When to Visit Montenegro?
The best time to visit Montenegro is between May to September when the weather is nice and warm, great for visiting all the outdoor natural spots Montenegro is well known for.
That said, Montenegro does get a fair bit of tourists during the summer months between June to August, thanks to the spillover from its neighboring countries, Croatia and that can drive up the price for accommodation quite a bit as the demand is high. If you wish to avoid the tourist crowds as well as the high-season price hike, I highly recommend you stick to either late April or early October.
Although, statistically, the weather might not be as good, there are still chances of nice beautiful clear days with great weather during this period. The crowds are also getting thinner while the prices are starting to come down. Either way, as long as you stick to the recommended period, you should be good to go.
How to Get to Montenegro?
From the US, there are not a whole lot of flights flying into Montenegro. Your best bet is to fly into popular cities in neighboring countries like Dubrovnik in Croatia and catch the bus from there to Kotor. Airlines like Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines often fly between Dubrovnik and big cities in the US like New York and LA, which should take around 13 - 16 hours including the transiting time in Germany and Austria respectively.
From Dubrovnik, you should be able to catch one of the 2 daily Flixbuses that leave at either 7:15 AM or 5:30 PM from Dubrovnik Bus Station to Kotor in about 3.5 hours. You can book the bus online here. It should cost you no more than 25 EUR for the bus ticket.
Keep in mind that, if you decided to go with the latter option, you are going to be doing this itinerary in reverse starting from Mostar and ending in Sarajevo. You can browse through great direct flights from here or you can book Flixbus to take you from Croatia to Bosnia.
From Europe, the same also applies here. Flights in Montenegro are in short supply and it would be easiest if you fly into Dubrovnik with one of the many low-cost airlines like Wizz and Ryanair that connects the city to most European major travel hubs and catch the bus from there. Once you are in Dubrovnik, you can then catch a Flixbus from Dubrovnik Bus Station to Kotor.
From Asia, you can also fly into Dubrovnik with European or Middle Eastern airlines like Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines from any big cities in the region and it should take you about 15 - 20 hours including transit time before you arrive in Dubrovnik and from there, you can catch a Flixbus to Kotor.
To find a cheap flight to Bosnia, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.
How to Get Around Montenegro?
By Buses: Buses are the cheapest way to get around Montenegro. There are several buses running along the coastal towns of Montenegro like Kotor and Budva as well as to and from other neighboring countries like Croatia and Bosnia in case you are visiting Montenegro as part of a bigger trip in the Balkans.
For this itinerary, we will be relying on buses to travel along the coastal area of Kotor and that is it. You can check the bus schedule or buy the bus ticket online here.
By Tours: Since we only have 4 days, we are going to rely on organized tours to take us to remote places like Lovcen National Park, Centije, and Skadar Lake in the south and Durmitor National Park, Tara Canyon, and Ostrog Monastery in the north, on 2 separate days. That way, you can stay 4 days in Kotor and travel around the country without having to leave your base. There are plenty of day trips you can make in Bosnia, so be sure to check available tours here.
By Rental Cars: You can also rent a car from Kotor Bus Station and drive around Montenegro but for this itinerary, you won't need it. If you insist, hit the link below to rent a car in Montenegro:
How Much Money Do I Need for 4 days in Montenegro?
From this 4 days itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending here as follows:
Accommodation: For 5 nights in Montenegro, you can expect to pay around 90 EUR for accommodation considering you are staying in budget guesthouses or hostels.
Food: For 4 days, 3 meals a day in Montenegro, you can expect to pay around 84 EUR for food considering you eat out every day. It will be significantly cheaper if you buy your own groceries and cook yourself instead.
Transportation: For this itinerary, you can expect to pay around 8 EUR for buses between Kotor and Budva and that is it.
Activities: Depending on how much you want to do in Montenegro, you can expect to pay approximately 140 EUR for organized day trips to visit Lovcen National Park, Tara Canyon, Durmitor National Park, and more.
Total Budget for 4 days in Montenegro: 322 EUR
Is it Safe in Montenegro?
It is extremely safe to travel in Montenegro. I found the Balkans to be generally safer than most big cities in Western Europe. Petty thefts like pickpockets are rare and people are extremely friendly towards tourists like us. I spent about a week traveling around Montenegro independently and I didn't experience anything out of the ordinary, so you should be able to travel independently without problems.
That said, it is always a good idea to exercise precautions by not leaving your belongings unattended, especially when in crowded places, and ALWAYS keep an eye out on your belongings at all times. Keep your hands in your pockets when entering or exiting crowded places to secure your phone and wallet. Other than that, you should be perfectly fine traveling around Montenegro independently.
Which tourist SIM card is best for Montenegro?
There are 3 major carriers in Montenegro, One, m:tel, and Crnogorski Telekom, that offer prepaid sim cards tourists can buy while they are traveling in Montenegro. That said, if you are looking for a more convenient way, I highly recommend you look into getting esims instead which is something that you can buy prior to your arrival in Montenegro.
If you have a smartphone that supports esims, I highly recommend you take a look at these esims. They have a variety of data packages, price points, and durations for you to choose from.
The setup is fast and instant and you can buy it prior to your trip so you don't have to scramble your way to get one at the airport after a long flight. The data speed is also equivalent to what you get with a local sim card with 4G speed across the entire country.
Or if you are traveling to Montenegro as part of a bigger Europe trip, I highly recommend you get the regional Eurolink esim which will give you access to data from over 39 countries across Europe. I have personally used this esim on my 3-months trip around Europe and it has worked wonders.
For more information on esims in Montenegro, click here: Check Montenegro's Available eSim.
What to Pack for Montenegro?
As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Montenegro:
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
- Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
- Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
- Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).
- Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
- Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
- Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
- Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
- Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
- Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
- Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
- Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
- Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.
For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.