Plan your trip
Montenegro Itinerary: 3, 5 and 7-Day Road Trip Plans
Montenegro is small enough to see properly in a week. Five to seven days is the sweet spot: bay, mountains, lake and a couple of beach afternoons without living in the car.
- Ideal length
- 5 to 7 days
- Suggested base
- Kotor or Budva
- Lake Skadar
- Half-day trip
- Getting around
- Rental car
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- Best months
- April to October
Montenegro in 3 days
Day one: Kotor old town and the bay, with Perast in the afternoon. Day two: over Lovćen to Cetinje, then down to Rijeka Crnojevića for a boat tour through the river canyon and lunch at the water. Day three: Budva, Sveti Stefan and a beach.
Montenegro in 5 days
Add a full day inland — Ostrog Monastery and the Zeta valley — and a slower lake day: viewpoint at Pavlova Strana in the morning, a longer boat tour with a swim stop, a village or monastery island in the afternoon.
Montenegro in 7 days
With a week you can reach the north: Durmitor National Park, the Tara canyon and Biogradska Gora's old-growth forest, then return to the coast via Podgorica. Keep the Lake Skadar day on the way in or out; it is only 25 minutes from the capital.
- Bay of Kotor: 1–2 days.
- Lovćen and Cetinje: half a day.
- Lake Skadar: half a day, or a full day with the viewpoint and lunch.
- Coast and beaches: 1–2 days.
- Durmitor and the north: 2 days with travel.
Getting around
Hire a car. Buses connect the main towns but not the villages you actually want to reach, and distances that look short on the map take longer on mountain roads. Fuel is inexpensive and parking at Restaurant Savina Luka is free for our guests.
Plan your day on the water
Private boat tours from Restaurant Savina Luka in Rijeka Crnojevića — your group only, free private parking, swim stop included in season.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Montenegro?
Three days covers the bay and one excursion; five to seven lets you add the lake, the interior and the north.
Is Lake Skadar worth adding?
Yes. It is the country's largest lake and its most rewarding wildlife landscape, and it costs you only half a day from the coast or the capital.
Do you need a car in Montenegro?
For a road trip, yes. Public transport links towns but not the villages and viewpoints.