July in Montenegro, the sunniest and hottest month

July is the Montenegro of the postcards, with a deep blue sea, busy old towns and sunshine from dawn to dusk. It’s also the month that needs the most planning, because it’s genuinely hot, especially inland, and the coast is at its busiest. I enjoy it, but I wouldn’t suggest it for a quiet first visit. If you’re travelling with children during the school holidays, it’s still perfectly doable with an early start and a long lunch in the shade.

What the weather’s like

Herceg Novi averages around 24.3°C in July, with highs of 29.4°C and nights of 19.2°C. It gets about 343 hours of sun, the highest figure of the year, and only around 6 rainy days, with 47 mm over the whole month (1961-1990 normals). On average there are 13 days of 30°C or more and 12 nights that stay above 20°C. Bar is a touch gentler at 23.4°C. Tivat airport recorded about 25.5°C in July over 2013-2022, with close to 31°C through the middle of the day. All the year’s figures are in Montenegro weather.

Podgorica in the heat

The capital is another matter. July highs there average 31.8°C, with about 23 days of 30°C or more. In July 2024 the monthly average there was 30.9°C and the absolute maximum 41.1°C, according to MONSTAT. If you pass through Podgorica, do it early or late, and carry water. On the coast July 2024 also ran hot, with a 28.1°C average in Herceg Novi and a peak of 40°C.

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Holidays and festivals

13 July is Statehood Day and, like all the country’s state holidays, it lasts two days, so the 14th is a day off as well. From 10 to 20 July Herceg Novi hosts its Days of Music, according to Herceg Fest, and Tivat’s Purgatorije theatre festival, which began in June, carries on. On top of that, the national tourist board groups a good share of Montenegro’s music festivals in June and July.

A coast at full stretch

The National Tourism Organisation admits the coast draws nearly all its visitors in July and August, and you’ll feel it on the beaches, the roads and in the car parks. In Kotor the cruise traffic adds to it, as the 2026 schedule had 81 calls in July. My advice is to hit the beach early, eat lunch early and leave the old towns for the evening. There’s more on high season in Montenegro in summer.

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The north as an escape

If the coast feels like a furnace, the north is where you catch your breath. Žabljak averages 13.9°C in July with lows of around 8°C, and Kolašin has highs of 23.8°C, so you’ll want a jacket at night. It rains more than on the coast, on 11 or 12 days, but this is the best month for the high mountains. The National Tourism Organisation itself suggests spending part of July and August in the mountains.

And August?

August is just as hot, with Boka Night and even more cruise ships in Kotor. I cover it in Montenegro weather in August, and for how July stacks up against the other eleven months, see the best time to visit Montenegro.