Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn moreSandwiched between Croatia and Albania, Montenegro combines a gorgeous stretch of Adriatic coast with a wild, mountainous interior of rocky peaks, sinuous ridges, lakes and canyons.The tiny nation – about two-thirds the size of Wales, with a population of 623,000 – abounds in cultural sites from well-preserved old towns featuring medieval, Ottoman and Venetian architecture, exquisite monasteries and centuries-old fortresses.Its cuisine is first-rate. Expect plenty of fresh seafood, cured meats and sumptuous grills, along with hearty traditional stews, chowders and polenta-based dishes, all of which make the most of seasonal produce.UK visitor numbers have increased nearly threefold since 2017, reaching 118,746 last year, while this June saw a record influx of 22,833 British tourists, up from 16,886 in June 2025.Montenegro is easy to reach, with direct flights to Podgorica and Tivat on Ryanair and easyJet respectively. It’s also extremely good value. So here’s my ultimate guide to the best spots to visit in one of Europe’s most up-and-coming holiday destinations.MEDIEVAL MARVELS Unesco World Heritage Site Kotor should be at the top of your listKotor, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is the most beautiful town on the Montenegrin coast. Set below Mount Lovcen on the shore of the Bay of Kotor, its historic centre is exceptionally well preserved, with medieval walls enclosing a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys opening on to broad squares, dotted with small churches and centred around an impressive cathedral.My tip: For the best views in town, hike up the stone steps alongside the city walls behind the old town to St John’s Fortress.Book it: The old town has plenty of places to stay, but it’s hard to beat Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay, a 20-minute drive along the coast, with doubles from £244 in October (hyatt.com).DRAMATIC DURMITOR Durmitor National Park and the Black Lake offer incredible viewsDurmitor National Park is Montenegro’s most famous national park, a vast highland plateau bristling with rocky summits over 2,000m and featuring one of the world’s deepest canyons.There are multi-day treks, short hikes of less than an hour, fantastic cycle routes and plenty of opportunities to see wildlife and wildflowers. The small mountain town of Zabljak makes a great base.My tip: Look beyond the popular Black Lake on the edge of Zabljak, and seek out hiking trails further into the park.Book it: Small group, guided hikes in Durmitor from £51; guided and self-guided e-bike tours are also available (durmitoradventure.com).KAYAKS ON LAKE SKADAR Lake Skadar is ideal for adventurous types, and kayaking on the water is availableThe largest lake in the Balkans, Lake Skadar, is an enormous watery wilderness sprawling between Montenegro and Albania, home to an astonishing volume of birdlife. Join a boat tour or go kayaking. Then enjoy local food and wines in lakeside Virpazar.My tip: Opt for a multi-activity holiday.Book it: A seven-day multi-activity holiday at Lake Skadar is from £745pp, excluding flights (undiscoveredmontenegro.com).RIVER TARA RAFTING If rafting is up your street, head to the River Tara for a unique adventureThe River Tara carves a 1,300m deep canyon across the Durmitor plateau and is one of the best places in Europe to go white-water rafting. Rafting trips tend to include the deepest part of the canyon near the Curevac viewpoint, passing Durdevica Tara Bridge, sometimes finishing at Scepan Polje near the Bosnian border.My tip: Plenty of outfits offer rafting tours on the Tara so make sure you pick one that’s reliable, with professional, qualified guides.Book it: Half-day rafting adventures on the Tara from £60 (durmitoradventure.com).ACCURSED ADVENTURE This one’s not for everyone – but keen hikers should look to Prokletije National Park for their Montenegro holidayStraddling the Albanian border, Prokletije National Park – comprising what is also known as the Accursed Mountains – is the wildest corner of Montenegro, with some of its most jaw-dropping mountain scenery. Base yourself on the shore of Lake Plav, or in Gusinje or Vusanje in the Grebaje and Ropojana valleys respectively.My tip: The most rewarding way to experience Prokletije is on a cross-border trek; these require border permits.Book it: You can book a multi-day guided or self-guided hiking tour in the Accursed Mountains, with bespoke prices on demand (zalaz.me).LOFTY LOVCEN Take the cable-car uo from Kotor to Mount Lovcen for scenic views from aboveMount Lovcen (5,738ft) soars above the Bay of Kotor, its airy summit providing a spectacular setting for the mausoleum of Montenegro’s most famous ruler and poet, Petar II Petrovic-Njegos.An asphalt road leads up from Cetinje, a cable-car heads partway up from Kotor, and there are spectacular views from the summit platform.My tip: Lovcen is perfect for exploring by bike – make use of the cable car for the ascent, cycle to the mausoleum, then enjoy a long and spectacular descent to the coast by way of the serpentine road.Book it: Self-guided e-bike tours on Lovcen from £56 (veloexperience.me).MARVELLOUS MONASTERY Ostrog monastery is popular among tourists for is religious significance and incredible locationOstrog monastery is the most visited tourist