Montenegro is one of the hidden gems of Europe. A pint-sized country where beautiful walled cities sit beside stunning beaches backed by majestic mountains and awe-inspiring national parks.

A Montenegro road trip is the perfect way to sample this pocket-sized country’s charms all within a week. Children and adults will be inspired by the range of activities within this small but diverse country.

Montenegro is a relatively new country having only gained sovereignty in 2006 after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. This new national identity and with centuries of history combine to make a fascinating place.

Although small, Montenegro boasts some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Europe. Walled towns perch high on clifftops overlooking the crystal blue Adriatic Sea and restaurants offer al-fresco right on the harbourfront on each bustling city.

The ideal length for a Montenegro Road Trip

Montenegro is the perfect country to road trip around. The country is compact, there’s beautiful scenery everywhere and the roads are of a good standard.

A 10 day Montenegro road trip gives you the perfect amount of time to take a leisurely road trip along the coast and into the mountainous heartland of Montenegro.

A 7 day Montenegro road trip itinerary may mean skipping Ulcinj and Stari Bar in the far South.

In 2 weeks, you will easily be able to explore every corner of Montenegro by car.

Any less than 7 days, you’ll want to make the most of your time and Montenegro’s highlights by taking a road trip along the coast.

When is the best time to travel in Montenegro?

We would definitely recommend travelling to Montenegro in the shoulder seasons April-June and September-October. These times are quieter and the temperature should be very pleasant for sightseeing. As always, accommodation and flights are usually cheaper outside of European school holiday times.

Montenegro is becoming more and more of a popular tourist destination. If you travel off-season, you will avoid the crowds and the heat. Wintertime it can get cold and snows in mountainous regions. We travelled at the end of October as you can see from our photos there were still clear blue skies every day. Most of the time, we only needed to wear thin jumpers.

Top Montenegro Family Travel Highlights

Montenegro Highlights #1: Spending time in the old town of Kotor is like going back in time.

Montenegro Highlights #2: Budva has similar treats on offer, plus a beach to relax on.

Montenegro Highlights #3: The fortified island village of Sveti Stefan is extremely picturesque, jutting over the sea.

Montenegro Highlights #4: Ostrog monastery is impressively carved into a cliff face.

Montenegro Highlights #5: Our Montenegro Road Trip itself. The views and landscapes visible from the winding roads were amazing.

You won’t be surprised that our Montenegro road trip made our list of the  TOP 5 Europe Road Trips with Babies and Toddlers

Our Family-Friendly Montenegro Road Trip Itinerary

Our 10 day Montenegro road trip itinerary around the country’s key sights and tourist destinations is perfect for first-time visitors to Montenegro with or toddlers, babies or young children.

Day 1: Visited the Moraca monastery and stayed in the Northern mountains.

Our first day in Montenegro, we drove from Podgorica Airport to Kolasin, a mountaintop village in the Northwest of Montenegro. The drive itself was stunning following winding roads as they hugged the valleys of Moraca Canyon. 

The Moraca Monastery was built in 1252 and has beautiful gardens and famous frescoes. It is well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Kolasin has some lovely ‘Alpine’ restaurants serving hearty warm stews and local delicacies. In late October, some also had lit fireplaces which created a wonderful wintery atmosphere.

Day 2: Walk around the primeval forest in the Biogradska Gora national park and a visit to Ostrog monastery, followed by an afternoon in Podgorica.

Biogradska Gora National Park is one of only 3 remaining virgin forest in the whole of Europe. As there was snow on the ground in late October, we only visited Biogradska Gora Lake. A picturesque glacial lake and the highlight (and namesake) of the forest. You can either stroll around the lake as we did or you can follow one of the many hiking trails deeper into the pristine forest.

If you’ve seen a photo of a church in a rockface in Montenegro online, it is probably the famous Ostrog Monastery. Right in the centre of Montenegro, Ostrog Monastery is home to Orthodox Christain monks. When driving here make sure that you take the road that leads through Danilovgrad to Ostrog Monastery. There is another older road that comes off the highway about 20km past Danilovgrad but it is dangerous and very steep and narrow.

Compared to other capital cities in the Balkan region (Sarajevo, Skopje and Zagreb), Podgorica doesn’t have many claims to fame or outstanding tourist sites. It is a pleasant city though even if the architecture is the same old dull communist cutouts. Have a wander and enjoy the bars and restaurants. There are usually guys about selling balloons or rides of mini electric cars to keep children entertained.

Giant robots and electric cars made Podgorica for toddler H.Day 3: Enjoyed the fort and seafood in Budva.

