Honest North Montenegro Tour Review
TL;DR
We took a full-day North Montenegro Tour to see if you can truly experience Durmitor, Tara Canyon, and Ostrog in one day – and here’s what we learned.
If you’re researching how to visit Durmitor National Park, Tara Canyon, and Ostrog Monastery, you’re probably facing the same question we had: Should we rent a car, attempt public transport, or book a guided tour?
We decided to remove the guesswork and book a North Montenegro Tour to see if it delivers real value. In our review, we’ll break down the full itinerary, who this tour is best for, what we genuinely loved (Black Lake was a standout), what to be aware of, and whether we’d recommend it.
If you want to experience Montenegro beyond the coast – dramatic mountains, Europe’s deepest canyon, glacial lakes, and cliffside monasteries – without renting a car or spending three days on buses, this guide will help you decide if this tour is the right move.
North Montenegro Tour Review
We chose this North Montenegro, Durmitor, Tara & Ostrog Tour:
The day trip starts in Kotor but you can also join from Budva and Tivat.
Who Should Book the North Montenegro Tour?
This Montenegro tour is great for
- Hiking and nature lovers.
- Travellers who don’t want to rent a car and drive themselves.
- Travellers who don’t have the time or patience to visit North Montenegro with public transport.
North Montenegro Tour Itinerary
This is the itinerary of the North Montenegro Tour we took:
1. Picture Stop at Our Lady of the Rocks and Boka Bay Lookout Point
We were picked up at our hostel in time and started the short drive to our first stop, a photo stop in Perast to see Our Lady of the Rocks.
Afterwards, we made our way higher up the mountains from where we enjoyed our second photo stop at the Boka Bay Lookout Point.
2. Traditional Breakfast
The traditional breakfast was optional but absolutely worth it. The restaurant was lovely and there were several options for vegetarians and omnivores.
3. Tara Bridge
Our first longer stop of the trip was at Tara Bridge spanning the Tara River, which was the highest bridge in Europe when built in 1940.
Known as "The Tear of Europe," the Tara River Canyon is the deepest canyon in continental Europe.
4. Black Lake in Durmitor National Park
Black Lake was the longest stop on our tour with more than an hour time to hike and relax a bit. The lake is a glacial lake, located on Mount Durmitor, at an elevation of 1,416 m (4,645 ft).
We had enough time to hike around the lake which is a 100% recommendation!
5. Traditional Lunch
Next up was traditional lunch. It was optional and a la carte at a restaurant and we enjoyed it a lot.
6. Ostrog Monastery
The Ostrog Monastery is a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church situated against an almost vertical background, high up in the large rock of Ostroška Greda.
On our tour, we did not go to Ostrog Monastery because the road was blocked. Instead, we drove some crazy beautiful mountain roads.
North Montenegro Tour – Our Personal Review
The stops of this trip, especially the Black Lake, are absolutely worth a visit! Our Montenegro experience would not have been complete only seeing the beach resorts and not the stunning mountains.
The guide and driver were both very professional. The car was comfortable. The food stops were delicious (make sure to bring some extra cash, it’s worth it).
Be aware that it is not the most in-depth way to see all these places. You are in the minibus a lot (which is comfortable and spacious). Most of the stops are short photo stops. At Black Lake, we had enough time to embark on a proper hike.
Podgorica is the best base if you want to use public transport.
- Buses run from Podgorica to Zabljak from where you can hike the Black Lake.
- Buses from Zabljak to Pljevlja stop at Tara Bridge. Currently, there are 6 buses per day so it will most likely take you the better part of a day to visit.
- You can take the train from Podgorica to Ostrog. From there it’s a three-hour return hike.
As you can see, the three main stops of this day trip will take you at least three full days if you want to visit them by public transport.
What Other Travellers Say About the North Montenegro Tour
⭐ Rating: 4.9 / 5 (413+ reviews)
The tour was amazing. Exceptional views on the way, nice food and such a beautiful landscape. Our guide Milo was great! He did his best to make anybody feel comfortable and gave us a lot of interesting background knowledge. Couldn't imagine a better trip with a better guide! Absolutely worth it!
– Julian (see more reviews)
What Does the North Montenegro Tour Include?
The tour we did includes:
- Full-day transport by minibus.
- Professional tour guide in English.
- Fuel surcharge.
Conclusion: Is the North Montenegro Tour Worth it?
Would we do it again? Yes. We wouldn’t want to miss out on the beauty of North Montenegro but we would never dare to drive ourselves and frankly be much too lazy to organise everything with public transport. The North Montenegro Tour is just too convenient.
Where We Stayed in Kotor
We stayed at Old Town Youth Hostel and can highly recommend it! They have dorms and private rooms. The location right in the heart of the old town of Kotor is what we liked best. Additionally, the bathrooms and kitchen were clean, the staff was lovely, and the vibes were great – even for over 30-year-olds.
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