Petrovac in 10 days

Leave the car at your accommodation and follow the promenade to the harbour and Kastio fortress. The platform beside the fortress looks towards the islands of Katič and Sveta Nedelja. Continue to the Mirište archaeological site to see the remains of a Roman mosaic, then return along the town beach to your accommodation.

The drive from central Petrovac to Lučice takes about five minutes. Park in the designated area on the beach approach, then spend time by the water or walk up the side of the bay for a wider view of the cove. After swimming, continue on the same road towards Buljarica.

Allow about ten minutes to drive from Lučice to Gradište Monastery. Visit the churches and stone complex above Buljarica before descending to one of the marked beach entrances. Use the car park belonging to your chosen beach area, then drive back to the same Petrovac accommodation in roughly ten minutes.

Leave the car by Virpazar railway station or in the marked car park at the entrance to the village, then walk to the jetty. Agree the duration and route with a licensed boat operator before boarding. A two-hour trip can cover the reed channels, a stretch of open water and the return to Virpazar.

Walk uphill from central Virpazar to Besac Fortress, which stands on the rise above the village. From the walls you can see Virpazar, the approach to Lake Skadar and the vineyards of Crmnica, including the direction travelled by boat. Return to the same car park after the visit and leave for Rijeka Crnojevića.

Allow 50–60 minutes to drive from Virpazar to the Pavlova Strana viewpoint. After looking over the horseshoe bend, descend to Rijeka Crnojevića and park before the stone bridge. Walk to Danilo's Bridge and along the riverfront before starting the one-hour to one-hour-and-fifteen-minute drive back to Petrovac.

Park by Vladin Dom and walk to King Nikola's Palace, Biljarda and Cetinje Monastery. All three places lie within the compact historic centre and can be visited without moving the car. The palace displays possessions of Montenegro's royal dynasty, while Biljarda presents the life and work of Petar II Petrović Njegoš.

The drive from Cetinje to the car park below the mausoleum takes approximately 35–45 minutes. From there, climb the long staircase and pass through the rock tunnel to reach the mausoleum, its granite caryatids and the viewpoint on Jezerski Vrh. Allow two hours for the climb, interior and walk back to the car.

Njeguši is about a thirty-minute drive from Jezerski Vrh. Visit the birthplace of Njegoš in the hamlet of Erakovići, then stop at a family-run producer to try Njeguši prosciutto and cheese. Leave the car outside the property and return to Petrovac through Cetinje and Budva after the meal.

Leave the car at Benovo car park and enter through the North Gate. Walk through Arms Square, St Tryphon's Cathedral, the Maritime Museum and the smaller squares before reaching the Sea Gate. From the waterfront, cross the Old Town again towards the North Gate, where the climb on Kotor's walls begins.

Take the steps from the northern part of the Old Town towards the Church of Our Lady of Remedy. The path gradually opens views over Kotor's roofs, the harbour and the bay, with a good rest point beside the church. Descend on the same path, collect the car at Benovo and follow the waterfront towards Perast.

Use the car park at the Kotor entrance to Perast and continue to the waterfront on foot. See St Nicholas Square and the row of stone palaces before arranging a return boat to Our Lady of the Rocks. After the island visit, walk back along the same side of town and drive directly to Petrovac.

Park beside the Old Town walls and enter through the gate by the marina. Visit the Citadel and the churches of St John, Holy Trinity and Santa Maria in Punta, then leave the walled quarter through Pizana Gate. Return to the same car park after lunch and continue towards Pržno.

Use the public car park at the entrance to Pržno and walk down to the waterfront. Follow the coastal path through Miločer Park, passing Queen's Beach and the former royal residence until Sveti Stefan comes into view. Walk back along the same path, collect the car and drive to Sveti Stefan village.

After Miločer, continue to Sveti Stefan village and use the public car park above the coast. Walk down to the causeway and look across the two beaches on either side of the narrow stone link to the island. Return to the car and finish the day with the twenty-minute drive to Petrovac.

