Montenegro Holidays: From Idyll to Adventure
(This post may contain affiliate links. Find more info in my disclaimer.)
There are Montenegro holidays to suit almost everyone. No matter what your idea of the perfect holiday is, you're bound to find it in Montenegro.
Are you dreaming of lazy days on the beach, a luxurious hotel, strolls through ivy-covered old towns and long, wine-soaked, candlelit dinners by the sea?
Or maybe your ideal holiday is an action-packed adventure that includes discovering off-the-beaten-track sights, lots of activities and rustic accommodation.
How about a stress-free holiday where you can relax and spend some quality time with your family?
Or maybe you love something, like hiking, horse-riding or yoga, and want to spend your whole holiday doing it.
You'll find all of these in the varied landscapes of beautiful Montenegro.
Quick Links
Montenegro Holidays in One Place
Activity-based and Adventure Holidays
Montenegro Holidays in One Place
Should You Stay in One place or two?
Most Montenegro holidays are based in one place, usually along the coast. You book your accommodation in one place, usually somewhere along the coast, and visit the sights from there.
People often ask me if they should split their week holiday in two: half on the Budva Riviera and half in the Bay of Kotor. I don't recommend doing this and here's why:
- It's only a half hour drive between Budva and Kotor in normal traffic, so you can easily see the Budva Riviera in a day trip from Kotor and visa versa.
- If your standard holiday is Saturday to Saturday (eight days and seven nights) you're going to spend your first Saturday getting here and your second Saturday getting home. That leaves you with six days of holiday. If you move half way through you're going to lose at least half a day moving. You'll spend a morning packing up and checking out (usually by 10am), then you'll need to do something until at least 2pm, when you can check into the next place. It's just not worth the hassle unless you really want to experience staying in both places.
But if you're staying for longer than a week, you could easily split your holiday in two. Why not spend a week on the coast and the rest exploring the mountains? Or a week on the beach and the rest doing an activity holiday (more on those below)?
The great thing is Montenegro is very compact. So even if you've got a week and book a standard holiday in one place, you'll be able to see a lot in day trips. Booking a rental car will make this really easy, but you can also join tours.
The next thing to decide is how you want to book your holiday. There are two ways I recommend booking one of these holidays to Montenegro:
- Do it yourself - you research and book your flights, accommodation and car hire. This takes a bit of time, but you'll have lots of options and have complete control over your trip
- Book a package - these are really easy. You just choose from one of the options and book.
Do It Yourself Montenegro Holidays
Planning and booking every detail of your trip is the sure fire way to get exactly what you want.
You research the different parts of Montenegro, decide where you want to stay, choose your flights, accommodation and rental car or transfers.
Free Montenegro vacation guideIf you’re prepared to spend a little time, this could help you find your dream trip for a lot less that what you might think.
Searching and booking your own flights and accommodation will give you a lot more choice than you’d have with your local travel agent or package holiday company, and it’ll allow you to find cheaper and better options.
Why not stay in your own villa or apartment overlooking the sea?
And if you want a rental car during your stay, you must see my page about rental cars and where to find the best and cheapest car hire in Montenegro.
If this sounds like you, my vacation booking guide will help you book your own trip in a few easy steps.
Package Holidays
There are lots of advantages to booking package holidays:
- You can book your flights, hotel and transfers all with one company
- You get ATOL protection, meaning you're covered if the company goes bust while you're away. The collapse of Thomas Cook is the most recent example of this and it was thanks to ATOL protection that all their customers got back home again
- The hotels have usually very good
- Some have onsite reps in case you need anything
There are two companies that have a good range of Montenegro holidays:
Montenegro Beach Holidays
Montenegro is a great destination for a beach holiday. With just under 300km (183mi) of coastline, there are a lot of beaches for you to choose from. Summer weather is consistently hot and sunny and the whole coast is geared up for summer tourists.
Sightseeing Tour Around Montenegro
Want to see some of that stunning beauty that’s featured on all the photos and videos of Montenegro you’ve seen?
Just take a look at this video to see what I mean.
Inspired?
Then you’ll want to do a bit of tour around the country. With Montenegro being such a small country, you can easily get around it in a few days to a week, depending on how much you want to see.
