Family friendly travel guide to Montenegro

This was our 2nd time in the beautiful country of Montenegro. Our first time was a few years ago, on a day trip from Cavtat, Croatia and I knew then that we would have to come back. So, when I received the invitation from Jet2 Holidays to curate my European experience, I knew I wanted to make it a family friendly travel guide to Montenegro. 

AD – this was a press trip with Jet2 Holidays. However, the itinerary; from where we stayed to all what we did were fully curated by me. I’m grateful that I was given freewill to plan this experience and tailor it to our usual travel style.

How to get to Montenegro

Our flight to Montenegro was with Jet 2 from London Stansted airport. This airport has become our go-to especially for short European holidays. Our flight lasted 2 hrs 45 mins and soon we were landing in Montenegro’s Tivat International airport. Concierge met us and ushered us to our pre-arranged pick up. Then it was a scenic drive from the airport to hotel.

Where to stay in Montenegro

The Hyatt Regency in Kotor Bay had been very high on my list after I had seen it years ago on instagram. So it was a no brainer to stay there on this trip. It is located in the pretty town of Prčanj on the bay of Kotor with the most beautiful views of the mountains. The outdoor pools sit aesthetically on the property with the dramatic mountains as backdrop. 

We stayed in room 253 which was a family suite. It had a main bedroom, separate lounge area with a sofa bed that Adanna slept on. Both spaces opened up to a balcony with pool view and of course, the mountains in the distance. Our booking came with breakfast which we enjoyed; it was a buffet spread and was a lot of variety to choose from. There were about 5 functional restaurants when we were there, an indoor pool, gym and of course, the beach. The part that blew my mind was the medical centre located within the hotel as well.  

A family friendly travel guide to Montenegro: The best things to do in Montenegro

1. Spend the morning in Porto-Montenegro

Porto-Montenegro is the really fancy part of the Montenegro. We got there at about 9 am when everywhere was just opening up and it was quiet. This part of the country is so gorgeous and in the sunshine, incredibly dreamy. We had a mooch around, sat by the port and watched as the huge boats were prepared for the day. Adanna was so mesmerised by how huge the docked boats were.

This charming part of Montenegro is in its capital, Tivat and has a very bubbly vibe. We spent the morning just walking around and enjoying the atmosphere. It reminded me of the south of France port towns. There is so much to do here which includes shopping; however, it is best for al fresco dining too. We had breakfast in Ma Cherie, as we people watched and enjoyed our tea.

2. A boat ride on Boka Bay

If there is a boat, Mr E and I are getting on it. There are lots of these tours around Perast, Kotor etc and they are usually small groups. However, we hired a private boat for 3.5 hours to take us around the bay and absolutely loved it. I genuinely think that the best way to see most places is by boat. It is usually the quickest way too. Our skipper, Ivan picked us up in a charming little speed boat. I was worried it had no hood but thankfully, we had such lovely weather that the sun on my face was a welcome feeling.

Our stops were personalised to us and here are the places we picked:

Submarine Cave

The 1st stop was the Submarine cave which was used in one of the James Bond movies. It was also used about 30 years ago by the military; today it is abandoned but a lovely stop on the bay.

Fort Mamula

We passed by Fort Mamula which used to be a prison/concentration camp but today, the island has luxury apartments. I found this so weird and upon research, the former prisoners (& their families) have opposed this transformation. 

En route the Blue Cave, we were greeted by a pod of dolphins. Ivan mentioned that this was quite rare so we were delighted to have been lucky. They swam around us for about 10 minutes and then we sailed into open waters and straight to the Blue Cave.

The Blue Cave 

The week before we arrived, it had been storming so most tours to the Blue cave were cancelled. Our day out was the 1st day the Blue cave trips opened up so we were very thankful for that. It is a natural formation and nobody can tell for certain how it formed. As a natural wonder of Montenegro, it was lovely to see in real life.

Our Lady of the rocks  

It was just as beautiful as we remembered it from the last time. We decided to fly the drone here and capture an aerial view of both the church and the island of St George nearby. 

Perast

Our last stop was Perast which is my favourite place in Montenegro. This little village is so beautiful and we spent the most time here. Just walking around and enjoying the serenity and scenic views. 

Afterwards, we sailed back to our hotel. 

It is worth noting that all routes are on a typical Boka bay boat tour. 

3. A visit to Kotor’s Old town

The old town sits within its own walls which I found quite incredible. Kotor Old Town is a fortified town that has a lot of medieval gems within its walls. It reminded me so much of Dubrovnik’s Old town and you can also walk the wall in Kotor.

As the old town is a UNESCO heritage site, it is one of the most important places to visit in Montenegro. This means that it gets really busy especially when the cruise shippers troop in. 

We’ve been lucky to visit when it was mostly empty to really enjoy it and I can confirm that the entire location looks so charming. From the gate, you already know that it will be something really special.

A few things to see in Kotor’s Old town:

• Church of St Luke
• The Cats of Kotor 
• St Tryphon Cathedral

4. A drive through Serpentine Road to Lovcen National Park

I actually thought well and hard before including this one as it’s not for everyone lol, I will explain. 

The route that takes you up to Lovcen is incredibly bendy. It’s one of those roads that you actually can’t believe people are capable of driving on. I still don’t know why I agreed to do it. Ok, I know why. I wanted to see the mausoleum by any means possible. 

We were picked up from our hotel by Mickey and started the journey. Our 1st stop was the incredible viewpoint after about 40 mins of driving to the top. The Serpentine road is a popular trip if you choose to zip line in Montenegro. We saw some zip line companies as we drove to the top.

Lovcen itself is a huge part of Montenegro’s history as it served as fortification in Word War 1. For anyone interested in the Balkans’ history, this is quite an important place to visit. 

