Albania vs Montenegro: Which Should You Visit (Or Should You Do Both)?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you book through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Faceted Travel!

Albania and Montenegro sit right next to each other on the Adriatic, share a giant lake and a mountain range, and are both still delightfully underrated compared to Croatia or Greece. So which one should you pick? We have spent time in both, and our honest answer is that they are more different than you would expect, and that the best trip might just include a little of each.

In this guide we compare Albania and Montenegro head to head on cost, beaches, mountains, old towns, food, crowds, getting around and more, then tell you which one we would choose for different kinds of travelers.

Albania vs Montenegro at a Glance

	Albania	Montenegro
Size	About 28,700 sq km	About 13,800 sq km
Currency	Albanian lek	Euro
Main airport	Tirana	Podgorica and Tivat (plus Dubrovnik nearby)
Best for	Value, beaches, history, adventure	Dramatic scenery, compact road trips, Bay of Kotor
Cost	Very affordable	Moderate, rising on the coast
Crowds	Growing fast, still quieter overall	Busy on the coast in summer
Driving	More challenging	Easier, but twisty mountain roads

The Short Answer

• Choose Albania if you want the most value for your money, sandy beaches with turquoise water, a deep dive into history and culture, and a trip that still feels a bit off the beaten path.
• Choose Montenegro if you have limited time, want jaw-dropping scenery packed into a tiny country, and love the idea of the Bay of Kotor, medieval walled towns and a slightly more polished travel experience.
• Do both if you have 10 days or more. They connect easily at Shkoder and Ulcinj, and the contrast makes each one more interesting.

Cost: Albania Wins

Albania is one of the most affordable countries in Europe. A good double room in a guesthouse can cost well under what you would pay for a basic hostel bed in Western Europe, and a big traditional dinner for two with wine often runs about $25 to $40. Fuel, rental cars and entrance fees are all very reasonable.

Montenegro is still cheaper than Croatia, but the coast, especially Kotor, Budva and Sveti Stefan, has gotten noticeably more expensive, and prices spike in July and August. Because Montenegro uses the euro, prices can also feel closer to Western European levels in the tourist hot spots. Inland Montenegro, around Durmitor and the lakes, is cheaper.

For detailed breakdowns, read how much a trip to Albania costs and how much a trip to Montenegro costs.

Winner: Albania, by a good margin.

Beaches: Albania Wins (Mostly)

The Albanian Riviera, stretching from the Llogara Pass down to Ksamil, is one of the best coastlines in the Mediterranean. The water is incredibly clear, the beaches range from white pebble coves to long sandy stretches, and the backdrop of mountains dropping into the sea is stunning. Places like Dhermi, Jale, Himara, Borsh and Ksamil are all worth a visit. See our full Albanian Riviera guide.

Montenegro’s coast is shorter and more dramatic, with the fjord-like Bay of Kotor and the busy resort town of Budva. Many beaches are small, pebbly and packed with sunbeds in summer. The big exception is the far south: Ulcinj’s Velika Plaza is a long, sandy beach. Read our Budva guide and Ulcinj guide for the details.

Winner: Albania for pure beach days. Montenegro wins on scenery from the water, thanks to the Bay of Kotor.

Mountains and Hiking: A Tie

Both countries have world-class mountains, and they share some of them. The Accursed Mountains (Albanian Alps) straddle the border, and the multi-country Peaks of the Balkans trail passes through both.

In Albania, the classic trip is the hike between Theth and Valbona, often combined with the gorgeous Komani Lake ferry. It feels remote and wild, with stone guesthouses and very few roads.

Montenegro has Durmitor National Park with its glacial lakes, the Tara River Canyon (among the deepest in Europe) and Biogradska Gora, one of the last primeval forests in Europe. Montenegro’s mountain areas are easier to reach by car and have more developed trails and infrastructure.

Winner: Tie. Pick Albania for remote adventure, Montenegro for accessible drama.

Old Towns and History: Albania by a Nose

Montenegro has Kotor, one of the most beautiful walled towns on the Adriatic, plus pretty Perast, Budva’s old town and the former royal capital of Cetinje. Kotor alone is worth the trip. See our Kotor travel guide.

Albania has more variety. The UNESCO towns of Berat and Gjirokaster are extraordinary, with Ottoman stone houses climbing the hillsides. Butrint is a sprawling ancient city in the forest. Tirana gives you a fascinating window into Albania’s communist past, with museums and bunkers. Shkoder has Rozafa Castle and one of the best photography museums in the Balkans.

Winner: Albania for depth and variety. Montenegro for the single most beautiful old town (Kotor).

Scenery: Montenegro Wins

Montenegro packs an unbelievable amount of scenery into a very small space. In one day you can drive from the Bay of Kotor up the famous serpentine road to Lovcen, look down at the bay, continue to Lake Skadar and end up in the mountains. The Bay of Kotor, in particular, is one of the most dramatic landscapes in Europe.

Albania is also gorgeous (the Llogara Pass and the Albanian Alps are unforgettable), but the distances between highlights are longer.

