Montenegro is a small, mountainous country in the western Balkans, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea.
Until 2006 Montenegro was part of the Yugoslav federation (Serbia and Montenegro), when it gained its independence.
Despite its small size it’s full of beaches, lakes, canyons and mountains. All this makes Montenegro a sought-after destination for lovers of nature, trekking, beaches and magical scenery.
The country’s infrastructure is improving year by year, allowing more tourists to come and explore this magical destination. Tourism to Montenegro grows every year, so go before it gets crowded.
At the bottom of the post I’ve included a breakdown of the costs of our trip to Montenegro.
Click here to watch the Stories I posted during my visit to Montenegro
We booked our flights to Montenegro two days before the flight, and because of the short notice we planned the trip on the go.
We booked the car in advance, which saved us the hassle of comparing prices and looking for a reliable rental agency during the trip.
We booked our accommodation on the go, usually a few hours before reaching the place where we planned to sleep, through Booking.com.
A Map of Our Loop Itinerary Around Montenegro
In the little time I had before the flight, I built a map using Google Maps of the overall route with the places that were a must for me.
Although I usually rely only on Google Maps, in Montenegro I found the app Maps.Me very useful.
In the app you can see all the trails and roads in Montenegro.
It’s especially useful in nature reserves, because you can see the walking trails in the reserve.
Driving on Montenegro's Roads
Before flying to Montenegro I was very worried about the experience of driving in such a mountainous country.
I’d also read quite a bit about neglected infrastructure and poor roads, but the reality was different.
The intercity roads aren’t in poor condition, but they’re very narrow, mostly with one lane in each direction and no shoulder.
On the two-way roads, quite a few locals overtake across a solid line even when the oncoming lane isn’t necessarily clear. I recommend keeping a big enough distance from the car in front throughout the drive to avoid a collision in an emergency stop.
There are quite a few police on the roads, and they usually stop drivers for speeding (usually 80 on intercity roads and 50 in towns), lights (which must be on day and night) and seat belts.
In the north of the country there aren’t many gas stations, so when you see one, I recommend filling up.
Total kilometers driven on our route: 689.5 km.
In hindsight..
Because the roads in most parts of Montenegro are very narrow, there are quite a few situations where you have to pull onto the shoulder.
So I recommend renting a higher car.
We traveled with a Hyundai i10, and throughout the trip we were worried it would get damaged.
Day 1: Landing, Budva, Podgorica, Lake Skadar
Our flight to Montenegro was early in the morning, at 5:50, and we landed at Tivat airport after a sleepless night.
Tivat Airport
The airport is very small.
It has two terminals (Terminal 2 is open only in the tourist season).
At the exit from the airport there are several cafés, a small kiosk (where you can buy a local SIM) and car rental desks.
Note If you’ve booked a car from one of the local companies, they’ll be waiting for you outside the airport building.
We decided to skip a visit to the town of Tivat and drive straight to our first stop, Budva.
On the way we stopped at a café, El Rey Caffe Bar. The café sits on an impressive cliff above the sea.
Budva: A Stunning Bay and a Beautiful Old Town
Budva is a town in Montenegro on the Adriatic coast.
It’s one of Montenegro’s tourist centers thanks to a beautiful old town and a 35-km stretch of coast.
We parked in a municipal parking lot right at the entrance to the old town and went to explore its alleys, a really beautiful area for a walk.
On the western side of the wall around the old town there’s an exit to a lovely beach.
Note: prices within the old town are very expensive, so I recommend avoiding buying souvenirs or street food inside the old town.
An hour was enough for us to wander the old town’s alleys, and we moved on to the next point on our trip.
A view of the island of Sveti Stefan.
Sveti Stefan is an island connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, about 6 kilometers from Budva.
The island was once a fishing village, and in the 1960s it was converted into a 5-star hotel for the rich and famous.
The resort has 50 rooms and suites, and prices start at around 750 euros a night.
We settled for a view of the island from above.
After the viewpoint we stopped in the town of Petrovac to shop at the local supermarket.
From there we went on to check in at the place we’d booked, a wooden cabin on the shore of Lake Skadar, to rest a little before continuing the day.
