Montenegro is a real gem in south east Europe. It has some absolutely stunning scenery, without the tourist crowds. Here’s my guide to spending one week in Montenegro without a car, with your ultimate itinerary.
Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. All links are only to products I would personally recommend.
Montenegro is a beautiful country, that is still relatively undiscovered in Europe. You can enjoy some amazing scenery on the Adriatic coast, without crowds of tourists like you’ll find in other countries like Italy and even Croatia. While Kotor can get busy with cruise ships, you can easily escape the crowds. My ultimate itinerary for one week in Montenegro without a car will show you how to enjoy the best of this small but beautiful European country.
Do I need a car to spend one week in Montenegro?
Montenegro really does have a great variety of things to do. And you can easily see a lot of this country without a car. You can use taxis, boats, buses, and even a cable car to get around. And taking day tours are a great option as well.
Driving in Montenegro isn’t always the easiest, with the condition of some of the roads and also the behaviour of other drivers! So if you want a stress-free trip, where you don’t need to worry about driving directions and parking, it’s definitely best to explore Montenegro without a car.
How do I get to Montenegro and where should I stay?
When you’re travelling to Montenegro for a week, it’s best to fly directly into Montenegro. Although Montenegro looks geographically close to Croatia, and the busy hub of Dubrovnik, border transfers can be slow and complicated. So if you’re spending one week in Montenegro, it’s best to fly directly into Montenegro.
Tivat airport is the best place to fly into Montenegro. It’s a small airport, but it has direct flights from the UK and many other European countries. Tivat airport is right next to the pretty town of Tivat, and only about 15 minutes from Kotor. So Tivat airport is definitely the most convenient airport to fly into to enjoy one week in Montenegro without a car.
I recommend staying in Kotor for at least some of your trip. Kotor is a great base. You can walk into the historic city. And because it’s a popular place, lots of tours and trips go from Kotor. You can either stay in the historic centre, or choose an apartment just outside the centre – you can get amazing apartments with sea views so you can wake up and see the amazing scenery every day.
You can spend the whole week in Kotor, or you can also spend time in Tivat. Tivat is beautiful as well. There are some really nice hotels, with beaches and pools. Tivat also has a stunning waterfront with restaurants right next to the water.
Check out hotels and apartments in Kotor and Tivat on Booking.com here (affiliate).
What is the best time of year to visit Montenegro?
Montenegro is beautiful throughout the warmer months of the year. It’s best to visit between May and October. A lot of things close down in the winter, so visiting in the tourist season is best. And you’ll get better weather at this time of year as well.
May/June and September/October are perfect times to travel if you’re planning to do some more active activities. You’ll enjoy slightly cooler temperatures, which are perfect for sightseeing and being more active. It’s often a bit quieter at this time of year as well. July and August are peak season so it’s busier, and also generally hotter. These months are great if you want more time relaxing on the beach or at the pool.
My itinerary for one week in Montenegro without a car gives lots of options for more active things to do, and activities and day trips each day. So if you want to follow this itinerary, I recommend visiting in May/June or September/early October.
Keep reading for my ultimate itinerary for one week in Montenegro without a car.
Day 1: Explore the historic Kotor
On your first day exploring Montenegro without a car, spend the day in Kotor. Kotor is the most visited place in Montenegro, for good reason – it’s a really lovely place.
Kotor has a long history, and historically was one of the most important settlements in the region. It was originally settled by the Illyrians and later developed by the Romans as Acruvium. It grew again under the Byzantians, and then under Serbian rule. From 1420 to 1797 it became a key Venetian walled city, and what you see today mostly dates back to the Venetian medieval city and fortress, with its distinctive walls and architecture. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
If you’ve been to Dubrovnik in Croatia, you might find that Kotor has a similar feel. It dates back to around the same historical period. But it’s unique in its own ways as well.
To really get to know Kotor, book this Kotor walking tour through Get Your Guide (affiliate), or this walking tour through Viator (affiliate). Or this Kotor tour also includes a trip to nearby Budva (affiliate).
Exploring the streets of Kotor
The best way to explore Kotor is just to walk, and get lost. Kotor is a maze of narrow, winding streets, and it’s quite hard to follow a map. But don’t even try. Just enter the old city through one of the gates, and start walking.
