Kotor Travel Guide: Old Town, Walls & Day Trips

Discover Kotor

Kotor sits at the very end of the innermost bay of the Bay of Kotor, squeezed between the sea and the wall of Mount Lovćen, which rises 1,200m above it. That's why the sun never reaches the town before 10am, and why the Venetians held one of the best-fortified positions on the Adriatic here for 400 years — the walls run 4.5km and climb the hillside to a height of 260m at the Fortress of St John. The Old Town inside is a jumble of irregular little squares without a single straight street, and it's UNESCO-listed. Kotor Bay is often described as the only fjord in the Mediterranean, which isn't geologically accurate — it's a drowned river valley — but the impression is the same. Kotor isn't a beach resort: it has minimal beach space, and what there is amounts to concrete platforms, so people come here for the town and the bay itself, heading to Budva, 22km away, to swim.

What to see

The places worth your time in Kotor, and what to expect at each

City Walls and Fortress of St John

above the Old Town

4.5km of Venetian fortifications climbing the hillside above the town to the fortress at 260m. Along the way you pass the small Church of Our Lady of Remedy, built in 1518 in thanks for the end of a plague. The climb has over 1,350 steps, and the whole bay is visible from the top.

Tip: Go before 8am or after 5pm — at midday the steps hit over 30°C with no shade at all. Take 1.5 litres of water per person, since nothing is sold up top. Entry is only charged in season, from 8am to 8pm; go earlier and you get in free.

Admission:: from €15 in season
Time needed:: 3h

Cathedral of St Tryphon

Stari Grad

A Romanesque cathedral consecrated in 1166, one of the oldest on the eastern Adriatic. Its 2 towers are different heights because after the 1667 earthquake there wasn't money to finish both. Inside is a Gothic ciborium over the altar and a reliquary with gold and silver caskets.

Tip: The ticket also covers the reliquary chapel upstairs, reached by stairs at the back — most visitors turn around downstairs and never go up, even though it's the better part. The cathedral closes for 2 hours at midday.

Admission:: from €5
Time needed:: 1h

Old Town and Square of Arms

Stari Grad

A fortified core without a single straight street, entered through 3 gates. Just past the Sea Gate is the Square of Arms, with a clock tower from 1602 and a medieval pillory in front of it. Inside are 5 squares, each with its own church, and a maze of alleys that gets everyone lost.

Tip: Kotor is famous for its street cats, which even have their own museum and serve as the town's unofficial symbol. The alleys are quietest in the morning and after 7pm; between 10am and 4pm they fill with thousands of people off the cruise ships anchored opposite the waterfront.

Admission:: free
Time needed:: 2h

Church of St Luke

Stari Grad

A small Romanesque church from 1195, the only building in Kotor to survive every earthquake undamaged. For 300 years, Catholics and Orthodox Christians held services here side by side, each at their own altar — a situation without parallel in the Balkans. The floor is made of gravestones.

Tip: It stands on St Luke's Square, which most visitors never reach since it's off the main route from the Sea Gate. Entry is free, and it's often empty even in August. Next door is the larger Church of St Nicholas, with an Orthodox iconostasis.

Admission:: free
Time needed:: 30min

Bay of Kotor

Boka Kotorska

surrounding area

A drowned river valley 28km long, which narrows and widens 4 times over and is enclosed by mountains on every side. Its narrowest point, Verige, is just 300m wide, and the Venetians used to block it with chains in the event of attack. Driving all the way round takes 2 hours.

Tip: The road around the bay is narrow and slow in season — the shorter route from Kotor to Tivat and Herceg Novi goes via the Kamenari ferry, which runs continuously and costs around €5 per car. It saves an hour of driving. The best view over the bay is from the hairpin road above Kotor.

Admission:: free
Time needed:: full day

Perast

12km northwest

A baroque town 12km northwest with not a single modern building — 16 palaces and 17 churches from when sea captains in Venetian service lived here. The bell tower of St Nicholas's Church is 55m tall, climbed via a wooden staircase.

