Ostrog Monastery by taxi
The white monastery set into a cliff above the Bjelopavlići plain is the most visited pilgrimage site in the country and one of the most photographed places in Montenegro. It is also at the end of a narrow mountain road with nowhere to leave a car. This page explains the ride from Podgorica and the coast, where the driver stops, the two monasteries, and how to arrange the trip back.
6 min readUpdated
- Licensed local drivers
- Drop-off at the Upper Monastery car park
- Round trip agreed before you set off
How do I get to Ostrog Monastery by taxi?
Book a MonteGO ride to Ostrog from Podgorica, Podgorica Airport, Nikšić or the coast, using the offer pricing for the whole round trip. The driver takes the main road towards Nikšić, turns off at the Ostrog junction and climbs the narrow monastery road to the Upper Monastery car park. You visit the cave church, walk down to the Lower Monastery if you wish, and the driver waits or returns at the agreed time.
- Closest from Podgorica; a full day from Budva or Kotor
- Narrow final road; the driver stops at the upper car park
- Upper and Lower Monastery linked by a footpath
- Return agreed in the app before leaving
How to book this ride
Make an offer for the round trip
Set Ostrog Monastery as the destination and offer a price for the full excursion, waiting time included. Nearby drivers respond within minutes.
Ride up the monastery road
The last stretch climbs the cliff in tight bends. Drivers who do this road know the passing places and where the car park is.
Visit, then meet the driver at the car park
Allow an hour or more for the Upper Monastery and the walk to the Lower one. The driver waits or returns at the agreed time; pay directly at the end.
Where Ostrog is and how the road works
Ostrog lies in the hills between Podgorica and Nikšić, above the Zeta valley. From the main road a signed turning leads up through the village to the Lower Monastery and then, in a series of steep bends carved into the cliffside, to the Upper Monastery, the one in the photographs. The final road is narrow, with passing places rather than two lanes, and in the pilgrim season it carries coaches in both directions; it is a road to be driven by someone who knows it.
A MonteGO driver takes you to the car park below the Upper Monastery, from where a short walk leads to the entrance. If you want to walk the old pilgrim path between the two levels, the driver can drop you at the Lower Monastery and collect you at the top, or the reverse; say so when you make the offer.
From Podgorica, the airport and the coast
Podgorica is the natural base: the ride leaves the city on the Nikšić road up the Zeta valley and turns off for the monastery, and it fits comfortably in a half day. From Podgorica Airport it works as a stop on the way to the city or to the north, luggage in the car, for visitors who want to see Ostrog before anything else. From Budva, Kotor or Tivat it is a full-day excursion, inland through Cetinje or via Podgorica, and the return should be part of the plan from the start.
Pilgrim days and the best time to go
The monastery is busiest around the feast of St Basil in May and on major Orthodox holidays, when pilgrims arrive from across the region and the road up is at its slowest. Early morning is the calm time on any day; by late morning in summer the car park is full and the last bends are a queue. If you are coming for the atmosphere rather than the feast, a weekday start from Podgorica before nine puts you at the top with the place almost to yourself.
Getting back: the waiting driver
There are no taxis based at Ostrog, so the return is arranged before you go up. The standard MonteGO arrangement is one offer for the whole excursion: the ride there, the wait while you visit, and the ride back, agreed with a driver before you leave. If you want to stay longer, or walk the pilgrim path down and be collected at the Lower Monastery, say so in the ride note; a scheduled return to a fixed time is the alternative for a longer visit.
Other ways to reach Ostrog
Honest comparison. Buses between Podgorica and Nikšić stop on the main road at the Ostrog junction, leaving a long, steep walk up; it is done by pilgrims, not by day visitors with a schedule. Organised tours from the coast run on fixed days and include other stops. Driving yourself means the cliff road with coaches coming down and a full car park in season. For a family or a small group, a taxi round trip with the wait agreed is the comfortable answer, and from Podgorica it is a short one.
Common questions
Close enough for a half-day trip: up the Zeta valley on the Nikšić road and off at the monastery turning. Book the round trip as one offer in the MonteGO app and the driver waits while you visit.
Yes, to the car park below it. The last road is narrow with passing places and busy with coaches in season, which is why a driver who knows it makes the difference. From the car park it is a short walk to the entrance.
Buses between Podgorica and Nikšić stop at the junction on the main road, which leaves a long steep walk up the hill. There is no public transport to the monastery itself.
You agree the whole excursion, including waiting time, as one offer before leaving. Typical visits take an hour or more. For a longer stay, schedule a return to a fixed time instead.
Yes, as a full-day excursion inland via Cetinje or Podgorica. Make one offer for the round trip in the app, start early and allow time at the top; many people add Podgorica or Skadar Lake on the way back.
Shoulders and knees covered, as in any active Orthodox monastery. Comfortable shoes for the steps and the path between the two monasteries, and water in summer.
Related pages
The cliff road, with someone who knows it
Install MonteGO, make an offer for the Ostrog round trip and let a local driver take you up to the monastery and back.
Free to download. No booking fee. Pay the driver directly.