Montenegro Road Trip: 3 Scenic Itineraries for One or Two Weeks

With my Montenegro road trip itineraries, you can go on short drives in different directions or combine them all in one big Montenegro tour and explore the country in 7 or even 10 days.

These are the routes Mark and I have personally driven many times and they are great picks for anyone thinking of going on a drive in Montenegro in any season.

If you feel like these suggestions are still not enough and you need more tips, check also my Montenegro itinerary for 7 days that starts from Herceg Novi or 5 days in Montenegro itinerary from Podgorica. Or, for a more personalized touch on any road trip itinerary you may have in mind, get in touch and I’ll take a look.

Calling Montenegro now my second home, I am always excited to share my personal insights to enhance someone’s travel experience!

Montenegro Road Trip Itineraries (Great for 5, 7 & 10 Days in the Country)

Road Trip Around Montenegro’s Famous Bay of Kotor

• Tivat
• Kotor
• Perast
• Risan
• Portonovi
• Herceg Novi
• Lepetane
• Donji Stoliv
• Muo

This road trip is great to start from Tivat where many people fly into and where renting a car is easy. However, you can also start it in Herceg Novi when arriving from Dubrovnik.

While Tivat is more straightforward, from Dubrovnik, there are two ways to do it.

The first is to rent a car in Dubrovnik city (or airport) with the drop off in Podgorica. This is a bit more expensive but works well for those who fly out of Podgorica or continue their journey along the coast to Albania. There are very few rental companies that allow international one-way rental. Two companies I know, which allow that are Green Motion and Carwiz.

Another option is to come to Herceg Novi from Dubrovnik by bus, which doesn’t take very long. Spend some time in town and then rent a one-way rental car from a local supplier. They are much more flexible on one-way rentals, and deliveries to smaller towns and often are cheaper than to rent at the airport. This way you can drop off your car in Budva or any other town convenient for you.

Tivat

This town is not large but has a luxurious vibe with nice-looking harbor condos and some really fancy yachts parked at the marina.

All sorts of restaurants, cafes, bars, and bakeries, are at your disposal. Not to mention some shopping and a nice-looking boardwalk. Spend some time there but not too much before heading out to Kotor.

Here is my guide to Tivat to make planning easy.

Kotor

The town of Kotor is a highlight of the Boka Bay with the largest old town included in aged city walls and a magnificent extension of the city wall stretching uphill, which you can hike along.

This is a city where cruise ships arrive, and at those times, it can get pretty crowded. Luckily they don’t come every day. Despite that, I highly recommend spending some time there, getting a meal or a drink in Old Town, and visiting the town’s attractions, such as the Kotor Fortress.

On the way out of Kotor, I suggest stopping by Dobrota which is a settlement that has grown next to Kotor and has lots of cute guesthouses, a variety of restaurants, and a pleasant walk along the shore of the bay. This is a good stop to make to escape Kotor’s tourist crowds and grab a cheaper snack in a relaxing atmosphere.

Perast

This is the second most famous town in Kotor Bay and is an iconic place for the Montenegro landscape. It is here where you can take a boat to the famous Lady of the Rock Island, which is an artificial islet with a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Once there, don’t miss a chance to walk on the waterfront, get a view of the bay from the Bell Tower, and if visiting outside in summer (like fall or spring), go hiking above Perast for views and the ancient fortress.

Risan

This town is more of a quick stop on the route to get refreshments in the little old part within its courtyards just a step away from the waterfront.

Portnovi

This is a newly built marine harbor area of Herceg Novi province that gives you a luxury feel of newly built coastal condominiums and a beautiful exclusive 5-star Hotel One & Only.

You don’t need to stay there, but if you like, stop at their exquisite lounge bar with the views or at their beach club in summer.

Of course, besides the hotel, there are other restaurants and cafes you can enjoy. For coffee, stop at Kafeterija Portonovi. And for food, if you are looking for something quality, yet not expensive, stop at Kantina65. It is just outside of the “Newly developed” area and they offer a buffet for just €6 or €8, depending on your choice.

TIP: Before you even reach Portonovi, there are many other places where to stop along the way like Kamenari, Bijela, Baosici, and a couple of panoramic restaurants between them. Of course, make stops for photography because scenic landscapes open up around each corner.

In summer, beach clubs start welcoming guests as well, so if you want to take it slower, there is a chance to do so. Our favorite beach clubs are Tramontana Beach Club in the small village of Morinj and El Cortez in Orahovac before you even reach Perast.

Montenegro Road Trip to See the Coast & Largest Lake

• Tivat
• Budva
• Sveti Stefan
• Petrovac
• Bar
• Ulcinj
• Shkodra Lake

Tivat

If you are staying somewhere on the Bay, Tivat is a great starting point for this road trip. A beautiful town with a luxurious vibe and a pretty boardwalk.

If you haven’t seen my guide to Tivat yet, here it is with a list of things to do.

Budva

This is the fastest growing town in Montenegro which is acquiring a more modern look these days, but you would want to visit their Old Town (and some of its beaches in June and September as they have blue flags).

