Planning a trip to the country of the black mountains by car? Article for you: all about a road trip in Montenegro with itinerary, ready-made routes in Montenegro by car, map, tips and tricks. I’ll tell you where to go, what to visit and how much time to plan for attractions. The article is only for travelers by car.

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montenegro by car a route
Any car can reach even the most remote corners of Montenegro. Roads are excellent

Road trip in Montenegro by car: general points

Not all tourists go to Montenegro to the sea. Although this country is considered a beach holiday, 82% of the territory of Montenegro is mountains. This means that you can hike to the tops of the mountains, visit mountain waterfalls and mountain lakes, river canyons and ride along spiral mountain roads.

Good to know:

If you have two weeks of vacation, then in Montenegro it is easy to make a route to sunbathe on the beach for 7 days and visit all the mountains of the country in the next 7 days.

General points for traveling around Montenegro by car:

  • The country has excellent roads. You will drive an ordinary front-wheel drive car even to the most remote corners. In winter, of course, there can be problems, but we are talking about traveling from the end of April to the middle of November.
  • There is low traffic on the roads, local drivers are calm and polite. The police do not bother tourists. Traffic rules are the same as in most countries of the world.
  • If you plan to rent a car, then Montenegro is a perfect country, especially for those who do it for the first time and are very worried. All rental companies have the same rules, unlimited mileage and the most loyal attitude. A long article about car rental in Montenegro: pitfalls, insurance, deposit.
montenegro travel itinerary
Routes in Montenegro by car pass along mountain roads. Here we are on a rental Hyundai drove to the Cursed Mountains

Below I will give an example of the most convenient and rational routes for the TOP attractions of the country. All routes are tested by me personally and by the travelers whom I helped to make them.

The routes are looped, start from Budva. You can take any part of the route or the entire route. It also doesn’t matter where you start from, even from Ulcinj, the country is small, the difference in extra 50-100 km is not noticeable.

  • To understand the locations that will be on the route, be sure to read the article TOP 25 attractions in Montenegro. Already there you decide for yourself what is interesting and what is not.

Routes in Montenegro by car: 3-5-7 days itinerary

The country is so small that the largest circle through the most remote places in Montenegro will be about 700 km.

Important point:

There will be no coastal towns in the route or almost none. There is an overview of each city on the pages of this guide with sights. And you can go to all the cities of the coast without spending the night and return back in the evening.

For example, from Budva to the northernmost city on the coast of Herceg Novi – 45 km. And to the southernmost Ulcinj – 60 km.

Road trip in Montenegro: 3 days

In this case, there are absolutely two equivalent options. You need to choose for yourself: Durmitor Park or Prokletije Park. Both locations are super cool. Reviews are on the links.

Route 1 (Cursed Mountains or Prokletije Moutains):

  • Day 1. From Budva in the morning to the Cursed Mountains, in the afternoon you will already be there.
  • On the same day, you can visit the springs of Ali Pasha, the glacial lake Oko Skakavice and the Grla waterfall.
  • Day 2. Hiking in the mountains to one of the peaks along marked routes for the whole day. All routes in the Cursed Mountains are on the links above. If you have time, then the next day you can also go to the mountains, there are many routes in the mountains.
  • Day 3. In the morning we leave and drive to the Biogradska Gora National Park. Drive 2 hours. We walk along the health path around the lake, go boating or kayaking, we can even have a barbecue. There are barbecue areas. We leave at 4 pm. Budva is 2.5 hours away.
  • Total: 3 days and 450km mileage.
where to go by car in montenegro to the mountains
These are the views that await you already in the Grebaje valley in the Prokletije mountains

Route 2 (Durmitor and its beauties):

  • Day 1. We leave Budva in the morning for Zabljak, which is near the Durmitor park. We check in after lunch.
  • On the same day, be sure to visit the Djurdjevic arch bridge (20 km from Zabljak). There is also a zip line through the canyon and rafting on the Tara River.
  • Day 2. All day we walk in the Durmitor park: around the Black Lake, hiking to the Snake Lake, there is a funicular to one of the peaks and many more routes in the park. Dinner at a restaurant in Zabljak.
  • If there is one more day, then it can be allocated for climbing Bobotov Kuk, the highest peak in the country. If you are in good physical shape, then you can start from the Black Lake (one of the difficult routes starts right here) and during the daylight hours you will have time to conquer the peak and go down. There is a total climb of 1000m.
  • Day 3. In the morning, go to the most mountainous road in Montenegro. Spiral mountain roads are waiting for you. Drive through the Sedlo Pass, take the famous photo in a photo frame. And descend from the other side of the pass near Piva Lake. There is a scenic road along the lake. Drive back to Budva with stops at the observation decks. By evening, you will definitely reach Budva.
  • Total: 3 days and the same 450km.
road trip in Montenegro with itinerary
Durmitor Park and Black Lake, and you can climb that mountain, but this is not yet Bobotov Kuk

Attention: on the map in the upper left corner, you can expand the list with routes and study each one in detail. You can also hide any of the two routes.

