Walking in Montenegro
- Enjoy a perfect mix of coastal and mountain trails through the "Pearl of the Adriatic"
- Walk on a former trade route to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bay of Kotor
- Take a cruise on Lake Skadar, home to over 270 different bird species
- The mountains and valleys of Lovcen National Park
- Picnic lunch stops with views over the sparkling blue sea
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in CetinjeWe recommend flying into Podgorica Airport, from where you will be collected by a private taxi transfer and taken to Cetinje (45min). Check in at your small friendly guesthouse before taking some time to stroll around the lovely old royal capital of Montenegro, founded in the 15th century.
Rich in cultural and historical heritage, there is plenty to see including the royal palace, the grand embassy building and the Cetinje Monastery, destroyed and rebuilt several times over Montenegro’s history.
An old traditional house in the centre of Cetinje, La Vecchia Casa is a warm and welcoming family run guesthouse. Breakfast isn't served but they provide eggs, coffee and other breakfast items to make yourself in the kitchen. There is also a lovely garden in which to relax at the end of the day.
A short transfer this morning (30m) brings you to Karuc, a picturesque fishing village on the edge of Lake Skadar. The largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula, Skadar is very beautiful (legend says it was created by the tears of a pixie!). It's home to around 270 different types of birds, so don't forget your binoculars today. These include the White Egret, Dalmatian Pelican and Pygmy Cormorant.
On arrival, a relaxing cruise (1h) on a traditional wooden boat gliding amongst the pretty lily pads of the lake gets you closer to some of the birdlife and lets you take in some of the lovely scenery and the tranquility of the lake.
Back in Karuc, we recommend taking some time to enjoy some of the local fish specialities in a café before starting the short walk. You go pass some of the ancient villages in this area with beautiful views of the lake before visiting a local producer of delicious Montenegrin wine for an included tasting. A transfer will collect you passing by the iconic viewpoint of the Rijeka Crnojevica Bridge over Lake Skadar before arriving back in Cetinje.
Please note that today, depending on the availability of the vineyards, you will visit one of two possible options and the walking distances vary slightly between the two. The above distances are based on the longer walk to Jablan Vineyard. Our local partner will tell you which vineyard you are visiting in your welcome meeting on day 1. The walking routes to both vineyards are available to follow in our Macs Adventure app.
Jablan Vineyard walk: 6kms/4mi Ascent/Descent: 149m/50m
Mrkan Vineyard walk: 5kms/3mi Ascent/Descent: 167m/31m
An old traditional house in the centre of Cetinje, La Vecchia Casa is a warm and welcoming family run guesthouse. Breakfast isn't served but they provide eggs, coffee and other breakfast items to make yourself in the kitchen. There is also a lovely garden in which to relax at the end of the day.
Head out of Cetinje and on to an old trader’s route which will lead you through the mountains and valleys of Lovcen, to your next base in Ivanova Korita, in the heart of the national park.
Your rustic mountain hotel is a lovely place to spend the next couple of nights with its location in a beautiful valley covered with forests and meadows. Enjoy the fantastic views and sample some delicious Montenegrin food and wine.
Ascent/Descent: 619m/5m
Set within Lovćen National Park, Hotel Monte Rosa enjoys a quiet setting offering views of the surrounding mountains. It provides an on-site restaurant and a bar with a spacious terrace. The nearest Ski lift is 750 yards away, while the town of Cetinje is 9.3 miles away
With its fantastic location in the heart of Lovcen National Park, Hotel Ivanov Konak offers rustically furnished rooms, a lovely big restaurant with two huge fireplaces serving Montenegrin specialities and of course wonderful views of the surrounding countryside
An exhilarating loop walk today from your hotel to the second-highest point of the National Park, the Jzerski Summit.
Climb a thigh-burning 461 steps leading to the Njegos monument which sits at the summit to be rewarded with panoramic views reaching as far as Kotor Bay in the south, the Albanian Alps in the east and Skadar Lake. Visit the atrium and the crypt before making your way back to your hotel.
