Visit Montenegro
The Wild beauty

Include Montenegro in Your Balkan Tour

Include Montenegro in your private Balkan Tour! Balkan Tales hosts tours in the Balkans that go through Montenegro and there will be a licensed guide at your service.

We pride ourselves on excellent organization and guiding, and can show you things other commercial tours won’t.

  • Pick-ups and drop-off at you locations. Airport transfers included.
  • Custom travel itinerary that’s tailored to your specific interest.
  • We handle all admission fees, accommodation and transportation.

Immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere at the medieval town of Budva and then see the magnificence of the UNESCO-protected Tara river canyon and the Ostrog monastery.

Walk and explore the urban and rural areas of Varna
Local Currency: EUR
Population: 630 000
Who needs Visa: Check the visa requirements for your country >> here <<
Religion: Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Catholic Christianity and Islam.
Language: Montenegrin, while Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian and Albanian are in official use.
When to go: Low season November-March; Mid season March-May and October, high season: May-September.

Cities to stay

To visit the best attractions in Montenegro, we suggest you choose these cities for your overnight.

Kotor – guaranteed to leave an impression

  • MontenegroKotor picturesquely lies on a gulf on the Adriatic.
  • It is featured as a site of heritage on UNESCO’s list.

Recommendations by Balkan Tales
Where to stay: Hotel 1, Hotel 2, Hotel 3
Where to eat: Dobrotski Dvori, Konoba Portun, Konoba Bonaca.

The ancient town of Kotor is a must see  landmark if you would like to go on a Balkan tour. The town is picturesque, but also the surroundings with limestone cliff make it impressive. The Kotor old town is very small and can be seen for a day, but if you would like to spend some more time enjoying the Montenerian views we can recommend to spend there more time. From Kotor you can go to the beach in Budva, do different day trips to Cetinje, Ostrog monastery or Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Things to do in Kotor

  • Explore Stari Grad (Kotor Old Town) on Foot
  • Hike to the Kotor fortress on sunset
  • Go to the Kotor beach
  • Visit the Kotor Farmer’s Market
  • View the Old City Walls at Night

Budva – the touristic capital

Montenegro Budva

The medieval city of Budva is another Montenegrin pearl on the Adriatic. Its area around the coast is known as the Budva Riviera. It is only 30 min driving from the city of Kotor but here you can find many sandy beaches, nightlife, variety of restaurants and activities. You can visit Budva for a day or spend your entire holiday here if you want to enjoy the beach life and slow down a bit.

Things to do in Budva

  • Walk the old town
  • Explore and enjoy the beaches
  • Hit the clubs
  • Enjoy in a lunch with a view
  • Go to the Aqua Park

Places to visit

Montenegro Attractions

Below are attractions we suggest you add to your itinerary.

Zabljak

Montenegro Zabljak

  • The highest town on the Balkans.
  • Burnt down entirely in World War II, it is now revived and a busy winter tourism center.

In ancient times, caravans passed and took rest there. In the late 19th century, a school, a church, and the captain’s home were built. For all three the construction started on the same day. But the buildings were demolished in the Balkan Wars, and only Sv. Preobraženje now can be seen. It commemorated the victory against the Ottomans.

Ostrog monastery – the place of pilgrimage

  • Impressively settled, the monastery is located on an almost vertical mountain.
  • It is the place where St. Basil, of Ostrog, found final rest, and houses his relics.
  • The view of the Bjelopavlići plain is especially worthwhile.

Ostrog monasteryTwo churches are located in the upper part. In one of them St. Basil’s relics can be seen. The wine, growing right out of the rock, is another must to marvel at. In the lower part there is a church built in 1824, the monks’ dwellings and rooms for pilgrims.

Pilgrims traditionally walk from the lower to the upper part barefoot. Before coming into the church where prayers are made, in front of St. Basil pilgrims donate to the monks: clothes, blankets, or other essentials like soap.

