- Duration: 5-7 days
- Distance covered: 280km (approx. 5 hours of driving)
- Highlights: Kotor Old Town, Perast, Skadar Lake boat trip, Lovcen National Park
An ideal location for a Balkan road trip is Montenegro. This road trip plan in Montenegro focuses on the one and only Bay of Kotor, with a couple nights spent on the country’s southern coast and a layover at Skadar Lake.
One of the most breathtaking road segments in the area crosses the land bridge over Skadar Lake on your first day of traveling from Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, to the shore. This is the same path taken by the well-known train from Belgrade to Bar. Stay the night at Virpazar, where you may go birdwatching and take a boat ride on the marshy lake. Alternatively, head directly to Petrovac, a fortified tiny seaside town.
Sveti Stefan, a beach town just 10km up the coast, is more sedate than other beach towns and is a great place to spend a few nights. You can take a day excursion to Budva from here. For the greatest views of the private island, make sure not to miss the Church of St. Sava.
Make a quick turn inland to arrive in Boka Kotorska, one of the most breathtaking locations in the nation. Numerous cities and towns of varying sizes can be found around the Bay; Tivat, Kotor, Perast, and Herceg Novi are all well worth a day trip. Wander through the historic town of Kotor and climb up to the castle. Perast is my favorite place on the Bay because it’s smaller and less crowded than Kotor. One of the most unusual cathedrals in the Balkans, Our Lady of the Rocks, is a boat trip you shouldn’t miss.
It’s a short drive to Lovcen National Park and the renowned Petar Petrovic Njegos Mausoleum if you need a break from the seashore. Make a round back to Podgorica from Herceg Novi, stopping at Ostrog Monastery and Niksic along the way.
