Montenegro is a Balkan country, relatively preserved from tourism. The interior of the country includes beautiful national parks in the heart of the Montenegrin mountains. It is a country where you can eat very well for a very affordable price.
For citizens of the European Union, a valid identity card or passport (valid for at least 6 months) is sufficient for a tourist stay in Montenegro. There is no need for a visa.
In order to help you, as always, to organize your trip in the best and quickest way possible, we reveal you our itinerary, on our personalized map. As well as our tips, tricks and best accommodations to fully enjoy your stay.
Sommaire
- What to do in Montenegro? Bay of Kotor, Budva, Black lake…
- Our ideal itinerary of 8 to 10 days [map]
- Day 1 – Podgorica -> Lake Shkodra
- Day 2 – Virpazar, Lake Shkodra, Murici beach -> Ulcinj
- Day 3 – Ulcinj, Long beach / Velika plaza + visit of the old town
- Day 4 – Ulcinj -> Budva, Mogren beach + visit to the old town
- Day 5 – Budva -> Kotor, Kotor beach + visit of the old town
- Day 6 – Kotor -> Durmitor National Park
- Day 7 – Durmitor National Park, black lack hike “Crno Jezero” to Podgorica
- Day 8 – Podgorica
- Where to stay during your stay in Montenegro?
- Practical information (flight + travel)
What to do in Montenegro? Bay of Kotor, Budva, Black lake…
The Adriatic coast offersauthentic villages (Kotor, Budva, Ulcinj…) and beaches with clear waters (Velika plaza, Mogren beach…).
We advise you to discover the bay of Kotor by boat, you can book your ticket, in advance, for an excursion of 3 hours during which you will explore this incredible natural place and you will bathe in its caves with translucent waters. In short, an essential part of our trip!
Also the nature lovers will be satisfied with the multitude of proposed hikes.
Lovers of old stones and beautiful coves will find their happiness along the Adriatic coast.
Our ideal itinerary of 8 to 10 days [map]
- Jour 1 – Podgorica -> Lac shkodra
- Jour 2 – Virpazar, Lac shkodra, plage Murici beach -> Ulcinj
- Jour 3 – Ulcinj, plage Long beach / Velika plaza+ visite de la veille ville
- Jour 4 – Ulcinj -> Budva, plage Mogren beach + visite de la veille ville
- Jour 5 – Budva -> Kotor, plage Kotor beach + visite de la veille ville
- Jour 6 – Kotor -> Parc national du Durmitor
- Jour 7 – Parc national du Durmitor, randonnée black lack / Crno Jezero -> Podgorica
- Jour 8 – Podgorica
Our suggestions for longer itineraries:
- If you stay for 10 days, we advise you to stay an extra day in Kotor and another one in Durmitor National Park.
- Extra day in Kotor – walk on the city heights with a view on the Kotor fjord
- Extra day at Durmitor National Park – cayoning in the Tara River and zip line 1km long and 125m high
- If you stay 12 days, you can keep the 10-day itinerary and then after your visit to the Durmitor before returning to Podgorica, we recommend you to spend 2 days in the national park Kolašin. We hesitated for a long time between the two parks, we had excellent feedback from travelers we met during the trip. It is a ski resort in the winter and offers great hiking opportunities in the summer
- Day 10 – Biogradska Park (entrance fee 3€) is home to a beautiful lake ” Gora Lake “, a walk of about 4km allows you to walk around it and enjoy a well-deserved picnic.
- Day 11- Climb also to Bendovac (about 3h of ascent from the lake), in order to have a beautiful view on the lake below.
Day 1 – Podgorica -> Lake Shkodra
After picking up our car in the early afternoon at the airport, we familiarized ourselves with the Montenegrin roads by driving from Podgorica to Lake Shkodra. More precisely to the town of Virpazar to spend the night.
We took advantage of our excellent accommodation to rest, get advice for our 8-day itinerary and try our first Montenegrin specialties offered by our hosts.
➡️ Accommodation in Virpazar: The Milena flat is spacious and functional. Breakfast is included. The welcome is very friendly, on arrival you will be offered local specialties.