Park below the old bazaar in Stari Bar and walk uphill through its stone-lined street to the fortress entrance. Inside the walls, see the Clock Tower, ruined churches, aqueduct and viewpoints towards Mount Rumija. Stop for lunch in the bazaar after the visit, then return to the same car park and leave for Ulcinj.

Leave the car in the public parking area above Small Beach and walk along the shore to Ulcinj Old Town. Explore the fortified quarter around Ulcinj Museum, Balšić Tower and the viewpoints over Pristan. Return to the car by the same waterfront route before driving to Donji Štoj.

Choose one of the organised entrances to Velika Plaža and use that beach area's car park. Two hours provides time for a walk on the broad sandy shore, a swim and a break before the longer drive. Leave Donji Štoj for Petrovac and end the day at the same accommodation.

Start early and leave the car in the designated area below Upper Ostrog. Climb the steps to the monastery built into the cliff and visit the Church of the Presentation and the Church of the Holy Cross. On the way down, stop at Lower Ostrog and Holy Trinity Church before continuing to Nikšić.

Park by Freedom Square and first look at the broad plaza from which the centre's streets radiate. Walk to King Nikola's Palace and the Cathedral Church of St Basil of Ostrog, then finish at the remains of Bedem Fortress above the older part of town. Return to the same car park before leaving for Krupac Lake.

Krupac is about ten minutes by car from central Nikšić. Park beside the developed stretch of shoreline and use the stop for a walk, a swim or a late lunch. Drive directly back to Petrovac afterwards and expect the final leg to take around two hours.

Leave Petrovac before six in the morning and park by the Black Lake entrance. Walk through the conifer forest to Big Lake, then follow the shore towards the point where Big and Small Lake separate when the water is lower. The full circuit provides views towards Međed and the forested slopes before returning to the lakeside starting point.

Central Žabljak is about ten minutes from Black Lake. Leave the car in a public parking area, have lunch and walk along the main street to Trg Durmitorskih Ratnika. Return to the same parking place after the short town visit and drive on to Đurđevića Tara Bridge.

Allow around thirty minutes to drive from Žabljak to the bridge. Park in a marked area at either end and walk part of the span for views into the Tara Canyon. Return to the car after the crossing and begin the three-and-a-half to four-hour journey back to Petrovac.

Use the car park immediately beside the monastery complex. Visit the main Church of the Dormition, the smaller Church of St Nicholas and the courtyard overlooking Morača Canyon. The monastery lies on the route towards Kolašin, so continue in the same direction for Biogradska Gora after the visit.

After the national park entrance, follow the access road to the parking area beside Biogradsko Lake. The 3.3-kilometre educational trail circles the water in about one to one and a half hours. It passes through old-growth forest close to the shore, and you can add the visitor centre and a lakeside break before leaving.

The drive from Biogradsko Lake to Kolašin takes about 25–30 minutes. Park near Trg Boraca and walk through the compact centre before a late lunch or early dinner. Leave Kolašin directly for Petrovac and allow around two and a half hours for the final drive.

Park by Bećir-beg Osmanagić Square and begin at the Clock Tower. Walk through Stara Varoš to Skender Čauš Mosque, then descend to Sastavci and the old stone bridge at the meeting of the Ribnica and Morača. Complete the loop along Kralja Nikole Street and return to the same car park.

Leave the car in the G1 public garage on Novaka Miloševa Street and walk to Independence Square. Continue along Njegoševa Street towards Millennium Bridge and the Morača riverbank, then turn back for Gorica Park and St George's Church at the foot of the hill. Return to the same garage before driving to Petrovac.

Drive back from Podgorica in 60–75 minutes and leave the car at your Petrovac accommodation. Begin the final walk by the harbour, revisit Kastio and have dinner beside the promenade. The ten-day itinerary therefore ends at the same address used at the start of every trip.