This is a brief article about time in Montenegro and all the nuances that come with it. You’ll not only learn that Montenegro is in the UTC+2 time zone but also about daylight saving time changes, business hours of shops and restaurants, and even how punctual and reliable the locals are. Keep reading—it’s going to be interesting!

Table of contents:

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time in montenegro
In almost every Montenegrin town, you’ll find a clock tower in the main square. These towers have held great significance since medieval times.

Time in Montenegro: Time Zone and Daylight Saving Time

Here are the key points in a nutshell:

  • Montenegro is a small country that operates within a single time zone: UTC+2.
    • Details about Montenegro on the world map in the article at the link.
    • London: UTC 0
    • New York: UTC -5
    • Sydney: UTC +11
    • This means that Montenegro is two hours ahead of London. And 7 hours ahead of New York. But 9 hours behind Sydney.

Important:

Today, 74 countries in the world observe daylight saving time. Among them are all European countries, including Montenegro, as well as the USA, Canada, Australia and many others.

Montenegro observes daylight saving time, meaning that clocks are changed twice a year:

  • Last Sunday of October at 3 AM → Clocks are set back one hour (winter time).
  • Last Sunday of March at 3 AM → Clocks are set forward one hour (summer time).

Business Hours of Shops and Restaurants in Montenegro

Overall, Montenegro is a country for early risers—most places open quite early. Here are some general points to help you get an idea:

  • Bakeries (which are plentiful in every city) open as early as 5-6 AM.
  • Grocery stores and shopping malls typically open at 8:00 or 8:30 AM.
  • Markets start as early as 6-7 AM and are mostly closed by 3 PM.
  • Taverns and restaurants usually open around 1-2 PM.
  • Cafés (kafanas), where locals enjoy coffee and cigarettes, open early in the morning.

Important point:

All grocery stores, shopping centers, clothing stores, and other retail shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
opening hours of shops and markets in Montenegro
This are opening hours of the market. It is closed at 3 p.m.

However, bakeries, taverns, and cafés remain open on Sundays, so you can still grab a bite or enjoy a coffee.

Punctuality in Montenegro: Stereotypes vs. Reality

There’s a popular belief that time in Montenegro is meaningless to the locals—that they are unpunctual, lazy, and slow-moving. While there is some truth to this, these claims are largely exaggerated.

In fact, Montenegro has a humorous cultural tradition known as “The 10 Commandments of a Montenegrin”. Originally meant as a joke, these “commandments” have become a national quirk. I won’t list them all (you can read about them in the article facts about Montenegro), but here are two that perfectly capture the local attitude toward work:

  • If you ever feel the urge to work, sit down and rest—it will pass.
  • If you see people eating and drinking, join them. If you see people working, walk away so you don’t disturb them.

And that’s exactly how Montenegrins approach work! Honestly, I have no idea when they actually work because cafés are always packed with people sipping coffee. Morning coffee blends into lunchtime coffee, and after lunch, there’s another coffee break, and by 3 PM, it’s time to go home.

Good to know:

Despite the relaxed attitude, locals do keep their promises, and doing business with them is generally straightforward. The notion that Montenegrins consider being an hour late “normal” is a myth—although 5-10 minutes is not seen as a big deal, which is common across the Balkans.

To sum it up:

  • Montenegrins aren’t the biggest fans of work, and they even have a special word for procrastination: “sutra” (pronounced “suh-tra”), which literally means tomorrow.
  • However, if they make a promise, they will follow through, and they’re not as unpunctual as the stereotypes suggest.
  • If you ask, “When will this be done?” and they answer “sutra”, it means come back tomorrow, and we’ll see.

Now you know the essential facts about time in Montenegro, how the locals perceive it, and the business hours of various shops and restaurants.

Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Montenegro

  • WayAway: Cheap flights and best deals.
  • Car rental in Montenegro:
    • LocalRent – works with local rental companies. Leader in car rental in Montenegro.
    • DiscoverCars – a large international platform.
  • Budget-friendly vacation packages to Montenegro: CheapOair.
  • Hotels and apartments all over the country:
    • Trip.com – the most popular accommodation booking platform
    • TripAdvisor compares the prices among dozens of other booking services and offer the best price
  • Tours, excursions and activities (including extreme ones):
    • GetYourGuide – more than 800 tours
    • Viator – 1000+ excursions and activities throughout the country
  • Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
  • Internet and Calls:
  • Taxi and airport transfers: Intui.Travel