By the way, before you enter Budva, you can stop at a really nice yet not expensive restaurant Restoran Vista Vidikovac, right off the road driving down the hill. From there you can get a great view of Budva’s old part and the city in general.

Sveti Stefan

Another iconic image of Montenegro – Sveti Stefan, is a must-stop. Unfortunately, because the island is privately owned, it cannot be visited at this time.

But honestly, there is not much need for that. The place is better to be admired from one of the coastal trails. There is also a restaurant “Olive”, where you can make a stop with great views of it.

Petrovac

Before I start talking about Petrovac, I want to say this – I’d recommend skipping this town in July and August due to the high number of people, really bad traffic jams, and rather dirty beaches.

But in spring, late fall, and even winter, Petrovac is an excellent destination in Montenegro with parks, wide streets, beautiful walking trails, and high-class apartments and hotels.

It is ideal for a peaceful (yet not beach-centered) vacation. The area here is beautiful, with greenery everywhere and designated areas for walking.

And for people who have a car and plan to go on road trips around Montenegro, Petrovac is a perfect spot where to make a base.

Bar

Bar is more of a residential town. I mean there are great cafes and restaurants, the beachside and King Nikola’s Palace if you like history.

But the main thing why to come here is Bar’s Old Town, which is more inland and uphill. It is not very large but pleasant to walk through and you will find some great traditional restaurants there.

Ulcinj

Many people come here for the longest beach in Montenegro (name Velika Plaža – it’s about 12 km long) and that is the only truly sandy beach in the country.

But I think Ulcinj is a nice city in Montenegro to visit on a road trip not just for the beach, but for its old town, which is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast.

Shkodra Lake

This is one of the biggest lakes in Southern Europe that Montenegro and Albania share together.

As you head towards Virpazar, you will find different recreational opportunities there like boating, kayaking, biking, and gastro tours. Here is a popular spot to go on a tour around the lake and visit a couple of UNESCO sites, fortres, and enjoy a swim.

However, Virpazar lately became too touristy. We like to visit to go to Rijeka Crnojevića, Prevlaka, monasteries on small islands, and one of the wineries (there are many of them in the area).

In-Land Road Trip Through Montenegro To See the Mountains

• Podgorica
• Moraca Canyon
• Kolasin
• Bjelasica Mountains or Komovi Mountains
• Biogradska Gora National Park
• Tara Canyon
• Žabljak
• Durmitor National Park
• Piva Lake
• Niksic
• Ostrog Orthodox Monastery
• Podgorica

This multi-day road trip in Montenegro is great for two categories of people – first, for those who fly into Podgorica and want to combine a bit of history with mountainous nature (especially when traveling in Montenegro in the fall) and second, for people who had enough of the coast and now want to see other parts of the country as much as possible.

Renting a car in Podgorica airport is also always easy (and often cheaper than in Tivat) but for the lowest price (and best service in our experience), rent it from MTL CarRent or AddCar.

Podgorica

The capital of Montenegro is not considered to be among exciting European capitals but it is the biggest city in the country and is well developing. I suggest you make a start there for the in-land country road trip.

Podgorica was almost entirely destroyed during WW2, so you will not find a noticeable old town or a lot of other historical presence. Yet, it is worth stopping there for a few hours just to get a feel of the city and check out some of its attractions and interesting restaurants.

Walk on its bridges (the new iconic Millennium Bridge and old Ribnica Bridge built by Ottomans), check out one of the parks (there are many in the city, but Gorica Park also offers nice panoramic view of the city), see both mosques and orthodox churches that coexist together next to each other, and of course stop for a meal and drink since Podgorica has many awesome dining establishments.

Moraca Canyon

This is an old road from Podgorica up North to Kolasin and farther (you can see it above in a photo under this Montenegro road trip map where we drive through the rock tunnel). After the completion of a new highway, not many people drive it regularly.

But while the highway is mostly a straight road with a bunch of tunnels, the old way takes you through the Moraca Canyon, a very scenic road.

Along it, there are a couple of areas where to pull over and take photos or even have a mini adventure like on this ancient suspension bridge over the Moraca River. Later on, don’t miss Moraca Monastery with its serene atmosphere and impressive frescoes depicting medieval Montenegrin art.

One of the highlights between Podgorica and Moraca Monastery is Mrtvica Canyon, which is accessible on foot from the main road. To get to it, you’d need to devote 3-6 hours (depending on the final point where you want to go), but the whole experience is well worth it.

Read my post about the best Montenegro hikes where I mention this hike in more detail, it is the last one on the list.

NOTE: When leaving Podgorica, remember to stay on E65/E80, do not turn onto the A1 Motorway.

Kolasin

In Kolasin, I recommend you make a stop for the night or even a couple of nights before continuing your road trip because this city is a gateway to the lesser-known beautiful nature of Montenegro.

Kolasin is a small town that has been around for a while but recently took a giant leap in development due to the completion of the first country’s highway and amazing mountain nature that is now in close proximity to the coast.