Tip: You can't drive into Perast — the road is closed to cars, and you park in a paid car park on the edge, a 5-minute walk away. Boats to Our Lady of the Rocks leave from here; the crossing takes 5 minutes and costs a couple of euros. Waterfront restaurants here have the highest prices in the bay.

Admission:: free, bell tower from €2
Time needed:: half day

Our Lady of the Rocks

near Perast

An artificial islet off Perast, said to have been built up over centuries as sailors dropped a stone into the sea after every safe voyage home and sank old ships — the tradition continues today with the annual fašinada ceremony. The church on it has ceiling paintings and a wall covered with 2,000 silver votive plaques.

Tip: Next to it is the other island, St George, with a Benedictine monastery that's off-limits — it's private property, and boatmen know it, so they won't take you there. Boats to the island run continuously from Perast, so there's no point booking an organised trip from Budva or Kotor.

Admission:: boat from €5, church from €2
Time needed:: 2h

Lovćen hairpin road

above Kotor

An old Austrian road from 1884 that climbs 25 hairpin bends from Kotor to 900m, making it one of the most dramatic drives in Europe. Each bend reveals the town further and further below, as the whole bay gradually opens up.

Tip: The road is narrow, in places wide enough for only 1 car, with no barriers and oncoming buses — allow plenty of time and don't drive it after dark or in fog. The best viewpoint is around hairpin 17, with room to stop. Anyone who'd rather not drive can walk the Kotor Ladder, an old trail, which takes 3 hours.

Admission:: free
Time needed:: half day

Prčanj and Stoliv

5km west

Villages on the western shore of the bay a few kilometres from Kotor, with stone captains' houses along the water and, in Prčanj, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, whose construction took 150 years to fund. Above Stoliv lies a deserted upper village in a chestnut forest.

Tip: This is where the concrete swimming platforms are, offering genuine swimming in Kotor Bay, and it's peaceful — Kotor is a 10-minute bus ride away. Upper Stoliv is a 1-hour climb up an old trail and it's the quietest spot around; only a handful of people live in the village, and chestnut trees bloom there in May.

Admission:: free
Time needed:: half day

Photos: City Walls and Fortress of St John — Sailko (CC BY 3.0) · Cathedral of St Tryphon — Geotiger18 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Old Town and Square of Arms — Falk2 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Church of St Luke — Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Bay of Kotor — kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Perast — FrDr (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Our Lady of the Rocks — Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Lovćen hairpin road — Milica Buha (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Prčanj and Stoliv — PrcanjaninPrcanjanin (talk) (Public domain)

Where to stay

Areas and districts, matched to the kind of trip you are taking

Old Town

Best for: a first visit and atmosphere

Inside the walls you stay in apartments in old stone houses, often without air conditioning and with your suitcase to carry up stairs. Cars can't get in, and parking outside the walls costs extra. In return, you step out of your door onto a square with the cathedral. In summer it's noisy until midnight, since the bars are right under the windows.

Dobrota

Best for: longer stays and swimming

A 7km stretch along the sea north of Kotor, with apartments and small hotels right on the water and concrete swimming platforms. It's a 15–30 minute walk to the Old Town along the waterfront. The best value for location in the area, and quiet in the evenings.

Muo and Prčanj

Best for: quiet and views of the town

The western shore facing Kotor, with views of the Old Town and the walls climbing the hillside — the best view of Kotor there is. Accommodation is in stone houses by the water; it's a 10-minute bus ride into the centre, or a 30-minute walk. Slightly less convenient without a car, but prices are lower.

Perast and the northern bay

Best for: a baroque backdrop and romance

12km from Kotor, a town with no modern buildings, its palaces standing right above the water. Accommodation is in converted captains' houses and costs more than in Kotor. Cars aren't allowed in and are left in a car park on the edge. Evenings are utterly silent, but there's very little open.

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Getting around

From the airport

The nearest airport is Tivat, just 8km away as the crow flies, though the road around the bay makes it a 20-minute drive — seasonal charter flights serve it from several European cities. Podgorica is 90km away and runs year-round, with connections via hubs such as Belgrade or Vienna. Dubrovnik is close as the crow flies, but the route crosses a border checkpoint where queues can run to 2 hours in season. Kotor is also a cruise-ship port of call, with ships docking right by the walls — several a day arrive in season, completely changing the character of the town during those hours. By road, it's a long drive from most of central Europe, typically well over a day.