You’ll find several churches and piazzas throughout the small city. It’s definitely worth going inside some of the churches, with many offering free entry or entry for a small fee. The best churches in Kotor are the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon and Saint Luke’s Church, but there are others as well.
The piazzas outside the churches are lovely as well, filled with restaurants and cafes. And you’ll undoubtedly spot some of Kotor’s famous street cats. They’re all around the city, and they’re so lovely and friendly. There’s even a Cat Museum in Kotor as well, which is a great slightly different attraction.
Make sure you find the Clock Tower as well, in one of the biggest squares near Sea Gate.
Food and drink in Kotor
You’re spoilt for choice for food and drink in Kotor for lunch. There are lots of restaurants with outdoor seating, which are perfect to take a break and people-watch. Kotor, and Montenegro in general, has a lot of food influenced by the Mediterranean – so there are lots of pasta and pizza places. Pasta with truffles is a local specialty. And make sure you try some of Montenegro’s local beer as well.
For desert, make sure you find one of the stalls selling ‘krempita’. It’s a traditional Montenegrin dessert famous in the Bay of Kotor. It is made with thin, crispy layers of puff pastry and a rich, fluffy, and smooth vanilla custard cream.
And of course, there are plenty of ice cream shops around as well.
For the best food and drink in Kotor, book this walking tour of Kotor that includes food tastings (affiliate), a Kotor cooking class (affiliate), or a Kotor food tour (affiliate).
Kotor beach, waterfront and fjord-like views
After lunch, and once you’ve seen all of the old city with the Kotor City Walls, it’s nice to go for a relaxing walk along the seafront. There is Kotor Beach – but it’s not a huge, sandy beach, so don’t be too optimistic about the beach. It’s nice if you want a swim though.
It’s also nice to walk around the Port of Kotor and see the boats there. There can be some nice boats moored here, along with some huge cruise ships. You can walk along the seafront away from the main city, and find some more peaceful restaurants and cafes alongside the waterfront.
The scenery here is just lovely. From the edge of the water, you can start to enjoy the views of the Bay of Kotor. It’s like a fjord, with steep mountains rising from both sides. I just loved the scenery here.
Watch the sunset over the Bay of Kotor
In the evening, find a spot away from the main city to watch the sunset over the Bay of Kotor. The sun dips behind the mountains quite early, but you can still enjoy the beautiful colours in the sky surrounding the mountains. And the bay is lovely at night as well. If you’ve managed to find an apartment with a sea view, then this can be the perfect spot to watch the sunset at the end of your first day in Kotor.
Day 2: Hike up to Kotor Fortress, and go paddle boarding on Kotor Bay
On day two of your one week in Montenegro without a car, I recommend taking the first of the best hikes in the area. The hike up to the top of Kotor Fortress is steep – but the views are definitely worth it.
The hike up to Kotor Fortress
The footpath up to Kotor Fortress leaves from the old city, so it’s easy to find. The first part is free, but once you get to the ‘Ladder of Kotor’, you need to pay a small entrance fee. But don’t worry – it’s not actually a ladder. The path is actually 1,350 stone steps up to the top.
If the weather is hot, make sure you start this walk early so you avoid the hottest temperatures. And take your time to admire the views. Someone I spoke to in the city said it would take about 45 minutes to walk up to the top, but I took a lot longer – partly to catch my breathe, but also because I wanted to stop to take photos and enjoy the views.
The views are just stunning. The path zig-zags, and with each turn, the view just gets better. I liked the early stages of the views, where you could start to glimpse the view through the trees.
The view from the church was another highlight. The Church of Our Lady of Remedy is about halfway to the top (or a bit less). But I loved the views from here, where you could take photos of the church with the sweeping bay below.
The path continues to climb in a zig-zag, and the views are just amazing.
The Fortress at the top is nice, but again it’s the views that really make it worthwhile. You can walk around the remains of the fortress and the walls, and see the Montenegro flag here.
Take your time to enjoy the views, before heading down. Walking down is easier than walking up, but be careful as the steps are quite large, and would be very slippery if it’s wet.
