How many days in Kotor? 3 days: the walls, the bay and the mountain road
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Kotor is a small walled Venetian town at the far end of a fjord-like bay, squeezed between the water and a limestone wall that rises more than 1,000 metres. The Old Town takes an hour to cross, but the walls that climb behind it, the baroque villages around the bay and the mountain road to Lovcen fill three days well. The key is timing: on cruise-ship days the Old Town fills from about 9:00 to 17:00, so walk it early in the morning and after dark.
Short answer
Two days covers the Old Town, the fortress climb and Perast with Our Lady of the Rocks. A third day adds the serpentine road over the mountain to Njegusi and the Njegos Mausoleum, or the beaches of Budva.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: The Old Town and St John's Fortress
Morning. Enter by the Sea Gate around 8:00, before the cruise passengers arrive, and walk the stone squares to the Cathedral of St Tryphon, consecrated in 1166, with its two bell towers (entry about €4). Nearby are the small Church of St Luke and the Maritime Museum, which tells the story of the Boka sailors (about €5-6).
Afternoon. Rest during the heat and the crowds, then start the climb to St John's Fortress (San Giovanni) around 16:00-17:00. It is about 1,350 steps and 260 metres up, roughly 45-60 minutes, and the ticket costs about €15 (check current price). Halfway up, the Church of Our Lady of Remedy makes a good stop.
Evening. Watch the sunset over the bay from the top, then walk down and have dinner in the Old Town squares, now much quieter. A plate of seafood pasta or black risotto costs about €15-22.
Check the cruise-ship calendar for the port of Kotor (published online); on days with two or three large ships, plan the Old Town for early morning and evening only.
Day 2: Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks
Morning. Take the local bus or a taxi about 12 km (20-25 minutes) along the bay to Perast, a one-street baroque village of captains' palaces and 16 churches. Climb the bell tower of St Nicholas Church for the view over the bay (a few euros).
Afternoon. From the Perast waterfront, small boats cross in about 5 minutes to Our Lady of the Rocks, an artificial islet built up by sailors over centuries, with a church full of votive paintings (boat about €5-8 return, church entry a few euros). Next to it, the island of St George with its Benedictine monastery is closed to visitors but can be seen from the boat.
Evening. Have dinner on the water in Perast or in Dobrota, the village just north of Kotor, where restaurants serve grilled fish and buzara, mussels cooked in wine and garlic. Return to Kotor by taxi, about €15-20.
In summer, a boat tour from Kotor combines Perast, Our Lady of the Rocks and the Blue Cave on the Lustica peninsula (about €30-60). It is longer but saves the bus.
Day 3: Lovcen, Njegusi and Budva
Morning. Drive up the Kotor Serpentine, a road of 25 hairpin bends above the bay, to the village of Njegusi, known for its smoked ham and cheese; stop for a plate of Njegusi prsut with bread and cheese (about €8-12). Continue into Lovcen National Park (entry about €3-5).
Afternoon. Climb the 461 steps through a tunnel to the Njegos Mausoleum on Jezerski Vrh at about 1,657 metres, built for the 19th-century prince-bishop and poet (entry about €8). On a clear day you can see the bay, the Albanian mountains and the Adriatic. Then descend to Cetinje, the old royal capital, or towards the coast.
Evening. End in Budva, about 30 minutes from Kotor, for a walk around its small walled old town and a swim at Mogren beach, then return to Kotor. Alternatively, stop at the viewpoint of Sveti Stefan, the hotel island linked to the shore by a causeway.
Rent a car for this day (around €35-60 in summer) or join a day tour. The serpentine road is narrow; meet buses on the bends slowly and use the passing places.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, keep Days 1 and 2; on Day 2 you can add a short evening in Budva by bus. You lose the mountain road, Njegusi and Lovcen.
Got extra days?
A 4th day can go further: the Ladder of Kotor, a free old mule track above the town, for experienced walkers; a boat day around the bay; Ostrog Monastery, built into a cliff about 2 hours inland; or a cross-border trip to Dubrovnik in Croatia, about 2 hours by road plus border queues.
Where to stay in Kotor
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Old Town hostels / Skaljari | Dorms and simple rooms in or just outside the walls; Skaljari is a 5-minute walk. | €40-80 |
| Mid-range | Inside the Old Town | Stone rooms in the walls, quiet once the cruise passengers leave; no cars. | €90-170 |
| Mid-range | Dobrota / Muo | Waterfront apartments with bay views, a 15-30 minute walk or short ride to town. | €80-160 |
| Comfort | Perast / Dobrota waterfront hotels | Restored palaces and hotels on the water, with private swimming platforms. | €200-450 |
Getting around
Montenegro uses the euro. Tivat airport is about 8 km away (taxi roughly €15-25), and Podgorica airport about 1.5-2 hours. Kotor's bus station is a 10-minute walk south of the Old Town, with buses to Perast, Tivat, Budva (about 30-40 minutes) and Dubrovnik; check current timetables. The Old Town is car-free; parking outside costs about €2-3 an hour. Taxis are fair if you agree the fare first or use a local app.
What to eat in Kotor
Kotor's food is Mediterranean on the coast and mountain-style inland. By the bay, eat black risotto made with cuttlefish ink, buzara mussels or prawns in wine and garlic, and grilled fish sold by weight. From the mountains come Njegusi prsut (smoked ham) and cheese, kacamak (a heavy potato and cornmeal dish with cheese and kajmak) and lamb cooked under a metal dome (ispod saca), which often must be ordered in advance. Drink local Vranac red wine. A main course costs about €12-22 in the Old Town, less outside the walls; a burek with yogurt from a bakery is about €2-3.
Best time to visit
May-June and September-October, with 20-28°C and warm sea. July and August are hot (often 32-35°C in the enclosed bay) and the busiest months for cruise ships and traffic on the coast road. Kotor is one of the rainiest places in Europe in winter, though the town is quiet and cheap then; the Kotor Carnival in February and the Boka Night in August are lively festivals.
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | €30 | €60 | €150 |
| Food & drink | €20 | €35 | €70 |
| Sights & tickets | €15 | €30 | €60 |
| Local transport | €4 | €15 | €40 |
| Total per person, per day | about €70 | about €140 | about €320 |
Approximate 2026 prices in euros for May-October. Montenegro adds a small tourist tax of about €1-2 per person per night, usually collected by the hotel.
Before you go
Common questions
Is the climb to St John's Fortress hard?
It is steep but short: about 1,350 uneven stone steps, 260 metres up, in 45-60 minutes for a fit walker. Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, never at midday in summer, and wear good shoes. There is no shade on the upper sections. The ticket of about €15 is paid at the gate near the north side of the Old Town.
How do cruise ships affect a visit?
A lot. On busy days, several thousand passengers arrive in the Old Town at once, mostly between 9:00 and 17:00. The cruise schedule for the port is published online, so plan the Old Town for early morning and evening on those days, and use the middle of the day for Perast or the mountains.
Can I visit Dubrovnik from Kotor?
Yes, as a long day trip. The drive is about 90 km and roughly 2 hours without traffic, but the border crossing between Montenegro and Croatia can add 1-2 hours in summer. Buses and organised tours run daily in the season. Bring your passport; Croatia is in the Schengen area and Montenegro is not.
Is Kotor good for swimming?
The bay is calm and swimmable, but there are few sandy beaches. Locals swim from concrete platforms and small pebble coves along the shore at Dobrota, Muo and Perast. For proper beaches, go to Budva, about 30-40 minutes away, or take a boat to the Lustica peninsula and the Blue Cave.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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