The highlight of Budva is Stari Grad, Budva – the Old Town. The strong stone walls of the Old Town rise out of the modern city. Within these historic walls lays a miniature Dubrovnik (Croatia’s famed walled city). The narrow cobbled streets are lined with quaint cafe-bars, charming chapels, art galleries and souvenir shops.

Day 4: Coastal Budva

Modern Budva is an enjoyable coastal city to spend a few days. Al-fresco restaurants line the waterfront and the seafood offerings are delicious and very affordable.

The beaches were warm enough to play on and stroll along even in late autumn.

Day 5: A scenic, hilly drive to Kotor including the spooky Njegos mausoleum.

If you’re driving from Budva to Kotor, two excellent stops to make are Njegos mausoleum and Cetinje.

Njegos Mausoleum is absolutely fascinating. High on a mountain top is the tomb of a 19th-century prince called Petar II Petrovic Njegos. A national hero, Njegos is entombed under a canopy of gold and lays in the claws of a golden eagle. The whole place is otherworldly. A sense heightened by the chilly mountain winds as you walk towards the mausoleum.

The panoramic views from the top over the nearby mountains, villages and valleys are beautiful. It is 2 Euros to park and another 5 Euros to enter the mausoleum. Driving here can be quite an adventure. With over 30 hairpin bends on narrow mountain roads, the drive is not for the faint-hearted.

The former capital of Montenegro, Cetinje is a lovely town to stop for lunch. Cetinje is still the country’s cultural capital and worth taking the time to explore. There are four national museums in town, two art galleries, a monastery and streets lined with gorgeous historic buildings.

Day 6: Stroll around the old town in Kotor –

Kotor is a popular cruise ship port so our top tip for visiting is to explore the Old Town when there were no cruise ships in. It is easy to know when this is as any cruise ship in Bay of Kotor will overshadow the entire town.

Kotor’s Old Town is a bustling collection of cobbled alleyways, open squares and historic churches encased in strong Medieval walls.

Day 7: Drive along the Bay of Kotor, marvelling in the shiny water and beautiful villages.

The Bay of Kotor drive is an absolute highlight of any Montenegro road trip. The winding roads hug the coast and lead through the wonderful village of Perast and on to Herceg Novi.

Perast is a great lunch spot with al fresco dining right on the bay (even at the end of October). The restaurants face across the bay and its islands. The village of Perast is unusual in that many of the buildings are grandiose examples of Baroque architecture.

Herceg Novi is a bustling waterfront town with a lovely Old Town full of churches, cafes and sunny squares.

Day 8: Drive along the coast to enjoy the views at Sveti Stefan, and tossing pebbles into the sea there.

The private island of Sveti Stefan is where rich movie stars go on holiday. But the best views of this gorgeous walled island are probably from the mainland so we all get to enjoy them!

Day 9 Montenegro Road Trip 

Explore the ruins at Stari Bar 

Behind the dull industrial town of Bar on the southeast coast of Montenegro is a real historical gem. The ruins of the ancient city of Stari Bar adorn the top of a hilltop. The ruins are genuinely fascinating to walk around. Children will love clambering over the ruins of the old houses, shops and temples.

Dinner in Ulcinj.

In the southernmost town of Ulcinj, you almost feel like you’ve stepped over the border into Albania. We had a wonderful dinner in the quiet Old Town high above the city walls. Instead of churches, you’ll see minarets and hear the call to prayer. The beach here is a wonderful expanse of golden sand perfect for a toddler to let off steam.

Day 10: Getting lost whilst driving around Lake Skadar, convinced we strayed into Albania at some point!

The beautiful Lake Skadar is a haven for birdlife and a wonderful change from the scenery of the Adriatic Coast. We drove around the lake almost to the tip where the lake enters into Albanian territory. A popular excursion is to take a boat trip from Virpazar around the lake. Sadly, with a flight to catch we didn’t have time.

That sums up our Montenegro road trip but before you go, let us give you a taster for some other areas of Montenegro that we didn’t get to include on our road trip.

What we didn’t do on our Montenegro Road Trip

There were two main tourist destinations in Montenegro that we didn’t get to visit during our Montenegro road trip but that we would recommend other road-trippers consider adding on.

We didn’t get to go rafting on the Tara River. All outdoor and adventure sports enthusiasts will know that this a highlight of a trip to Montenegro. We didn’t do it because we had a toddler with us and it was the end of October – brrrr!