Paddle boarding on the Bay of Kotor
After lunch in Kotor, try an afternoon activity that should be a lot more refreshing after a steep uphill walk this morning. The Bay of Kotor is the perfect place to go paddle boarding. The sheltered waters and stunning scenery make it a beautiful place to enjoy paddleboarding.
I recommend joining a guided group for paddle boarding. They’ll provide all your equipment, as well as a professional guide who can make sure you stay safe in the water. Check out this paddle boarding trip through Get Your Guide (affiliate), or this Kotor paddle boarding trip through Viator (affiliate).
Paddle boarding on the Bay of Kotor is just beautiful. The scenery around is just unreal. Paddle boarding in the sea is more difficult that in a lake, especially if there’s any wind. It an be hard to balance in the wind, especially if it creates small waves. But have a go – the worst that will happen is that you fall off. And that doesn’t matter at all, because the water isn’t too cold. And you can just get back on your board to try again!
I really loved paddle boarding on the Bay of Kotor. I found it a bit difficult at first to stand up, because it was a bit windy with some waves. But once I’d got the hang of it, I loved it. And the views from the water were lovely. It was a perfect afternoon.
Day 3: Take the cable car up to the mountains and hike the Wolf Trail
For the next two days of your itinerary for one week in Montenegro without a car, I recommend heading away from the Bay of Kotor and head into the mountains. You can either stay in Kotor and do these as day trips. Or alternatively, you can stay at a hotel in the mountains to really immerse yourself in the mountains. If you do this, I recommend a hotel in Lovćen National Park. It’s close to Kotor, but has some stunning mountain scenery.
Cable car from Kotor up to Lovćen National Park
To get to Lovćen National Park, you can take the cable car from near Kotor. There are frequent buses from the centre of Kotor which to the cable car station. And then it’s an 11 minute ride in the cable car up to Lovćen National Park.
Book your cable car tickets here (affiliate). Or you can choose this trip that combines the cable car with a trip to Our Lady of the Rocks (affiliate), or combined cable car and Kotor tour (affiliate).
The cable cars are small pods, not one big one. So that makes it easy to see the views as you go up. The views really are stunning. You get views down to Kotor and across the whole Bay of Kotor.
Once you’re at the top, the best way to explore Lovćen National Park is to take one of the hiking trails. Or, if you’d rather not hike, you can take this day tour with Get Your Guide (affiliate), or this day tour of the National Park with Viator (affiliate).
The Wolf Trail in Lovćen National Park
My favourite mountain hike in Lovćen National Park is the Wolf Trail. It’s a well marked footpath that leaves from fairly close to the top cable car stop. So you can either walk to the start of the trail, or stay at a hotel near the start of the trail.
The Wolf Trail is a 10.5km loop, although there is an option to make it a bit shorter if you don’t want to walk up to the mountain peak. You can do the walk in about 4-5 hours.
The walk starts by heading uphill through lush frees and forests. And then, once you’ve climbed a bit higher, you start getting views of the mountains around.
If the weather is nice, you should definitely take the path up to Babina Glava. It’s one of the highest mountains in Lovćen National Park, at 1,474 metres high. The path can be steep at times, but the views are definitely worth it.
From the top of the mountain, you get stunning views down to the Bay of Kotor and out to sea. And in the other direction, you get stunning views of the mountain range.
The Wolf Trail is a great hike for giving you amazing mountain views, and the satisfaction of reaching the summit of a mountain. Make sure you reward yourself with a good lunch afterwards!
Dinner and sunset at the Cable Car – plus the Alpine Rollercoaster
In the evening, head back to the top station of the Cable Car. There’s a great atmosphere here in the evenings. There are several bars and restaurants, with stunning views down to the Bay of Kotor. Grab a drink and enjoy the views as the sun sets.
There’s the Alpine Rollercoaster here as well, if you want a quick adrenaline rush! It’s not really a rollercoaster – more of a toboggan run. You sit on the toboggan, and you can control your speed as you zoom down the tracks. But don’t break too much – it’s fun to go quickly! And try to enjoy the views as well.
I loved watching the sunset over the mountains from here. There was such a great atmosphere, with music and bars and drinks. It felt like a really special place.
Keep reading on the next page for days 4-7 of your ultimate itinerary for one week in Montenegro without a car.