Skadar lake

  • This karst lake ranks as the largest on the Balkans, and is located on the border with Albania.
  • The name of the lake comes from an Albanian town’s name, but two thirds lie in Montenegro.

Skadar LakeSkadar is connected to the Adriatic via the Bojana river. The Drin connects it to another famed lake, Ohrid. The water flowing in comes with the Morača river. Other sources of water lie at the bottom. The inflows from karst springs are special characteristics for the area. There is a massive inundation on the northern side. Among the small islands, in Skadar, are Beška where two churches are located, and Grmožur which was a fortress with a prison.

Tara river canyon

  • The canyon is a part of the Durmitor Park, a UNESCO site belonging to world heritage.
  • The bridge on the Tara river is among the 20 most beautiful bridges worldwide.
  • The canyon depth is 1,300 meters, which makes it the second deepest worldwide, after the Grand Canyon.

Tara Rive CanionThe canyon is at the north side of the park. You can do rafting and enjoy the most stunning views from the water.

A bird’s eye view is available from Mount Ćurevac, which is 1,625 meters high. There is a road climbing to the mountain from Žabljak town. Black pines, brown bears, gold eagles, peregrine falcons and other species can be spotted in the Durmitor Park.

Perast old town – the most idyllic destination

Visit Perast, located on the Kotor Bay, not far from Kotor. Its ages old history went through periods of Byzantine rule, Venetian control, and in 1918 it was already part of the then Yugoslavia.

Since 2006, when Montenegro was separated, it has been a Montenegrin town. The Venetian period was glorious, replete with building, so nowadays you can stumble upon one of the 16 baroque palaces, 17  Catholic churches and only 2 Orthodox churches.

You can also see the defensive towers dating from that period, among which the Holy Cross tower is the most outstanding. Two islands lie nearby, St George and Our Lady of Skrpjela.

Perast Old TownAmong the palaces we recommend, the Bujovic Palace, by the waterfront, an imposing edifice of hewn stone. See the year on the stone tablets featured on the facade, it is 1694. The design was made by a Venetian architect named Fontana.

The Our Lady of Skrpjela, ”Our Lady on the Rock” island is artificial. It was formed in centuries of throwing rocks and also sinking wrecks of ships, this is how the plateau was formed on which the church was built.

The other island, in local language called Sveti Đorđe, is natural. There is a monastery dating from the 12th century.

Ada Bojana – complete privacy

Also, a very famous nudist settlement.

Ada BojanaThe island is situated on the southernmost end of Montenegro, close to the border with Albania. The beaches it offers welcome and attract for holidays. After sunbathing or aquatic sports, sit for a meal in one of the restaurants where the seafood is delicious.

Extreme water sports are for more adventurous tourists, who will love the winds auspicious for wind surfing.

You also don’t want to miss the freshly caught fish, prepared in the local restaurants .

Sveti Stefan Island

The small island bearing the name Sveti Stefan, or Saint Stefan is just 6 km from Budva, in the central part of the Adriatic coastline. The territory of the island is a little more than 12,000 square meters. Along its coastline there are beaches covered with pink.

Starting from a settlement with just 12 families in the distant past, now the islet attracts with a modern resort.

San Stefano IslandBook a room out of the accommodation facilities offered by the resort, known as Aman Sveti Stefan. Not just rooms, but, too, cottages, plus 8 suites, will offer comfort. The original walls of old times, plus traditional style doors and windows, make the resort picturesque.

For staying in a suite, there are 8 suites that can be booked, located in the Villa Miločer, dating from the 1930s, a former residence of the queen Marija. Two of the suites are spacious, covering 125 square metres each. The upholstery in them is leather, and there is a plethora of silk and rugs of wool. In all suites you will find fireplaces in the living rooms as well as in the bedrooms, and fantastic ocean views from the first floor. The bathrooms are the epitome of elegance, with antico stone flooring.

For aficionados of swimming in pools, there are two pools, one overlooking the sea and called Cliff Pool, and the other one in the south part, with a poolside equipped with a terrace.

