Bar to Herceg Novi Day Trip by Taxi

Herceg Novi sits right where the Bay of Kotor opens out into the Adriatic, and it has a different feel from the towns further inside the bay. Green, hilly, and built in tiers up the slope from the water, it's less about a single postcard view and more about a genuinely pleasant town to wander for an afternoon, with the added bonus of sitting at a gateway point most day-trippers never quite reach.

The drive

It's the longest of the coastal day trips from Bar, and honestly one where the actual driving distance and the drive time don't line up as neatly as you'd expect. Road distance is somewhere around 90 to 100 kilometers, following the coast the whole way around the bay through Budva, Kotor, and Tivat before reaching Herceg Novi at the far end. Depending on how that traffic is moving, especially in summer, that can be anywhere from two to two and a half hours.

There's a shortcut worth knowing about, though it depends on your driver's route on the day: the small car ferry across the narrows between Lepetane and Kamenari cuts straight across the mouth of the bay instead of following the road all the way around it, and taking it can trim a meaningful chunk off the drive. It's a short, pleasant crossing in its own right, with good views back into the bay, and it's a nice example of how getting around this part of Montenegro sometimes has more than one sensible option.

What's worth seeing

Herceg Novi's Old Town is built up a hillside rather than laid out flat, which means a lot of stairs, but also means the town rewards you with views at almost every turn. The Kanli Kula fortress, an old Ottoman-era stronghold, sits above the town and gives a good sense of how strategically important this spot was for whoever controlled the entrance to the bay. Below it, the old town's squares and churches, a mix of influences from the various powers who held this stretch of coast over the centuries, Ottoman, Venetian, Austro-Hungarian, are worth a slow wander rather than a checklist visit.

The town is also known for its gardens and greenery, unusually lush for this part of the coast, and for a long palm-lined promenade along the water that makes for an easy, relaxed stroll if you're looking for a lower-key afternoon than a packed Old Town itinerary.

If Herceg Novi is your main destination, it pairs naturally with a stop in Kotor on the way, since you'll be passing right by it.

What it costs

Given the distance, this is one of the pricier day trips in this cluster, generally landing somewhere in the range of €100 to €120 one way under the intercity tariff, with the exact fare confirmed by the meter or app estimate at time of booking.

Booking

Book through the Greencar.me Taxi app or the App Store, with pickup starting inside Bar municipality. Herceg Novi sits outside our licensed zone, so a return leg from there needs a locally licensed taxi.

For the rest of the coast and inland options from Bar, see the day trips overview.