After a short rest at the cabin we went out for dinner in Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica.
Podgorica: The Capital of Montenegro
Podgorica is the capital of Montenegro and its largest city.
The city has several tourist sites, including the Millennium Bridge, the old Turkish town, the Podgorica cathedral, the clock tower, Republic Square and the Montenegrin parliament building.
Ironically, a country as beautiful as Montenegro is represented by one of the ugliest capitals I’ve visited.
In my opinion there’s no point in spending more than a short stop on the way in Podgorica.
Where we stayed: cabins on the riverbank.
Want to sleep in the middle of nowhere? Then these cabins are just for you.
In the middle of the forest, on the bank of one of the rivers flowing into the lake, is this cabin complex.
The complex has 5 wooden cabins, each with air conditioning, a kitchenette and 4 beds (3 single beds and a sofa bed).
Each cabin has a shower and toilet, but the entrance to them is outside the room.
Diana, the owner of the cabins, met us at the start of the dirt road and led us to the cabins.
You can also rent boats through them or go on a tour of the reserve.
Note: there’s no way to reach the cabins by public transport, so I recommend them only if you’re renting a car.
Day 2: Lake Skadar, Mrtvica Canyon, Kolašin
We started the day with breakfast at the cabin.
After that we set off for the Lake Skadar reserve, which you enter through the town of Virpazar.
A boat trip on Lake Skadar
At the entrance to the Lake Skadar reserve (right next to the town of Virpazar) there are quite a few companies offering boat trips on the lake.
We booked a boat trip in advance with Golden Frog Boat.
For details and bookings of the boat trip:
Phone: +382 68 221 773
Email: [email protected]
We chose a 90-minute boat trip in the northern part of the lake.
Along the way you can see dozens of bird species, very unique vegetation, local fishermen and magical mountain scenery.
The guide, a young local woman, spoke fluent English. When I asked her how she learned to speak so well, she told me she’s been guiding groups on the lake since she was 12.
The guide was very knowledgeable about the lake’s surroundings, its vegetation and the different birds.
There are also several pairs of binoculars and bird guides on the boat that you can use to identify the different birds.
The cost of the trip varies depending on the number of participants and the length of the trip.
On top of the cost of the trip, there’s an entry fee to the reserve (only those taking a boat trip pay) of 4 euros per person.
After the boat trip we set off for a very famous viewpoint over Lake Skadar.
Viewpoint: Pavlova Strana
The drive from Virpazar to the viewpoint took an hour.
The drive wasn’t easy, mostly on a single-lane road with two-way traffic.
The scenery along the way was truly magical, but the drive scared me a lot.
Luckily I had Bob with me, who drove this part and doesn’t get stressed easily by narrow, steep roads.
When we reached the viewpoint, it really was very impressive.
From the viewpoint we drove to another village in the area with a castle, called Karuč.
We were less impressed by it, so we decided to continue to the next destination.
Mrtvica Canyon
An hour’s drive east of Lake Skadar brings you to Mrtvica Canyon.
From the E65 road (the road connecting Podgorica and Belgrade) there’s an easy-to-miss turn onto a dirt road to reach the start of the canyon trail.
A beautiful and slightly challenging trail.
Continue along the dirt road until you reach a parking area with stalls next to a fairly large building.
Note that you have to drive along a dirt road with a few potholes, which can be a problem if you’re traveling in a low car.
Once you’ve parked, continue along the dirt road until you reach the way down to the start of the trail (it’s very easy to miss, so I recommend using Maps.me to find the path).
The trail starts with a very steep descent through very dense vegetation.
After a 30-minute descent you reach the river.
The water in the river comes from melting snow, so the flow peaks in spring and early summer.
The river water is drinkable and swimming in the river is allowed, although the water is very cold in every month of the year.
We visited the trail in autumn, and there was water flowing in the river.
The walking trail along the canyon is 12 kilometers each way (it takes about 6 hours each way).
You return on the same trail.
We got to the canyon late, so we only walked as far as its first two bridges and went back to the car.
The visit to the canyon took about 1.5 hours and was great.
After the walk in the canyon we drove to the town of Kolašin.
