Montenegro had never really been on my radar until last year. I started seeing pictures of it on Instagram and I just knew I had to get there soon before it started becoming overrun by mass tourism. Montenegro is located in the Balkans surrounded by Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania. It is a country that literally has it all! One day you can be rafting down the Tara Canyon, the second longest canyon in the world, and the next you’re cruising around the beautiful coastline and swimming in the famous blue cave. It is a country of pure natural beauty that is relatively untouched compared to its neighbour, Croatia.
Here’s a ONE WEEK itinerary to add to your bucket list.
Arriving to Montenegro
I flew from Birmingham to Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. However, in all honesty it was the most boring capital city I have ever been to. Skip the capital and spend time exploring the natural beauty of the country. Return flights with TUI at the beginning of September cost just £82 return which included 10kg hand luggage. I booked these 6 days before travelling and I took a National Express bus from Leeds to Birmingham Airport for just £16 return.
BEWARE: Roaming costs in Montenegro are still not generally covered by UK mobile phone networks. Therefore, it is a good idea to pick up a SIM card from the little newsagents at arrivals at the airport. It’s on the right when you come out of the arrivals hall. Here, you can buy an internet only SIM card that has 10GB of data with 15 days validity. This cost just €10! This may vary slightly from time to time but either way it is cheap enough and worth getting a SIM card to help use google maps etc.
On arrival at the airport there IS a train to the city centre. However, I’m not sure you can really call it a train station and it is does look a little sketchy. It is an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere around a 10 minute walk from the airport. When I arrived, I thought no way would a train ever stop there. However, some other young backpacker like myself was also waiting so I stayed and waited and to my surprise a train pulled up. It cost just €1.20 and the conductor even hand writes the tickets! The train takes around 7 minutes to the centre.
I grabbed some dinner as I was waiting for a bus to Bosnia and Herzegovina that afternoon. I’ll write another post about why you should go to Bosnia another time.
Day 1-3: Podgorica to Durmitor National Park
From Podgorica, I would take the bus to Žabljak. This will take around 2hr30 and should cost you around €8. From Žabljak you can access Durmitor National Park. It is a stunning quiet setting in the middle of the mountains and it really is a nature lover’s paradise.
I booked all my buses through getbybus.com
I only spent 2 nights in the Durmitor National Park. However, if you’re into hiking and outdoor activities, you could easily spend a few days here. I would recommend spending a few hours exploring the Black Lake and do a day trip rafting down the Tara Canyon, the second longest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon! The rafting trip cost €65 but it included pickup from the accommodation, a mini sightseeing tour of the Durmitor National Park with photo stops, a traditional breakfast, lunch and hire of wetsuits.
I stayed at Hostel Hikers Den, costing €16 a night, which is the only hostel in Durmitor National Park. When I arrived, the staff sat me down and asked what I was interested in doing while I was there and they booked my rafting trip for me. I didn’t get chance to do any hikes but if I went back I would for sure. The hostel workers are happy to give you plenty of information about all the different hikes you can do and how long they should take. I highly recommend talking to other guests as most people are there to hike so no doubt you’d find a group to go with.
Beware: Buses in Montenegro usually charge €1/2 baggage fee on buses and you may also get charged around €2 for using the bus station. I thought I was being scammed but apparently this is completely normal there.
Day 3-5: Žabljak to Kotor
I took the 5.13am bus from Žabljak to Kotor. The bus took around 3hr30 and cost €13.
Upon arriving to Kotor I checked into my hostel, Montenegro Hostel 4U. It is a party hostel and hosts drinking games every evening. However, the party moves into town about 11pm, allowing you to get an early night if you wish. It cost €12 a night.
As I arrived to Kotor bright and early, I decided to hike up to the fortress. The entrance cost to the fortress is €8. HOWEVER, I was able to do this for FREE by walking up a pathway round the back, climbing up a ladder and through a window (sounds dodgier than it actually is, I promise). Ask the hostel for the directions to do this and they’ll provide a map. It is a tiring walk but the views are 100% worth it!
In the afternoon, I did the Blue Caves Boat Trip arranged by the hostel. This cost €30 and lasted for a few hours. A small group of us were taken out on a boat, we swam in the blue cave, visited a small submarine hideaway and visited the little island in the bay, Our Lady of the Rocks. It was a fun few hours and we were encouraged to take drinks on the boat.
In the evening, I joined in the hostel BBQ costing just €5, this then turned into drinking games (obviously) and we later headed into town for more drinks.
While in Kotor, I booked to go on the Big Montenegro Tour. I think it ended up costing around €65 in total with the added extras. I was picked up from the centre of Kotor at 8am and it consisted of the following:
-A stop off at a view point of Sveti Stefan, a little island which is just one giant hotel!
-A traditional brunch in Virpazar
-A boat trip on the beautiful Skadar Lake where you can see the Albanian border of the lake
-Lunch and a walk around Cetinje, the royal capital of Montenegro
-A drive through Lovćen National Park, with a visit to Njejos Mausoleum which has the most stunning views at the top!
Along the tour, there were loads of photo stops of the most stunning scenery and we were told plenty of information about each place we visited. I would 100% recommend this tour as an easy alternative for seeing many different parts of Montenegro. We arrived back into Kotor at around 17.30. However, the tour ends in Budva if you wish to go there a night earlier with a free ride.
Day 5-6- Kotor to Budva
I took the bus from Kotor Bus Station to Budva costing just €3. I saw Budva as Kotor’s older flashier big sister. The town isn’t quite as charming and quaint but is equally as intriguing with its yachts in the port, beautiful beach walks and narrow streets. Although Kotor is a cruise ship destination, I found Budva to be way more touristy. In the sense that it is built more like a holiday resort, mainly for Russians, rather than a day stop off.
While in Budva I suggest taking a walk around the old town, wander to the port and admire the stunning yachts. Visit the Citadel (entrance €3.50) for stunning views of Budva. You could also take a stroll of the city walls (€2). My highlight of Budva was the walk to Mogren beach, passing by the ballerina statue with views looking back over Budva. The actual beach was very crowded and just okay however it’s worth laying down a towel and spending an hour or two to chill out there.
I never actually got to experience the nightlife of Budva, as I actually stayed in Kotor and just took a day trip. However, my friends rave about their night out there on their short stop over after our Croatia trip. I also passed many clubs on my walk back from the beach, which seemed like they would get very lively in the evening. If you do plan to stay then Freedom Hostel Budva seems like a good option.
If you want a more chilled out beach vibe then maybe just take a day trip to Budva and stay at Hostel Pirate in Ulcinj.
Day 7: Budva- Podgorica
Catch the bus from Budva bus station back to Podgorica. It should cost around €5 and take around 1hr30. Depending on your flight time, there are a trips you could do from the city. If you have a full day you could take a day trip to Ostrog Monastery. I didn’t do this myself but it could be done by taking a 45 minute train or you could do a wine tour. I stayed in Montenegro Hostel B&B Podgorica, costing €8 a night.
