All of Montenegro in ten days
- Day 1
Days 1–2: Kotor and the bay
Driving: 28 km · 50 minOvernight inKotor, two nightsDay one is for Kotor's Old Town and the walls up to St John's Fortress. On day two go to Perast (25 minutes) and take a boat to Our Lady of the Rocks, then in the afternoon ride the cable car from Dub station up to Lovćen (May to October) or swim in the bay.
Stops
- Day 3
- Day 4
Lake Skadar to Ulcinj
Driving: 100 km · 2 hr 20 minOvernight inUlcinj, two nightsVia Rijeka Crnojevića (20 minutes) and the narrow lakeside road to Virpazar (50 minutes), where you board a boat on Lake Skadar. In the afternoon drive on to Ulcinj, about an hour and ten minutes. About 100 km in all.
Stops
- Day 5
Ulcinj, Ada Bojana and Stari Bar
In the morning walk through Ulcinj Old Town above Mala plaža. Velika plaža and Ada Bojana, with fish restaurants on the Bojana river, are about 35 minutes away. Towards evening you can go up to Stari Bar, the ruins of a medieval town below Rumija, 45 minutes from Ulcinj.
Stops
- Day 6
To Plav and Gusinje
Driving: 165 km · 4 hrOvernight inPlav or Gusinje, two nightsFrom Ulcinj to Podgorica is about an hour and 40 minutes, and from there to Plav another two hours. Allow about four hours of driving and 165 km. Plav has Lake Plav, and a dozen kilometres further on is Gusinje, the gateway to Prokletije.
- Day 7
Prokletije
Five minutes from Gusinje are the Ali Pasha Springs, and fifteen minutes away the Grebaje valley, ringed by the limestone peaks of Karanfili. For a shorter climb, walk to Lake Hrid on a trail of about 3.7 km. For longer routes in Prokletije take a local guide: the trails are long and the Albanian border is close.
Stops
- Day 8
Biogradska Gora and the Tara to Žabljak
Driving: 175 km · 4 hr 30 minOvernight inŽabljak, two nightsFrom Plav to Kolašin is about an hour and a half. Then turn into Biogradska Gora, the national park with a primeval forest and a lake between Kolašin and Mojkovac, and from Mojkovac follow the Tara valley to the Đurđevića Tara bridge (an hour and ten minutes). Žabljak is another half hour. This is a long day, about 175 km and four and a half hours of driving.
- Day 9
Durmitor
Walk around the Black Lake, then choose a trail to the Škrčka lakes or Bobotov kuk, or drive the Durmitor Ring (76 km, Sedlo pass at 1,907 m, open May to October).
- Day 10
Piva and Ostrog
Driving: 180 kmFrom Žabljak over the Piva plateau to Plužine and Lake Piva (an hour), then to Nikšić (an hour and 20) and Ostrog Monastery (35 minutes). From there Podgorica airport is about an hour and 15 minutes, while from Nikšić to Kotor and Tivat is about an hour and 40. About 180 km in all.
Without a car
Without a car, keep the order but make fewer stops on the way. From Kotor to Ulcinj you go by bus via Budva and Bar, and from Ulcinj to Podgorica in about two hours. Buses from Podgorica to Plav run once or twice a day and take about four hours. From Plav you reach Žabljak via Podgorica or Kolašin, and from Kolašin there are trains to Podgorica and Bar. For Grebaje, Biogradska Gora and the Tara bridge you need a taxi or a tour.
Don't miss
Kotor and the bay
The Old Town, the walls and Perast in the first two days.
View
Ulcinj and Ada Bojana
An old town above the sea, Velika plaža and fish restaurants on the Bojana river.
View
Prokletije
Plav and Gusinje, the Ali Pasha Springs, the Grebaje valley and Lake Hrid.
View
Durmitor
The Black Lake, trails around Žabljak and the Durmitor Ring over the Sedlo pass.
View
Did you know?
In ten days this loop takes you from the beaches of Ulcinj at sea level to the Sedlo pass on Durmitor, 1,907 metres above the sea.
Good to know
Good to know
Mid-June to mid-September, when the mountain roads in Prokletije and on Durmitor are open and the sea is warm. In May and October there can be snow on the higher roads.
Tip
Time on the road
Sat-navs underestimate mountain roads. Add at least half an hour for every two hours of driving.
Tip
Fuel
Fill up in Podgorica before Plav and in Nikšić or Kolašin before the north; there are few stations on the way.
Tip
A guide in Prokletije
For ridge routes and trails along the Albanian border take a local guide and check the rules for crossing the border.
Tip
Mountain weather
On Durmitor and in Prokletije summer storms build up in the afternoon. Start longer hikes early.
Tip
Pack light
Five changes of room are a lot. Pack one bag for the one-night stops and leave the rest in the car.
Tip
Reverse direction
You can drive the loop the other way: fly into Podgorica, do Ostrog and Durmitor first and end by the sea.