Kolašin
Kolašin is a small town of about 3,000 people.
The town is surrounded by mountains that become ski areas in winter and are used for treks and day hikes in summer.
The town is a 20-minute drive from Biogradska Gora National Park,
one of the most famous parks in Montenegro, and the reason we chose to stay in the town.
We walked around the town center a bit: there are a few restaurants, cafés and pubs.
We had dinner at a local pizzeria, Pizzeria Kapri.
Where we stayed: a great apartment in the town center.
We chose to spend the night at an aparthotel in the town center called MAX.
It was the best of the places we stayed in Montenegro.
A comfortable bed, an indulgent shower, a clean and pleasant design, a balcony with a mountain view and a very nice host.
Day 3: Biogradska Gora Reserve, the Tara Waterfalls, the Tara Bridge, Žabljak
We started the morning with breakfast at the same pizzeria where we’d had dinner.
Then we checked out of our hotel and drove toward Biogradska Gora National Park.
Biogradska Gora National Park
The park is a 20-minute drive from the town of Kolašin.
The roads are very easy to drive.
There’s an entry fee to the park (3 euros as of October 2019).
After paying and passing the park’s entrance gate, there’s another 20-minute drive on a paved, winding road to the parking lot.
The parking lot is close to the big lake in Biogradska Gora.
We visited in early October and the lake was mostly dry.
The lake’s location is wonderful, because it’s surrounded by trees and isolated from its surroundings, but in autumn it’s less impressive.
We started a walking trail with a gentle climb that usually takes about 3 hours up and 2 hours back.
The whole trail is a very gentle climb on a jeep track, through a green, impressive forest.
At the end of the climb there’s a restaurant with a view.
We lost interest after an hour and a half of walking and decided to skip the rest of the climb and go back to the parking lot.
On the way down we met an Israeli couple who told us about a lovely place they’d stopped at on the way here.
So we decided to follow in their footsteps to the same place.
Waterfalls on the Tara River
These waterfalls are a great place to stop on the way between Biogradska Gora National Park and Durmitor National Park.
Parking is on the road, next to HOTEL RAVNJAK.
At the start of the trail there’s the hotel’s playground. Next to it you’ll see a sign pointing to the start of the trail.
An easy walking trail suitable for the whole family.
The trail takes about 30 minutes.
The walk leads to a fish pond below the waterfalls.
Note that there are lots of mosquitoes and flies along the trail because of the water, so it’s a good idea to bring insect repellent.
After photos and lunch next to the fish pond, we went back up to the parking area.
We started driving toward Durmitor.
On the way we made another stop at the bridge over the Tara River.
The Đurđevića Tara Bridge
The Đurđevića Tara Bridge is a very impressive concrete bridge.
The bridge connects two cliffs above the Tara River, which flows beneath it.
It’s 365 meters long and 172 meters high.
When it was completed it was the largest concrete arch road bridge in Europe.
Next to the bridge, two zip line companies operate rides across the Tara Canyon.
A long zip line costs 20 euros and a shorter one 10 euros.
From the bridge we continued straight to the town of Žabljak.
In this town we’d booked our next place to stay.
Where we stayed: a spacious apartment with an amazing view.
This time we booked an apartment outside the town center.
We chose these apartments because we saw they were spacious with a well-equipped kitchen.
We booked this place in advance for two nights because we knew we’d want a full day of hiking in the national park.
Downsides of this place:
1. We came in autumn, and the apartment’s heating only works in winter.
The owner did put two radiators in the apartment for us, but because of the apartment’s size it was fairly cold.
2. There wasn’t enough hot water for long showers.
In the morning we got up early to set off for the park at an early hour.
Day 4: Durmitor National Park
Before the trip I didn’t have time to read about the park, so we decided to pop into the visitor center at the park entrance on the Žabljak side and get their help choosing a trail.
At the visitor center you can buy a map of the trails for 5 euros.
Note that all the trails in the park have the same red-and-white marking, which makes it very hard to navigate with the map.
So I recommend using the Maps.me app, because it also works without an internet connection.
With the help of the staff member at the visitor center, we decided to do the trail around the lake, then climb to two smaller lakes, and finally go up to a viewpoint above Jablan Lake.
