Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Montenegro: Kotor, Budva and Durmitor
7 days from Tivat to Podgorica: four nights in Kotor with the walls at dawn, Perast by boat, Lovcen and Budva, then two nights in Zabljak for the Black Lake, the Tara canyon and Ostrog.
7 days · Kotor to Podgorica · up to 12 guests
Budva old town and the Dancer statue at sunset Photo: otrow_photography, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Town_Budva,_Montenegro.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Kotor to Podgorica
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
About 2 to 3 hours a day on foot. The Kotor walls are the hardest part: about 1,350 uneven stone steps and 260 m of climb to the fortress, which you can stop at the halfway church or skip. The Njegos Mausoleum has 461 steps. In Durmitor, walks are 3 to 6 km at about 1,400 to 1,650 m on forest and meadow paths. Drives are at most about 3.5 hours a day.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 645 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Kotor walls at dawn, with the bay below still in shadow and the old town empty
- A private boat to Perast and the island church of Our Lady of the Rocks
- The 25 hairpins above Kotor to Njegusi, with smoked ham and cheese for lunch
- The Njegos Mausoleum on the summit of Lovcen, looking over half of Montenegro
- Budva old town and the coast path to the Sveti Stefan view
- The Black Lake loop under Durmitor in the evening light
- The Tara canyon from the rim at Curevac and from the arches of the Durdevica Tara bridge
- Ostrog monastery in its cliff on the way to the airport
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 645 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Kotor
Tivat Airport to your hotel in Kotor
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Kotor
- Drive about 15 min
Evening
Fly into Tivat airport (TIV), about 8 km and 15 minutes from Kotor, in time for the evening walk: plan to land by about 4 pm (the exact latest arrival is confirmed with your final itinerary). A driver meets you in arrivals and takes you round the inner bay to a hotel in or just outside Kotor old town, where we stay four nights. Kotor sits at the far end of the Bay of Kotor under a wall of limestone, and the old town and the bay have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1979. At about 6:30 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing, then walks you through the Sea Gate onto the Square of Arms, past the clock tower and on to the Cathedral of St Tryphon, consecrated in 1166. As the lanes cool, we sit down to a welcome dinner of Bay of Kotor dishes, from black risotto to grilled fish and Vranac red wine.
Included
- Pick-up at Tivat airport (TIV)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk through Kotor old town
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening walk
Activity: About 1 hour on foot on flat, polished stone lanes.
The walls at dawn, then Perast by boat
Kotor walls to San Giovanni fortress, then by boat to Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kotor
- By boat
We start at about 6:30 am, the one early start of the trip, because the climb up the Kotor walls is best in the cool and before the cruise passengers arrive. The path zigzags up about 1,350 stone steps past the small Church of Our Lady of Remedy to the fortress of San Giovanni, about 260 m above the town, and from the top the whole inner bay opens below you as the sun reaches the water.
Morning
Back down by about 8:30, breakfast is at the hotel. At about 10 am a private boat takes the group out along the bay to Perast, a small town of baroque captains' houses that once sent ships across the Adriatic.
Afternoon
We land first on Our Lady of the Rocks, an islet built up from rocks and sunken ships, to see its church and museum, then step ashore in Perast for a walk and a sit-down lunch on the waterfront. We are back in Kotor by about 2:30 pm, and the afternoon is free.
Included
- Kotor walls and San Giovanni fortress at dawn, ticket included
- Private boat on the Bay of Kotor
- Our Lady of the Rocks church and museum
- Perast walk with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Perast
Optional experiences
- Sea kayaking in the bay (price shown at booking)
- Kotor Maritime Museum
Easier option: Climb only to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy, about a third of the way up, or skip the walls and join the group at breakfast.
More active option: Come down the back of the fortress by the old path to the village of Spiljari and the Ladder of Kotor viewpoint, with your guide, about 45 minutes longer.
Free time: Afternoon free in Kotor
Activity: About 2 hours on the walls on uneven stone steps with no shade higher up; the boat day is easy.