Winner: Montenegro. If you want a taste of it, the drive from Kotor up to Lovcen National Park and Cetinje is one of the best half days in the country, with 25 hairpin bends and a view over the whole bay from the top.

Food: Albania Wins

Albanian food was one of the biggest surprises of our trips. Everything is fresh, local and often homemade: grilled meats, fergese, tave kosi, byrek, fresh fish on the coast, cheese and honey in the mountains, and plenty of local wine and raki. Portions are huge and prices are low.

Montenegrin food is also hearty and delicious, with smoked ham from Njegusi, cheeses, lamb cooked under the sac (a metal dome covered in embers), and fresh seafood on the coast. But on the coast especially, many restaurants cater to tourists, and it can be harder to find great value.

Winner: Albania, especially for value.

Crowds: Albania Wins (For Now)

Montenegro’s coast gets very busy in summer, especially Kotor when cruise ships are in port and Budva in July and August. Inland areas are much quieter.

Albania is one of the fastest-growing destinations in Europe, and Ksamil in August is genuinely packed. But overall, especially in the mountains and the stone towns, it still feels less crowded than the Montenegrin coast.

Winner: Albania, although both are best in the shoulder seasons.

Getting Around: Montenegro Wins

Montenegro is small and easy to navigate. You can cover most of the country in a week with a rental car, and bus connections along the coast are frequent. Roads are twisty, but generally in decent condition.

Albania is bigger and the roads are more of an adventure. Main highways have improved a lot, but rural roads can be narrow and rough, and local driving habits take some getting used to. Buses and furgons (shared minibuses) connect most towns, but schedules can be informal.

Winner: Montenegro. For more on navigating Albania, see how to plan a trip to Albania.

Safety

Both Albania and Montenegro are safe for travelers. Violent crime against tourists is rare in both, and petty crime is lower than in many Western European cities. In both countries, the biggest risks come from driving on mountain roads and from the sea and the mountains themselves. Read our honest guide on whether Albania is safe for more.

Winner: Tie.

Which Country for Which Traveler?

Choose Albania if you are:

• A budget traveler who wants to stretch every dollar.
• A beach lover who wants clear water and a variety of beaches.
• A history buff interested in ancient ruins, Ottoman towns and communist history.
• An adventurous traveler who does not mind rough roads in exchange for authenticity.

Choose Montenegro if you are:

• Short on time and want to see a lot in a few days.
• A scenery chaser who dreams of the Bay of Kotor and mountain lakes.
• A first-timer to the Balkans who wants an easy introduction.
• Combining with Croatia, since Kotor is an easy trip from Dubrovnik. See our Croatia vs Montenegro comparison.

How to Visit Both Albania and Montenegro

Honestly, this is our favorite answer. The two countries connect easily at two border crossings in the north of Albania:

• Hani i Hotit, on the road between Shkoder and Podgorica.
• Muriqan and Sukobin, between Shkoder and Ulcinj.

Sample 14-Day Albania and Montenegro Itinerary

• Days 1 to 2: Kotor and the Bay of Kotor, including Perast.
• Day 3: Budva and Sveti Stefan.
• Day 4: Lake Skadar, then cross into Albania to Shkoder.
• Days 5 to 6: Komani ferry to Valbona and hike to Theth, then back to Shkoder.
• Day 7: Tirana.
• Day 8: Berat.
• Day 9: Gjirokaster.
• Days 10 to 12: Ksamil, Saranda and Butrint.
• Days 13 to 14: The Riviera via Himara and Dhermi, then back to Tirana over the Llogara Pass.

If you only want one country, our Albania road trip itinerary and Montenegro road trip itinerary each cover 10 days in detail.

Rental Cars and Borders

If you plan to drive across the border, tell your rental company in advance. Most allow cross-border travel for an extra fee and will provide the green card insurance document. One-way international drop-offs can be very expensive, so it often makes sense to loop back to where you started.

Best Time to Visit Albania and Montenegro

For both countries, the sweet spot is May to June and September to early October. The sea is warm, the mountain roads and trails are open, and the crowds are thinner. July and August are hot and busy on the coasts but perfect for the mountains. Read our guides to the best time to visit Albania and the best time to visit Montenegro.

Where to Book

For guesthouses, boutique hotels and apartments in both countries, we use Booking.com. Filter for free parking and highly rated hosts. Search Albania stays on Booking.com or search Montenegro stays on Booking.com.

For Bay of Kotor boat trips, Komani ferry transfers, Butrint tours and guided hikes, Viator has well-reviewed options in both countries. Browse Albania tours on Viator or browse Montenegro tours on Viator.

Final Thoughts

If you forced us to pick just one, we would pick Albania for a longer, more budget-friendly adventure, and Montenegro for a short trip heavy on scenery. But the real answer is that these two neighbors complement each other beautifully. Montenegro gives you jaw-dropping bays and mountains in a compact package, and Albania gives you beaches, history, food and value in a country that still feels like a discovery. If you have the time, do both.

---

Ready to dig deeper? Start with how to plan a trip to Albania or how to plan a trip to Montenegro, and if you are still weighing options, read our Croatia vs Montenegro comparison.