Why do so many travelers overlook Montenegro? This small country on the Adriatic Sea has it all: medieval towns, glorious beaches, and mountain vistas that will take your breath away. Yet most tourists are day trippers, dropping in from Croatia or a cruise ship.

Montenegro deserves to be more than just a detour destination. It’s a fascinating place with a long history that invites you to explore. We’ll take you on a whirlwind tour of the top sights to see, resorts to try, and dishes to savor.

3 reasons to buy travel insurance for Montenegro

1. As a tourist, your safety is not guaranteed. In Montenegro, some aspects of travel can be a little risky. Accidents and aggressive driving are common, dangerous areas may not be identified with signs, and emergency medical care may not be available outside of cities.¹ That’s why the you need to have travel insurance with emergency medical and dental benefits and emergency transportation benefits, which can reimburse the cost of covered medical care and pay to transport you to a high-quality medical facility, if necessary.
2. Insurance can defend you against common travel mishaps. Travel delays and flight cancellations are all too common. Allianz Travel Insurance makes things better! Travel delay benefits can reimburse you for eligible expenses, such as food and accommodations, during a covered delay. Even better: if your plan includes SmartBenefits®, you can opt to receive a fixed inconvenience payment of $100 per insured person, per day for a covered delay. You don’t need to provide any receipts—just proof of the delay.
3. Trip protection is always a must-have. Montenegro is fairly affordable, compared to other European destinations, but that doesn’t mean you want to risk losing your trip investment in case of a last-minute cancellation. Travel insurance with trip cancellation/interruption benefits can reimburse your nonrefundable, prepaid trip costs if you have to cancel or interrupt your trip for a covered reason.

3 of the best travel insurance plans for Europe

1. For international vacations, our most popular plan is OneTrip Prime. This plan can include a full slate of essential benefits, including trip cancellation/interruption, travel delay, emergency medical and baggage protection. Plus, kids 17 and under are covered for free when they’re traveling with a parent or grandparent (not available on policies issued to Pennsylvania residents).
2. If you’re watching your budget, OneTrip Basic provides reliable, affordable trip protection. It can include up to $10,000 in emergency medical benefits and up to $50,000 in medical transportation benefits, plus trip cancellation/interruption benefits and more.
3. For anyone who loves to wander, AllTrips Prime is a good choice for year-long protection. One plan can protect all your eligible trips for 365 days—overseas or domestic.

See all our plan options and get a quote for your next trip.

3 of the best things to do in Montenegro

1. Wander the Old Town of Kotor. If you love the medieval charm of Dubrovnik, just wait until you see the ancient walls and red-tiled buildings of Kotor. The Old Town isn’t large, but you can spend a pleasant afternoon enjoying its cafes and boutiques. For a bird’s-eye view, climb the 1,300+ steps to the Castle of San Giovanni.
2. Choose your own adventure in Durmitor National Park. You can easily devote three or four days to this enormous national park, known for its glacier-carved gorges, sparkling lakes and evergreen forests. Depending on the season, you can hike the trails, raft the canyons, or ski in the town of Zabljak.²
3. See the improbable Ostrog Monastery. Wedged into a cliff, high above the plains below, is a white building constructed in the 1600s by St. Basil. The monastery’s remote location has kept it safe from invading forces for hundreds of years, and multiple stories of miraculous healing are attributed to the saint. Today it’s the most-visited religious site in Montenegro.³

3 of the best resorts and hotels in Montenegro

There’s no shortage of memorable places to stay. The only question is: What kind of experience are you looking for?

For an intimate retreat, check into Villa Geba: a boutique hotel with just seven rooms that’s perched on the coastal hillside. Take in the views of the Adriatic Sea and the island village of Sveti Stefan. Stroll down to California Beach for an afternoon of sunbathing, or explore Miločer Park.

For seaside luxury, one of the best resorts in Montenegro is One&Only Portonovi. Expect a spacious, beautifully appointed room with a private balcony or terrace. Or, upgrade to a private villa with a butler, chef, and personal pool. The resort has six pools and its own sandy beach, as well as a wellness center that offers week-long retreats.

For mountain serenity, consider the Hotel Sokoline. While the rooms aren’t fancy, it has “quite possibly the most stunning view from any hotel room we’ve ever stayed in,” one guest said.^4 The Ostrog Monastery, Montenegro’s most famous sacred shrine, is a short walk or drive away.

3 of the best restaurants in Montenegro

Montenegrin cuisine is as varied as its terrain: coastal Mediterranean seafood dishes, hearty Balkan stews and breads, and Turkish-style stuffed vegetables.

Konoba Scala Santa is the oldest restaurant in Kotor, opening its doors in 1931. It’s best known for seafood: for a little taste of everything, get the fish platter with a fish filet, grilled shrimp, squid, and octopus, shellfish, risotto, chard and potatoes. Try to get a table outdoors in the piazza, if the weather is nice.

Another scenic and historic spot is Stari Mlini, a family-owned spot in an old mill that grows fruits and vegetables on site. Some must-try dishes include black ink risotto with wild cuttlefish and fisherman’s stew with white fish and potato.

In the capital of Podgorica, the Tavern Lanterna is the place for a local Podgoričko beer and Montenegrin specialties: prosciutto and cheese from the village of Njegusi, kačamak (a cornmeal porridge that tastes better than it sounds), marinated carp, and roast lamb.