Up the serpentine to Njegusi and Lovcen
Kotor up the old road to Njegusi, then the summit of Lovcen and back to Kotor
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kotor
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive out of Kotor on the old Austro-Hungarian road that climbs the mountain behind the town in 25 hairpin bends, with the bay dropping further below at each turn. We stop at a viewpoint near the top while the morning light is still on the water. Over the pass lies Njegusi, a village on a high karst plain where families have smoked pršut ham and made cheese in the mountain air for generations; it is also the birthplace of Petar II Petrovic Njegos, prince-bishop and poet. From there the road winds up into Lovcen National Park to Jezerski vrh, at 1,657 m, where Njegos is buried in a mausoleum reached through a tunnel of 461 steps. From the round viewing platform beyond it you can see the Bay of Kotor, the Adriatic and, on clear days, Lake Skadar and the mountains of Albania.
Afternoon
Lunch is a tasting of smoked ham, cheese, bread and wine at a family smokehouse in Njegusi, and we are back in Kotor by mid-afternoon.
Included
- The Kotor serpentine road with photo stops
- Njegusi village
- Lovcen National Park and the Njegos Mausoleum, entries included
- Tasting lunch at a family smokehouse in Njegusi
Easier option: Wait at the café by the car park instead of climbing the 461 steps to the mausoleum.
More active option: Walk a short stretch of the old path across the Njegusi plain with your guide while the van goes ahead.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Kotor
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot, mostly the steps at the mausoleum; the serpentine road can upset those prone to car sickness.
Budva old town and the Sveti Stefan coast
Kotor to Budva, then Przno and the coast path to the Sveti Stefan viewpoint, and back to Kotor
- Breakfast
- Stay in Kotor
- Drive about 1.5 h
A gentler day on the open coast. We drive through the Vrmac tunnel to Budva, about 30 minutes, and arrive while the old town is still quiet. Budva's walled town sits on a small headland and was largely rebuilt in stone after the earthquake of 1979. Your guide walks you through its lanes to the churches on the square by the Citadel, and we climb onto the Citadel walls for the view along the beaches and out to the island of Sveti Nikola.
Morning
Mid-morning the van takes us down the coast to Przno, and we walk the coast path of about 2 km, past the pines and bays that face the Sveti Stefan islet, to the viewpoint above it. The islet, a fishing village joined to the shore by a causeway, is now a private hotel and not open to visitors, but the view from the path is the one in all the pictures.
Afternoon
The rest of the day is free: swim at the beach by the causeway, have lunch where you like, then the van takes the group back to Kotor in the late afternoon.
Included
- Budva old town with your guide
- Budva Citadel, entry included
- Coast walk from Przno to the Sveti Stefan viewpoint
Optional experiences
- Beach lounger at Sveti Stefan (paid locally)
Easier option: Ride with the van from Przno to the Sveti Stefan viewpoint instead of walking.
More active option: Walk on from the viewpoint along the coast to the beach at Sveti Stefan and swim before the van pick-up.
Free time: Afternoon free on the coast; evening free in Kotor
Activity: About 2 hours on foot on flat lanes and an easy coastal path with some steps.
Into the mountains to Zabljak and the Black Lake
Kotor via Risan, Grahovo and Niksic to Zabljak, then the Black Lake
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Zabljak
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Kotor at about 8:30 am and follow the bay round to Risan, then climb inland over the karst through Grahovo to Niksic, Montenegro's second city, about 1 hour 45 minutes of driving.
Afternoon
We stop there for coffee and an early sit-down lunch. From Niksic the road runs north across high pasture and through the Komarnica valley to Savnik and up onto the Durmitor plateau, another hour and three quarters, so the day is about 3.5 hours of driving in two halves. We reach Zabljak, at about 1,450 m one of the highest towns in the Balkans, by mid-afternoon and check in for two nights. Durmitor National Park has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1980. In the late afternoon, when the day-trip coaches have gone, your guide walks the group round the Black Lake, two glacial lakes joined by a narrow neck under dark pine forest, with Meded, the bear-shaped peak, rising behind.
