Montenegro packs a fjord-like bay, walled towns and wild mountain canyons into a country you can drive across in a morning.
Montenegro is small, and that is its strength. The Bay of Kotor winds inland between steep mountains like a fjord, with Venetian towns along its shore. An hour or two inland, the Durmitor massif has glacial lakes, pine forest and the Tara Canyon, more than a kilometre deep in places. Lake Skadar, on the Albanian border, is a wetland of water lilies, pelicans and wine villages.
We base most trips on the bay, in Perast or on the quieter Luštica peninsula, and add the mountains for two or three nights. It pairs naturally with Dubrovnik, which is close to the border and has more flights.
The honest caveats are cruise ships and roads. Kotor old town fills when large ships are in, so we plan visits for early morning or evening. Mountain roads are narrow and slow, and the coast around Budva is built up and busy in July and August. June and September are the months to choose.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
Kotor's old town is a maze of stone lanes and churches at the head of the bay, UNESCO-listed with the surrounding region. The city walls zigzag up the mountain behind to the fortress of San Giovanni, a steep climb best done at first light for the view down the bay. Visit when no large cruise ships are in, and eat grilled fish in a konoba in the quieter villages nearby.
Perast is a single street of baroque palaces facing two small islands. One of them, Our Lady of the Rocks, was built up from the sea by sailors dropping stones over centuries, and a small boat takes you across to its church. Stay the night in one of the restored palazzi and swim from the waterfront in the morning.
Sveti Stefan is a fortified fishing village on an islet joined to the mainland by a causeway, long since turned into a hotel. Walk the coastal path to the pink beaches around it and swim at the quieter coves of Pržno. Budva, up the coast, has a walled old town but a busy modern resort around it in summer.
Durmitor National Park is high limestone country around the mountain town of Žabljak. Walk around the Black Lake, drive the Durmitor ring road over high passes, and raft the Tara River through a canyon more than a kilometre deep in places. The Đurđevića Tara bridge gives a view straight down. Snow closes the high roads in winter.
Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans, fringed with reeds and water lilies and home to Dalmatian pelicans. Take a wooden boat from Virpazar through the channels, then taste vranac, the local red, at a family winery in the Crmnica valley. It makes a good day on the way between the coast and the mountains.
The old serpentine road above Kotor climbs twenty-five hairpins to the village of Njeguši, known for its smoked ham and cheese served in the family taverns. Continue into Lovćen National Park to the mausoleum of the poet-prince Njegoš on the summit, where on a clear day you see the bay, the mountains and the sea.
On the bay, Perast and the villages around it are quieter and have more character, while Porto Montenegro in Tivat has the marina and larger hotels. The Luštica peninsula has newer resorts facing the open sea. In the mountains, expect simpler lodges and eco-chalets around Žabljak.
We match each trip in Montenegro to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsThe coastal season runs from May to October, with June and September the months to aim for: warm water, long days and room in Kotor and Perast. July and August are hot and busy, when the mountains around Durmitor become the better choice.
Winter is quiet on the coast and many hotels close, while Durmitor and Kolašin have small ski areas. Spring brings a green, uncrowded bay and water lilies on Lake Skadar.
A week that starts on the bay in Perast, heads into the Durmitor mountains by way of Lake Skadar and finishes near Sveti Stefan. 7 nights.
Fly into Tivat and stay in Perast. Kotor walls at dawn, a boat to Our Lady of the Rocks and the hairpin road to Njeguši for lunch.
Drive inland via Lake Skadar and a boat trip from Virpazar to Žabljak. Walk around the Black Lake and raft the Tara Canyon.
Back down to the coast for two nights of swimming and walking the coastal path, with an evening in old Budva.
A short drive along the coast to Tivat airport, or across the border to Dubrovnik, for the flight home.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Montenegro (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
Tivat is about 2 hours 50 minutes direct from Gatwick. Dubrovnik in Croatia is close to the border and has more flights from London, and is often the easier gateway, with a border crossing on the road.
Montenegro is not in the EU or the Schengen area. UK passport holders can currently visit without a visa for short stays. Read the FCDO entry requirements for Montenegro (opens in a new tab) before travel, especially if you are combining it with Croatia.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Montenegro (opens in a new tab)
See the TravelHealthPro page for Montenegro (opens in a new tab) and the FCDO health page. Summer heat on the coast and changeable weather in the mountains are the main things to prepare for.
Montenegro uses the euro as its de facto currency, although it is not in the EU. Visa, Mastercard and other major cards are accepted, but carry cash for small konobas and mountain villages.
Montenegro is outside the EU, so European roaming bundles may not cover it and charges can be high. Check with your provider before you go, set a spending limit and use hotel Wi-Fi.
Tipping is appreciated rather than obligatory; 10 to 15 per cent is usual for good table service. Check the bill for a cover charge or service fee first, and tip in cash, as card machines do not always offer a tip option.
It works very well. Dubrovnik is close to the border, so a week can start with two or three nights in Dubrovnik and continue to the Bay of Kotor. Allow time for the border crossing in summer, when queues can be long, and check the FCDO entry pages for both countries.
On busy days in summer the old town fills from mid-morning to late afternoon. Stay in Perast or elsewhere on the bay, visit Kotor early or in the evening, and check the cruise schedule when we plan your days. In May, June and September it is much calmer.
Yes, if you like mountains and the outdoors. The drive is long and winding, so allow at least two nights. Durmitor has lake walks, high passes and rafting on the Tara, and is cooler than the coast in July and August, making it a good balance to beach days.
From June to early October. The inner bay warms up earlier than the open coast and is sheltered, so swimming from a Perast jetty in early June is pleasant. September often has the warmest water of the year and far fewer people on the beaches.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: June and September.
Croatia is the Adriatic by boat: Roman Split, the walls of Dubrovnik and islands such as Hvar, Vis and Korčula in between.
Greece is really a choice of islands: the Santorini caldera, quieter Paros and Milos, the gorges and palaces of Crete.
Italy rewards choosing one region well: lemon terraces at Amalfi, Tuscan hill towns, lake villas and the lagoon light of Venice.