Tivat (TIV) · 22 km

Taxi to Kotor· 25min· €20
Bus from Tivat· 40min· €3
Hotel transfer· 25min· €10 per person

Podgorica (TGD) · 90 km

Bus via Budva· 2h· €9
Taxi or transfer· 1h 30min· €75

Dubrovnik (DBV) · 90 km

Transfer across the border· 2–4h depending on queues· €85
Bus via Herceg Novi· 2h 30min–4h· €18

Around town

The Old Town can be walked in 20 minutes and cars can't enter it — parking outside the walls comes with a fee that isn't small in season. Local buses run along the bay to Dobrota, Muo, Prčanj and Perast roughly every half hour and are cheap; you pay the driver in cash. Long-distance buses connect Kotor with Budva, Podgorica and Dubrovnik. Water taxis run around the bay and out to the islets. Anyone with a car should know about the Kamenari ferry across the bay's narrowest point — it saves an hour's drive to Herceg Novi and Croatia. The hairpin roads up to Lovćen are narrow and slow.

Local buses around the bayRoutes to Dobrota, Muo, Prčanj, Perast, Tivat and Budva, roughly every half hour. Pay the driver in cash. · €1–3

Kamenari–Lepetane ferryCrosses the bay's narrowest point, runs continuously, and the crossing takes 10 minutes. Cuts an hour off the journey to Herceg Novi. · €4.50 per car

Water taxiFrom Kotor's waterfront around the bay, and from Perast to Our Lady of the Rocks. Agree the price in advance. · €5 to Our Lady of the Rocks

TaxiBooked by phone; there's 1 taxi rank in town by the main gate. Agree the price before you set off. · €5 per ride

Rental carNeeded for Lovćen, Cetinje and Njeguši. Parking is difficult in Kotor, though, and the hairpin roads are slow going. · €30 per day in season

Useful apps: Google Maps, BusTicket4.me, Maps.me, Ferry Kamenari

When to go

Kotor is a worse resort and a better town than the rest of the coast, so its season runs longer — in May and October you can comfortably walk the walls and the town isn't overcrowded. July and August are tough: the bay stays muggy, the steps up to the fortress hit over 30°C, and cruise ships arrive and unload thousands of people at once. Kotor Bay is one of the rainiest places in Europe, and from November to March it rains on about half the days, meaning closed restaurants and wet walls in winter. May, June, September and October are the best months.

Best time

May, June, September and October

What to avoid

July and August, because of the humidity and cruise ships

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Day	11°	12°	15°	18°	23°	28°	31°	31°	26°	21°	16°	12°
Night	4°	4°	7°	10°	14°	18°	21°	21°	17°	13°	9°	6°
Rainy days	14	13	13	13	11	8	5	5	9	12	15	15
Sea	14°	13°	14°	16°	19°	23°	25°	26°	24°	22°	19°	16°

Food & drink

In Kotor Bay, you eat what grows in it: mussels and oysters from farms visible as rows of buoys on the water between Prčanj and Perast, plus fish from the open sea. Njeguši prosciutto and cheese come down from the mountains above the bay, from the village of Njeguši on the road to Lovćen, where both cost half as much as they do below. Restaurants on the Perast waterfront and inside Kotor's walls price for cruise-ship crowds; konobas in Dobrota, Muo and Prčanj cook just as well for two-thirds of the price.

What to try

Mussels buzara-style

Mussels stewed in white wine, garlic and parsley, farmed right in Kotor Bay. Eaten with your hands, with bread for mopping up the sauce; a portion is typically 500g and it's the cheapest seafood lunch in the country.

Njeguši prosciutto and cheese

Dry-cured ham from the village of Njeguši below Lovćen, cured by winds off both the mountains and the sea, served with a hard cheese matured in olive oil. A standard cold starter; in Njeguši itself it costs half as much as on the coast.

Grilled fish

Grilled fish is charged by weight, not per portion. Always ask to see the piece and get the price per kilogram beforehand; wild-caught sea bass can cost twice as much as farmed.