Parking for the park is a kilometer from the Black Lake, the largest and most impressive lake in the park.
When we reached the lake we started with some photos for the blog. While we were taking photos, we met a local guy who told us about another recommended route: a walking trail, after which you can take a chairlift up to one of the peaks, where there’s a challenging loop trail that fit our time frame.
So we started walking, on his recommendation, along the path leading to the chairlifts.
An hour’s walk on a trail with quite a few gentle ups and downs, with lovely autumn scenery.
When we reached the chairlift we saw it wasn’t running.
The chairlift is closed in October for maintenance (we also discovered that you can drive all the way to the chairlifts).
We could have walked up to the peak (a very steep, long climb), but the whole trail is exposed to the sun and we’d hit a very hot day.
Disappointed, we retraced our steps and did the trail the staff member had recommended in the morning.
The first part of the trail was easy, beautiful and shaded, suitable for the whole family.
The second part, the climb to the viewpoint over Jablan Lake, was very hard.
A very steep, long climb.
In less than an hour we climbed more than 500 meters.
The trail that was recommended to us took us about 7 hours.
A great trail for keen hikers.
We finished our hike in the park just as it got dark.
We were dead tired, so we went back to the apartment.
We made a homemade dinner and crashed.
Day 5: Riblje and Vražje Lakes, Slano Lake, Perast, Kotor
This time we started the morning more slowly.
We asked the owner for permission to leave the apartment later, and she agreed, so we decided to take it easy.
After packing our things we set off toward Kotor.
Riblje and Vražje lakes
Before leaving northern Montenegro we decided to visit two more lakes.
These two lakes are spectacularly beautiful, a great place to stop and enjoy the view.
They’re close to each other and have paved access roads that are easy to drive.
Just as we reached the first lake, a shepherd arrived with his flock, which drank from the lake.
Slano Lake
An artificial lake created by the construction of a hydroelectric power station in 1950.
The lake’s original purpose was industrial, but locals have used it for leisure.
In summer you can join the locals swimming in the lake.
We reached the Bay of Kotor before check-in time, so we decided to make another stop on the way, in the town of Perast.
The town of Perast
Perast is an ancient town on the Adriatic, in the Bay of Kotor.
In this tiny town, where only about 200 people live today, you can see palaces built in the 17th and 18th centuries.
We came to Perast to take a boat trip to the two islands near it: the island of St. George and the island of Our Lady of the Rocks.
At the entrance to the town there’s a parking lot that costs 5 euros for the whole day.
When we arrived, a local guy came up to us and said we could book a boat trip that included the parking for 10 euros per person.
So we went with him.
An hour-long boat trip in total, with a stop to visit Our Lady of the Rocks.
Entering the church on the island costs another 2 euros.
The church holds thousands of items, precious and simple, and on its upper floor there’s an art exhibition by international artists.
In my opinion you can skip going into the church.
After the boat trip we walked along the Perast promenade and discovered that other agencies offer boat trips for 5 euros per person.
After visiting Perast we drove to Kotor to check in at the apartment we’d booked.
After check-in we went out for dinner at a great Italian restaurant in the old town, La Catedral Pasta Bar.
Where we stayed: a pleasant apartment with private parking.
Because Kotor is very touristy, it was very important to us to find an apartment with proper parking, to avoid searching for parking or getting tickets. So our first criterion was an apartment with parking, even if it was some distance from the center.
We chose a great apartment in a small aparthotel, Casa Nuova, in the northern part of Kotor.
The apartment is a 15-minute walk from the old town (a bit more on the way back, because there’s a slight climb).
A taxi from the old town to the apartment costs 1.5 to 2 euros.
The hosts were lovely, the apartment was very clean, the shower was great, the bed was very comfortable, they changed our towels and added toilet paper every day, and there was even a small, equipped kitchenette.
Day 6: Kotor Old Town, Kotor Fortress and a Movie in Budva
We started the day wandering the alleys of Kotor’s old town.
Kotor’s old town is surrounded by a wall built in the Venetian period, and there are three gates into the old town.
The old town has narrow, magical streets, squares, restaurants, cafés, cathedrals, museums and houses of every class.
