Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Montenegro

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Getting back home

Montenegro isn't in the EU. Coming back into the EU, the UK or Ireland from Montenegro may need a rabies antibody blood test taken at least three months before you return. Check the current rule with your vet or the official government pet travel page before you book. If the test applies, have it done at home before you leave so you aren't stuck waiting abroad.

Tapeworm on the way home

Great Britain needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel, a pet travel document, an approved route and tapeworm treatment given 24 hours to 5 days before you arrive. Ireland also needs tapeworm treatment before entry. Find a vet near the end of your trip to fit that window.

Getting there

Tivat airport is on the bay, a few minutes from Porto Montenegro and about 20 minutes from Luštica Bay. Podgorica is the year-round main airport, about 90 minutes from the coast. Dubrovnik is often the practical gateway for Herceg Novi and Meljine, but it means crossing out of and back into the EU with your dog.

Dog beaches

The national tourism board names seven dog swimming areas on the coast. Pet Danica promenade in Herceg Novi, Benovo in Kotor, Kukoljina in Tivat, the central part of Slovenska beach in Budva and the eastern end of Buljarica, plus Topolica at Bar and Mojito on Ulcinj's Long Beach. These are designated spots, not proof that every other beach is off limits, but they're the safe choice in peak season. The Chedi and Lazure also have dog space on their own beaches.

Kotor Old Town and the fortress

Kerber-Graz 1860 is inside the walls, about five minutes' walk from the start of the fortress path. There's no published rule on dogs on the fortress path either way, so ask at the ticket office. It's a steep, stepped, exposed climb and the stone gets hot, so go early in the morning or in the evening.

The Budva Riviera

Most of the big hotels here don't take dogs, including Crowne Plaza Budva, Iberostar Waves Slavija, Splendid, Maestral and Avala. The yeses are small. Hotel Viola above Budva's old town and Hotel Petrovac, which charges nothing, both take dogs on request, so confirm your dog when you book.

Dogs at dinner

Terraces and beach bars are where dogs are welcome here, and indoor restaurants usually aren't. The Chedi's Lobby Bar and The Spot terrace, the Hyatt's Lighthouse and Ole terraces, and the Casa del Mare restaurants at Amfora and Vizura are the ones that say yes. Breakfast rules aren't published anywhere, so ask.

The marina names

Regent Porto Montenegro, One&Only Portonovi, Mamula Island and Aman Sveti Stefan don't publish a dog policy. Ask before you book rather than assuming either way.

Best walks

The Pet Danica promenade into Herceg Novi, with its dog swimming area, and the Savinska Dubrava woods by Savina Monastery. The Dobrota seafront promenade flat along the bay into Kotor, and the shore road from Donji Stoliv to Prčanj past the old captains' houses, with the wooded Vrmac ridge behind for longer walks. Perast's stone waterfront along the whole village. On Luštica, the marina promenade at Luštica Bay and the Radovići to Žanjice footpath. In Budva, the seafront promenade from Slovenska beach to the Old Town walls.

When to go

Outside July and August is easier. In high summer the bay is hot, Budva is very busy, and the stone streets and steps of Kotor and Perast heat up fast under paws. Several resorts are seasonal, so check opening dates before you plan around one. Whenever you go, allow three months ahead for the paperwork home if the blood test applies.