Kačamak and cicvara

A hearty mountain mash of cornmeal, potato, cheese and kajmak, thick enough to be a whole meal. It's made inland, and on the coast you'll only find it in konobas that cook home-style.

Ćevapi

Grilled minced-meat rolls in flatbread with onion and kajmak. The cheapest filling lunch, and the only thing you'll find in the resort after midnight; a portion of 10 will fill an adult.

Priganice

Deep-fried balls of yeasted dough with honey, cheese or kajmak, served warm. Both breakfast and dessert; bakeries sell a large portion for a couple of euros.

Vranac and Krstač

Vranac is a dark, full-bodied red wine from around Podgorica, Krstač a dry white from the same region. The homemade version is poured straight from a demijohn and costs a fraction of a bottle's price.

Lozova rakija

A grape brandy that konobas often pour on the house at the end of a meal. The homemade version can be over 50% proof — one shot is plenty, and not for driving.

What it costs

Coffee on the square

€2–3

Ćevapi with flatbread

€6–8

Lunch at a konoba

€12–18

Dinner with mussels and fish

€30–45 per person

Entry to the walls

from €15 in season

Cathedral of St Tryphon

from €5

Boat from Perast to Our Lady of the Rocks

from €5

Night in a 3-star hotel

€60–120 for a double room

Indicative prices that change over time — treat them as a guide, not a price list.

Practical information

SocketsCEuroplug, two round pinsFSchuko

Voltage230V / 50Hz

Tap waterTap water is drinkable — Tap water is safe to drink on the Montenegrin coast and comes from karst springs in the mountains above the bay. In peak season, though, pressure and quality can drop in some resorts as the system struggles to keep up, and the water can taste hard. Bottled water costs around €0.50 for 1.5 litres in a supermarket. Restaurants don't serve tap water.

TippingTips are given in cash and rounded up: to the nearest euro in a café, around 10% in a restaurant. Cards are accepted in hotels and larger restaurants, but smaller konobas, market stalls and beach bars want cash, and resort cash machines charge a fee. The currency is the euro, even though Montenegro isn't in the European Union.

Driving on theright

SafetyMontenegro is a safe country and crime practically doesn't affect tourists. The real risks are on the road: the roads are narrow, signage on the hairpin bends is poor, and overtaking on blind corners is common — allow at least double the time your navigation app shows for any drive. Beaches tend to be pebbly, and sea urchins are common in the shallows, so water shoes are worth having. The 112 emergency number works, and English is widely understood.

Opening hoursShops are open roughly 8am to 8pm, later in season, and only some close on Sundays. Museums and churches keep short hours, often mornings only in winter. Cafés on the square open at 7am and stay full all morning — spending 2 hours over a single coffee is normal here, and no one rushes you.

Customs & etiquetteThe pace is slow and rushing isn't the done thing — service arrives when it arrives, and pushing doesn't speed anything up. Shoulders and knees should be covered in churches and monasteries; at Orthodox monasteries women take a headscarf or wrap, usually available at the entrance. Walking around town in swimwear isn't done. Montenegro is sensitive about being called Croatia or Serbia, and it's best not to be the one to bring up the 2006 independence question. Coffee is drunk slowly, and it's polite to accept an invitation for a coffee if offered.

A few local wordsHello — Dobar danThank you — HvalaPlease — MolimThe bill, please — Račun, molimCheers — ŽivjeliGoodbye — Doviđenja

How to plan your days

1 day

A day in Kotor

1Climb the walls to the Fortress of St John before 8am, ahead of the heat.
2Descend to the Sea Gate and breakfast on the Square of Arms.
3Cathedral of St Tryphon, including the reliquary chapel upstairs.
4Church of St Luke and the alleys off the main route.
5Dinner in Dobrota or Muo, cheaper than inside the walls.

2 days

2 days with the bay

1Day 1 as above.
2Morning bus to Perast, St Nicholas's bell tower.
3Boat to the islet of Our Lady of the Rocks.
4Lunch in Perast, or in Prčanj on the way back.
5Afternoon swim from the concrete platforms in Prčanj or Dobrota.