The family also offers tailor-made excursions on the lake Shkodra. Free parking in front of the flat. The flat is located in a quiet area outside the village of Virpazar.
Day 2 – Virpazar, Lake Shkodra, Murici beach -> Ulcinj
Departure around 10 am from our accommodation in Virpazar towards Ulcinj, we chose to take our time to connect the two cities.
So we opted for the route along the Shkodra lake, in order to enjoy incredible views and especially a refreshing swim in the lake.
To do this, enter the town of Donji Murici or directly the beach of Murici(plaza Murici) in your GPS. It is a mountain road, narrow and winding where two cars cannot pass each other. It is thus necessary to redouble caution and patience, in order to benefit from these beautiful landscapes anda beautiful beach almost deserted.
After an excellent picnic and a pleasant swim, we take the road again towards Ulcinj, 36 kilometers of mountain road await us as well as about twenty kilometers on the national road.
➡️ Accommodation in Ulcinj: The bungalows of the Holiday Park Olive Tree are located in an olive grove. The place is idyllic and ideal for resting. The view from the pool is incredible. The hosts’ welcome is warm. Free parking.
➡️ Restaurants in Ulcinj: Glass with sea view at sunset at “Sunset beach bar” (cocktail 5€), fish restaurant “Hari” (15€ for 300 grams of grilled fish), by sympathizing with the waiter you might get a free arack digestif 😉
Day 3 – Ulcinj, Long beach / Velika plaza + visit of the old town
After a morning enjoying the nice pool with view of the hotel, we left in direction of Long beach / Velika plaza.
This beach of ashy sands is very pleasant and some parts are not very frequented. To avoid the crowd, following the advice given by our hotel, we went as far east as possible.
This part of the beach was almost deserted, because we learned it on the spot, it is reserved for kitesurfers. As a consequence, swimming was forbidden in this area, so we went back on our steps…
Ask your accommodation before leaving to indicate the accessible part for swimming. Take advantage of your visit to Ulcinj to stroll through the old town at sunset.
Day 4 – Ulcinj -> Budva, Mogren beach + visit to the old town
We reached the walled city of Budva after a good hour of driving. Our hotel was located in the heart of the city, an area difficult to reach by car. We left our Skoda in a free parking lot located 1 kilometer from the hotel.
We recommend you the pretty cove with clear water accessible from Budva on foot in only a few minutes : Mogren beach.
After enjoying the sunset , we went to dinner in the heart of the ramparts. The old town is very pleasant, on the other hand it is a very touristy town, we preferred Kotor, more authentic.
➡️ Accommodation in Budva: Sailor House spacious flat located in the heart of the old town. Mogren beach can be reached on foot in just a few minutes. Free parking 1 kilometre away.
Day 5 – Budva -> Kotor, Kotor beach + visit of the old town
The mouths of Kotor were a real favorite for us. The city is aUNESCO World Heritage Site. Located only about 30 minutes from Budva, we had the whole day to enjoy this magical place.
Numerous creeks line the bay, we spent the afternoon at Kotor Beach accessible by foot from the old town. The water is clear and refreshing, with the beautiful mountains of the Kotor fjord in the background. Sunbeds and umbrellas are available for 5€.
In the evening we walked through the streets of the old city, to contemplate the many churches and small squares, each more adorable than the other. On some summer evenings you can enjoy free concerts.
➡️ Apartment in Kotor: Apartment Magic Sea View, the flat is fully equipped and very clean with an incredible terrace offering a view of the splendid bay of Kotor. It is located a few minutes from the old town and close to a beautiful cove. We loved our stay, we should have stayed an extra night to fully enjoy the place and the accommodation. Free secure parking on site.
➡️ Explore the bay of Kotor by boat: if you want a different view of the bay and its cliffs, don’t hesitate to book a boat tour of about 3 hours which will show you several caves in the surroundings and then you can swim away from the crowd.
➡️ Day trip to visit the 3 most famous places in Montenegro from Kotor, the incredible Kotor Bay, Durmitor and its famous black lake and Ostrog Monastery, a high place of pilgrimage. Book your ticket at the best price.
➡️ Restaurant in Kotor: Pržun, the fish dishes are excellent!
