What to see in Montenegro?

Hi everyone on Voyage Forum! In mid-September 2025, a group of friends and I are heading to Montenegro for a week. On my must-see list, I’ve obviously got the Bay of Kotor and Lake Skadar. Besides those two excursions, what else would you recommend seeing or visiting? Just to note, we’ll be staying in the Bijela area.

Another question: Is Tivat Airport operating during that period? I think Transavia flies there. Otherwise, we’d have to go through Dubrovnik, which I’d prefer to avoid—partly because I’ve been there before and partly to skip the border wait.

Looking forward to your replies or suggestions!

Hello everyone on Voyage Forum! In mid-September 2025, a group of friends and I will be heading to Montenegro for a week. Among the must-sees, I’ve noted the Bay of Kotor and Lake Skadar. Beyond these two excursions, what else do you recommend we see or visit? We’ll be staying in the Bijela area.

Another question: Is Tivat Airport operational during that period? I believe Transavia serves it. Otherwise, we’d have to go through Dubrovnik, which I’d prefer to avoid—partly because I’ve been there before and partly to skip the border wait. Looking forward to your replies or suggestions.

We only had time for the Bay of Kotor (including Risan and Perast), but I’d noted a few other spots for next time. There’s the winding road from Kotor up to Mount Lovćen, as well as the Ostrog Monastery and Cetinje. You’ll be close to Herceg Novi, which has a small monastery that sometimes appears on the cover of Montenegro travel guides. Also, Budva and the famous photo spot of Sveti Stefan.

If you’re more into hiking, there are several travel journals on this site about Durmitor, the Tara River Canyon, etc. The Luštica Peninsula is developing, but there might still be some interesting, less-concreted spots. If you haven’t been to Bosnia, Trebinje isn’t bad, and Mostar is a bit farther but worth it.

Transavia only seems to have flights until September 7, 2025—after that, no more direct flights from Paris. So, DBV (Dubrovnik) is the alternative. The airport is close to the border, and I don’t think the wait will be too bad in mid-September, especially if you’re traveling on a weekday.

Hello everyone on Voyage Forum. In mid-September 2025, a group of friends and I will be heading to Montenegro for a week. Among the must-sees, I’ve noted the Bay of Kotor and Lake Skadar, of course. Besides these two excursions, what else do you recommend we see or visit? We’ll be staying in the Bijela area.

Another question: Is Tivat Airport operational during that period? I believe Transavia serves it. Otherwise, we’ll have to go through Dubrovnik, which I’d prefer to avoid—partly because I’ve been there before and partly to skip the border wait.

Looking forward to your replies or suggestions.

We only did the Bay of Kotor (including Risan and Perast) due to time constraints, but I’d noted several things for next time. There’s the serpentine road from Kotor to Mount Lovćen, as well as the Ostrog Monastery and Cetinje. You’ll be close to Herceg Novi, where there’s a small monastery that sometimes appears on the cover of Montenegro travel guides. Also, Budva and the famous photo spot of Sveti Stefan.

If you’re more into hiking, there are several travel journals on this site about Durmitor, the Tara River Canyon, etc. The Luštica Peninsula is developing, but there might still be some interesting, less-concreted spots. If you haven’t been to Bosnia, Trebinje isn’t bad, and Mostar is a bit farther but worth it.

Transavia only seems to have flights until September 7, 2025, so there won’t be any direct flights from Paris after that. That leaves DBV (Dubrovnik Airport), which is close to the border. I don’t think the wait will be terrible in mid-September, especially if you go on a weekday.

Hello, thanks for your reply. I’ll check out the Herceg Novi Monastery since we’ll be nearby. Budva is tempting too, but since my friends aren’t into hiking, goodbye Durmitor or Tara River. As for the airport, it’ll be Dubrovnik.

Hi there,

Montenegro also boasts stunning mountain landscapes.

Escape the tourist crowds on the coast for a few days and enjoy the wild, untouched regions bordering Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo. If you're driving, head north from Podgorica to Kolašin, where you can stop for the night. Along the way, visit the Morača Monastery. Near Kolašin, don’t miss the primeval forest of Biogradska Gora National Park and take a walk around Biograd Lake (Biogradsko Jezero).

Continue east to Plav, where you’ll find accommodation, and explore the natural wonders of Prokletije National Park: the glacial valleys and cirques of Grebaje and Ropojana, the karst spring of Oko Skakavice, and the Grlja Canyon (Vodopad Grlja).

Hi there,

I spent two weeks exploring Montenegro, one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, in my opinion.

I started in Podgorica, then visited the Ostrog Monastery, but I quickly headed toward the coast, stopping at Lake Skadar, Budva and its coastline, and the historic city of Cetinje.

After that, I took the winding road to Kotor, the most beautiful place in the country, in my opinion. From Kotor, I went to Perast, with a small island where there’s a monastery, and I finally arrived in Herceg Novi.

Hello,

Montenegro also boasts magnificent mountain landscapes.

Escape the tourist crowds on the coast for a few days and enjoy the still-wild regions at the borders of Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo. If you're driving, take the road north from Podgorica to Kolašin, where you can stop over. Along the way, visit the Morača Monastery. Near Kolašin, don’t miss the primeval forest of Biogradska Gora National Park and take a walk around Biograd Lake (Biogradsko Jezero).

Continue east to Plav, where you’ll find accommodation, and explore the natural wonders of Prokletije National Park: the glacial valleys and cirques of Grebaje and Ropojana, the karst spring of Oko Skakavice, and the Grlja Canyon (Vodopad Grlja).

Hi, thanks for all this info—I’m thrilled, there’s really so much to do! I’ll see what we can manage in a week with my friends.

Hi Jordan, thanks for the info on Montenegro, and kudos for coming all the way from huge Australia to visit one of Europe’s smallest countries! But I saw that your plan was to travel around the world, so I sincerely wish you the best—there’s so much to see on this blue planet!

Hi Lechefrando,

Thanks! Since I’m from Toulouse, I was able to visit most of Europe before moving to Australia :)

Hi there, now I understand better! Whereabouts in Australia are you—Sydney, Brisbane...?

I lived in Brisbane for 2 years, and now I’ve been in Sydney for 7 years.

We loved Perast, the Lustica Peninsula, Durmitor, and the Tara Canyon (we slept in Bosnia at a rafting base to do this activity.).

Hi there, I can confirm that Biogradska Gora Park can be a great option, with a truly stunning natural site that’s easy to explore. Durmitor also offers some lovely walks, even if your group isn’t made up of big hikers. You can drive to Crno Jezero Lake and then walk for 10 minutes with no elevation gain to reach Zminje Jezero Lake, just a few meters further. The coast around Budva is also really nice, with villages like Perast or Przno. If you’d like some inspiration, we wrote a recap of our 12-day trip to Montenegro with our recommendations! !