3 days

3 days with the mountains

1Days 1–2 as above.
2Morning drive up the hairpins to Lovćen, stopping at the viewpoint above Kotor.
3Njegoš's Mausoleum on the summit of Jezerski vrh, 460 steps.
4Lunch in Njeguši with prosciutto straight from the producer.
5Afternoon in Cetinje, with the monastery and former embassies, then back to Kotor in the evening.

Day trips

Lovćen and Njegoš's Mausoleum

35 km · 1h 15min by car

A national park on the mountain above Kotor, whose summit, Jezerski vrh at 1,657m, holds the mausoleum of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, poet and ruler of Montenegro. 460 steps through a tunnel in the rock lead to the entrance, and on a clear day the terrace behind the mausoleum offers views over a quarter of the country.

Cetinje

45 km · 1h 30min by car

Montenegro's historic capital, in a mountain basin, home to a monastery founded in 1484 that holds a relic of St John the Baptist's hand, a royal palace, and a string of buildings that were great-power embassies around the turn of the century — an odd backdrop for a town of 15,000 people. Njeguši prosciutto is also cured in the same basin.

Budva

22 km · 40min by bus

The busiest resort on the coast, with a walled old town, a citadel above the sea and 35km of beaches — exactly what Kotor lacks. Sveti Stefan, an islet with a village turned into a resort, lies 7km beyond the town. Buses run from Kotor every half hour through a tunnel under the mountain.

Frequently asked questions

How many steps is the climb up Kotor's walls?+

Over 1,350, with an elevation gain of 260m. The climb takes 50 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on pace. Go before 8am or after 5pm — at midday the steps hit over 30°C with almost no shade. Take 1.5 litres of water per person.

Can you swim in Kotor?+

Badly. Kotor itself has no beaches, just concrete platforms along the waterfront. Proper swimming spots are in Dobrota, Muo and Prčanj, where platforms have steps down into the water. For actual beaches, head to Budva, 22km away. The water in the bay is also cooler and less salty than in the open sea.

Do you have to pay to enter the walls?+

In season, from May to September, yes — €15, collected at both entrances roughly from 8am to 8pm. Anyone starting before 8am gets through for free, which is also the best time to climb because of the heat. Outside the season, no fee is charged at all.

When do cruise ships arrive in Kotor?+

In season, almost daily — they dock right by the walls and unload several thousand people at once. The Old Town, roughly from 10am to 4pm, gets unpleasantly crowded during that window. Before 9am and after 7pm, Kotor is a different city. Cruise ship schedules are public and can be checked in advance.

Is Kotor the only fjord in the Mediterranean?+

No, although it's often described that way. Kotor Bay is a drowned river valley, known as a ria, not a glacier-carved fjord. Geologically that's a real difference — visually it isn't: the walls rise more than 1,000m straight out of the water, and the impression is the same as in Norway.

Do I need a car in Kotor?+

Not for the town itself — the Old Town is pedestrian-only and cars can't get in. Buses run along the bay to Perast and Prčanj every half hour, and to Budva too. A car is useful for Lovćen, Cetinje and Njeguši. Parking outside the walls is expensive and full in season.

How do I get to Our Lady of the Rocks?+

By boat from Perast — the crossing takes 5 minutes and costs around €5 return, with boats leaving continuously throughout the day. There's no point booking an organised trip from Kotor or Budva. The neighbouring island of St George, with its monastery, is off-limits — it's private.

How many days are enough for Kotor?+

The town itself with its walls takes 1 day; add Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks for 2. For 3 days, add Lovćen with Njegoš's Mausoleum and Cetinje. Anyone wanting to swim too should consider basing themselves in Budva or Dobrota and visiting Kotor as a day trip.

Visa Requirements

Check the latest visa requirements for entering this country. Some nationalities may need to apply for a visa or e-visa before travel.

Check visa requirements

Emergency Numbers

Police122 Ambulance124 Fire123

Language

Montenegrin

Currency

EUR

Timezone

Europe/Podgorica

Dial Code

+382

Population

620K

Area

13,812 km²

Voltage

230V / 50Hz

Driving Side

Right

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