Day 6 – Kotor -> Durmitor National Park
After driving along hairpin roads with beautiful views of the Bay of Kotor, we arrived in Zabljak, a town located at the gateway to the Durmitor National Park.
Count on about 3h30-4h travel time, small distances can take much longer than expected in Montenegro. We enjoyed the freshness and the pleasant atmosphere of this ski resort.
➡️ Accommodation in Durmitor / Zabljak: Eco camp chalets pod gorom, the wooden chalets are located in a peaceful place in the middle of nature. The whole family is lovely, Tatjana speaks very good English and can give you excellent advice. Please note that the sanitary facilities are shared, which is not at all disturbing as they are very clean. Free parking on site.
Day 7 – Durmitor National Park, black lack hike “Crno Jezero” to Podgorica
After enjoying the coolness of the night, we headed to the Black Lake ” Crno Jezero “, located 2 kilometers from the city, for a short hike.
Despite the bad weather, the 7 kilometer walk around the lake was very pleasant, alternating between forest and lake shore. The water is emerald blue, admire the mountains reflected in it.
The restaurant on the lake offers very good trout with a good local beer. We then drove back to Podgorica.
Visit: Black lake “Crno Jezero”: entrance to the park 3€ per person.
➡️ Accommodation in Podgorica: Aerodrom Lodge on Airbnb, this accommodation is just perfect, clean, well equipped and most importantly with a beautiful pool located in a green oasis. Jamie is a lovely host who will do everything to make your stay the best! Free parking on site.
If you don’t have Airbnb yet and would like to try it out (we recommend it), by going through this link you will receive a 25€ discount on your first booking. We will also receive a small credit to use for our future booking in return!
Day 8 – Podgorica
Last day in Montenegro, it’s time to pack again, after having enjoyed the swimming pool of our accommodation we took the direction of the airport in order to return our Skoda and to take our plane towards Paris.
Evaneos offers organised tours that are 100% customisable.
We advise you to contact a local expert to ask for a free, no-obligation quote, to save time in preparing your trip and to give you plenty of ideas!
Where to stay during your stay in Montenegro?
3 accommodations with good value for money
1. The bungalows of the Holiday Park Olive Tree in Ulcinj (about 70€)
2. Apartment Magic Sea View in Kotor (approx. 100€)
3. Eco camp Podgorom chalets in Durmitor / Zabljak (about 30€)
Practical information (flight + travel)
How to get to Montenegro (by plane)?
The international airport is located in Podgorica (the capital).
Depuis la France, vous pouvez trouver des vols à partir de 90€.
Nous vous conseillons le site Skyscanner, que nous utilisons généralement, pour comparer les prix des différentes compagnies aériennes et trouver votre vol au meilleur prix.
Note that low cost flights do not leave every day to this destination. It is therefore interesting to change the dates of your trip and take an extra day off, if possible, to get a really good price.
There are also very few direct flights, so you will certainly have to make a short stopover.
How to get around (by car)?
For more freedom, we opted for a rental car that we picked up and dropped off at Podgorica airport.
There are no highways in Montenegro, you will use the national road or winding mountain roads. So short distances can take much longer than expected, you will be driving on average 40-50 km per hour. Be patient, this freedom will offer you unforgettable views!
To compare the prices of rentals we recommend the RentalCars website. To give you an idea of prices, in the middle of July, we found a car for 33€ per day by booking a few weeks in advance.
The Alamo rental company offered the best rate. They don’t have a branch at the airport, an employee will be waiting for you when your flight arrives and leaves. Our car already had a few scratches which we noted on the contract when we checked the car.
Montenegro is already over!
Après avoir été charmés par la côte adriatique, ses belles plages et ses villages pittoresques, nous avons également adoré l’intérieur du pays. Les montagnes du parc national du Durmitor nous ont conquis. Nous avons également apprécié la grande gentillesse des Monténégrins. C’est un pays que nous souhaitons découvrir à nouveau !
Bon voyage dans les Balkans ! N’hésitez pas à nous laisser un petit mot ci-dessous pour nous dire si vous prévoyez ce voyage, ou à poser toutes vos questions, nous vous répondrons avec grand plaisir 
