Montenegro in AprilFull rivers, a green coast and the season opening

According to our climate data, Kotor and Ulcinj average 17 °C by day and 10 °C at night in April. April can be wet: Kotor sees rain on about 12 days and Budva on about 15. Podgorica reaches 18 °C by day and 8 °C at night. In the north spring is only just arriving: Žabljak has 8 °C by day and −2 °C at night, Kolašin 12 and 1 °C.

The days are long: on 1 April the sun sets at 19:11 in Kotor, and around 19:27 by mid-month.

Not yet for most people. The sea is about 16 °C, and the beaches are being prepared for the bathing season, which officially starts on 1 May. There are warm days, but the water is cold even for a quick dip.

• Opening: Lipa Cave near Cetinje runs daily from 1 April, the Njegoš Mausoleum on Lovćen from 15 April, and the Kotor–Lovćen cable car opened on 25 April in 2025 and on 1 May in 2026, so check this year's date on kotorcablecar.me.
• Tara rafting starts in April, with the biggest rapids of the year.
• The Sedlo road on Durmitor opens once the snow is cleared: on 18 April in 2025, but only on 21 May in 2026.
• The ski season ends: in 2026 Kolašin 1600 ran until 8 April and Kolašin 1450 until 12 April.
• Roads and parking: winter tyres are no longer compulsory from 1 April. Kotor switches to summer parking rates on 1 April: at the Riva car park this was €4.80 an hour in 2026, twice the winter price.

Rafting a full Tara. Snowmelt fills the river, and the Tara canyon has its most powerful rapids of the season. The water is about 9 °C, wetsuits are standard, and operators advise against spring runs for children. July and August suit families better.

A cave and a mausoleum. Lipa Cave, which stays at 10 to 12 °C all year, runs several tours a day. From 15 April the Njegoš Mausoleum on Jezerski vrh is open too; a ticket including Njegoš's birth house costs €8, and Lovćen National Park entry is €3.

Birds on Skadar Lake. April to June brings the greatest variety of birds to the lake, where around 280 species have been recorded. The €5 national park ticket includes one boat trip, which should be booked a day ahead.

Coastal walks. Green hills and moderate temperatures make April good for hiking above the Bay of Kotor and Budva, before the summer heat.

April is a month of culture in Podgorica and Herceg Novi. In our calendar for 2027, JAM, the Month of Jazz, runs through April in Podgorica with concerts in Kotor and Cetinje too; HAPS, the Herceg Novi April theatre festival, runs from 15 to 30 April; Fashion Week Montenegro is from 5 to 10 April, and the Ostrog Half Marathon on 11 April. At the end of the month, from 30 April, the Budva carnival begins. In 2027 Orthodox Easter does not fall until 2 May.

In April 2025 hotels counted 52% fewer guests than in August, even though Orthodox Easter fell on 20 April that year. Rooms are available at off-season prices, and crowds are only likely on holiday weekends and in Budva at the start of the carnival.