Road trip in Montenegro: 5 days

In this case, this is the minimum number of days to make a big circle around Montenegro and drive through the best mountainous regions of the country. There are no special options, only one route:

  • Day 1. From Budva in the morning go to the Prokletiye mountains, after lunch you will already be checked in a chalet in the mountains.
  • On the same day visit the springs of Ali Pasha, the glacial lake Oko Skakavice and the Grla waterfall.
  • Day 2. Hiking for the whole day in the mountains to one of the peaks along marked routes.
  • Day 3. In the morning we leave for the Biogradska Gora National Park. Drive 2 hours. We walk along the path of health around the lake, go boating or kayaking. Up to this point, this route completely repeated the three-day route 1.
  • After the Biogradska Gora park we drive to the Djurdjevic bridge along a beautiful road in the canyon of the Tara River. Bridge, viewpoints, rafting and zipline. Rafting you are unlikely to have time on this day, there is not enough time. But you will definitely succeed in flying over the canyon on a zipline. And already closer to sunset, go to check into a hotel in Zabljak, 20 km from the Djurdjevic bridge.
  • Day 4. For the whole day, go for a walk in Durmitor Park: hiking around the Black Lake, to the Serpent’s Lake, there is a funicular to one of the peaks and many more trails in the park. In fact, one day is not enough here. In the review of Durmitor Park (the link was above) there are many routes and interesting locations for 2-3 days. You won’t be able to see everything in one day.
  • Day 5. The final day, which completely repeats the last day of the three-day route to Durmitor Park: mountain road, Sedlo pass, Piva Lake and viewpoints along it. And by the evening you will be in Budva.
  • Total: 5 days and 600km. You will see all the top sights of the country.
in montenegro by car the most beautiful roads
The road between Prokletie and Durmitor parks runs along the beautiful mountain river Tara. You can stop at these places

Road trip in Montenegro: 7 days

Everything is easy here. Take the 5 day itinerary. Actually, it will remain, only there will be small adjustments:

routes in montenegro by car
Viewpoint Grlo Sokolovo, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to go there
  • We add one full day in the Prokletije park. In total, there are two days of trekking in the mountains. You will spend the night in the Grebaje Valley in chalets.
  • And we add one more full day to the Durmitor park: perfect to go to the conquest of the highest peak of the country, Bobotov Kuk, if you are not tired of the mountains yet.
  • At the very end of your route by car in Montenegro, you can come round and stop by the Ostrog Monastery, the hallmark of the country. I don’t like to go here, because there are a lot of tourists, and the road is very narrow. It will take two hours only for the last 10 km.
  • Total: 7 days and the entire mountainous part of the country, all the main locations will be visited by you.

Tips for tourists: routes in Montenegro by car

Someone will ask, where are the routes along the coast of Montenegro? Open the map, there is one road, it is difficult to turn the wrong way. Choose any starting point and let’s go.

If we start from the Croatian border, then: Herceg Novi, Perast, Kotor, Tivat can be skipped, there is nothing to do there, Budva, Becici, Sveti Stefan, Petrovac, Bar, Ulcinj. Day 3 at a leisurely pace and you are at the border with Albania.

  • An overview of guides for each city from this list and how much time it takes to get to know the city, read the article: cities of Montenegro.
  • There are cities where 2 hours is enough, and there are places where you need to plan almost the whole day.

Important:

In Montenegro, you need to travel by car. All of these routes can also be traveled by motorcycle. Sunbathing your entire vacation on one beach in the land of mountains is a crime. Although, it is much better than spending it at home on the couch.
by car in montenegro
Famous photo frame overlooking the Sedlo pass

Two more useful articles for travelers who come to Montenegro not by private car, but rent it here:

In conclusion: since the country is small, and there are much fewer main roads than in other European countries or in the USA, the routes around Montenegro by car make up a very short list. But remember, each route can be adjusted and changed for yourself. This is just a sample for convenience.

Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Montenegro

  • Aviasales – Cheap Flights and best deals.
  • Car rental in Montenegro:
    • DiscoverCars – a large international platform.
    • LocalRent – works with local rental companies. Leader in car rental in Montenegro.
  • Hotels and apartments all over the country:
    • Hotellook compares the prices among dozens of other booking services and offer the best price
    • Booking – the most popular booking platform
    • Agoda – even more accommodation options in Montenegro
  • Tours, excursions and activities (including extreme ones):
    • GetYourGuide – more than 430 tours
    • Viator – 780+ excursions and activities throughout the country
  • Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
  • Internet and Calls:
  • Taxi and airport transfers: Intui.Travel