Ascent/Descent: 407m/407m
Set within Lovćen National Park, Hotel Monte Rosa enjoys a quiet setting offering views of the surrounding mountains. It provides an on-site restaurant and a bar with a spacious terrace. The nearest Ski lift is 750 yards away, while the town of Cetinje is 9.3 miles away
With its fantastic location in the heart of Lovcen National Park, Hotel Ivanov Konak offers rustically furnished rooms, a lovely big restaurant with two huge fireplaces serving Montenegrin specialities and of course wonderful views of the surrounding countryside
Head towards the Adriatic, continuing on the old trade route which once connected Cetinje with Kotor, now known as the “Ladder of Kotor”.
Take in amazing views towards the Bay of Kotor as you zig-zag down towards Kotor. Continue on the trail past the Chapel of St Ivan, an old catholic church, and the fortress of Castle of San Giovanni, enjoying changing views of the bay the whole time. Finally, you will reach the walls of the Old Town via a series of old stone staircases.
The fortified town of Kotor is a deserved UNESCO World Heritage Site with its Venetian palaces, Roman Catholic cathedrals, Byzantine church, and romantic cobbled streets.
Ascent/Descent: 100m/1390m
Hotel Monte Cristo is a lovely old 4* hotel in the centre of the old town in Kotor. Housed in a building from the 13th century, the rooms are tastefully furnished and you can enjoy breakfast overlooking their quiet courtyard.
With its spacious terrace, sea views and private beach area, this is a lovely place to relax at the end of the day, and their intimate restaurant serves traditional Montenegrin cuisine and fish specialities. It costs approx 8 Euros in a taxi from the hotel to the centre of Kotor.
Mount Vrmac sits as a barrier between the innermost part of the Bay of Kotor and the outer part, the Bay of Tivat. Your walk starts in the centre of Kotor on the military zig-zag trail named after Austrian emperor Franz-Josef and climbs up to the “Vrmac Fortress” built in 1892.
Follow a mountain ridge to the summit (765m) before descending on an old shepherd’s trail to the village of Donji Stoliv. Enjoy a coffee at the seaside promenade before being picked up and transferred back to your hotel in Kotor (15min).
Ascent/Descent: 744m/818m
Hotel Monte Cristo is a lovely old 4* hotel in the centre of the old town in Kotor. Housed in a building from the 13th century, the rooms are tastefully furnished and you can enjoy breakfast overlooking their quiet courtyard.
With its spacious terrace, sea views and private beach area, this is a lovely place to relax at the end of the day, and their intimate restaurant serves traditional Montenegrin cuisine and fish specialities. It costs approx 8 Euros in a taxi from the hotel to the centre of Kotor.
Your day will start with a short transfer to the village of Orahovac, from here a meandering trail ascends through the forest to the ruins of Vranovo Brdo fortress (743m) for great views of the surrounding turquoise coast.
Enjoy a picnic lunch taking in the views before joining another military path down to the small town of Perast. We highly recommend taking a boat trip over to the very pretty “Our Lady of the Rocks” church dating back to 1484 which sits on a manmade island off the coast of Perast.
This charming little church has some beautifully intricate alter and ceiling frescoes well worth a look. Make your way back over to Perast, where a transfer will take you back to Kotor. (20min).
Ascent/Descent: 700m/775m
Hotel Monte Cristo is a lovely old 4* hotel in the centre of the old town in Kotor. Housed in a building from the 13th century, the rooms are tastefully furnished and you can enjoy breakfast overlooking their quiet courtyard.
With its spacious terrace, sea views and private beach area, this is a lovely place to relax at the end of the day, and their intimate restaurant serves traditional Montenegrin cuisine and fish specialities. It costs approx 8 Euros in a taxi from the hotel to the centre of Kotor.
Check out after breakfast and make your way back to either Tivat (15min), Podgorica (1h 50m) or Dubrovnik Airport (2.5h).
This trip has a carbon score of 15kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 15kg is equivalent to 88.5 candy bars. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?Perfect if you have perhaps sampled the delights of neighbouring Croatia, and want something similar, Montenegro is often dubbed as the new “Pearl of the Adriatic”. Walking for between 3 and 6 hours a day on good trails with some steep and rocky ascents and descent, you will stay overnight in a combination of simple guesthouses, a mountain hotel in Lovcen and a 3* hotel in the old town of Kotor.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This trip is graded moderate overall, with the average daily distance being 12km and up to 765m ascent. There are a couple of longer days of around 15-16km. You will be walking for between 3 to 6 hours a day on good military and shepherds trails. There are some short sections on gravel roads and some steep and rocky ascents and descent.
