5 days in Herceg Novi: city and day trips

Zalo is a pebble beach at Skver, directly below the walls of Forte Mare. The town harbour and promenade are alongside it, in the heart of Herceg Novi. There is space for your own towel as well as sun loungers, with almost no natural shade.

Four hours remain for swimming and relaxation at Zalo if you leave the centre around 09:00, with about fifteen minutes to walk down to the beach. Beach time ends around 13:15.

From Nikole Djurkovica Square, the town's steps lead down towards Skver, followed by a short walk along the waterfront to Zalo.

After swimming at Zalo, returning to the centre and changing take about half an hour in total. Lunch can start around 13:45. There is an hour for the meal, followed by half an hour's rest before the museum.

The house Mirko and Olga Komnenovic left to the town is surrounded by a garden of plants brought back from sea voyages. The archaeological collection includes amphorae and cargoes from shipwrecks, while the displays on town life include a seafaring family's drawing room, formal clothing and imported furniture.

One distinctive object is Mirko Komnenovic's desk, with maritime exhibits belonging to his ancestors. The museum stop includes 55 minutes for the collections and garden.

The museum is at 9 Mirka Komnenovica Street in Topla. The walk from the centre along Njegoseva Street and on to the museum is estimated at 20 minutes. The Tourist Board publishes hours of Monday-Saturday 08:00-17:00.

Forte Mare stands on a rock above Skver, with walls built and extended through several periods of the town's history. From the upper levels, the view takes in the town harbour and the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, the position that allowed the fortress to guard the sea approach to Herceg Novi.

From the museum, the route goes down steps to the Pet Danica Promenade and follows the waterfront towards the Old Town. The walk is estimated at 20 minutes, with 40 minutes for the visit.

Forte Mare's spring schedule is daily 09:00-19:00, extending to 09:00-21:00 from 25 June. This itinerary finishes the visit before 19:00. There are steps on the approach and inside the fortress.

Above Forte Mare, stone streets lead to Belavista and the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel. Built of stone from Korcula, the church has a cross-shaped ground plan and decoration combining Romanesque-Gothic and Islamic elements.

The walk continues to the Clock Tower above the passage linking the Old Town with Nikole Djurkovica Square. The walk and exterior sightseeing around the squares and buildings are estimated at 40 minutes, without entering the tower or church.

Kanli Kula is an Ottoman fortress that also served as a prison. Today, the stage and seating of the town's open-air theatre stand within its high defensive walls.

The visit includes 40 minutes to take in the views over the Old Town and the bay. A concert or other event is not included in a regular visit.

From the Clock Tower, steps lead up to Kanli Kula. Its spring schedule is daily 09:00-19:00, extending to 09:00-21:00 from 25 June. The planned visit ends at 18:55.

Lalovina is a pebble beach between Meljine and Zelenika, tucked between rocks and greenery. Trees along the shore provide natural shade on part of the beach, so the morning can be spent swimming and relaxing by the sea.

Driving, parking and reaching the beach take an estimated 20-35 minutes when leaving the centre around 09:00. Four hours on the beach then end between 13:20 and 13:35.

Lalovina is reached via Brace Pedisica Street in Meljine, where parking spaces are managed by the town's Parking Service. From this street, the final approach to the beach is on foot.

After returning from Meljine and changing, lunch in the centre can start between 14:00 and 14:25. There is an hour for the meal, followed by an hour and a half's rest before the walk to Savina.

Savina Monastery stands amid Mediterranean greenery on a rise east of the centre. The two churches of the Dormition stand side by side, but their different sizes and designs show that they were built at different times. In the larger church, built in the late 18th century, Orthodox church architecture meets Baroque forms.

The Savina stop includes 45 minutes for the accessible courtyard and the church exteriors. This part of the itinerary covers the outdoor complex, without visiting the treasury or library.

From the centre, the route heads towards Savina, then uphill along Manastirska Street to the complex. The approach is estimated at half an hour.

From the monastery, the route descends towards the Pet Danica Promenade and follows the waterfront west to Skver. The descent and seaside walk are estimated at 35 minutes, with another 15 for short stops along the shore.

On the way to Kotor, the sea reaches deep between steep mountains, while churches, small jetties and stone houses line the shore. Passing Perast, the palaces of maritime families and the tall bell tower stand out along the waterfront. The scenery makes the drive a worthwhile part of the day trip.

Leaving Herceg Novi around 08:30, the drive follows the coast through Kamenari, Risan and Perast to Kotor. Driving, parking and reaching the Old Town take an estimated 100-130 minutes. Longer summer traffic jams can extend that estimate.

Benovo is a public car park beside the Old Town. From there, the approach to the historic centre is on foot.

The Maritime Museum occupies Baroque Grgurina Palace on Bokeljska Mornarica Square. Its collections include model ships, portraits of seafarers and maritime equipment. The Ivelic and Visin-Florio family drawing rooms preserve furniture and objects from homes around the bay, showing how captains' families lived at home.

There is an hour for the displays before the walk to the Old Town's squares.