site in Montenegro – a working monastery and major pilgrimage site, with a breathtaking setting in an overhanging cliff.My tip: Ostrog gets busy – visit in the morning on a weekday to minimise crowds, and avoid visiting on Orthodox feast days.Book it: Hotel Sokoline has doubles with monastery views from £93 B&B (hotel-sokoline.me).ALL THAT JAZ Among Montenegro’s top coastal spots is Jaz Beach, located near BudvaMontenegro has no shortage of exquisitely beautiful beaches – the majority pebble rather than sand – and nearly 40 have Blue Flag status. Jaz Beach is one of the best of these, located three miles west of Budva and stretching for around one-and-a-half miles in a gentle arc. There are plenty of facilities, and festivals are held on the level ground behind the beach in the summer.My tip: Expect car parks to fill by midday – however buses run between Budva and the access road to Jaz Beach, or you can walk along the coast from Budva in under an hour.Book it: Boutique Hotel Ruzmarin is 500m from Jaz Beach, with doubles from £99 (hotelruzmarin.me).CULTURE IN CETINJE Rijeka Crnojevica is a small town in Montenegro on the river of CrnojeviThe town of Cetinje was Montenegro’s medieval capital – Podgorica only became the capital in 1946 – and it still has much to show from its royal past. It’s a quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of the coast, and it’s home to many of the country’s best museums. A visit to the National Museum of Montenegro is a must.My tip: If you’re driving from Cetinje towards Lake Skadar, make sure you stop at the town of Rijeka Crnojevica, with its old stone bridges and restaurants serving local freshwater fish.Book it: Hotel Dapcevic in Cetinje has smart, clean, good-value doubles in the town centre from £66 (agoda.com).HAPPY HERCEG NOVI Herceg Novi should not be missed – prices are often better here, tooSet towards the northern end of the Montenegrin coast, Herceg Novi is the first main town you come to if you’re arriving from Croatia. This means many people rush past in their hurry to reach Kotor or Budva – which is a shame, because Herceg Novi has a pleasant old town that cascades down a steep hillside to the waterfront and is overlooked by a succession of brooding fortresses.Prices here tend to be lower than further south, too.My tip: The long waterfront promenade makes for a beautiful sunset walk.Book it: Hotel Perla has a waterfront location, a mile east of the old town, with doubles from £72 in October (perla.me).CHARM OF STARI BAR The ruins of Stari Bar are well worth a look, as some parts date back more than 2,000 yearsHigh on a hillside above the busy modern port of Bar, is Stari Bar (Old Bar), a wonderfully atmospheric set of ruins surrounded by ancient olive terraces, some more than 2,000 years old. The town dates back to the ninth century when this part of the coast was under Byzantine rule, but it was abandoned after Montenegro’s huge 1979 earthquake.My tip: A street winds up beside the old town walls, lined with good-quality, traditional restaurants and cafés – perfect for lunch.Book it: Stara Carsija Hotel and Spa is beside the old town with doubles starting from £128 in October (staracarsija.me).PRETTY PERAST Perast, one of the most attractive towns on the Bay of Kotor, is a standout destinationPerast is one of the prettiest towns on the Bay of Kotor. It has old stone houses clustered along the waterfront, with no shortage of restaurants and wonderful bay views. It is also the departure point for boat tours to the bijou islands of St George and Our Lady of the Rocks, which lie offshore, one with a church, the other with a monastery.My tip: Avoid driving along the busy coast road and take a 20-minute bus from Kotor.Book it: Vila Perast is a small, boutique hotel housed in a restored 15th-century villa with doubles from £88 in October (vilaperast.me).ANCIENT ULCINJ Add the picturesque old town of Ulcinj to your Montenegro itineraryDown at the far, southern end of the coast, near the Albanian border, is the old town of Ulcinj. It was founded in the fifth century BC and was to become a notorious pirate’s lair surrounded by massive walls. Ulcinj packs in masses of character and nearby is Velika Plaza, Montenegro’s longest beach, a beautiful seven-mile stretch of sand and shingle.My tip: The southern half of Velika Plaza is renowned for its kite surfing – the northern half is better for swimming.Book it: Hotel Palata Venezia is in the heart of the old town with doubles in October from £85 (palataveneziaulcinj.me).LIVELY IN PODGORICA Stara Varos and the Sahat Kula bell tower in Podgorica should not be missedPodgorica, the Montenegrin capital, doesn’t get much love – visitors tend to fly in and out of its international airport, or change buses, and not much else. But it’s a vibrant place with a huge variety of restaurants and bars, plus interesting architecture, both historic as well as modern, including the staggeringly large Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, consecrated in 2013.My tip: Don’t miss the atmospheric old Ottoman quarter, Stara Varos – easy enough to find on account of its prominent clock tower.Book it: The boutique Hotel 1920 has stylish, modern rooms and a good location near Trg Republike (Independence Square, Podgorica’s main town square), with doubles in October starting from £84 (hotel1920.me).