Some of Montenegro’s most iconic photos are taken in the five national parks that are dotted around the country. Not only do these locations offer you spectacular natural scenery, they also offer a plethora of outdoor activities and an insight into local culture.
There are three ways to do a tour around the country:
- Private guided tour
- Group tour
- Self-drive tour
Private Guided Tour
Fun, local guide Mladen with his happy guestOn a guided tour, you’ll have a private guide who designs an itinerary for you and chauffeurs you throughout your holiday. Your guide will be with you as much as you want him or her to be, and will give you private tours of attractions like Kotor old town, Cetinje and Ostrog Monastery.
A guided tour is the best way to get an in-depth experience in Montenegro. Guides are extremely knowledgeable about the history and culture of the whole country, and they can explain the regional culture, traditions, history and food throughout your stay. They also know plenty of off-the-beaten-track gems and will happily take you to them.
Group Tour
On group tours you join other travellers and travel around the country in a coach with a guide. This is one of the most effortless and cost-effective ways to travel.
There are some pros and cons to booking group tours, and people tend to either love them or hate them.
Pros:
- You have a complete itinerary, so you don’t have to think about anything
- You travel with others, which means you’ll invariably meet new people and make new friends
- You get the benefits of travelling with a guide, but since you’re in a larger group it’s much cheaper than travelling with a private guide
- You get the benefit of group discounts on tours, attractions and meals
- You can do some fantastic excursions, like lunch on private beaches, which independent travellers don’t have access to
- You can combine Montenegro with nearby countries like Greece and Croatia
Cons:
- The itinerary is set and there’s no flexibility, so you might not get to see everything you hoped to
- You travel with others and there might be people you don’t like
- It can be hard to visit small attractions in big groups
If you’re interested in group tours, there are two places that have some really great Montenegro holidays on offer:
Tour Radar
Tour Radar has a large selection of diverse group tours that include Montenegro, Croatia and other Balkan countries like Serbia and Macedonia.
The tours are run by local tour operators and special interest tour operators who specialise in a particular activity or the Balkan region, which means you’re getting knowledgeable guides and excellent itineraries.
You can choose from sightseeing tours, cycling tours, walking tours, sailing tours, gastronomy tours and the list goes on. Because they’re group tours, they’re much cheaper than tours with a private guide.
Tours4Fun
Tours4Fun has a great selection of sight-seeing group tours that include other countries in the Balkans and often Greece.This is a fantastic way to combine some of the best attractions in multiple destinations.
There are options ranging from day trips to tours lasting more than two weeks. And they have budget options, where you stay in backpackers, so they have options for all budgets.
Self-Drive Tour
A self-drive tour also takes you around the country, but without the guide. You’ll do your own trip planning, hire a car and visit the different parts of Montenegro on your own. This means you have lots of flexibility to stop wherever you like and can stay in unique places like Etno Selo Izlazak or OK Koral Glamping.
You'll also get to see how incredibly beautiful and diverse Montenegro is.
Biogradska Gora National Park
Budva
Pavlova StranaImage: Deposit photos
If this sounds like your dream Montenegro trip, I’ve got a done-for-you self-drive holiday itinerary that you can copy or customise if you wish. You can also download a copy of it to bring with you.
Activity-Based or Adventure Holidays
Do you think of yourself as a thrill-seeker? Is your ideal holiday jam-packed with outdoor activities? Or do you love hiking or cycling and want to explore Montenegro that way?
Montenegro is an outdoor adventure lover’s paradise and there are so many ways to enjoy Montenegro’s fabulous climate and natural beauty.
Rafting in the Tara Canyon. Image: WikiCommonsHere are some fantastic activity-based and adventure holiday packages. You can book them for your whole holiday or you can take a two- or three-day itinerary and add it to a beach-side stay. That way you get the best of both worlds!
2 Day Activity Break
A three day, two night guided tour that takes you through some of north Montenegro's most dramatic scenery. The tour includes rafting in the Tara Canyon, hiking around Piva Lake and lake cruise. It also includes all your meals, accommodation, and transfers from the Bay of Kotor.
2 Day Adrenaline Break
A two day, one night tour for adrenaline junkies. You're thrown in the deep end on the first day with a canyoning tour through Nevidio Canyon. The second day takes you to the deepest canyon in Europe and whitewater rafting through the rapids before you return to the Bay of Kotor.