Evening
The evening is free in town.
Included
- Drive through the karst interior with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Niksic
- Durmitor National Park ticket
- Black Lake loop walk with your guide
Easier option: Walk only the first part of the loop to the narrow neck between the two lakes and back, about 30 minutes.
More active option: Add the forest path from the Black Lake up to the small Zminje lake, about 1.5 hours return with your guide.
Free time: Evening free in Zabljak
Activity: The Black Lake loop is about 3.5 km on a mostly flat path of roots and gravel, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Durmitor: the Tara canyon rim and the Tara bridge
Zabljak to the Curevac viewpoint, then the Durdevica Tara bridge and back to Zabljak
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Zabljak
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
Breakfast, then a short drive east of Zabljak to the start of the walk to Curevac, a grassy ridge at about 1,625 m on the rim of the Tara canyon. The path climbs gently through meadow and pine to the edge, and the view drops away more than 1,000 m to the river, in a canyon that runs about 80 km and is often called the deepest in Europe. We go in the morning, when the light comes along the canyon rather than straight into it and the ridge is quiet.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal of mountain food back near Zabljak: lamb or veal cooked under the bell, kacamak and fresh cheese. In the afternoon we drive about 30 minutes to the Durdevica Tara bridge, five concrete arches finished in 1940 and about 150 m above the river, to walk across and look down at the green water.
Evening
The late afternoon is free, and in the evening we meet for a farewell dinner in Zabljak.
Included
- Walk to the Curevac viewpoint over the Tara canyon with your guide
- Sit-down lunch near Zabljak
- The Durdevica Tara bridge
- Farewell dinner in Zabljak
Optional experiences
- Zipline across the Tara canyon beside the bridge (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Ride further up the track by van and walk only the last 15 minutes to the viewpoint.
More active option: Walk the ridge on from Curevac along the canyon rim and back, about 2 hours more with your guide.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Zabljak
Activity: About 2 hours on foot to and from Curevac on meadow and forest paths with about 150 m of climb; the bridge walk is flat.
Ostrog monastery and home from Podgorica
Zabljak via Savnik and Niksic to Ostrog, then Podgorica Airport
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Zabljak at about 8 am and drive back over the plateau and down through Savnik to Niksic, then on to the turn for Ostrog, about two hours. The Upper Monastery of Ostrog is built into a vertical cliff high above the Bjelopavlici plain, white against the grey rock, and was founded in the 17th century by St Basil of Ostrog, whose relics are kept in the cave church.
Afternoon
It is the most visited pilgrimage site in Montenegro, for Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim visitors alike, and we arrive before the midday queue. Your guide explains how to visit; dress with covered shoulders and knees. We then drive down to a sit-down lunch on the plain near Danilovgrad and on to Podgorica airport (TGD), about an hour, arriving at about 2:30 pm. Book a flight leaving after about 4:30 pm. If you would like more time, we can add nights in Kotor or Budva before the trip, or arrange a transfer to Tirana for our Albania trip.
Included
- Ostrog Upper Monastery with your guide
- Sit-down lunch near Danilovgrad
- Drop-off at Podgorica airport (TGD)
Activity: About 1 hour at Ostrog, with a short walk on steps from the upper car park. Book a flight leaving after about 4:30 pm.