Kotor Fortress
After enjoying an easy wander through the alleys of the old town, we decided to make an effort and climb the steps up to Kotor Fortress (about 1,350 of them).
From the old town there are two gates through which you can set off on the climb to Kotor Fortress.
Entry to the fortress cost 8 euros per person at the time.
The way up is full of spectacular views over the Bay of Kotor.
The climb to the upper part of the fortress involves about 1,350 stone steps. Some of the flights of steps aren’t properly maintained and can be slippery. I recommend not rushing and not climbing on rainy days.
It’s also a good idea to set off early in the morning, when the side of the mountain with the steps is in the shade.
The whole climb took us about an hour and a half, with lots of stops to catch our breath and take photos.
At the top we spent a long time taking photos.
After going back down to the old town we decided to rest in our room until the evening, when we’d head to Budva.
Budva is a half-hour drive from Kotor.
Budva
We’d heard Budva has great nightlife, so we went to check it out and were disappointed.
That’s probably the price of traveling out of season.
So we decided to use our visit to the town to see a movie that had just come out and we really wanted to see: Joker.
Budva’s cinema is one of the few in Montenegro.
It’s relatively small, with two screens, a drinks and snacks counter and a kids’ area.
A movie ticket cost 3.9 euros per person.
Popcorn and drinks start at 1.5 euros per person.
You can buy tickets at the cinema box office.
For screening times and films: Click here.
After the movie we went back to the apartment to sleep before our last day in Montenegro.
Day 7: Lovćen National Park
We got up early to drive to Lovćen National Park.
On the way we stopped at several beautiful viewpoints over the whole Bay of Kotor.
Along the way there were quite a few clouds hiding the view; luckily they moved quickly.
The drive to the park entrance took about an hour.
A very narrow, winding road, but the local drivers are apparently used to tourists and are very patient and courteous.
There’s a fee of 2 euros per person at the entrance to the national park.
We decided to do the trail to theNjegoš Mausoleum, a climb of 461 well-built steps.
Entering the mausoleum costs another 5 euros (there’s a discount for students and children).
You return to the start of the trail the same way you went up.
After returning to Kotor we decided to use the rest of our time in Montenegro for shopping (after all, our flight included suitcases), but in this area we failed miserably.
In the tiny mall in central Kotor we found no bargains; at least we stocked up on chocolates for friends back home at the local supermarket.
A last night in Kotor, and in the morning our early flight home.
The drive from Kotor to Tivat airport took us 20 minutes.
After a thorough inspection by the company’s representative, we returned the car with no problems!
Happy we didn’t scratch the car despite the road conditions.
The airport is tiny, and we were there out of season, so ours was the only flight in the terminal.
There’s a small shop they call duty-free; prices there were high and there was no selection (not even of cigarettes or drinks).
A Video Summary of Our Trip to Montenegro
Throughout the trip we made sure to document and film so we could show you how beautiful Montenegro is
The Costs of Our Trip to Montenegro
A little about the costs of our trip.
All costs are for a couple.
Accommodation in basic apartments, clean and well reviewed.
Flights: 2,066.7 ILS.
Insurance and excess waiver: 256 ILS.
Car rental: 510 ILS.
Fuel: 315 ILS.
Spending: 1,560 ILS.
Accommodation: 800 ILS.
Total: 5,017 ILS (prices from 2019, paid in Israeli shekels).
Prices in Montenegro
To give you an idea of the costs of a trip to Montenegro, I tried to collect some prices.
Highway toll: 2.5 euros (from Budva to Lake Skadar).
SIM: 10 euros for a local SIM with 1000 GB.
A small bottle of water at kiosks: 0.5 euros.
Machine coffee at a gas station: 1.5 euros.
Fuel: 1.32 euros.
Entry to Kotor Fortress: 8 euros.
Entry to the Lake Skadar reserve: 4 euros.
Entry to Durmitor National Park: 3 euros.
A map of Durmitor National Park: 5 euros.
More posts you might find interesting:
If you’ve visited Montenegro, I’d love to hear what you thought of it in the comments.
Happy travels,
Shir-Yam
