation at any time, and the tour is fully flexible and customizable. The difference with our private tours is that you will get a unique experience and you will feel like a local. Our private tours take the unique concept one notch further by tailoring your touring experience to each and every one of your particular needs and desires. Your needs and comfort are paramount to our success, so rest assured there is no compromise on quality. If you have any questions or concerns about joining one of our trips as a solo traveler please Contact us. A personal touch​ is our trademark: we tailor each tour to your ​specific interests​. Just let us know!

Departure Place: Mostar (or from any other location if requested)
Duration: Full – Day tour ( 8 hours)
What to Bring: Loose and light hiking wear; ensure you have some layers of clothing, hiking boots or sturdy sports shoes, non-slip closed shoes adapted to walking in the water ( if you don’t have shoes for walking in water and on slippery rocks, it’s best to use your everyday walking or running shoes that have a good, unworn sole), hat, sun block, swim gear, water bottle (1 litre min), hiking food.

What is Included:
• Pick up and comfortable drive in a comfortable air-con vehicle to the starting point and return to your place
• A fully guided hiking tour (English speaking certified mountain guide offering a comprehensive account of an amazing variety of endemic flora and fauna through the magnificent wild canyon)
• All precautionary measures in regard to weather conditions and first aid equipment
•We provide protective equipment, hiking helmets, waterproof backpacks or cases for your cameras, cell phones, etc.
• Please contact us beforehand if you need any additional equipment.

Snapshots of Istup Canyon Adventure  

After about 30 minutes drive from Mostar, through the vineyards and countryside of central Herzegovina, we reach Radimlja where we will have our first short stop and visit one of the most important historical national monuments, the UNESCO-protected necropolis of Bosnian tombstones.
We continue further across the picturesque plateau and after about 20 minutes of driving we reach the starting point of our adventure. We leave our vehicle there and head for the unpaved road in the direction of the Radimlja canyon.
Radimlja Canyon is a natural monument with a unique karst eco system. The canyon thrives with unexplored caverns and cave formations.
Red rocks are a most striking, almost hostile terrain descending from surrounding villages into the canyon. Occasionally, growing in patches along the entire length of the canyon, wild grape shrubs and fig trees are seen, as obvious remnants of past habitats. The 3 km long trail passes through the dry part of the canyon surrounded by low and fragrant vegetation where we also find Bosnian tombstones on one of the beautiful lookouts, as symbols of life and culture in this area since ancient times and pre-history. This part of the trail can be extremely hot for individuals, so it is strongly recommended to bring extra doses of water. After approximately 1 – 1.5 hours of walking we come to the entrance to the Istup canyon where we can immediately indulge in refreshment, and swimming in pleasant and crystal clear water. Here we replenish our water supplies with beautiful fresh water from a nearby spring. This is where our activity, which we called “free style canyoning”, begins.

From this point, we enter the water and pass through the untouched part of the Istup canyon as if through jungle of some kind. It is up to you to bring swimming suits and non-slip shoes adapted to walking in the water, in which you will feel comfortable. We provide basic protective equipment, hiking helmets, waterproof backpacks or cases for your cameras, cell phones, etc.
The length of this part of the trail is about 500 meters, but in this part you go slowly and carefully with many breaks, both for photography and for refreshment, meditation, exploring the unique flora and fauna of this fascinating place.

Endemic species of Herzegovina

• Dalmatolacerta oxycephala

  The spiky (blue) lizard (Dalmatolacerta oxycephala) is the most beautiful lizard in our region and is endemic to the Balkans.
  This species is present in Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean habitats in southern Herzegovina, southern Croatia (including some Adriatic islands) and Montenegro. It is possible that it also exists in Albania, but this requires confirmation. It inhabits habitats from sea level to about 1,600 m above sea level.
  (photographed in the Radimlja canyon near Stolac)

• Blue lizard

  On all our tours we try to show you something authentic and especially interesting, including endemic species of flora and fauna, which our country abounds in. With a little luck and patience, and with the expert guidance of our experienced guides, pleasant surprises will certainly not be missed.

In this wild canyon you will see many colorful butterflies and dragonflies, large green and turquoise endemic lizards, harmless water snakes but also those that are not so harmless, vipers. Our experienced guides, who grew up on these stones and with snakes, will take all necessary measures so that you do not come into contact with snakes at all; if you do not want to see them, it is enough to say so. Snakes are cautious and shy creatures that try to hide from people and avoid meeting us. Hence, no worries, it is enough to listen to our instructions and trust our expert guidance.

The idea that guided us in creating this tour was to avoid the big heat on the trail in summer, and to spend as much time as possible in this refreshing part of the Istup canyon, along the beautiful karst river and the enchanting geomorphologic formations it has formed over millions of years. Therefore, the departure time and the end of the tour change according to the length of the day.
Our ultimate goal is an amazing heart-shaped stone pool, with waterfall above, which, crossing over hot rocks in the summer, warms the water to the ideal temperature for swimming.
This place is so beautiful and unique that it literally takes your breath away and we can freely call this tour once in a lifetime adventure.

We return along the same path, enjoying the view of olive, peach and apricot farms with a look and taste that you will not find anywhere else in the world.
And for the very end we left a real treat, we will welcome the sunset on the megalithic walls of the mystical Daorson, a place that was certainly one of the most important for our ancient Illyrian ancestors. They had a pyramidal temple which they used for ritual purposes, among other things, using the movement of the sun.
After this – another, unforgettable experience: we will have enough time to visit one of the best local restaurants in Stolac, on the waterfalls of the river Bregava, and to taste the best local specialties and indigenous wines.
This tour will certainly be one of those experiences that changes perception, breaks down prejudices, and enriches knowledge and experience. Herzegovina will remain in your memory as the highlight of your entire journey.

Please note:

Tour usually starts from Mostar, but could be arranged from Sarajevo or elsewhere, if requested.

Our experience allows us to adapt to the wishes and needs of our clients to make them ours.
The guides are also the drivers. They pick you up at your hotel or apartment and bring you back there again at the end of the tour. We use a fleet air-conditioned SUVs, minivans and comfortable cars.
All our efforts serve one single purpose: to make our clients happy.
Herzeg Day Tours offers pleasant and effective transfer + tour arrangements from your location elsewhere in the region to Mostar and vice versa, with many opportunities to visit attractive locations and photo stops along the way.
All our tours can be arranged according to your preferences and depending on your needs, so feel free to Contact us and we will send you our offer.