Almost an insider destination that nobody knows about — Durmitor National Park in Montenego.

Montenegro reminded me so much of Slovenia when it came to hiking trails, and their neighbouring country, Albania.

The country has five national parks but the most visited one out of the lot is Durmitor National Park.

There are glaciers, lakes, limestone peaks and the most famous of them all — prime virgin black-pine forests running through these large massifs.

Durmitor National Park has 50 peaks that go above 2000m (6562ft) in altitude — the highest of the lot, is the menacing Bobotov Kuk, standing tall at 2523m (8278ft).

This is a great hiking spot to skip the crowds, have access to trails and stay in some of the best cottages without paying high-touristy prices.

I spent quite a number of days in Montenegro in May. Here are the best hiking trails to explore in Montenegro.

Also Read: Hiking The Peaks of The Balkans Trail: Along the Accursed Mountains (Self-Guided)

Disclosure: I only recommend things I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

Know Before You Go: Hiking Tips In Montenegro

here are the best hikes in durmitor national park montenegro

Best Time to Visit: Hiking trails are open from May onwards but the best time to trek without it being dangerous is July to September.
Download AllTrails or Maps.Me: It is easy to get lost and some trails are not as straightforward. Make sure you have a trekking app with you.
Best Hiking Hostel To Stay In: Hostel Hikers Den (preferred) or Highlander Hostel
How to get there: I found the best way to get here is to catch the bus from Kotor or Podgorica to Nikšić and head towards Zabljak. You can book your tickets on 12go or GetByBus.
Town walkability: You don’t need a car in Zabljak as it easy to walk everywhere or even rent a bicycle. But if you want to visit Sedlo pass which can costs you 30 euros or more, best to rent a car here.

8 Best Hikes in Durmitor National Park

1. Black Lake (Crno Jezero), Durmitor National Park

Difficulty: Easy | Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours | Length: 4km

the black lake at durmitor national park. one of the easiest hike to start with!

This is perhaps the best starter hike in Durmitor National Park and the starting point for a lot of treks in the park.

The glacial lake surrounded by pine trees and what makes it unique is that it almost looks ‘black’ when there’s little sunlight hitting the lake.

You could easily do a circular walk around the lake and explore all the different photo points and gorgeous pine trees during the summer season.

The entrance to the park is around 5 euros. It is not a difficult hike, and more of a nice walk with a few gnarly sections but the best part are the ample photo spots or benches where you’re able to take it in.

In terms of wildlife, the park holds atleast 150 different bird species — you may just be able to spot a falcon or golden eagle on a good day.

The park is also known to bears and wolves and Durmitor is positively known as true wolf kingdom. The silvery gray wolves are more prominent during the winter months.

2. Devil Lake (Vražje Jezero)

Difficulty: Easy | Duration: 30 minutes

visiting the devil lake in zabljak as part of the durmitor national park

Just 10km away from Zabljak lies the Devil’s Lake also known as Vražje Lake. It is situated at 1,411 meters above sea level and is part of the Durmitor National Park.

The lake is unreal especially in summer or spring season where it is surrounded by vast green fields and it has distinct dark blue colour which is more visible on a 30 minute hike through an upper trail.

It is also a perfect spot to go swimming and camping because of how blue and clear the water is.

There are also some medieval stones and shrines called Stecci. They have been UNESCO World Heritage since 2016 but there’s not much information here about what they mean. It looks like a mini stonehenge.

3. Durmitor Ice Cave, Ledina Pecina

Difficulty: Challenging | Duration: 5 hrs 20 mins | Length: 12.4km

enroute to durmitor’s ice cave. pic credit: alltrails

The route to the ice cave begins at the black lake in Durmitor National park.

You’ll notice this huge rock facing the lake that stands out in every right — it is called “Obla Glava” (rounded head). This peak is famous due to the presence of its ice cave (Ledena Pecina),

The beauty of the trek is the terrain, you pass through forested paths, ice fields (depending on the time you’re going) until you reach icy stalagmites which go up to a few metres high.

According to some people, this hike sometimes feels more like a climb than a hike. The descent can be steep with a lot of sharp and unstable rocks and sometimes snow-covered paths.

You also need more than 2.5 litres of water for this trek — atleast 4 litres. All in all, a breathtaking trek with awesome steep climbs.

4. Curevac to Tara Canyon Viewpoint

Difficulty: Easy | Duration: 1.5 - 3 hrs | Length: 7km

at the tara canyon viewpoint - one of the easy hikes in durmitor national park

Imagine being able to trek to one of the deepest canyons in Europe — the Tara Canyon. While most people opt for rafting, you can totally do the opposite and soak in the views of the canyon.

The starting point is about 8km from the main town — you could walk all the way from Zabljak to the parking centre or hitchhike which is what we did.

The viewpoint stands at 1,625 metres high and offers stunning views of the entire canyon and its depths. What was so magnificent about the hike were the sheer drops and scale of the mountains.

There are nice makeshift benches for you to take in the views and enjoy these spots!

5. Planinica

Difficulty: Challenging | Duration: 7.5 - 8 hrs | Length: 18.5km

the planinica hiking trail in durmitor national park. pic credits: durmitor national park

Standing at 2,330m, Planinica is perhaps one of the best day hikes to attempt in Durmitor National Park.

The stunning vistas and meadows alongside the pine tree trails and the ability to see two plateaus is what makes this trek truly gorgeous.

It takes about 4 hours one way with many photo breaks — you’ll see wild horses, cows and mountains goats and a view of the Skrka lakes.

If you’re not able to do the tough Bobotuv Kuk, this is actually a great hike that’s even worth attempting in the month of May.

6. Bobotuv Kuk

Difficulty: Challenging | Duration: 5 - 7 hrs | Length: 9.8 km

a view of the bobotuv hike during the month of may

The tallest mountain in Montenegro standing at 2,523 metres can easily be challenging depending on the route that you take.

There are two routes to reach here (either from Sedlo pass or from Durmitor National Park Black Lake). The shorter route is from Sedlo pass which ends in Zabljak.

This is one trek that shouldn’t be attempted in May and best to start from June onwards. It can be a bit scrambly at the top but there are ropes to assist.

The viewpoints and open views of the landscapes in Montenegro makes this one of the most epic hikes that should be done in this side of the world.

7. Prutaš Mountain

Difficulty: Challenging | Duration: 4 hrs | Length: 9 km

prutas mountain in durmitor national par

At 2,393m, the next alternative to Bobotuv would be Mount Prutaš (2393 m) — this hike is reachable from the P14 mountain road.

There are two options for this hike — the easier approach would be to attempt the southern route that starts from Dobri Do.

The western approach is significantly more tougher and begins at Todorov Do.

The best part is being able to enjoy solitude at this vast green meadows on top.

8. Skrka Lakes Valley

Difficulty: Challenging | Duration: 6-7 hrs | Length: 10.5 km

srka lakes valley - pic credit: alltrails

This is the exact lake you can see from the top of Bobotuv Kuk - these two lakes called Veliko Škrčko jezero (large Škrka Lake) and Malo Škrčko jezero (small Škrka Lake) are worth the hike if you’re not doing the Bobotuv Kuk trek.

The best way to get here is through the easier approach via the Southern route that starts at Dobri Do.

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