5 Days in Montenegro Itinerary With the Starting Point in Podgorica
I’ll be honest, spending 5 days in Montenegro is not enough time to see the entire country, but this is a good amount to get acquainted with its highlights, dip your feet in the sea in one of its beach towns, and even possibly go on one of the hikes in Montenegro’s mountains.
It is oriented toward people who have 5 full days in the country and want to see a lot (but you can also use it for 4 days in Montenegro if arrival or departure time make you miss one day). You can always squeeze in some beach time, but this itinerary’s main goal is sightseeing (although I included one option for swimming too).
Overall, this Montenegro 5 day itinerary is great to use at any season, but you’d need to adjust it slightly if visiting in July and August during serious heat waves and/or during those days in winter when it’s raining nonstop.
Where to Stay in Montenegro During 5 Days
Since this is a 5-day Montenegro itinerary, you’ll be staying for 4 nights. I am suggesting below the exact locations and accommodation options along the route that include a couple of choices for each stay in different budget categories.
This means I provide an option for a nice hotel or flat in a higher price range and another for a lower budget, but all options are still reasonably priced and of good quality. All have access to free parking.
If you feel like you don’t want to move around a lot, adjust this itinerary to stay in one place longer and take short trips from there. If you change the route, find helpful tips on where to stay in Montenegro in this post.
- 1st Night Stay – Ivanovic Apartment or Apartmani Irena, both in Tivat
- 2nd Night Stay – Casa del Mar or Apartment Jovanovic, both in Dobrota
- 3rd Night Stay – the same as the 2nd night
- 4th Night Stay – Casa di Pino Eco Lodge or Get Rest Apartment, both in Zabljak
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5 Days in Montenegro Itinerary – If You Start in Podgorica
Day 1 in Montenegro – Fly In, Car Hire in Podgorica Airport, Rijeka Crnojevica, Budva Old Town, Tivat
I assume your first day of a 5 day trip to Montenegro starts early, so I pack this day with quite a few things to do. But if the flight is later in the day, obviously you’ll need to hurry or leave some activities out.
So after picking up a car and leaving the airport, drive straight south skipping Podgorica (it may be worth visiting it another time, but with this itinerary, I don’t include it due to limited time, prioritizing other destinations instead).
Where to Rent a Car in Podgorica: Car hire prices in the airport of Montenegro’s capital are very decent but they fluctuate often depending on the company and time of the year. For the car rental, I recommend (and that’s what we always do) comparing prices from Localrent and prices from MTL, AddCar, or Carwiz through Discovercars. For more tips and rules, see my post about car hire in Montenegro.
If you are hungry (and I guess you are after the flight), wait until you get to Rijeka Crnojevica, where you can stop at Savina Luka restaurant to try traditional food of Montenegro in a very scenic setting (sit at the table by the water).
After the meal, have an encounter with the largest lake in the Balkans Shkodra Lake which is special in many ways (it is home to over 270 unique birds and rare Dalmatian pelican). After the meal, walk along the water or take a boat to sail through the heart of Pavlova Strana Fjord.
From Rijeka Crnojevica, go to Budva and make a stop there to check out its Old Town and one of the nice beaches in the city area. There, in old town, try street pizza (a staple food of Budva and very good) or a cocktail in one of the lovely bars.
If your flight was very early and you have more time in the day, before reaching Budva, I’d also suggest making a stop in Cetinje (the first capital of Montenegro) for a quick walk through its main street (it has lots of info boards with interesting info).
Also, check out the Plavi Dvorac which served as the residence of the Montenegrin royal family, including King Nikola I, during the period when Montenegro was a kingdom. Now it’s just a governmental building but still interesting to take a look at.
After Budva, it will be already evening time, head to Tivat to check into the hotel and catch the sunset which is very beautiful from Tivat Marina. Spend the evening in Porto Montenegro or by the water in Donja Lastva.
Day 2 in Montenegro – Tivat, Donji Stoliv, Prcanj, Kotor & Kotor Fortress
If on a previous day you came to Tivat late, then spend the morning of day 2 in Montenegro checking out the Portonovi area and possibly one of the other Tivat things to do. There is also a nice Buddha Beach Club with the largest pool in the country and a decent Waikiki Beach if you are visiting from May to November and feel like going for a quick swim.
After Tivat, I recommend you drive to Kotor but not via the busy dusty road by the airport, but in a bit opposite direction through Lepetani and then Donji Stoliv (the exact drive is here). This drive is scenic and offers lots of opportunities for stops and photography.
Before reaching Donji Stoliv, there is one of my favorite cafes (which turns into a beach club in summer) Verige (here is the location). It is a bit hidden and easy to miss. Make a stop there for coffee or juice with a view. A cruise liner might even pass by and end up in your photos too.
Among other places not to miss are Prcanj and Muo, two quaint villages with scenic waterfronts and cute stone houses.
Spend the rest of the day in Kotor and nearby Dobrota (there are many things to do in Kotor area which will keep you busy until late night).