Durmitor National Park is a great winter destination for skiing and in summer, it’s a great place for hiking and outdoor activities. Travelling between seasons, we decided the park was a bit too far North to include in our 10 day Montenegro itinerary so we compromised on Biogradska Gora National Park instead.

At World for a Girl, we focus on promoting women’s voices through travel and providing inspirational role-models for young adventurous girls. Travelling through the Balkans is the perfect time to read one of the few classics in travel literature written by a woman! Published in the 1940s, Rebecca West’s  The Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey through Yugoslavia is one of the most comprehensive texts on the former Yugoslavia ever written. To discover more great female travellers from the past, check out our post 54 Female Explorers from History that Your Children NEED to know about

How to extend your Montenegro Road Trip

It is also easy to extend your road trip into neighbouring countries. Make sure that your hire car’s documentation and insurance allow you to do so.

Croatia

The most obvious way to extend your Montenegro road trip is to drive from Kotor to Dubrovnik in Croatia. Border times and traffic could make the journey longer. Dubrovnik in my humble option is one of the most beautiful walled cities in the world. Unfortunately, everyone knows this and it is also a stop on a thousand cruise schedules.

The drive from Kotor to Dubrovnik is just over 90km and should take 2 hours and 10 mins. 

We didn’t drive into Croatia from Montenegro (only because we had holidayed in Dubrovnik two years before). Our top tips would be go there in low season. We hear from friends that the summer crowds are horrendous. We went at the beginning of January – no crowds, beautiful blue skies and no need for a scarf or woolly hats. It was perfect.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Before kids, we travelled extensively through Bosnia and Herzegovina. Without a stroller and baby items to lug around, we used public transport. Our favourite spots were Sarajevo and Mostar.

Practicalities for visiting Montenegro

Montenegro Entry Requirements

All visitors require a valid passport to enter Montenegro. Travellers can stay in Montenegro for up to 90 days without a visa if they are from an EU country, Israel, the UK and the US.

Getting to Montenegro

Unless you’re driving or taking the train all the way from your home country, you will most likely fly into Montenegro. There are two main airports one near the capital Podgorica and a newer airport at Tivat near the coast. It is also very easy to fly into Dubrovnik and rent a car there.

Finding accommodation in Montenegro

For our 10 days in Montenegro road trip, we moved between apartments booked on AirBnB. We looked for apartments that had cots and baby toys.  We stayed in a range of different places but found that the apartments in Montenegro tended to be larger than average.

How to find transport in Montenegro

We hired a car at Podgorica Airport and many of the drives were spectacular, particularly with the bodies of water along the coast, Lake Skadar and around the Bay of Kotor.

Why take a road trip around Montenegro with a toddler, baby or young kids?

We took our toddler on a Montenegro road trip at 12 months old. It was easily one of our favourite road trips ever! Why did we like it so much? Because travelling in Montenegro with a toddler is easy, fun and the scenery is breath-taking.

 Road-tripping around Montenegro with toddlers and young children is a great way to see the whole country in just a few days (or weeks). Our Montenegro road trip covered most of the top sights that we wanted to see. All whilst leaving us plenty of time to relax, play and of course, nap.

Since having children, we’ve fallen in love with road-tripping. Hiring a vehicle is easy and convenient. With all that additional ‘toddler’ luggage like strollers and special teddies, you don’t need to pack too light. You can always throw in that extra bag of 36 nappies just in case.

Having a car to hand is also great if your toddler sleeps in the car. You can easily plan naptimes to coincide with long drives. Car hire allows you to be masters of your own time and itinerary. You can curate the schedule that works for you without hanging around in the rain for buses. Of course, you also get to see some really cool places off the beaten track.

For more on road trips with toddlers and babies, check out our posts on:

Ditching Backpacks for Hire Cars: On the Road with Toddlers

Long Road Trips with Toddlers: Awesome Tips to keep you SANE

A WORLD OF AWESOME WOMEN: MONTENEGRO

DID YOU KNOW?  Elena of Montenegro was the daughter of the former King of Montenegro and she became Queen of Italy in 1900.  After the 1908 earthquake in Messina, Elena helped rescuers and during the First World War she served as a nurse. She encouraged other members of the Royal family to turn palaces into hospitals, sell valuable Royal treasures to pay off war debts and even invented the ‘signed photograph’ as a way to raise funds for hospitals and the injured.

Welcome to the World for a Girl community. Please share your own ideas and thoughts about Montenegro family travel. Do you agree with our Montenegro highlights or do you have others to add? Did you do a similar Montenegro itinerary or could you recommend an alternative one? What tips do you have for Montenegro family travel?