The drive from Kotor to Durmitor is one of the best road trips in Montenegro, and quite the introduction to the country’s mountains if you haven’t yet experienced them.

In a matter of hours, you’ll have left the charming coastal towns of Kotor Bay and be transported into wilderness, with the most incredible views along the way.

But only if you take the right route.

Ok- truthfully, it’s beautiful regardless, but this route makes it extra special.

Our drive will take you steeply up the towering mountains behind Kotor Town, wind through more mountains, valleys, and lakes, and bring you to Durmitor in under four hours.

Stay tuned!

How Long Does the Kotor to Durmitor Drive Take?

Of course, this depends on the route.

If you take my route (and by that I mean, are smart), it will take you around 3.5 hours, not including stops.

Keep in mind, this is the scenic route.

The fastest route from Kotor to Durmitor only takes around 2.5 hours, but the extra hour is worth it- trust me.

The Best Route for Driving from Kotor to Durmitor

Note: I added the points on the map to generate the correct route. They do not always indicate the spots where you should stop- I’ll make sure to mention these throughout the post.

I’ve gone to the liberty of attaching the exact route that I recommend.

It gives the option to simply plug this into maps and head off without listening to anything else I have to say. Can’t fault you, because there’s a good chance I’d do the exact same.

The drive from Kotor to Durmitor starts by Kotor Town, and immediately ascends up into the mountains.

From there, you wind through mountains, valleys, lakes, and awesome roads for a couple of hours.

Now let’s get into some more detail.

Kotor to Durmitor Drive – Route Breakdown with Stops

Kotor Serpentine & views of the bay

Our drive from Kotor to Durmitor starts off with quite the bang.

And no, the Kotor Serpentine is not a road infested with snakes.

The Kotor Serpentine earns its name due to the snake-like path of the road, with 25 sharp hairpin turns that climb steeply out of the Bay.

Take a look at point ‘B’ on the map above and you’ll understand.

As you ascend, make sure to take some time to stop at viewpoints on the side of the road. The higher you go, the more of a panorama you get over the Bay.

Do note that the roads are narrow and not one-way. It makes for a fun game of ‘who’s gonna pull over first’.

Note: In all seriousness, you should be somewhat of a solid driver to tackle this road. You certainly don’t have to be Max Verstappen, but if you’re seriously incompetent you should opt for a different route. I’ll mention that route later.

First glimpse of mountain life in Montenegro

After you make it up the Serpentine without (hopefully) falling to your deaths, you’ll reach a plateau and will get your first glimpse of Montenegro’s mountain scenery.

I remember how freeing this felt. Kotor Bay is great, but after a few days of the intense heat and way-too-many tourists, the feeling of flying down the empty roads up here in the cooler mountain air was fantastic.

I’d recommend making a stop in the town of Njeguši. The town is nice, and it’s apparently delicious and famous around the country for its prosciutto.

I say ‘apparently’ because my G-d commanded me not to eat it, so I didn’t have the pleasure. But please, do try it and then rub it in in the comments.

You can read more about it here, but from what I gather the process of making the prosciutto takes about a year and is quite complex.

But for Montenegrins, prosciutto for an event or family gathering must come from Njeguši.

The narrow, windy roads continue

You thought you were done?

After a little while of wide and perfectly paved roads, you’ll have a 45-minute long section of less wide and less-perfectly paved roads.

To be honest, they’d be perfectly fine if not for the fact that it’s a two-way road, and you have to be constantly alert of the chance that a Balkan guy may come hurtling at you from behind any given corner.

Make sure to take your motion sickness pills. There’s a lot of turns.

Slansko & Krupac Lakes

Once you’ve survived that last leg, you’ll come across Lake Slansko.

It’s a welcome sight and a change of scenery, and it gets really cool as you drive on the road on the right-hand side of the lake and realize you’re driving along a dam.

As we later learned, these lakes are artificial. But there’s no doubt that they’re still beautiful.

If the weather is better, you may want to take more time exploring this lake, and the Krupac Lake a bit further up the road.

There isn’t much infrastructure, but there are many spots where it looks like you can get down to the water and go for a quick dip. And why not?

Final leg to Durmitor

The last bit of the drive is enchanting, as you slowly approach the mountains of Durmitor.

There aren’t many obvious places to stop on this leg. I don’t think you need to- you’ll see what you need to see from the car.

But what you’ll notice is that the nature around you grows steadily more extreme and wild: taller mountains, deeper valleys, and herds of cows, goats, and sheep cropping up along the sides of the roads.

And before you know it, you’ll be in Durmitor.

Driving Tips for the Kotor to Durmitor Road Trip

A few tips are in order, though I’ve alluded to a few of them throughout the post.

• First and foremost, make sure you’ve got a nice full tank of gas before heading out of Kotor. The first station doesn’t come for a while, and the gas doesn’t get any cheaper in Durmitor. So get it now and make life easier.
  
• Make plenty of stops. These include not only the ones I’ve mentioned, but any spot that peaks your interest. This is how you explore a country properly!

• Take a different route if you’re a really incompetent driver. You know who you are. I’d recommend the route through Risan on the northern end of the Bay of Kotor.
  
  Just plug in Risan to Durmitor and it’ll pop up on maps. This way, you deviate less from the main road.
  
• Eat some local food. You’re driving through essentially the middle of nowhere, which means the life you see being lived here is as authentically Montenegrin as it gets.
  
  Take advantage of that opportunity. The prosciutto is a start, but maybe plan a stop in a small village and eat somewhere where the people don’t speak any English.

Where to Stay in Durmitor After the Drive

Durmitor is another world compared to Kotor. Not only in scenery but in accommodation options.

Gone are the old, charming towns with views of the water. In are the wooden cabins with mountain and valley views. Certainly a change- but in no ways a downgrade, if you ask me.

The main town by the National Park is Žabljak. You can stay in the town, but I’d suggest getting a place out of town for the full mountain experience.

You’re going to want to find a traditional katun cabin. These are trademark Montenegrin rustic wooden huts with steep, triangular roofs designed to withstand heavy snow.

Even though you won’t (I assume, could be wrong) be here in the winter, the cozy vibe is still perfect- especially after the long drive you’ve had, and the long days in the National Park that you’re about to have.

Click here to find options.

I won’t go into what to do in Durmitor, but I’m planning on writing a post soon specifically for that.

That being said, I’ve got lots of detail in my 10 day Montenegro itinerary, so I would suggest taking a look if you’re interested!