If you arrive in Kotor in the early evening, I highly recommend you go up to Kotor Fortress for the sunset and look at the city from above, illuminated by the rays of the setting sun. An alternative would be a Rooftop Terrace at Hippocampus, the only terrace in Kotor with some views. It is a nice place for a cocktail or even a meal. Sunset view is not the same as from the Kotor Fortress, but still very impressive.
Day 3 in Montenegro – Perast & Oyster Farm, Kotor Bay, Dobrota
On day 3 of this 5 days in Montenegro itinerary, I suggest you take it a bit slower and see the main highlights of Kotor Bay. If you haven’t seen much of Kotor on a previous day, there is a very nice free tour of Kotor to join to get a quick overview of the city within a short period of time.
Next, a place not to miss is Perast, an ancient town with medieval streets and stone houses (each worth millions of euros) sitting on one of the most beautiful bays in Europe. It features a church nestled on a man-made island, over 10 palaces, and ancient legends. From the main pier, boats depart for the island every 15-30 minutes (depending on the load of the boat) and you can buy tickets right on the spot.
However, when traveling from May to about October, I’d recommend you leave the car in a parking lot in Kotor (because in Perast mission to find a spot will be impossible, especially on weekends, and price for parking is three times as expensive) and either go there by bus or better on this 2-hour tour by boat straight from Kotor which includes a visit to Our Lady of the Rock, scenic boat ride and free time in Perast for self-discoveries.
An alternative to that would be one of these tours:
After Perast, go to the oyster farm (either Pescatore Farm or on the opposite side Milos Farm & Restaurant) for the most delicious shrimp, oysters, and/or grilled fish straight from the bay. Both of these establishments have parking for cars but it is very easy to walk there too (just wear a hat and sunblock in summer because the whole way is under the open sun).
Spend the rest of the day exploring other towns of Kotor Bay or return to Perast to go on a beautiful (but short) hike over the bay to the church of St. Ivan.
Day 4 in Montenegro – Durmitor National Park, Sedlo Pass, and Tara Canyon
Start this day early and after breakfast drive to one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Montenegro and that is Durmitor Massif. When you stay in Dobrota (and that’s the reason I suggested an overnight stay there), you’ll get there a bit quicker than when coming from Kotor. Drive through Risan, Niksic, and Savnik.
On the way, you could also make a stop by the Waterfall Skakavica (especially after Montenegrin winter when waterfall gets full of water), it’s a slight detour from the main road after you pass Savnik which also includes a bit of hiking since the road is partially dirt and gravel.
Other than that, I wouldn’t make other stops since Durmitor is a big park with lots of interesting sightseeing. When there, drive through Sedlo Pass, take a cable car to Savin Kuk Peak, walk around the Black Lake, or if you are in good shape and love hiking, follow one of these trails. Another must-visit highlight is Tara Canyon by Tara Bridge. Exactly by this bridge, you get the best (easy) view of the canyon and surrounding mountains.
When using my Montenegro 5 day itinerary in winter, then just come to Durmitor to enjoy snow (and ski if you like that), spend time by the Black Lake and enjoy a real winter wonderland in one of the cozy cabins.
Spend a night in Zabljak in one of the accommodations I suggested above (or one of the wooden huts) for a lovely Durmitor experience. Zabljak also has a few nice restaurants (and even bars), so you can plan to eat there.
Day 5 in Montenegro – Zabljak, Savnik, Moraca Canyon, Podgorica
On day 5 of this Montenegro itinerary, take a road back to Podgorica to fly back home. But choose a road through Savnik and then through Moraca Canyon (where Moraca Monastery is located).
Depending on how much time you have, you could still enjoy a few hours in Durmitor (to walk around the Black Lake in the early morning, for example) and then drive without stops to Podgorica airport, enjoying the scenery through the car window.
Otherwise, if leaving Zabljak the first thing in the morning (but having a flight later in the day), you can also spend a couple of hours in Podgorica, checking out its top things to do, making a stop by its famous Niagara Waterfall, and/or stopping in the city for the meal. Podgorica has many awesome restaurants and cafes where it is always a pleasure to dine before leaving the city.
In this way, 5 days in Montenegro are over. But would you like to create another itinerary with other places in mind? Let me do it for you, get in touch and I’ll send you my offer!
Alternative Things to Do During 5 Days in Montenegro
If you feel like you need more action or want to change a few things around, then see my other posts about other places in Montenegro that are also worth a trip:
- Herceg Novi & Its List of Activities – where you could even stay a few days
- Bijela Town – Kotor’s Bay Getaway Town
- Lesser-Visited Places in Montenegro – some hidden spots and off-the-beaten-path locations
- Quieter Montenegro Beaches – to avoid tourists and crowds
- Lovcen National Park – hiking trails and tips for a good visit
- Scenic Walks in Montenegro – along and above the coast
- Day Trips From Kotor – if you decide to slow down and stay longer there
Or, if the arrival point is not Podgorica but Herceg Novi, you can always use my Montenegro 7 day itinerary to follow other suggestions. Mark also wrote a nice Montenegro road trip post with different routes for people who have more time on their hands.