- Kotor4 nights
- Zabljak2 nights
- Podgoricaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May, June, September and October are the best months: warm on the coast, fresh in the mountains and quieter in Kotor. July and August are hot by the sea and busiest with cruise passengers, which is why the walls are climbed at dawn. Snow can linger in Durmitor until late May, and an early-season departure may swap the high viewpoint for a lower forest walk.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Montenegro's coast and mountains in one short trip
- Two bases instead of a new hotel every night
- Walkers who like 3 to 6 km a day without a full hiking trip
- Pairing with Dubrovnik or our Albania trip
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a fair single price
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: Kotor's walls, the mausoleum and Ostrog all involve many steps
- A beach holiday: the coast gets one free afternoon
- White-water rafting or multi-day hiking, which this trip does not include
- Travellers prone to car sickness on mountain hairpins
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Kotor4 nights
- Zabljak2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights in central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard: 4 in Kotor and 2 in Zabljak
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Tivat airport (TIV) and drop-off at Podgorica airport (TGD)
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group throughout
- A private boat on the Bay of Kotor to Our Lady of the Rocks and Perast
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip
Activities
- Kotor old town walk
- Kotor walls and San Giovanni fortress ticket
- Our Lady of the Rocks church and museum, and Perast
- The Kotor serpentine road and Njegusi
- Lovcen National Park and the Njegos Mausoleum
- Budva old town and the Citadel
- Coast walk to the Sveti Stefan viewpoint
- Durmitor National Park ticket and the Black Lake loop
- Curevac viewpoint walk over the Tara canyon
- The Durdevica Tara bridge
- Ostrog Upper Monastery
Meals
- Breakfast daily (6)
- 5 sit-down lunches, on days 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, including a smokehouse tasting in Njegusi
- 2 dinners: welcome dinner in Kotor, farewell dinner in Zabljak
Not included
- International flights to Tivat and from Podgorica
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 1 and 4 and dinners on days 2, 3, 4 and 5
- Drinks, except at the Njegusi tasting
- Tips
- Optional activities: the Tara zipline, sea kayaking, the Kotor Maritime Museum, beach loungers
- Municipal tourist tax where hotels charge it separately
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 645 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Montenegro trip price include?
Six nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, five sit-down lunches and two dinners, airport transfers at Tivat and Podgorica, a private vehicle and driver, a private boat to Perast, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including the Kotor walls ticket, Lovcen and the mausoleum, the Durmitor park ticket and Ostrog.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so the group fits one boat in the Bay of Kotor and one table at lunch, and everyone hears the guide in Kotor's narrow lanes. Other Montenegro trips run with up to 16.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Kotor to the airport in Podgorica, and our own driver stays with the group throughout. Where a site requires a local guide, one joins us and the cost is included.
How fit do I need to be for the Kotor walls and Durmitor?
Moderately. The Kotor walls are about 1,350 uneven steps and 260 m of climb, and you can stop a third of the way up or skip them. Durmitor walks are 3 to 6 km on meadow and forest paths at about 1,500 m, each with an easier choice.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 645 more, shown before you book, with no surprise later. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and the group is small enough that nobody sits alone at dinner.
When is the best time to visit Montenegro?
May to October, and best in June and September. The coast is warm, the mountains are fresh and Kotor is quieter than in July and August, when cruise passengers fill the old town. Snow can linger in Durmitor until late May.
How does booking work and how much does it cost?
The small group starts from CAD 3,795 per person sharing a room, taxes included; private trips start from CAD 6,830. Pick your start date and request to book, and we confirm your trip within 24 hours. No payment is taken until then.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels and drivers.
Do I need a visa for Montenegro?
Canadian and US passport holders do not need a visa for a trip of this length. Montenegro is not in the Schengen area, so days there do not count towards a Schengen stay. We confirm the rules for your passport when you book.
Which airports do I fly into and out of?
Fly into Tivat (TIV), 15 minutes from Kotor, and out of Podgorica (TGD) after about 4:30 pm on day 7. Many flights connect through Belgrade, Istanbul, Vienna or Frankfurt. Dubrovnik is also close to Kotor, and we can arrange that transfer across the border for a supplement.
Can we go inside Sveti Stefan?
No. The Sveti Stefan islet is a private hotel and not open to visitors. We walk the coast path from Przno to the viewpoint above it, which is where the well-known view is from, and you can swim at the public beach by the causeway in the free afternoon.
Can I combine this trip with Dubrovnik or Albania?
Yes. Kotor is about two hours from Dubrovnik, so you can add nights there before the trip, and Podgorica is about 2.5 hours from Tirana, where our Albania trip starts. Our 12-day Balkans trip covers Kotor and Durmitor together with Mostar and Sarajevo.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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