Early in the morning, it was time to say goodbye to Mostar. Before setting off on the nearly 200 km, four-hour drive, we grabbed one last breakfast at Pekara Fresh on Braće Brkića 18. Well fuelled, we first had to leave Mostar's streets behind before hitting the beautiful roads winding through mountains and valleys again. For most of the Bosnian side, we actually drove the same route as two days earlier – so we got to enjoy the stunning scenery from the other direction too.
After about 2.5 hours we reached the Zupci/Sitnica border crossing (BiH/MNE). There was hardly any traffic, so we cleared it within minutes and got to explore another country neither of us had visited before. From there it was only about 65 km to our accommodation, the Apartments Vuković in Muo.
The Bay of Kotor
From Herceg Novi via Podi and Risan, through Orahovac – water on one side, mountains on the other the whole way – Kotor eventually appeared before us like a stage set. And what a backdrop it is. The Bay of Kotor is known for mussel farming, and the region also grows olives, Mediterranean fruit like lemons and oranges, and wine. On the way you pass right by Perast, or rather straight through it. The town is known for the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks, which sits on a small island reachable only by boat – very touristy, and correspondingly busy.
The drive along the bay is beautiful, but don't underestimate how many villages with speed limits you'll pass through – it can make the trip drag on longer than you'd expect.
A stay with a view of the bay
Our apartment was on the opposite side of Kotor, across the bay in Muo. We booked via booking.com – two nights in a studio with a sea view for €112.82. The view was spectacular: crystal-clear water framed by the Dinaric Alps. At sunset, when the mountains turned golden, the whole place transformed.
Two things worth knowing before booking a place out here: first, it's very quiet – there's just one small, sparsely stocked shop, and no restaurants within walking distance. Second, the road to the accommodation is basically a one-way lane: houses on one side, the water right on the other, with nothing separating the two. Meet the local bus coming the other way and things get adventurously tight, fast.
Walking into Kotor's old town
You can also walk from Muo into Kotor's old town – depending on your pace, you'll reach the centre in about 40 minutes. That's exactly what I did as soon as the luggage was stowed. My visit to Kotor had two purposes: I wanted to experience the town I'd seen so much of online, and I needed a SIM card.
I found what I needed at the Telekom shop (Trg od Oružja 6, 85330 Kotor), right in the middle of the old town: 15 days with 500 GB of mobile data for €15. 500 GB for two weeks is more than I'd ever seen offered by any provider before – though realistically, nobody's ever going to use all of that. If you'd rather skip the trip into town, a simple, cheap eSIM does the job just as well: Yesim, for example, offers 1 GB for 30 days for just €2.50.
Kotor itself is a Mediterranean port and trading town. It's pretty, and the narrow alleys have real character. Cat lovers will be in their element – the local strays are everywhere. There are plenty of restaurants and souvenir shops, and prices run a bit higher than elsewhere, likely down to the tourist crowds. Beyond that: nice to have seen it once, but not much more, in my view. If you feel differently, that's entirely fair – this is just my personal take.
The cable car up Mount Lovćen
The next day we wanted to see Kotor and its bay from above, so we took the cable car from the lower station Dub up to the upper station Kuk on Lovćen. Tickets are available online (kotorcablecar.me) or on site. The roughly eleven-minute, nearly four-kilometre round trip costs €25 per person. Steep, but the views from the cabin and from the summit make up for it quickly.
There's also a cheaper option: driving up yourself. I wouldn't recommend it. We actually did drive part of the way up. To this day I have no idea how we made it back down in one piece without a scratch – the hairpin bends are steep and very narrow, and in several spots two cars simply can't pass each other. To our horror, we also met several buses coming the other way. That's when we decided to turn around.
Back at the accommodation, we dared to get in the water – for a few seconds, anyway. The sun and the sparkle on the water had disguised just how cold it still was.
A stopover in Herceg Novi
The next morning we headed back towards Croatia. Since our return flight was the day after, and we didn't want to spend an entire morning driving the whole length of the bay, we built in a stopover in Herceg Novi. We went with Radic Rooms, booked via booking.com – €62 for one night. The location was great: lovely views, right by the water.
The downside: you can't reach the place by car, only via steps – which, after a week on the Adriatic coast, were already wearing thin. We had to leave the car in a nearby paid car park. The stay itself was very pleasant, with a big terrace, and the host spoke German.
Check availability at Radic Rooms →
We spent the afternoon strolling along the coast and through town. Dinner was at Restaurant Tri Lipe (Stepenište Iva Andrića 28, Herceg Novi) – genuinely good food, and very reasonably priced too.
The journey back to Dubrovnik
The next day we crossed back over the Debeli Brijeg border towards Dubrovnik Airport, a drive of just over an hour. A quick drop-off of the rental car, and we were straight into check-in for the flight home.
And with that, our three-part Balkan trip comes to an end: from Dubrovnik via Mostar to Kotor and Herceg Novi. Three very different countries, three very different moods – all on one single, plannable route.
What this leg cost
| Item | for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Kotor/Muo accommodation, studio with sea view, 2 nights | 2 people | €112.82 |
| SIM card, 15 days / 500 GB | 1 person | €15.00 |
| Cable car Dub–Kuk, round trip, €25 p.p. | 2 people | €50.00 |
| Herceg Novi accommodation, Radic Rooms, 1 night | 2 people | €62.00 |
All in, around €240. Montenegro officially uses the euro despite not being an EU member, so no conversion was needed for this leg. Not included: the parking fee for the accommodation in Herceg Novi, as we no longer have an exact figure for it.
All booking links at a glance
- Kotor/Muo accommodation: booking.com
- Herceg Novi accommodation: booking.com
That wraps up our Balkan trip. And if reading this left you thinking "I'd love a route like that, just without having to piece it together myself" – that's exactly what I do. The first conversation costs nothing.
