I will tell you about the finest tours and excursions in Montenegro, where you can find exhilarating activities, all about culinary tourism (including alcoholic beverages). You will gain insights into the intricate details of excursions, what to anticipate, and what to consider when purchasing excursions in Montenegro. And there are numerous such moments. I trust that this article will not only assist you in making the most of your purchased excursions but also in saving some money.
Table of contents:
- Excursions in Montenegro: general information for tourists
- What to look for when buying excursions in Montenegro
- Where to buy
- Types of excursions in Montenegro: rating of the best
It will be difficult for you to plan your dream trip to Montenegro without these websites
Excursions in Montenegro: Essential Information for Travelers
Let’s commence by acknowledging that the selection of excursions in Montenegro is exceptionally vast, with choices encompassing route options, attractions, and the time of visit. I’d venture to say that there are not merely hundreds, but thousands of excursions available within the country.
Good to know:
The primary languages for guided tours are Serbian (Montenegrin), English, and Russian.
Payment for excursions is exclusively accepted in euros and cash when purchasing on-site. For details about the country’s currency, the rationale behind Montenegro’s use of the euro despite not being part of the Eurozone, refer to the link provided.
A noteworthy aspect: the entire excursions market in Montenegro is categorized into two types:
- Individual tours: Suitable for smaller groups of 2-4 individuals, where your guide drives you to the country’s attractions in their vehicle. The itinerary can be adjusted during the tour. If something doesn’t appeal to you, you can move on; if you’re hungry, you can dine at a restaurant.
- Group tours: Involves larger groups of around 40 people, transported on a pre-determined bus route without deviations.
It’s evident that individual excursions offer more convenience, albeit at a higher cost. However, for couples, the extra expense for an individual tour might be substantial. For groups of four, the difference is less pronounced.
Example:
A full-day group tour from Budva to Lovcen Park and its surroundings costs around 25-30 euros per person, while an individual tour costs 150-180 euros (for a maximum of 4 people). This amounts to approximately 40 euros per person. While the price discrepancy isn’t substantial, the experience varies significantly.
Hence, your decision on the type of excursions in Montenegro should be guided by your preferences.
What to pay attention to when buying an excursion in Montenegro
This is short but very important information:
- Language of the tour: Ensure you’re aware of the language used in the tour. Neglecting this aspect might lead to joining a group with a guide speaking a language you’re unfamiliar with.
- Tour route and duration: Some organizers attempt to pack numerous attractions into one excursion to make it more appealing. The consequence might be rushing through multiple places. If you prefer a more leisurely pace for sightseeing, this is crucial to consider.
- Inclusions and additional costs: The most crucial aspect to be aware of is what’s covered by the tour cost and what expenses you might incur separately. This is where tour agencies often play a trick.
Allow me to elaborate: Suppose you come across two excursions covering the same route. One is priced at 40 euros, while the other is 45 euros. Opting for the cheaper one might seem reasonable, but you might end up paying for attraction tickets, beverages, and even lunch at an expensive restaurant that benefits them, not you. Your initial saving of 5 euros could result in greater expenses overall.
Most important tip:
A sign of a reputable excursion is when the price includes all entrance tickets for every attraction along the route. This is especially crucial in Montenegro, where certain locations are free to access, while others charge 7-8 euros per person. For instance, attractions like Lovcen Park or the mountaintop fortress above Old Kotor.
Moreover, sea tours often encompass fruits, beverages, and at times, even a complete meal within the cost.
Where to buy excursions in Montenegro
Here are the options along with their primary advantages and disadvantages:
- Your tour operator (if you’ve chosen a tour package) will offer excursions. Although this tends to be the priciest option, it typically includes all expenses in the tour cost, and the guide will undoubtedly communicate in your language.
- On-site purchase: You can buy excursions within the city, at the beach, or on the promenade. Numerous excursion vendors are present at each resort along the coast. This might be the most budget-friendly option, but exercising caution is imperative. Some vendors might promise anything just to make a sale.
- There’s often a warning about the safety of purchasing excursions from such vendors. Rest assured, you won’t encounter any danger. The worst-case scenario might involve unforeseen extra expenses. And you likely didn’t inquire about these beforehand.
- Online platforms: Numerous websites host tour offers from both tour companies and individual guides. Below are two recommended links to exceptional services that provide a wide array of individual and group excursions in Montenegro.
- Getyourguide – A leading tour portal.
- Viator – Offers an extensive selection of tours and excursions throughout Montenegro.
Types of excursions in Montenegro: top rating
And now to the most interesting. I’ll tell you what types of excursions there are in Montenegro, prices, I’ll give an example of the best ones.
Popular in Montenegro:
- Sea excursions and all possible boat trips, fishing
- Excursions to the mountainous part of the country: Durmitor Park, Lovcen Park, Djurdjevic Bridge in the Tara River Canyon
- Sightseeing tours around the old town. There are such in Kotor, Budva, Herceg Novi and not only. And in general, “Exploring the City” tours.
