Critique my Itinerary : 1 Month Road Trip to Montenegro and Back

I would add a stay of at least one night near Plitvice Lakes National Park. If you can get there in time to spend one afternoon and one morning in the park, it would be time well spent. We did this between Rovinj and Split, but you could do it on your way back.

Fun to do is a bit of island hopping in Kroatia. Enjoyed my stay for a few nights in the historic city of Korčula. Still having it’s medieval walls and seems the birth place of Marco Polo. From Veal Luka at the western end of Korčula island you can take or arrive with the ferry to or from Split.

Weather in Kroatia can be very hot, so best is staying as close as possible to the coast, especially when sleeping in a tent. Expect the soil can be very rocky, so using extra strong ground spikes makes sense to my opinion. Decathlon sells them, you can find one in Dijon.

I will just speak to a few places I know.

1. Dubrovnik, Croatia, 2 nights. Seeing as we won't be staying in Dubrovnik itself, how long does it make sense to stay there?

I would stay in Dubrovnik, inside the walls. Its all that is worth experiencing and it is worth experiencing, but 2 nights is good for most. 3 at most.

1. Perast, 4 nights.

I love Perast, but not sure I could spend 4 nights there. Maybe 2 because it is so beautiful. Most people go on to Kotor which is fine if you have time to kill, but it’s a less impressive version of Dubrovnik is all.

But what you are missing is the rest of Montenegro. There is quite a bit to see and do. From Perast you drive the winding road over the mountains and then down to Budva. Sweet town inside the walls. Always good for a few nights, especially if you like the water and water sports. Last trip I went deep sea fishing on a private charter. Only cost a few hundred euro. Took the catch to a restaurant in town and they cooked it. But the old town is nice just to be in too. You seem to be doing a relaxed trip so 2 maybe 3 nights at most.

The next town on the coast is Ulcinj. This is truly remarkable and worth every second. Two nights or 3.

Then head back up the coast to Stari Bar, a medieval ghost town. Great little side street that is remarkably lovely and remarkably local in feel. Great stop on the way inland to the Ostrog Orthodox Monastery. There is this hotel on the side of a cliff that has a restaurant deck that looks out over the valley below. Stunning. Sleep here.

Then further north to the Tara River Canyon. The deepest in Europe. Again, a hotel with a deck with a view of the canyon. Brave? Zip line the canyon or raft it.
That whole trip to this point from Dubrovnik is 8 hours of driving over 7 to 10 days.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/pAqJKECKtsrtcoZa8

Now you are positioned for the trip out of the region. The next stop is Sarajevo. Let’s hope TexasTravelMom chimes in as she loves it as much as I do. Sarajevo 2 to 4 nights.

From Sarajevo to Travnik then Jajce and finally to the Hotel Kraljevac for a night or two. Google the towns.

Now you have a few choices. To Zagreb to Graz to Salzburg or to Hungary to Vienna and to Salzburg. I am sort of biased. So the next stop is Pecs for a few nights, then Budapest for a week befor e Austria.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Uvm6awv6YBjGockG7

I'm not a fan of Perast, unlike others here, and cannot imagine spending 4 nights there unless you're planning to use it as a base to see a bunch of surrounding towns--in which case you need to figure out the parking situation. Perast has the short trip out to the church and a very underwhelming town museum, and that's about it as far as I could tell. There's a lot more to see in Kotor, similar though it may be to Dubrovnik. Kotor has a small art museum with an interesting film about the town's recovery from the 1979 earthquake.

For me Budva felt more touristy than Kotor.

Just off the the highway a bit north of Perast in Risan is a Roman villa with some mosaics worth a look. Google knows where it is. There's a modest entry fee.

I enjoyed several hours walking around Herceg Novi (in Montenegro near the Croatian border), but it doesn't have many actual sights. The old capital of Cetinje is attractive and has some minor sights

I'm still thinking about the gelato I got at Moritz Eis back in early June. It has multiple locations in Kotor and Herceg Novi. Google says there are also outposts in Perast (1) and Budva (2). The Moritz gelato is very expensive by Montenegro standards, but I didn't find anything to match it in Serbia.

