Overview
Our South Montenegro and Kotor Bay: Summit to Sea dual-centre based self guided walking holiday offers a truly wonderful itinerary which includes some of the best walks in South Montenegro, considered one of the most breathtaking coastal areas in Europe. Following quiet shepherd’s trails and old trade routes, you will enjoy the contrast of the mountain trails in Lovcen National Park and the walks alongside the stunning coastline where the mountains meet the sea. Our walks in nature are combined with must-see visits to the Old Capital of Cetinje, Kotor and Perast, Njegos’ tomb, and a boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks isle church so that you can fully experience the spirit of the area and explore the secrets of Montenegro.
- Lovcen National Park
- Cetinje, the Old Royal Capital of Montenegro (Museum town)
- Njegos’ tomb at Lovcen summit
- Boka Kotorska Bay (UNESCO)
- Kotor
- Perast
- Old Austro-Hungarian fortresses: Kom, Sveti Andrija and Vrmac
- Our Lady of the Rocks island church
Our Co-Founder Peter Duncan hiked in Montenegro and Kosovo in 2016. You can read his Mail on Sunday article here
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Ivanova Korita, Lovcen National Park | 10km
Arrival in Ivanova Korita resort, positioned in the heart of Lovcen mountain. It is one of the five national parks in Montenegro. Accommodation is in a hand-picked 3-star hotel where you will spend the next three overnights. If you arrive early enough, we have prepared a light circular walk to one of the most wonderful viewpoints on the Adriatic coast. Arrival is possible at one of the three closest airports: Tivat, Podgorica or Dubrovnik (Croatia). All airport transfers can be made by taxi or by a local bus (to Cetinje or Kotor) and then by taxi (20min from Cetinje or 1h from Kotor). Private transfer is available on request.
- Walking for the day (optional walk): 3h, 10km, ↑300m ↓300m
- Accommodation: Hotel Ivanov Konak or Monte Rosa, Lovcen National Park
Day 2: Old Capital of Cetinje | 10km
Walk from your hotel down the Lovcen slopes towards Cetinje. Today’s destination is Cetinje, the lovely old town, capital of Montenegro from the 15th century until 1918. This city is known as the Old Capital or the ‘Museum Town of Montenegro.’ This is the best place to learn about the turbulent Montenegrin history and get to know its culture. A prearranged transfer car will transport you back to the hotel in Ivanova Korita (25min) in the late afternoon.
- Walking for the day: 3-4h, 10km, ↑50m ↓700m
- Accommodation: Hotel Ivanov Konak or Monte Rosa, Lovcen National Park
Day 3: Jezerski Summit (1,657m) | 10km
A circular walk from your hotel to the Jezerski Vrh summit (1,657m); ‘Njegos tomb’ is positioned at its top. You can visit the tomb then take an optional rest and have time for lunch in a lovely restaurant nearby. Views from the top are just stunning and give you a chance to admire all the summits of Montenegro, Skadar lake, (the largest lake in the Balkans) with the Albanian Alps in the background as well as Cetinje, the Adriatic coast and Boka Kotorska Bay.
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 10km, ↑500m ↓500m
- Accommodation: Hotel Ivanov Konak or Monte Rosa, Lovcen National Park
Day 4: Down to Kotor Bay / Perast | 7 to 15km
You arrive in Boka Kotorska Bay and the old town of Kotor by walking down from Lovcen. The descent is steep but rewarding; you are free to choose between three similar walks (the same route but different starting points) for this part of the itinerary. Either choice will offer breathtaking views of the Boka Kotorska Bay and the surrounding mountains. After some time exploring Kotor’s old town, you will then take a transfer to Perast by local bus (20min).
- Walking for the day (option 1): 6h, 15km ↑300m ↓1,500m
- Walking for the day (option 2): 4h, 9km ↑50m ↓1,300m
- Walking for the day (option 3): 3 h, 7km ↑50m ↓900m
- Accommodation: Conte, Jelena Palace, Admiral or similar
Day 5: Our Lady of the Rocks / Vrmac | 17km
Boat trip to the artificial island across Perast. Visit the “Our Lady of Rocks” church and its museum. Continue by a private boat to the village of Donji Stoliv where you start the day’s hike, passing through a dense chestnut forest to the abandoned village of Gornji Stoliv with excellent views to Perast and the Bay. You will then head up to the ridges of Vrmac peninsula towards Gornja Lastva village – the most beautiful and well preserved ancient village of this bay. On the way, you can make a short sidewalk to enjoy the lovely views to the Bay from the church of St Vitus. Taxi transfer from Gornja Lastva to Kotor (20min), free time in Kotor and transfer back to Perast by a local bus (20min).
