Montenegro Beyond the Day Trip

Destinations in Montenegro

Montenegro is a small Balkan country on the Adriatic sea. It borders five other countries, including Croatia. Its proximity to the relatively more-traveled city of Dubrovnik makes it a popular day trip destination. It is also popular to shortly stop over in 1-2 cities on a trip through the Balkans. Sometimes, time is tight, and you may only have 1-3 days to devote to your Montenegro trip. However, if you have the time, I recommend exploring a bit more of this lesser-known country.

Here is a bit more of what you can do if you have a week+ to spend in Montenegro:

Kotor:

Kotor is one of the most popular destinations in Montenegro, and for good reason. If you’re planning a day trip or other short trip to the country, you are almost definitely going to see Kotor. The region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Old Town, fortifications and inner Bay of Kotor. You can climb the 1,300 stairs to San Giovanni fortress, go on hikes with breathtaking views and historic ruins from Vrmac Ridge to Pestingrad and explore beautiful beaches with deep blue waters. In fact, I have a separate post with more recommendations on how to spend your time in Kotor. 

Budva:

Budva is another of the most popular destinations in Montenegro you might see on a day trip or longer to visit Montenegro. If you are trying to decide between Budva or Kotor as a base, I tend to prefer Kotor. That’s mainly because I prefer hiking and outdoors to shopping, nightlife and beaches. If the latter is more your speed, you’ll probably prefer Budva.

Even if you’re not into shopping and nightlife, Budva is still worth seeing. It also boasts a cool Old Town surrounded by stone walls and filled with restaurants and cafes. From the Old town, you can climb up to the Citadel for panoramic views of Budva and the Adriatic Sea. The tickets to the Citadel also include a library/museum where you can find old history books and model ships. The museum is pretty small and doesn’t take much time, so it is worth stopping in if you’re already going to the Citadel.

Budva also has beautiful beaches that are right next to the Old Town. You can get dinner right on the water, or go for a swim in the sea. Make sure to also see the ballerina statue. The story behind this statue is said to be a young girl waiting on the shores of the Adriatic Sea for her lover – a sailor from Budva – to return. A little bit past that is a popular beach for swimming. 

Bar:

I personally consider Bar a more underrated region in Montenegro. I also have a separate post that goes into more detail of things you can do in Bar. Highlights include visiting Stari Bar and the reconstructed ruins, eating in cafes, visiting the world’s oldest olive tree, hiking Mt. Rumja and of course visiting the beaches.

If you’re lucky, you might be able to see both puppies and kittens as well.

Podgorica:

Podgorica is the capital of Montenegro and not typically on many travelers’ lists of European capitals to visit. Even local Montenegrins may recommend against making this your base when visiting the country. Still, if you find yourself in the area, it’s definitely worth exploring. And if you’re flying in or out of Montenegro, you will almost certainly fly through Podgorica. 

As the capital, you can see government buildings from the outside and walk through the town square. When we went in November, there were already holiday decorations up, so we got to see light-up snowflakes and holiday bells. It also has museums and historical buildings like the Dvorac Petrovića, which was the palace and winter residence of Nikola I, the last king of Montenegro. 

If you’ve just spent a few days in the more popular coastal cities of Montenegro, Podgorica can be especially interesting to walk through the parks and neighborhoods and experience a different side of the country. There is a lot of street art and ruins that are just scattered throughout the city. For example, right next to downtown, you can see Ribnica Bridge that was built when Montenegro was part of the old Roman Empire. 

You can also easily take a day trip from Podgorica to Ostrog Monastery, which is an old Orthodox church and pilgrimage site cut into the mountains.

National Parks:

It is no secret that Montenegro is home to exquisite natural beauty, but its national parks can often be overlooked.

Lovcen National Park is located near Kotor. You will need a car or taxi to get there, but once you do there are several beautiful hikes ranging from easy to difficult, and lookout points. The park’s beauty is so legendary that the former ruler of Montenegro Petar II was interred here, and you can visit his mausoleum.

Lake Skadar is one of the largest lakes in Southern Europe and flows through both Montenegro and Albania. You can visit as a day trip from a nearby city like Bar or stay at the national park itself. While at the park, you can walk the nature trails, or take a boat out onto the lake with a local guide. If you choose to do a self-guided hike, make sure the trail is safe under current weather conditions, especially in winter.

Durmitor National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Dinaric Alps. It is popular for hiking and mountaineering in the summer, and has the famous Tara Canyons, which is the deepest gorge in Europe and known for its white water rafting. In the winter, it is also popular for skiing and snowboarding. You can visit it as a day trip from Kotor, or stay there for a few days to really explore the park.

Logistics:

At this point, you’re probably thinking “Wow! Montenegro seems great, but how do I get there, stay there and get around the country?”

Montenegro has two international airports in Podgorica and Tivat. If you’re flying into the country, Podgorica is probably the best bet for well-priced international flights. There are direct flights from nearby countries, including Turkey, Greece, Austria, Spain and Germany.

If you’re traveling from outside Europe, it might make sense to fly into a nearby country with better-priced flights. Dubrovnik, Croatia typically has better flights from the US and can reach Montenegro via bus or car, including private transfer, within 2-3 hours. You can also reach Bar, Montenegro by train from Serbia. You can also enter from any bordering country via car.

Montenegro is a relatively small country, so it’s easy to get around by car, taxi or bus once you’re there. When we visited, we wanted to see a few destinations in Montenegro, so decided to rent a car. We rented it at the airport for only about $100 USD for the full time (plus a $1,000 refundable deposit). Later, we also learned that it’s even cheaper away from the airport. If you choose not to rent a car, it’s easy to take taxis or public buses around the country. However, make sure you know enough key Montenegrin phrases if you’re going to order taxis. 

Montenegro is a very affordable place to stay. There is a range of options from Airbnbs that cost as low as $15 to more expensive hotels and villas with pools and beach access.

If you have any more questions about destinations in Montenegro, or visiting in general let me know!