From 1 May to 1 October, the museum opens 09:00-18:00 on weekdays and 09:00-13:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The museum visit comes first in the Old Town so it finishes before 13:00, even with the shorter weekend hours.

The walk from the museum leads to the square in front of Saint Tryphon's Cathedral, then to Flour Square with Pima Palace and on through the Old Town's streets. The cathedral was consecrated in 1166, while its present Baroque bell towers date from the 17th-century rebuilding.

Pima Palace stands out for its broad stone balconies. The walks and exterior sightseeing are estimated at 90 minutes, without entering the cathedral or climbing to the fortress.

Lunch in the Old Town or along Kotor's waterfront can start between 13:40 and 14:10. There is an hour for the meal, with breaks before and after it, and all breaks are included in the total time shown.

Outside the walls, the view opens onto the bay and the first stretch of Dobrota's waterfront. The short seaside walk has 30 minutes of walking and another 15 for stops, returning towards the car park before the drive to Herceg Novi.

The return along the northern shore of the bay is estimated at 110-140 minutes, including reaching the car and driving to central Herceg Novi. Longer traffic jams in the summer months can extend this estimate.

The Roman mosaics are the floors of a town villa from the second century AD. One medallion depicts Hypnos, the god of sleep, as a reclining youth with wings, while geometric and floral motifs alternate in the other rooms.

For this day trip, you can leave Herceg Novi around 08:30 and follow the northern shore through Kamenari and Morinj. Driving, parking and the approach are estimated at 70-90 minutes, with an hour for the site. This route does not use the ferry.

The Roman mosaics' seasonal hours are Tuesday-Sunday 08:00-20:00, from 15 April to 15 October. The site is closed on Mondays, Orthodox Easter and 1 May. Individual admission is €6, while a €12 combined ticket covers this site and Perast Museum.

Perast Museum occupies Bujovic Palace directly on the waterfront. The captains' drawing room displays portraits of seafarers and a model of Adriana, the last sailing ship of Perast's fleet. Chests, traditional dress and handicrafts on the ground floor show the lives of Perast's women in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

There are 45 minutes for the museum, followed by 20 for the waterfront and Saint Nicholas Square. From the shore, you can distinguish the natural island of Saint George beneath its cypresses from the artificial island of Our Lady of the Rocks, the next stop by boat.

The waterfront walk from Perast Entrance Parking to the town museum is estimated at 15-20 minutes. From 15 April to 15 October, Perast Museum opens Tuesday-Sunday 08:00-20:00 and is closed on Mondays, Orthodox Easter and 1 May. Individual admission is €8.

Our Lady of the Rocks was created by building up land around a rock, following the votive tradition of Perast's sailors. From the open area on the island, Perast's palaces form a row between the sea and the steep hillside, with Saint Nicholas's bell tower rising above the houses.

There are 15 minutes for arrangements and boarding, 10 minutes of sailing each way and half an hour to explore the island outdoors. A separate allowance of 0-30 minutes covers waiting for the return boat. Entry to the church and museum, and landing on Saint George, are not included.

The published schedule for the short crossing from Perast lists return trips every 30 minutes. The short return trip and the longer excursion are separate offers from the same operator. Sailings depend on the weather.

Lunch on Perast's waterfront can start between 13:35 and 14:40. After an hour for the meal, there are another 45 minutes of rest before returning to the car. Reaching the restaurant and taking a short break before the meal have a combined allowance of 15 minutes.

The return along the northern shore through Risan, Morinj and Kamenari is estimated at 85-105 minutes. This estimate includes about fifteen minutes to walk back to Perast Entrance Parking and the drive to Herceg Novi.

For this schedule, a direct departure from Skver at 10:00 and return from Zanjice at 17:00 need to be agreed with the operator. The walk from the centre to Skver is estimated at 15 minutes, leaving around 09:30, with another 15 for boarding. On this estimate, you would reach the beach around 10:30.

Montenegro Wild Boat offers this private transfer with a skipper. The published price for a standard return trip for 1-6 passengers is €160 per boat, not per person. The operator gives around 16 minutes of sailing time, while the itinerary leaves half an hour for sailing and disembarking.

The times of 10:00 and 17:00 are proposed for agreement, not a public ferry timetable. This schedule depends on a confirmed direct return transfer for the chosen date. A group excursion visiting the cave and other stops does not necessarily leave the same amount of beach time.

Zanjice faces the sea entrance to the Bay of Kotor, with Mamula Island opposite the cove. White pebbles and old olive groves behind the beach give this part of Lustica a different character from Herceg Novi's town waterfront.

The stay on the beach lasts three hours, from arrival until 13:30. Another hour on the beach is planned for the afternoon, making four hours by the sea in total.

There is an hour for lunch at Zanjice around 14:00, after half an hour to change and take a break. Porto Adriatic is a restaurant beside the beach. After the meal, there are another 45 minutes of rest.

There is an hour for afternoon swimming and time by the sea, until 16:45. The final part of the day includes boarding for the agreed return at 17:00, sailing to Skver and walking back to the centre.