5 days in Montenegro 2023

The first day of the Montenegro itinerary starts with the most attractive sites on the coastline, Budva, Kotor, and Perast. Depending on your location, we can arrange for a convenient pick-up to start the tour. Our experienced guides will take you on a 45-minute guided tour of Budva, followed by some free time for you to explore and enjoy the charm of this beautiful town on your own. If you visit during the summer months, swimming in crystal clear blue water might be a great way to spend your free time.

After Budva, we will drive for 30 minutes to the UNESCO-listed town of Kotor. From there, embark on a 1.5-hour Old Town guided tour where you’ll visit the 12th-century Cathedral and Maritime Museum. If you are an active traveler, we suggest you explore Kotor in the best way possible, and that’s by climbing the city walls for a breathtaking view of Kotor old town and its bay.

Next, the trip continues towards Perast, a baroque pearl of the Adriatic. You’ll have plenty of time to stroll the picturesque streets and admire the stunning baroque architecture before boarding a boat to the artificial Island of Our Lady of the Rock. Impressive treasury and the unique church will make the ending of the Bay of Kotor visit.

During this day trip, there is a possibility of having lunch in some of the local restaurants of your preference.

Experience the best of Montenegro’s mountain beauty on your second-day trip. We will start our drive from Budva up to the mountains of Montenegro, enjoying the panorama of its Riviera. After 45 minutes, we will arrive in Cetinje, the old royal capital of Montenegro. In Cetinje, we are visiting a royal palace that tells the story of Montenegrins most famous dynasty Petrovic and their rule from the 17th to 20th century. Since Cetinje is located in the mountain area, some free time spent in the fresh air will fulfill your impression!

After Cetinje, we proceed to Lovcen National Park. This world-famous national park is surrounded by oak forests and outstanding natural beauty that will leave you breathless. Driving through forest tunnels, we will get to the top of the mountain (1660 m above sea level, 461 steps from the parking lot), where the mausoleum of Peter II Petrovic Njegos is located. Breathtaking views from the mountaintop and the story of the greatest Montenegrin poet and philosopher will help you understand the Montenegrin spirit.

From Lovcen Mountain, we will go to the village Njegusi, famous for the production of smoked ham and cheese. In a local restaurant we will learn how they make it and, of course, taste it!

This day will finish with an astonishing drive back to your hotel, with 25 switchbacks from where we will enjoy the best views of the Bay of Kotor that you can get!

On day three, we are moving further away from the coastline to the north of Montenegro. On the way to Kolasin, where we will stay overnight, our first stop will be at Skadar Lake National Park. This place is famous for being a paradise for birds! The symbol of the lake is Pelican, which, if we are lucky, we will have a chance to see during our 1,5 hours boat cruise. Besides birds watching through wetland vegetation, we will have a glass of famous Montenegrin wine to complete our moments on the lake.

After the lake visit, we continue towards the north, passing our capital Podgorica and Monastery Moraca, famous for well-preserved medieval fresco paintings. We will take a break from visiting the monastery and continue to National Park Biogradska Gora. This site is known as one of the last rainforests in Europe and, with its glacial lake, represents one of the most popular National Parks of Montenegro.

This day tour ends in Kolasin, where we will enjoy not only the mountain atmosphere but also traditional specialties from the northern part of Montenegro.

Embark on day tour number four, an excursion that’s taking you to Durmitor National Park. On the way, we pass the deepest canyon in Europe, Tara River Canyon. Its beauty and untouched wild nature are even recognized by UNESCO, which protected this area as a World Natural Heritage Site! So, during our drive, we will make a few stops to admire this stunning well-preserved scenery.

After a 1 hour drive, we will arrive at Djurdjevica Tara Bridge, which connects two banks of this famous canyon! The bridge represents the masterpiece of Yugoslavian architecture because when it was built, it was the highest concrete bridge in Europe!

The bridge is also the entrance to National Park Durmitor, where we will spend the rest of the day. The Black Lake is a large glacial lake and the biggest one in the national park. During the 2-hour free time, we suggest walking around and immersing yourself in the awe-inspiring surroundings.

On the last day, we will take a different route to head back to the coast and explore the western part of Montenegro.

We will make a stop at the Ostrog Monastery. It is a spectacular and important Orthodox site built into a sheer cliff face in Montenegro. It is one of the most visited religious sites in the Balkans, attracting visitors from all over the world, no matter their religious beliefs. Three faiths are represented: the Orthodox Christians (who built the church), the Catholics, and the Muslims. Up to a million tourists and pilgrims visit this place each year. Visiting Ostrog Monastery will be the last piece of a puzzle to complete your Montenegro tour!