Generally, roads in Montenegro are in good condition, and they are very picturesque due to the mountain or sea views around. Here we will list several scenic routes that are worth going by car, taxi, or bus. All of them are free – with one exception.
Kotor – Herceg Novi
Let’s start from the most iconic place – the Bay of Kotor. Our route starts in Kotor, goes from Perast (make a short stop here), Risan (also make a short stop here), and finally reaches Herceg Novi (but you can go further to Dubrovnik, Croatia). The route goes very close to the Bay of Kotor waters, and the views are just astonishing. You’ll get a completely different mountain view every several minutes due to the geometry of the Bay of Kotor. Don’t want to drive? Just take a bus in Kotor to Herceg Novi and enjoy the views!
Kotor serpentine
Probably, the most extreme route on our list. There is no bus here – only a car or a taxi. You will go from the Bay of Kotor up the mountain and further to Njeguši, the home village of Montenegrin rulers. Be careful: the road is narrow, so you need to be attentive here. If you are not sure, it’s better to take a local taxi.
Budva – Bar
Tired of Kotor serpentine? You can have a rest on Budva – Bar road, it goes along the Adriatic coast, so here you have awesome sea views. Here, the views of Budva Riviera go first, including the famous view of Sveti Stefan (there is a comfortable viewpoint near Sveti Stefan), then you can make a short stop in Petrovac (a small town with a great embankment, beach, and Castio fortress), and then you reach Bar. This route is available by bus, and buses also make a stop in Petrovac.
Budva – Cetinje
Another road starting from Budva, but now we leave the sea coast and go higher – to Cetinje. This road offers fantastic views of Budva Riviera, then reaches Fort Kosmač, the southernmost fortress of Austro-Hungarian Empire and finally we arrive at the old royal capital of Montenegro – Cetinje. From the road near Cetinje, if the weather is good, you can see Lovćen, the most important mountain in Montenegro. You can go by bus as well – Budva – Cetinje, or Budva – Podgorica buses go exactly this way.
Podgorica – Kolašin
OK, it’s time to leave the Adriatic coast and go to the north of Montenegro. This route starts in the capital of Montenegro – Podgorica and goes to Kolašin. It is the only paid road in our list, it is quite new (opened in 2022), and it is called A1 Princess Xenia motorway (named after Princess Xenia, who is supposed to be the first female driver in Montenegro, that was in the beginning of the 20th century). The mountain views you’ll see here are completely breathtaking. Also, you’ll enjoy the unique watercolor in the Tara River. If you go a little bit further after Kolašin, you’ll get to Biogradska Gora national park.
If you go by Bar – Belgrade summer day train (available from mid June to mid September), the similar part of the railway between Podgorica and Kolašin also suggests great views and a lot of tunnels.
Žabljak – Sedlo Pass
Now we reach Durmitor, the most famous national park in Montenegro. There are a lot of fantastic roads here, but we chose Žabljak – Sedlo Pass road to get acquainted with Durmitor mountain views. The Sedlo Pass is 1907 m high and it is the highest road pass in Montenegro. This road is not very extreme, but you still need to be careful and go here only in good dry weather. If the weather is bad, most probably it will be closed. It is also usually closed during the winter season (typically until the beginning of May).
Plužine-Šćepan Polje
Not far from Durmitor, the small town of Plužine is located. Our road starts here, goes along the canyon of the river Piva to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. This road is quite short, about 27 km (but you can go further to Bosnia, of course), but it includes a lot of fantastic things. You’ll enjoy breathtaking views of Piva Lake, the canyon of the river Piva, many picturesque tunnels and bridges, and finally the Mratinje Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Europe. Actually, Lake Piva is an artificial lake which appeared as a result of the Mratinje Dam construction in 1976!
There are several convenient places to stop along the road and enjoy awesome views.