Well, I have to second almost everything Mr. É said about Montenegro. But before that:

Can’t help with Lake Maggiore. Once you get to Croatia, there are a number of places you could go, but if you are concentrating on Istria and limited on time, you can easily visit Groznjan and Motovun on the way to Rovinj - there’s not a ton there. So 3 nights might do it, although I like Pula for a half day.

You definitely need a night on the way to Dubrovnik and which place you choose just depends on what sounds and looks good. I liked Zadar for a night, mainly because it was a bit different. But Split has Diocletian’s Palace. I liked Trogir, but personally wouldn’t go again.

In a trip like this, I think 2 nights in/for Dubrovnik is sufficient.

Ok, I also love Perast a lot and spent 3 nights. But one was just an evening arrival. One day I took a 1/2 day boat trip that hit some really pretty places. And from Perast, I took a one-day guided tour of Lovcen and Cetinje. Without that, 2 nights would be sufficient - or use your nights in Budva. I did like Budva’s small old town, beach, and €10 boat trip (roundtrip) to other beaches you can’t get to any other way.

So here’s my thought and you can toss it out. But you are going quite a long way. And Montenegro is the furtherest point in your trip, maybe meaning it will be harder to return to than closer places. So it might make sense to me to see more if it, as Mr.É has suggested. I haven’t yet been to Ulcinj but I plan to. Stari Bar truly is an interesting place for a night. And the Tara River Canyon OR Durmitor National Park would be spectacular.

Then head back through Bosnia. I love Sarajevo and Mostar is fascinating. Travnik and Jajce are definitely worth the stops. Then maybe on through Zagreb, or Plitvice, or Ljubljana (or Bled) toward Salzburg.

Plitvice Lakes in August? https://youtu.be/lXI3-4c67WY?si=141obG3FpPJd0kYC

For me Budva felt more touristy than Kotor.

Well, its at least as touristy as Kotor. I choose Budva over Kotor because after Dubrovnik, Kotor is more of the same as Dubrovnik but not as good; Budva is a new experience. Its one of the "costal/beach destinations that I have been to in August that wasnt a complete madhouse of tourists. It isnt overtouristed yet, Kotor sort of is and Dubrovnik definately is. Tourism may be down in Montenegro this year as it was once a great hangout for Russians. Not much of that going on these days.

But Split has Diocletian’s Palace

and in August hundreds of drunk European Trust Fund Brats. Go, see (worth it), get out.....

I enjoyed several hours walking around Herceg Novi (in Montenegro near
the Croatian border), but it doesn't have many actual sights.

Its a lovely town. Like so many small lovelly towns you go for the atmosphere not to see a palace or a monument. I loved it too.

The old capital of Cetinje is attractive and has some minor sights

The old palace was good for an hour. But otherwise its a stop on the way to other places ... I know this place on the winding road over the mountain from Kotor, on the way to Cetinje, that makes prettty excellent Prosciutto and you can visit the curing house. Nice stop for lunch. https://youtu.be/08il6EXog3o?si=w-8MRRXin-ETwt3O

Montenegro My favorite country after Hungary. I will just let the videos talk.
Tara River Canyon https://youtu.be/9aGMZB8hB5Y?si=MQ-xXvRlIDkYEzpI
...... Recommended Hotel at Tara Canyon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QhSY9uWkrY
Budva https://youtu.be/TKhHJsb9A0w?si=WsnjJJ_j95TfFAvO
Herceg-Novi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOqLXoeE_o4
Cetinje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6RwWDPe9M8
Perast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd6ErEHPHmg
Uncinj https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaPcThRQdi4
Ostrog Monastery https://youtu.be/ixrJu6qv46M?si=9QWkwFz29VmgmpbD
..... Recommended Hotel near Ostrog https://youtu.be/0fdbD9upFP4?si=KAnxVV80rYk4sZpd
Fly Fishing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpnDIoqvfbo

Bosnia (3rd favorite country)
Sarajevo https://youtu.be/WhwnkXvmrRA?si=suCZjUs84vJOE4EA
Travnik https://youtu.be/NBna529LNSk?si=E6Yx7ULUb2UXUx6O
Jajce https://youtu.be/hWVj5BmpQWI?si=XLWNtAb_a7QSYeG9
….. Kraljevac Hotel near Jajce https://youtu.be/QNpUWXV3RkI?si=ebreyQRsqSap2tSg