Montenegro Multi-Day Tours: Active Round Trips

This example shortens our Bay of Kotor to Lake Skadar walking trip and adds a bike day. Like all three samples here, it is a starting point we adapt to you.

Day 1: arrive and settle in Kotor. Day 2: walk from Orahovac past the ruined Vranovo Brdo fortress to Perast (9 km), then return to Kotor. Day 3: climb the Ladder of Kotor, the old trade route to Cetinje, up to Njeguši (6.5 km, 1,130 m up). Day 4: follow an Austro-Hungarian military trail to Jezerski vrh and the Njegoš mausoleum. Walk on to Ivanova Korita (10 km).

Day 5: walk down through meadows to Cetinje, the old royal capital (8 km). Day 6: swap boots for a bike or e-bike. Ride through vineyard villages from Cetinje to Lake Skadar. You finish at an artisan winery with a glass of Vranac, and a transfer takes you back to Cetinje. Day 7: fly home from Podgorica, Tivat or Dubrovnik.

This ride-led trip builds on our Cycling highlights of Montenegro trip. It adds a walking day and a free day.

Day 1: meet us at Podgorica station for a bike fitting. Take the two-hour train to Mojkovac. Day 2: ride along the Tara River into the canyon to the Tara Bridge (65 km). A shuttle takes you up to Žabljak. Day 3: take an easy walk of about three hours to Black Lake and Snake Lake. Day 4: ride over Durmitor and down to Lake Piva (55 km). Day 5: visit Piva Monastery, ride on to Nikšić (60 km) and transfer to Cetinje.

Day 6: ride through vineyard villages to Lake Skadar and taste Vranac at a winery. Day 7: climb into Lovćen National Park and ride the serpentine road down to Kotor. Day 8: ride along the bay to Perast and back (47 km, 200 m of climbing). Day 9: walk up Vrmac to Sveti Ilija (765 m), or rest. Day 10: fly home.

This example draws on our Trans Montenegro e-mountain bike trip and our northern hiking trip.

Days 1–3: stop at Ostrog Monastery on the drive to Žabljak. Walk to the summit of Crvena Greda (16 km), with views of Bobotov Kuk. Then ride Durmitor's forest tracks by mountain bike or e-MTB (48 km). Days 4–5: cross the Sinjajevina plateau, known as Little Mongolia, to Mojkovac. Next, ride through the old-growth forest of Biogradska Gora to Kolašin (45 km).

Days 6–7: walk in Prokletije, near Lake Plav on the Albanian border. Hike up Volušnica and along the ridge to Talijanka (2,057 m). Then tackle the Karanfili range, where we recommend a guide. Days 8–9: kayak on Lake Skadar and ride its shore to the Pavlova Strana viewpoint. Day 10: cycle from Cetinje over Lovćen to Kotor. Day 11: a free day in Kotor and Perast. Days 12–13: walk from Orahovac to Perast, then above Budva to Sveti Stefan. Day 14: fly home.

Our round trips draw on four areas. The coast centres on the Bay of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Kotor, Perast and Budva. Walks here climb straight from the water to old forts and military trails.

Just inland are Lovćen National Park and Cetinje, the old royal capital. The serpentine road from Lovćen down to Kotor is the classic descent by bike. To the south-east lies Lake Skadar, the largest lake in the Balkans. Its shores hold Virpazar, Rijeka Crnojevića and wine villages like Godinje.

The north is the high country. Durmitor National Park has glacial lakes, the Tara Canyon and Bobotov Kuk at 2,523 m. Next door are the primeval forest of Biogradska Gora and the open Sinjajevina plateau. Prokletije, on the Albanian border, is wild and high. Its hardest trails suit experienced walkers.

It starts with a short message. Tell us roughly when you want to travel, who is coming and what pace you like. Add any must-dos, like a summit or a wine day.

We send back a draft itinerary within one to two days. You then change what doesn't fit. Swap a ride for a walk, add a free day or pick different accommodation.

The confirmed trip comes as one tour package. It usually covers accommodation with breakfast, luggage transfers and the transfers in your itinerary. Most of our trips can run self-guided. These usually come with GPX tracks, maps, a roadbook and a 24/7 service line. You can also travel with a local guide. On arrival, we meet you for an orientation briefing and, if you cycle, a bike fitting.

Walking days in our itineraries run 2 to 6 hours, usually 5 to 17 km. Cycling days run 25 to 65 km. Montenegro is hilly. Budget 500 to 600 m of climbing on a typical ride day, and up to 1,300 m on big stages.

You can make most days easier. An e-bike from our fleet lets riders of average fitness handle the long climbs. A shuttle to the top of Lovćen saves 17 km and 700 m of climbing before the descent to Kotor. On Lake Skadar, a boat ride can replace 24 km of riding.

Plan at least one free day on a trip of ten days or more. Our 14-day example puts it in Kotor, after the mountain and lake stages.

The walking and cycling season runs from April to October.

In April and May, the coast and Lake Skadar are at their best for riding and walking. High trails can still hold snow, so save the high north for later. Mountain road stages by bike open from mid-May, once the Durmitor passes are clear.

June to September is the time for the high north. In July and August, inland valleys get hot. Spend those weeks in the mountains, start early and finish before the afternoon thunderstorms. The coast is busiest then too.

September and October suit almost every route. Days are milder, the light is soft and trails are quieter. Early snow may close some high trails by late October. Our month-by-month season guide has the detail.

You arrive at Podgorica, Tivat or Dubrovnik airport, and we can arrange the transfer to your first night.

On most trips we move your luggage between overnight stops, so you carry only a daypack. Each transfer in the itinerary has a clear purpose. It skips a busy main road, bridges a long climb or links two regions. One example is the shuttle from the Tara Bridge up to Žabljak. Another is the two-hour drive from Kolašin to Lake Skadar through the Morača Canyon.

The train from Podgorica climbs to Mojkovac or Kolašin on the Belgrade–Bar line. Distances look short on the map, but mountain roads are slow. Podgorica to Žabljak is 125 km and takes about 2.5 hours.

Yes. The borders are close, and several of our trips cross them. For a full round trip of Montenegro and Albania, plan on ten days or more.

Our EuroVelo 8 cycling trip starts in Trebinje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It follows the Bay of Kotor and rides on to Shkodra in Albania. It then returns via Lake Skadar and Lovćen to Kotor.

Walkers can cross the Accursed Mountains on the Peaks of the Balkans. Our guided 8-day version starts in Peja in Kosovo. It crosses into Montenegro and walks from the Grebaje valley to Theth and Valbona in Albania. Walking across these mountain borders needs a cross-border permit. Check the current rules well before you travel.