June in Montenegro, summer beaches without the August crowds

If you want a beach holiday in Montenegro, June is the month I’d pick. It’s warm enough to feel like summer, the sea is inviting, the evenings still bring a bit of relief and the coast hasn’t yet reached the pressure of July and August. On top of that, the north is fully open and the rivers still have water in them. For a British visitor who wants heat without a scramble for a sunbed, it’s hard to beat.

What the weather’s like

Over 1961-1990, Herceg Novi averaged 21.6°C in June, with highs of 26.2°C and lows of 16.9°C, around 288 hours of sunshine and 8 rainy days, adding up to about 64 mm. Days of 30°C or more are still rare, about 4. Bar averages 21.2°C with 7 rainy days. Podgorica is already hot, with an average high of 28.3°C and around 11 days of 30°C or more. In the mountains, Kolašin averages 13.8°C with highs of 21°C, and Žabljak 11.9°C. The Tivat airport climatography gives a 22.9°C June average for 2013 to 2022, with about 27.6°C in the middle of the day and 17.2°C at night.

A much hotter June in 2024

June 2024 ran well above normal. Herceg Novi averaged 24.8°C and peaked at 37.2°C, Bar averaged 24.9°C and Podgorica 27.3°C, with only 7 rainy days in Herceg Novi. I mention it because if you travel in the second half of the month, it’s worth being ready for some properly hot days, especially inland. Pack sun cream, a hat and a refillable bottle.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Herceg Novi for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Festivals on the coast

June has a full calendar. At Forte Mare, the fortress above the sea in Herceg Novi, the Choose Vision electronic music festival takes place, according to the town’s tourist board. On 10 June, Risan holds its Risan Macaruli food festival, according to the Kotor tourist board. And Tivat, according to its 2026 calendar, fills its summer evenings from mid-June until late August with the Purgatorije theatre festival. The National Tourism Organisation also places many of the country’s music festivals in June and July.

The beaches at their best

For me, June is the best month on the coast. The beaches in Herceg Novi and Tivat already have summer weather, and on the Luštica peninsula Plavi horizonti is far calmer than in August, with soft sand and a gentle slope that suits children. Boat trips round the bay have been running at full pace since May.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Herceg Novi for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Rivers and mountains

June is the last month for river kayaking, which the National Tourism Organisation restricts to spring and early summer, from April to June. Tara rafting is still in season. In the north, the normals show no frost days at Žabljak in June and the usual routes are walkable without snow, though it rains often, on 15 or 16 days a month. I’d set off early and always carry a waterproof.

And July?

July is hotter and sunnier, with about 343 hours of sun in Herceg Novi, but it’s also the busiest month. I cover it in Montenegro weather in July.