In winter, it is also a ski resort destination but it doesn’t die out outside of the winter season. In summer, it offers plenty of opportunities for hiking to glacier lakes, biking, relaxing amidst mountains, and trying very delish (and cheap) traditional Montenegrin mountain food (I talk in this food guide about some awesome restaurants and dishes to try in Kolasin).

There is also a small center where you will always find people at restaurants, cafes, and tourist centers.

In summer, Kolasin is also among fantastic places where to escape the heat as the weather is very mild.

Bjelasica Mountains or Komovi Mountains

When choosing to stay in Kolasin, you have time and opportunity to see the non-touristy pristine mountains of Montenegro. They surround Kolasin on all sides.

Mountains that are quickest to reach are Bjelasica since they are just a short drive away. Kolasin 1600 Ski Center & Cable Car is the most famous point but there is also nearby Vranjak village with eco camps, many hiking trails, and a big resort area (which is still under construction) with stores, hotels, spas, and luxurious amenities.

As of now, the first hotel that is open there is Swissotel Resort where it is possible to make a stop (to go to a restaurant, spa, or just to enjoy the grounds) if you don’t plan to stay there.

An alternative would be (if you like very quiet and authentic places) Komovi mountains, south of Kolasin. I have a mini guide about the Komovi mountains, give it a read to understand what expects you there.

Biogradska Gora National Park

One of 5 country’s national parks – Biogradska Gora, is just a short drive away from Kolasin and is a must-visit stop on Montenegro road trip around the country.

Normally, you can spend a lot of time at the park, but even if your road trip is short, I advise you to stop by to quickly hike around Biograd Lake which is surrounded by a virgin forest that has been preserved for centuries and is exceptionally rich in biodiversity.

The road to the park will bring you to this lake, from where you can also go on longer hikes or camp surrounded by forest and mountains. A truly beautiful place.

Tara Canyon

After Biogradska Gora National Park, the drive goes by Tara Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world, following the Grand Canyon.

It is here where you can go rafting (just make sure to book it in advance, there is zero chance to sign up for a rafting adventure on the spot), ziplining (at Durdevica Tara Bridge), or going down to the bottom of the canyon to one of its wild beaches.

NOTE: The road from Mojcovac to Durdevic Bridge is often closed during certain hours of the day as safety measures are reinforced to prevent rocks from falling from the mountains. You need to ask in Kolasin Information Center when it is going to be open, so you know when to drive.

Žabljak

One of the must-stop places on a road trip in Montenegro is Žabljak, a small town and the main hub for activities in Durmitor Park.

This is where you can find good food, visit a local information center, and get a variety of accommodations to stay overnight.

Durmitor National Park

Again, this national park is another place in Montenegro where you can spend days and engage yourself in all sorts of activities, including hiking to Bobotov Kuk or choosing one of the easier hiking trails in Durmitor.

But as far as a road trip, head towards Piva Lake through Sedlo Pass, as that drive is just magnificent.

The pass would be, however, only accessible in warm time from around May (depending on how much snow is there) to around the end of October.

Piva Lake

This is another stop to make on this road trip with quite a few interesting places to visit and activities to have – an old fortress, a few monasteries, mountain lakes, fishing, hiking, rafting, cycling, and SUP/kayak expeditions on the lake.

After the lake, the drive continues south where there is a significant old Orthodox monastery in Pluzine. Interestingly, it is not its original location as it had been moved stone by stone from another spot up the stream, due the infrastructure development. The relocation process took 12 years to complete.

On the outside, the monastery building looks new, but inside, all the original 13th-century frescoes have been carefully transferred piece by piece from the walls of the old monastery.

Niksic

Niksic is another stop on this Montenegro road trip route but just to stretch your legs and eat traditional food if you are hungry. The city is non-touristy and quite ordinary, so I wouldn’t concentrate much on it.

However, if you would like to grab something to eat, I’d recommend Kastel 2 restaurant, it just has quite an extensive menu with some of the most delicious dishes. We like stopping here to eat goulash with mashed potatoes or civcara with salads.

One of the interesting things to do in the city is to go to Bedem Fortress which opens up a nice view.

Ostrog Orthodox Monastery

A not-to-miss highlight of this drive is an old Serbian Orthodox Monastery that was carved into the cliff sometime in the 17th century.

The entrance is free but everyone is welcome to buy and place a candle inside.

Podgorica

After Ostrog Monastery, drive back to Podgorica where you can start another road trip or finish your journey.

Do You Want to Plan Another Road Trip in Montenegro?

If you feel like you’d like to plan another Montenegro road trip itinerary, specifically tailored for your needs and special requests, then get in touch with me and I’ll help you do it.

We are based in Montenegro for part of the year and know the country very well. Discovering new driving routes is one of my favorite things to do in this country!

More Montenegro Travel Tips

• How Many Days to Spend in Montenegro? – tips and advice on how to decide
• Is Montenegro Safe? – what to know before you go
• Is Montenegro a Good Country? – my honest take on it
• Secret Beaches in Montenegro – away from tourists and crowds
• Where to Stay in Montenegro – guide to different areas and accommodation

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