Ulcinj

Head to Ulcinj, located on the south coast, to visit an ancient settlement existing since the 5th century BC. It has lived through Roman rule, been part of the Venice Republic, and also part of the Ottoman Empire. From Ulcinj there are lots of sites to visit, like Ada Bojana, Lake Šas, and the Ulcinj Castle.

The local sandy beaches are of outstanding beauty.

Ulcinj

The old town attracts from the height of a hill with medieval ambience and fantastic views of the coast. There is a citadel-fortress, with a tower, the beautiful palace, and the former Slave Square, where slave markets used to be held.

Along the Ulcinj riviera, the Velika Plaža beach is attractive with beauty and with 12 km of sand. It is divided by the other famous beach Ada Bojana. This beach is ideally situated for kite surfing. The water is shallow and warm, and the wind is constant. There are no strong currents or tides.

Herceg novi

The most beautiful city of the bay.

Herzeg NoviHerceg Novi is a town which remembers centuries of history, like the Ottoman rule and being a part of the Venice Republic.  Combining a fascinating setting with the Kotor Bay fringing its coast, and the Mount Orjen as the background. The different periods have left their mark on the architecture and culture, which is worth seeing.

Njegushi – the Prince’s birthplace

  • The house of Petar Petrović-Njegoš, an outstanding Montenegrin poet and a philosopher, is worth visiting.
  • Lovćen park, which spreads on 62 square km, shows off old houses and a diversity of plants.

Lying on the slopes of Lovćen, and being part of the national park of the same name, this picturesque village draws tourists with its architecture in folk style, and also with its local cheese called sir, and the prosciutto called prsut, which are specialities contributing to the appeal of Montenegrin cuisine. You will not find many inhabitants there, the houses are merely 50.

You can reach Njeguši from Kotor, or from Budva. As you reach the height of it, be certain to admire the view on Kotor Bay. As always legends abound here as well. The M shaped road leading to Njeguši is said to have been the first letter of the road engineer’s wife’s name.

Biogradska gora

Biogradsko

  • Biogradska Lake is worth walking around, as it is at the start of most hikes  in the park.
  • Plan a hike to Bendovac peak and enjoy the views on the area below.

Forests combined with six glacial lakes and ridges form the landscape. The park is one of the five parks that Montenegro offers. The peaks there are over 2,000 meters high. Two rivers, Tara and Lim, border it on both sides.

Biogradsko lake is the lowest located glacial lake you will see by the very entrance.

Things to do

Things to do in Montenegro

Below are some suggestions by our guides, consider adding them to your custom itinerary:

  • Kayaking in Kotor bay
  • Try the  local hamom in Njegushi
  • Go on a Boat to explore the skadar lake
  • Relax on the Budva’s beaches
  • Go hiking in the Durmitor national park
  • Climb the Kotor Fortress on sunset
  • Go wine tasting
  • Go rafting on Tara river
  • Try the seafood and mussels from local mussel farm

Rafting

  • Rafting is an unrivaled experience on Tara river, along its canyon protected by UNESCO as a site of heritage.
  • Navigating along the current and braving the rapids are easy with the local guides.
  • You can spend a whole day rafting in the canyon along the Tara river.

Yachting

  • Yachting is a delight in this country with stunning coastal areas and mountains forming the landscape.
  • The weather is also auspicious for yachting, with lots of sunshine and good winds.
  • The best period is in summer, June to August.

Festivals

Festivals in Montenegro

  • Days of Camellia
  • International Klapa Festival
  • The fair of Montenegrin souvenirs – Budva
  • Theater city – Budva
  • Tivat’s cultural summer
  • Fascinada
  • Mimosa Festival
  • Sea Dance Festival
  • Bokeljska Noc
  • Budva Carnival

Here you can see a list of the Montenegro’s festivals 

UNESCO

Montenegro in Balkan Tour Itineraries

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The first step to adding Montenegro to your Balkan tour is to send us your ideas for the itinerary.

For further inspiration and guidance, take a look at our questionnaire to give us a better idea of your preferences!

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