7 Nights accommodation is included in your trip. 2 nights are in a small guesthouse in Cetinje, 2 nights in a mountain hotel in Lovcen National Park and 3 nights in a 4* standard hotel in the centre of Kotor. Examples of accommodations used are detailed below. Dependent on availability, similar accommodations of a similar standard may be used and your detailed itinerary will show your exact accommodation. We have chosen Hotel Monte Cristo for its fantastic, very central location in the old town of Kotor. However, being in the old town it can be quite noisy in the evening. If you prefer a hotel in a quieter location, we also use the Babilon Hotel and Restaurant.
Accommodation Location
We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed in your itinerary. Occasionally, because of limited availability, there is the option to be accommodated at an alternative location. In the unlikely event that we have to accommodate you elsewhere we will advise you of this before confirming your booking.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
This trip is available to solo walkers although there is a supplement applicable. Single rooms are also available and a single room supplement is payable.
Meals
7 breakfasts are included. Lunches and dinners are not included to keep things flexible . You can choose from the many options available in Cetinje and Kotor who serve local Montenegrin specialities. The hotel in Lovcen also has a restaurant serving delicious food!.
Most of the trails are well way-marked and you will be provided with detailed maps and route notes. You will also have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone’s GPS so you will have no problems finding the way.
- 2 Nights in a small guesthouse
- 2 Nights in a mountain hotel
- 3 Nights in a 4* hotel
- 7 Breakfasts
- Baggage transfers as per itinerary
- Transfers as per itinerary
- Transfer from Podgorica Airport to Cetinje
- Boat trips to Lake Skadar
- Arrival transfer from Podgorica Airport to Cetinje
- GPS Tracks and access to our smartphone app
- 24/7 emergency telephone support
- Detailed route notes, maps and pre-departure information pack
- Travel insurance (required)
- Travel from Kotor at the end of the trip
- Boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks - payable locally, approx €5
- Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
- Personal equipment
- Additional nights before, during or after the tour
You can start this walking tour on any day of the week between mid-March and the end of October, subject to availability. Montenegro enjoys a pleasant climate perfect for walking in spring and autumn. The coastline has typically Mediterranean weather with very warm summers whereas in the National Park it gets slightly cooler. At the start and end of the season there is a greater probability of rain and we would recommend packing plenty of layers as the temperature can more variable. May is the best time to see the wild flowers and late September to mid October for the fall colours, July and August are good months to go, but can be very hot for walking and therefore aren’t best suited for everyone. You will have to start early to miss the heat of the day and carry a lot of water (additional weight) with you. Although the towns and villages are buzzing at this time of year which is great to see.
By Air - The closest airport to Cetinje is Podgorica and this is where we recommend flying to. From the UK you can fly from London to Podgorica with airlines like Ryanair or TUI. From Europe, other airlines flying to Podgorica include Turkish Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Air France amongst others. From Podgorica a private taxi transfer is included to take you to Cetinje (approx 45min). It is also possible to fly to Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia, from where you would take a shuttle to the centre of Dubrovnik and then another two buses to Cetinje via Herceg Novi (3.5h in total). By Road: It is possible to drive to Cetinje from the coast via the E65/E80 and M2.3 roads (approx 1h 10m from Kotor).
By Air: The closest airports to Kotor are either Tivat Airport or Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia. There is no public transport from Kotor to Tivat Airport but we can pre-book very reasonably priced airport transfers for you in advance which would take approx 20 minutes. Airlines flying to Tivat from the UK include Easyjet and Montenegro Airlines. To get to Dubrovnik Airport, you would take a bus to the centre of Dubrovnik (once daily, 2h) and then a shuttle bus to the airport (30min, hourly departures). There are many flights to Dubrovnik from both the UK and Europe. We can also arrange private transfers from Kotor to Dubrovnik airport for an additional cost. Please select the required option when making your booking or ask one of our D&A Specialists for details.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight stay. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as the region is extremely popular and the accommodations do get booked up quickly. However, we will always try our very best to accommodate your plans.
This trip is graded moderate overall, with the average daily distance being 12km and up to 765m ascent. There are a couple of longer days of around 15-16km. You will be walking for between 3 to 6 hours a day on good military and shepherds trails. There are some short sections on gravel roads and some steep and rocky ascents and descent.
Your detailed information pack will be sent to you after you book. This has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, waterproof clothes and a day pack.
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