- Religious or tours of the monasteries. There are pilgrimage tours, there are routes for 1-2 days at once to a dozen monasteries.
- Extreme excursions
- Well, for the most hungry: food tours, wineries, cheese dairies and prsut producers in Montenegro
There are also many mix routes, where several types of excursions are combined. You are taken to the mountains to a beautiful observation platform, on the way you stop by some kind of church, and at the end of the two-hour sunset walk along the Bay of Kotor.
And now more about each type:
Boat tours and sea excursions in Montenegro
Such excursions can be bought on any promenade of any coastal city.
There is the Bar Riviera, the Budva Riviera, the Bay of Kotor, and each region has its own sea excursions and boat trips. About resorts and where it is better to relax, read the link.
What you need to know about it:
- A trip on a good boat for the whole day costs about 300 euros. Half day – 150 euros. It might be cheaper too.
- There are few group excursions for 25-30 people, more often – individual ones.
- If you need a cheap group boat tour, there are most of them in the Bay of Kotor.
- The best sea tours in Montenegro:
- Sightseeing tour of the Bay of Kotor
- Visiting the Blue Cave
- Sunset Boat Tour (Available at every resort)
- Here is an example of a good boat tour.
- Read about sea fishing in Montenegro.
Excursions in Montenegro to the mountains
If you have a car, then you can visit the locations in the mountains on your own. Public transport in the mountains is poorly developed, there are few routes, most locations cannot be reached by regular bus. Therefore, mountain tours are a great alternative for tourists without a car. There are even two day trips.
Most popular locations:
- Durmitor park and Djurdjevic bridge
- Biogradska Gora Park
- Sedlo Pass
- Lovcen park, Njegos mausoleum, the first capital of Montenegro Cetinje and the village of Njegusi with prsut tasting. Lovcen, by the way, is also the closest mountains from the coast, only an hour away. And perhaps this is the most popular excursion.
- Here is an example of a good full day mountain tour.
Sightseeing tours in the old town
Most popular destinations:
- Kotor Old Town
- Old town of Budva
- Romantic Perast and its islands
- And there are those where in a day you will visit all three old cities from the list above.
- Walking tours are usually 2-3 hours long.
- Here is an example of great Kotor sightseeing walking tours for small groups.
Tours in Montenegro to the monasteries
Honestly, I didn’t know before that there are so many pilgrimage tours in Montenegro. It’s one thing to visit a temple between sights. And the second is to go on a 2-3 day tour only of the temples. But there is no doubt, in Montenegro, religion occupies an important place in the culture of society and there are a huge number of religious places.
The most popular excursions in Montenegro to the monasteries are one-day tours. During the day, usually the group manages to visit 3-4 monasteries / temples / churches
- A large overview of the monasteries of Montenegro for those who are interested in this topic is at the link. And the most popular monasteries among tourists are:
- Of course, Ostrog Monastery in the Rock
- Cetinje Monastery
- Piva Monastery
Extreme tours in Montenegro
Everything is easy here, in fact there are only three types of them in the country:
- Zipline – price about 25 euros
- Rafting – price from 50 to 100 euros
- Paragliding – 50-70 euros
Paragliding is available in many places in Montenegro. Can be easily found near the coast. And the best rafting and zipline in the Durmitor park near the Dzhurdzhevich bridge in the canyon of the Tara River.
- An overview of the Durmitor park, where to find rafting and zipline, read the link.
Tip:
For these activities, it does not matter what language the guide speaks, he is actually not needed.
Food tours in Montenegro
This type of excursion is often combined with others. But you can find a tour of the wineries of Montenegro, or see how lozovac (rakia) is made. Well, a trip to the village of Njegusi, where you will be shown the production of prosciutto and cheese, and of course they will hold a tasting, will be remembered for a long time. The most popular food tours in Montenegro:
- oyster farms in the Bay of Kotor. Follow the link for a detailed overview of the Bay of Kotor and all oyster farms. You can also visit them on your own.
- to the vineyards where the Montenegrin wine Vranac is made
- the village of Njegusi and the production of prust and cheese
- Here is a selection of great food tours
In conclusion: no matter where you buy excursions in Montenegro: on the beach, hotel or the Internet, you will not be deceived anywhere. But always be careful and specify everything that is included in the price of the tour. Believe me, the choice of activities and excursions in this country is huge.
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Montenegro
- Flights at the best prices with discounts
- Car rental in Montenegro (cheaper – only by bus):
- Discovery Cars – a large international resource
- LocalRent – work with local rental companies. Leader in car rental in Montenegro.
- Hotels and apartments all over the country: Booking
- Tours, excursions and activities (including extreme ones):
- Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
- eSIM virtual card in Montenegro
- Taxi and transfers from Montenegro airports: Intui.Travel