- Walking for the day: 6-7h, 17km, ↑750m ↓750m
- Accommodation: Conte, Jelena Palace, Admiral or similar
Day 6: Crkvice | 13km
A picturesque drive (40min) to the starting point in the remote area of Crkvice, at an altitude 1,100m above the Bay. Hiking by an old military mule path dating back to the 19th century. The path passes through an area of extraordinary land formations and offers excellent views of Boka Kotorska Bay with an optional climb to the Velji Vrh summit (1,281m). Ruined fortresses along the way pay testimony to the one-century presence of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Hiking finishes in a local restaurant where your driver will pick you up for the trip back to Perast.
- Walking for the day: 5h, 13km, ↑450m ↓850m
- Accommodation: Conte, Jelena Palace, Admiral or similar
Day 7: Vranovo Brdo and Fortresses | 11km
Picturesque drive (30min) to the starting point in Donje Ledenice. This hike starts almost from the same place where you ended yesterday’s trail. From this trail, you are treated to some excellent views of the Bay. It passes through the old and abandoned village of Ubalac, (only one person is living there today) following an old military Austro-Hungarian mule trail. The hike’s highlight is Sveti Andrija, an abandoned fortress revealing the most spectacular view of the Bay. After relaxing at the fortress, you will descend directly to Perast, following the narrow footpath along the slopes of Vranovo Brdo summit.
- Walking for the day: 4h, 11km, ↑250m ↓800m
- Accommodation: Conte, Jelena Palace, Admiral or similar
Day 8: Departure
Optional private transfer to your departure airport.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation includes three overnights in a nice mountain hotel in Lovcen National Park and four overnights in a 4-star seaside hotel in Perast. All accommodation has been carefully hand-picked by us, and their quality is regularly monitored. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Click to view sample hotels
Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide you with exact accommodation details upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included. When no restaurant is available en route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or you can pre-order packed lunch from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available either from the restaurant in your hotel or from restaurants and taverns in the village near your hotel.
Difficulty and terrain
Appropriate for regular walkers. Requires a reasonable level of fitness. The descent on Day 4 to Kotor is a highlight, but although not dangerous, it is a bit steep and long; you can, however, opt to shorten it. The trip covers an average of 15km (6h) of hiking per day. Average daily elevation gain is 500m (read more about difficulty grades).
Most of your walks will be on unpaved timber roads and hiking trails, although a few sections may include walking on asphalt. Most of the trails are well-marked and signposted, but depending on the season some sections may become overgrown. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from May until October. In May there could be occasional patches of snow in the higher parts of the mountains, but in general this kind of snow would not make a problem for hikers. It is usually old and not deep snow, so early guests (if this would be the case) should bring hiking pools and gaiters for a comfortable hike. July and August are the busiest months, and it is preferable to book as early as possible. Resort towns may become overcrowded in these months. The flexibility of self-guided holidays and the fact that there are no fixed dates allows you to start your holiday at any time of the season.
Typically, you can expect excellent weather in Montenegro from April to October. Montenegro has a Mediterranean climate, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall inland. There is a chance of sporadic rain in spring and autumn, though this is in the form of short showers. In July and August, weather can be quite hot, and you must take enough water for your walks. You can expect cool nights in the Durmitor Mountains, and at higher altitudes, it is possible to have light snowing in April, May, October, November.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Podgorica. Alternatively, flights are available to Dubrovnik (Croatia) or Tivat (Montenegro). There is public transport to/from all of them, or we can arrange a private transfer.
By train or bus
Day 1- From Podgorica to Ivanova Korita Resort
- Take a taxi from Podgorica Airport to Podgorica Bus Station, 20min.
- Take the bus from Podgorica airport to Cetinje, 10€ – 45min trip.
- From the bus station take a taxi to Ivanova Korita Resort, 10€ – 15min.
Day 8 – From Kotor to Podgorica airport
- Take a bus to Kotor Bus Station, 20min.
- There are regular public bus transfers from Kotor bus station to Podgorica bus station on day 8 for about 10 € per person.
- From Podgorica bus station take a taxi to Podgorica airport.
Inclusions
Included
- Three overnights in a charming mountain hotel in Lovcen National Park and four overnights in a 4-star seaside hotel in Perast
- 7 breakfasts
- Detailed pre-departure holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions and road notes, maps with daily routes and optional hikes marked
- GPS tracks
- Daily luggage transport to next hotel of one bag of up to 25kg per person
- All internal ground transfers and baggage transfers as listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses such as phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc.
- Any items not explicitly mentioned in the programme
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Private airport transfers to first / from last accommodation
- Extra nights Perast after the holiday, upon request
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