3 Day Active Break
This three day, two night casual tour that takes you to explore some of Montenegro's most beautiful scenery. You'll go rafting in the Tara Canyon, go on two guided hikes and a lake cruise. You'll also experience true Montenegrin culture when you stay in an ethno village and try Montenegrin specialty food and drinks.
3 Day Adrenaline Plus Break
3 Day Adventure Break
The three day, two night Adventure Break includes rafting in Tara Canyon, a hike and canyoning in Nevidio Canyon. You've got adventure and relaxation all in one trip! You'll also see this beautiful region of Montenegro that hasn't been discovered by tourists yet.
3 Day Hiking Break
Keen to do some hiking through Montenegro's wild mountains? This trip takes you to some of the most stunning scenery around Durmitor National Park. The tour includes three guided hikes and a lake cruise, as well as your meals, accommodation and return transfers from Kotor Bay.
Montenegro Adventure Holiday
This is a seven day tour for people who hate lying on the beach doing nothing. This action-packed tour includes hiking, rafting, a gastronomy tour, fishing, a boat cruise and cultural experiences. You'll really get to know Montenegro and see some of the most stunning scenery in north Montenegro.
Active Family Montenegro Holiday
This is a seven day holiday for families looking for something extraordinary. The holiday includes rafting, canyoning, hiking, swimming, a lake cruise, kayaking, a ropes course and ziplining!
This is a holiday your family will never forget!
Lake Skadar Active Villa Holiday
A seven day villa holiday that includes activities for the whole family like kayaking, hiking and wine tasting. These holidays are fully customisable.
Lake Skadar Hiking Holiday
This is a seven day villa based on stunning Lake Skadar. The holiday includes villa accommodation and four guided hiking tours. The lake is the perfect place to get outdoors and you can add biking, kayaking, boat tours and wine-tasting to your trip.
Lake Skadar Kayaking Holiday
The Skadar Lake Kayaking Holiday is a seven day villa holiday with four guided kayaking tours included. You'll be able to spot rare wildlife at one of Europe's most important wildlife refuges, visit freshwater beaches and island monasteries.
Lake Skadar yoga Retreat
The only yoga retreat of its kind in Montenegro. This is a seven day villa holiday with daily yoga classes and a host of other fun activities like kayaking and wine tasting tours. It's held just once a year and places fill fast.
Montenegro Bird Watching Holiday
Montenegro's Lake Skadar is home to over 280 bird species - one of the most diverse places in Europe. This holiday is for bird enthusiasts and it's led by Montenegro's leading ornithologist. As well as Lake Skadar, you'll head into the north of Montenegro to see more rare bird species.
Fitness Holidays
Explore Montenegro's rugged mountains in the north and gorgeous beaches in the south while incorporating workouts into a pre-planned daily itinerary. FitCamp Montenegro offers customisable fitness holidays around Montenegro.
Bespoke Activity Holidays
Get a bespoke holiday with tonnes of fun activities included. A Montenegrin travel expert, who specialises in outdoor and adventure holidays can help you plan the perfect trip to Montenegro. This is perfect for couples, families and groups wanting to explore Montenegro's natural wonders.
More Activity-based Holidays
As you can see, there are so many ways to find your perfect Montenegro holiday… go forth and explore.
I'll see you in Montenegro!
Save This to Pinterest
More Articles to Help You Plan Montenegro Holidays
Home › Montenegro Holidays
help the stray animals of Montenegro
Book your accommodation anywhere in the world through any of the search boxes on our site and we'll make a donation towards sterilising stray animals in Montenegro.
It costs you nothing, and you get the biggest selection and lowest prices guaranteed. It's a win-win!
Hi! I'm Sarah and I'll help you plan your magical Montenegro vacation.
free guides
Top tours
Accommodation Deals
Booking.comTop
Attractions
Things to Do
Getting Around
Make a Difference
Sponsored Links
Hi! I'm Sarah, an adventurer, mum and animal-lover dedicated to helping you discover the best of Montenegro, no matter how long your visit to this intriguing part of the world.
By Sarah Pavlovic | © Copyright 2019 | Montenegropulse.com | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.