KOTOR, MONTENEGRO IN 2 DAYS

Kotor Montenegro is such a neat town! It is similar to Dubrovnik in that the Old Town is surrounded by city walls making it such a unique city with SO much history! The two towns may have a few similarities but they are also vastly different from one another. The landscape of Kotor almost has a Scandanavian feel in that the city is surrounded by Fjords. With that being said, it is also unlike anywhere I have been!

I honestly just loved Montenegro and personally think it’s completely underrated! The coastline in Montenegro is spectacular and so different from most places I’ve traveled. While Croatia is one of my favorite countries in Europe, Montenegro isn’t too far behind. Croatia is becoming increasingly popular and it’s only a matter of time before Montenegro travel becomes just as touristy.

Below I’ve outlined the best things to do in Kotor as well as everything you need to know prior to your trip.

And don’t forget to pin this for later!

At only two hours from Dubrovnik, most people add Kotor, Montenegro on a trip to Croatia. While it’s a common day trip from Dubrovnik but I recommend spending at least two nights in town. You can rent a car for your trip to Kotor or travel via public transportation. If you’re crossing boarders, car rentals can be tricky since some companies charge for crossing the boarder. Buses are a common mode of transportation between Kotor and surrounding cities.

For more on traveling throughout the Balkans see here.

The closest airport to Kotor is in Tivat, 5 miles from town. You can also look at flights into Dubrovnik since it’s easy to travel between the two cities.

I’ve been to Kotor twice now once in May and once in September. In my opinion, the shoulder season is the best time to go! The weather is perfect for site seeing, swimming in the sea, and hiking the fortress. In my experience, Kotor isn’t as busy as other European cities but there are a lot of day trippers from Dubrovnik.

Spend the first portion of your day exploring this little town to get your bearings down. While Kotor Old Town is relatively small, you might get lost quite a few times since there are so many little alleys. Truth be told, by the end of our second day in town we were still finding new areas we had yet to explore! It’s such a cool town so spend some time relaxing and enjoying the city.

The Old Town is filled with a number of small churches! Be sure to check out a few while you explore Old Town as they are gorgeous and filled with so much history. The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon is one of the main churches in Kotor and is worth a visit.

Perast is an idyllic town situated on the water. Truth be told, I expected Kotor to be very similar to Perast. If you have been to these two cities you know they’re nothing alike!

Perast Montenegro is less than 20 minutes from Kotor so it’s an easy trip to make. We chose to stop in Perast on our way to Kotor and if you’re driving, I recommend doing the same. Perast is a pretty small town so you really only need an hour or two here. Grab lunch on the water in town and soak in the view. For one of the best views in town, climb to the top of the Bell Tower at St. Nikola Church. Be careful on your way up, as the ceilings are pretty low throughout. At 5′ 2″ I had to duck quite a few times while climbing to the top! The view from the top of the tower is honestly spectacular with panoramic views of the Fjords with a few islands in the distance.

Perast is most known for Our Lady of The Rocks which is a man made island. From Perast, you can take a boat ride to the island for 5 euros. You can explore the Catholic Church and museum on the island 1 euro. The island is small so most people finish exploring within 20-30 minutes.

Pro Tip: If you’re planning on doing a boat tour out of Kotor, don’t visit Our Lady of the Rocks while you’re in town. Most boat tours tfrom Kotor will stop at Our Lady of the Rocks. While most tours will stop at Our Lady of the Rocks, not all tours take you into the city which is why I suggest making the trip to Perast on your own.

If you only have time for one activity in Kotor, make it the hike to the fortress! Hiking to the Fortress was my absolute favorite activity in town. The views are absolutely spectacular; they get more impressive the closer you get to the top. You’ll have panoramic views of town and the Kotor Bay throughout the hike.

My number one tip for hiking to the fortress is to go early. The hike opens at 8 am so I recommend starting at 8 am sharp. The hike is all uphill with minimal shade throughout so it gets hot quickly. The hike is challenging but there are plenty of spots to stop and take a break along the way.

Cost: 8 euro
Tip: Be sure to keep your receipt! You are able to get a free drink with your receipt from a stand along the way. Update as of 2019 – the ticket no longer gets you a free drink.
Duration: The hike takes about 1.5-2 hours to complete with plenty of stops for pictures.
Getting There: The entrance is behind the church in the back of the Old Town. There will be a sign in an alley that will point to the direction of the fortress. Follow this sign and you will see an area roped off which is the start of the hike.

There are a number of boat tours that can be taken from the Bay of Kotor Montenegro. We booked a tour with a stop at the blue caves since we really wanted to see them. The cave we stopped at was really impressive! Swimming in the piercing blue water was the highlight of the tour. When you jump into the water, your body looks blue; it’s crazy!

Our tour started with a boat ride to the blue caves. On our way to the cave, we passed by Mamula Island which is a former Austo-Hungarian fortress. It was used as a prison in WWII. Within a few years the island will be turned into a luxury beach resort. From there, we arrived to the blue caves. We were able to swim around for a little bit before getting back on the boat. Our next stop was the mammoth cave which was used to hide submarines during the war. Lastly, we made a stop at Our Lady of the Rocks before returning to Kotor. As a previously mentioned, Our Lady of the Rocks is off the coast of Perast. You can visit the Catholic Church and museum on the island for 1 euro.

Booking:

• Booking: Lady of the Rocks and Blue Cave – Kotor Boat Tour
• Duration: Approximately 3 hours
• When to book: If you’re visiting during peak season, I recommend booking in advance. With that said, off season it’s easy to book in Kotor. There are a few tours throughout the day but we opted for the noon tour.Booking in person allows you to walk around and see what tours are available.

If you have time, be sure to check out the market in front of the Old Town! It opens around 8:30 am and closes around 4 pm. The market is filled with fresh cheeses, meats, olive oils, balsamic, as well as fruits and vegetables.

As you can tell, there are endless things to do in Kotor, Montenegro. While you can see a lot with one day in town, I really recommend two. It’s always nice to be able to see a little more of the town in the evening and early morning if you can swing it! If you have any questions below on your trip to Kotor, let me know in the comments below!

If you travel to Montenegro, I also recommend visiting Budva. It’s a great little seaside town about 30 minutes from the Bay of Kotor.

• Budva Montenegro in 24 hours

Safe Travels,

Sarah :)

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