A Day Trip to Montenegro

If you’re spending time in Croatia, you should consider making a day trip to the beautiful country of Montenegro. Besides checking another country off your bucket list, Montenegro is wonderfully unique with a culture entirely its own. It’s a quick car ride away from Dubrovnik and offers an escape from the more crowded streets of Croatia’s most popular town. 

Getting There

There are a number of tour companies that offer day excursions to Montenegro, but going with a bus full of people would, in my opinion, take away from the experience. My husband, Alex, and I hired a private driver which meant we were able to customize our itinerary and stop whenever we wanted. We used a company called Cheap Dubrovnik Tours and had a wonderful experience. Our driver picked us up from our AirBnB, provided great commentary on the history of Montenegro, and gave us the inside scoop on where to eat, shop, and spend our time. The tour cost was $140/person which was pretty reasonable considering the fact that it was a 13 hour day!

If the thought of driving on winding roads through mountainous terrain doesn’t make you break out in hives like it does me, you might also consider renting a car and making the journey on your own. The roads are easy enough to navigate; we just opted for a more relaxed experience. If you decide to make the drive yourself, just make sure the company you rent a car from provides the green card necessary for crossing the border.

If you’re headed to Montenegro during the busy season which extends from June through September (we were there in August), I would highly recommend trying to cross the border as early in the morning as possible. Trust me, going to sleep a little early the night before will pay off. We arrived at the border at 6:45am (slightly groggy) and only had to wait for ten minutes. Had we arrived an hour later, the wait time likely would have been 5 times longer. 

Things to See

The drive to the Montenegro border takes under an hour and offers gorgeous views. Leaving Dubrovnik, the jagged cliffs gradually give way to a rolling countryside that is mostly uninhabited and dotted with tall cypress trees. If you take my advice and go early in the morning, remember to grab a coffee! This is a drive you won’t want to fall asleep during. 

After making it past the border, you’ll notice a complete change in scenery. The Bay of Kotor offers a fjord landscape complete with soaring mountain peaks and turquoise seas. As you make the drive around the bay, there are several small villages and towns that you’ll have the opportunity to stop in. Two that you absolutely don’t want to miss are Perast and Kotor Town. 

Perast & Our Lady of the Rocks

When visiting the small, quaint town of Perast, you’ll notice right away that there are two small islands in the middle of the bay. The twin islands have a fascinating history. The Island of St. George was once a fortification of the Bay of Kotor. Nearby was an underwater reef with a small section poking above the surface. According to legend, two fishermen rowed out to the island and discovered an icon of “Our Lady”. They attempted to bring it to shore, but it kept washing back out again to the same spot. Taking this as a sign, seamen returning home from a journey began dropping rocks into the bay in this same place. The tradition caught on until, after two centuries, an entire island was formed in the middle of the bay. Eventually, locals built a church on the island that became known as “Our Lady of the Rocks”. To add to the intrigue, the original island, St. George, has been home to a beautiful monastery since the 12th century. 

Once you arrive in Perast, take a taxi boat out to Our Lady of the Rocks. In addition to the views from the island being spectacular, the church itself is worth a visit. You only need about 20 minutes to explore the church and check out the small museum. Once you get back to the mainland, take some time to walk around the streets of Perast and grab a cappuccino at one of the restaurants lining the water’s edge. 

Pro Tip: On your way to Perast, make sure to stop at the vantage point opposite of the town for a bird’s eye view and great picture opportunity. 

Kotor Town

Twenty minutes down the road from Perast is the jewel of Montenegro, Kotor Town. Sitting at the base of a steep cliff, Kotor Town has the perfect view of the surrounding fjord. Like many Croatian cities, Kotor Town is enclosed by ancient city walls. If you look closely enough at the terrain above town, you’ll see that the city walls extend all the way up the side of the mountain in a zigzag pattern and lead to several large fortifications at the top. These fortifications protected the city for centuries from would-be invaders. 

Once inside Kotor Town, you’ll find that the interior is compact and filled with winding streets and small squares. It almost seems custom-built for aimless strolling. Take some time getting familiar with the small town and then make your way to the back wall of the city. Here you’ll find stairs leading to the aforementioned fortifications. If you’re in decent shape, this climb is not to be missed. It offers a series of unforgettable views.

You’ll want to make the climb as early in the day as possible in order to avoid the heat (and the crowds). The climb all the way to the fortification at the top is 1,355 steps. If that doesn’t sound like an activity you’re interested in pursuing, the Church of Our Lady of Health is halfway up and offers a great vantage point. I will mentioned, however, that as the elevation increases, the view gets better and better. At the top, soak in the breathtaking view of the fjord, take pictures, explore the fortifications, and cool off in the shade before heading back down. 

Once you’ve returned to Kotor Town, spend some time exploring the shops, grabbing a bite to eat, and frequenting a few of the many Orthodox churches. If you’re feeling a sit down meal, there are several restaurant options in the square below the Cathedral of St. Tryphon. Alex and I sat on a patio with misters and it was a heavenly relief from the August heat. 

Herceg Novi

Before heading back to Dubrovnik, consider making a pit stop in Herceg Novi. It’s a tiny village about thirty minutes from the border and offers a laid back atmosphere. It’s much less touristy than Kotor Town and is the perfect place to grab a late afternoon cappuccino. Sometimes it’s nice to see a city where people actually live so as to immerse yourself in the culture. To further entice you, Herceg Novi offers a small old town that is worth a wander. 

The return to Dubrovnik may present more traffic, especially if you arrive at the border between 4:00 and 6:00pm. We sat in traffic for around an hour, but it could have been much worse. If you decide to hire a private driver, just bring along a book or deck of cards to help pass the time. 

Moral of the story? If you have free time while you’re in Dubrovnik and would like to experience a unique culture, consider taking a day trip to Montenegro. You won’t regret it!

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