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Nine kilometres from the centre of Banja Luka, at Vojvode Uroša Drenovića 192, the Vrbas river changes character. It stops being a city river you stroll beside and becomes something else entirely: lively, green, powerful and loud water rushing through its bed and inviting you to adventure or a moment of calm. Right there, on the bank of the mighty Vrbas, stands Camp Olimp, a place made not to look pretty in photos but to feel alive in person.
Rafting on the Vrbas, a thrill you cannot describe, only experience
The Vrbas is one of the few rivers in this part of Europe that offers rafting for beginners and experienced adventurers alike, and Camp Olimp makes full use of that. Two packages, two levels of intensity, one philosophy.
Package 1 takes you down a ten-kilometre stretch for 30 EUR per person: an ideal introduction if it is your first time seeing the river from a raft, or if you simply want to enjoy the canyon views without extreme rapids. Package 2 extends the adventure to 15 kilometres for 35 EUR per person and takes you deeper into the character of the Vrbas: more rapids, more adrenaline and more stories to tell when you get back.
For an extra 12.5 EUR per person you can add lunch, and this is neither a hotel lunch nor fast food: it is food in nature by the river, which tastes quite different from anything you have eaten at a table.
All trips are led by licensed guides who not only know the river by heart but also explain every safety rule in a way that builds trust, even for people who have never been close to a river. Equipment is included in the price and checked regularly.
The camp as a base for everything else
Camp Olimp is not just a starting point for rafting. With 350 m² of space, 20 camping pitches, two bungalows and room for up to 40 people, it is a complete adventure base for individuals and groups. Electric hook-ups, private parking, Wi-Fi and pets welcome: everything is sorted without fuss.
A particular plus is the organised airport transfer and sightseeing trips around Banja Luka and nearby destinations. A visitor arriving by plane can go straight to the camp, be rafting in the morning, in the city in the afternoon and at a barbecue by the river in the evening, without organising any of the logistics themselves.
Food right by the river, homemade dishes, barbecue and refreshing drinks in a natural setting, rounds off a stay with few reasons to leave the camp except for the next dose of adrenaline.
Who is Camp Olimp ideal for?
For everyone who wants to experience Banja Luka actively, not just sightsee. For groups of friends looking for adrenaline as common ground. For families with children aged around seven or eight and up, for whom rafting on a calmer stretch is a perfect introduction to adventure travel. For foreign visitors who do not want to see Bosnia and Herzegovina only through tours of historic sites. For companies that build team spirit through real adventure rather than an indoor escape room.
The camp is especially popular for team building: 40 people, a river, licensed guides and lunch outdoors is a formula that always works.
Why rafting on the Vrbas is worth starting any visit to Banja Luka with
The Vrbas is Banja Luka’s identity. Every book about the city starts with it and every tourism presentation uses its photo, but the real Vrbas experience is not from the bank but from a raft, as the current carries you, the canyon opens left and right and you understand why this river is called one of the most beautiful rafting rivers in the Balkans.
Camp Olimp is where that experience begins, and once it does, it is hard to imagine your next visit to the Vrbas without it.
Taste & Rate editors’ tip
Book in advance, especially at weekends and in summer: the camp has limited capacity and fills up fast. If you are coming as a group, ask for the package with lunch: homemade food by the Vrbas after rafting is an experience in itself.
Contact: +387 66 600 000
Instagram: @campolimp
Facebook: campolimpbl
Address: Vojvode Uroša Drenovića 192, Banja Luka