The Mausoleum at Lovcen

We visited the Mausoleum which is where Petar II Petrovic-Njegos is buried. He is one of the most popular names in Montenegrin history. He was a poet and philosopher of Montenegrin and Serbian literature and died in 1851 at only 37 years old. 

What to know when visiting Lovcen National Park with kids.

Strollers are not possible so unless you can carry your baby/toddler, they’ll have to walk. Adanna is a very experience traveller and she loves a walk. We carried her half way up the stairs and she walked the rest. She wanted to run but we had to explain the importance of holding daddy’s hand. I definitely was anxious throughout but I’m glad we did it. It proved how brave my little girl has become.

There were a number of epic viewpoints to and fro this Serpentine drive to Lovcen National Park. So a knowledgeable driver/guide is advised for this excursion.

5. A mooch around Prčanj

Our hotel was located here which meant that we had the best reason to explore this charming, little town. We spent mornings strolling along its promenade and of course, relaxing at our hotel’s beach. A few things to see in Prčanj are:

• Our Lady’s Temple of Prčanj
• Old Parish Church of Prčanj

However, the charm in this area is the little al fresco spots that are known for the Montenegrin cuisine. 

A family friendly travel guide to Montenegro: Where to eat in Montenegro

1. Ma Cherie, Porto-Montenegro

After a bit of wandering, we had breakfast at Ma Chèrie which was a recommendation from our hotel. It was also the perfect spot to people watch. I loved that they had a high chair for Adanna and accommodated her request of “orange juice with 1 ice” lol. I’m sure it gets much busier as the day progresses but it was such a cute spot. Their specialty is pancakes but I had a chocolate croissant which was served with fruits. I also ordered some tea and Mr E had a latte.

Its location is just incredible and I can imagine the buzz it gets in peak summertime. 

2. La Pizzeria, Old town Kotor

It was the 2nd time we were eating here and just as the previous visit, we loved it. The restaurant is right on the square, next to St Luke’s church so it is a prime spot. We had lunch the last time and this time, we were there for breakfast.

The seafood spaghetti was lovely and fresh and their breakfast omelette was cooked to perfection. Mr E had a latte and I had the best hot chocolate ever. The best thing about this restaurant is that you get to people watch on the square as you eat your food. Tour group after tour group, picture moment after picture moment. It was really nice to sit here and watch Montenegro in its glory.

3. Lighthouse Restaurant, Prčanj 

This is located in the Hyatt hotel and I had to give it a mention.

We ate 2 dinners here and absolutely loved it. It’s on the waterfront so it has that romantic al fresco vibe. However, there is indoor seating too which is chic and lovely. One our 1st night, we sat on the deck al fresco. We ordered seafood spaghetti for Mr E and I, chicken nuggets (off the kids menu) for Adanna. The 2nd night we dined here, I opted for the fish (sea bass) this time and had some prawns as starter. Each time we ate at Lighthouse restaurant, we really enjoyed it. 

Our exact 4 day itinerary in Montenegro

Day 1 – We arrived to Montenegro, checked into hotel, rested and in the evening, explored the area. 

Day 2 – We spent the morning in Porto-Montenegro, Tivat. Our afternoon was for Boka Bay boat tour.

Day 3 – Our morning and afternoon were spent in Old Town Kotor. Then our evening was spent in Prčanj, enjoying the quaint views and the hotel’s beach.

Day 4 – The morning and afternoon were spent exploring Lovcen National park. This included the Serpentine drive, stopping at various view points and of course, Lovcen itself. We even had a drive through Budva as well.

We flew back on the morning of day 5.

It is worth noting that Montenegro is a small country. Our itinerary was spread out across 4 days but you can do a lot in of it in 2 days if you want a busier experience. I always try to create a lot of down time while travelling because tbh, travel for us is also to relax. A beach day in Budva and afternoon in Podgorica, for example, can be added even within a 4 day trip. 

A family friendly travel guide to Montenegro: FAQs

What is the best way to get around Montenegro?

Getting around Montenegro is quite easy. Most people rent a car (the roads are very narrow though), others use the bus and if you are like us, you’ll stick to taxis. The taxis are metered and they can be expensive especially when there is traffic. Make sure to double check the meter once you get into the taxi. We had a taxi driver try to be smart with us but I caught on quickly and made him restart the journey.

What currency can you use in Montenegro?

Euros are the currency to use in Montenegro. We used our bank card in all the restaurants we ate at. However, for taxis and markets, we used cash. There are card machines dotted around the popular places just incase you run out.

Do I need a visa to go to Montenegro?

For British/EU citizens, there is no visa requirement to fly to Montenegro.

When is the best time to visit Montenegro?

As with most European countries, summer time is the hottest so it’s when everyone flocks there. However, we have been to Montenegro in May (2nd week) and middle of October and it was perfect. The temperature was average 21 – 24 degrees (as low as 17 in the evenings). Shoulder months of May, early June, September and October mean fewer crowds but still great weather. The beaches are not as hot but manageable for a dip. 

The months of late June, July and August can get really busy; therefore my preference is the shoulder months.

Family Friendly Travel Guide to Montenegro

Montenegro is somewhere we were aways going to return to for a longer visit. The day trip from Cavtat was lovely but we knew we wanted to spend more time there. Thankfully, this time, we got to experience it a bit more in depth and fell even more in love with Montenegro. It’s genuinely moved to the top of my list for European trips especially in the summer and shoulder months.

Holidays to Montenegro are available with Jet2holidays. For family holidays, I also recommend the Jet2 package holidays as they offer great value for money. Thank you to Jet2 for partnering with me on this family friendly travel guide to Montenegro.

Bisous, Bugo x