Kotor Shore Excursions

Blue Cave Boats: What Each Price Covers

Four boat trips on this page reach the Blue Cave on the Lustica peninsula. The difference is mostly what the price covers. On the Blue Cave, Submarine Base and Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour ($43) and the Blue Cave Swim and Submarine Tunnels Boat Tour ($61), the church or museum ticket at Our Lady of the Rocks is paid in cash on the island: $5.54 (€5) on the first and $3.32 (€3) on the second. The 4-Hour Blue Cave, Swimming and Perast Boat Tour ($66) includes taxes, entrance tickets, water, soft drinks and beer for groups of up to 8. The Blue Cave Kayak and Snorkel Trip ($134.15) is a 5-hour paddle capped at 12 people that starts 13 minutes' walk from the cruise ship terminal.

On the speedboats you enter the cave by swimming from the opening, with masks subject to availability. Guests who are not proficient swimmers are not permitted in the water on the $43 tour, so check the swim rules before booking.

Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Only

Short on time in the Bay of Kotor? The Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour is 2 hours for $41 per person, rated 4.7 from 1,152 reviews, with the island museum ticket an extra $3.32 (€3) in cash. The Cable Car, Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Guided Tour runs 4.5 hours for $133 and includes the Kotor Cable Car ride, the boat to the island and the island church and museum tickets, plus the tourist tax.

It meets at the Port of Kotor or the main gate of the old town, which sits in front of the old town walls.

Boat Excursions Side by Side

The table compares the bay boats on length, price, the island ticket and the swim stop, using each tour's own listing. Look at the island ticket column before you book, because the cash fee is the most common surprise on the quay at Our Lady of the Rocks.

When the Sea Decides

The $43 speedboat runs rain or shine, with raincoats provided, and modifies the route or offers an alternative tour if conditions get severe or the open sea turns rough. The $61 boat may be canceled or rescheduled if sea conditions are unsafe, and it can feel chilly on the water in spring and autumn. The kayak trip can be canceled for bad weather with a full refund in that case.

Book a boat with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead so a rough-sea day does not cost you.

Port Pickup and the Ship's Day

The Kotor Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers costs $88 per person for 4 hours, limited to 8 people, with port pickup and drop-off, a car, a driver-guide and parking included. It visits Perast, Budva, Porto Montenegro in Tivat and the Trojica viewpoint. The boat ride from Perast to Our Lady of the Rocks is not included.

The Small-Group Montenegro Tour for Cruise Passengers costs $101.46 per person for 4-5 hours, capped at 16 people. The driver-guide waits at the fountain across the road from the port gate holding a name board, and the listing promises back on time to the ship. The island boat costs $11.08 (€10) cash per person, not included. This is the only tour here whose listing states a guarantee of return to the ship.

The Long Day: Lovcen, Cetinje and Sveti Stefan

The Great Montenegro Tour: Lovcen, Cetinje and Sveti Stefan runs 11 hours for $105.97 per person, rated 4.9 from 692 reviews. It climbs to Lovcen National Park and the Njegos Mausoleum, visits Cetinje, the old royal capital, takes a boat on the River of Crnojevic and ends at the Sveti Stefan viewpoint. Park and mausoleum fees of $17.73 (€16) are paid in cash at the agency office and are not part of the price.

Food, drinks and a Kotor Cable Car ride are also excluded. This one only fits a long port call.

Short Drives Along the Bay

The Bay of Kotor and Perast Electric Car Tour is 2.5 hours for $77 per person. You drive a two-seat electric Fiat Topolino in a convoy led by a guide on a motorbike, with an hour of free time in Perast. The meeting point is about a 15-minute walk from the cruise port, and a valid driver's license is required.

The Jeep Tour to Gornji Stoliv with Food Tasting costs $95 per person for 2.5 hours in an air-conditioned 4x4 with driver. It includes a church ticket and guided visit, plus prosciutto, cheese, bread and juices, with a viewpoint over Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks.

The Kotor Hop-on Hop-off Bus and Walking Tour is a $31 day ticket from the Port of Kotor that stops in Perast and at Orahovac beach, with a guided walking tour included. Buses run every 20-25 minutes depending on traffic, and the ticket carries discounts at the Perast maritime museum and the island boat.

The Old Town and Its UNESCO Listing

The Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. The property covers 14,600 hectares and meets criteria (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) as a cultural property. UNESCO notes that four Romanesque churches and the town walls were seriously damaged by the 1979 earthquake, and the town has been restored largely with UNESCO's help.

Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks

Perast sits further up the bay from Kotor, facing the islet of Our Lady of the Rocks and its church. Several tours stop at both: the Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour covers the pair in 2 hours for $41, the Blue Cave, Submarine Base and Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour adds the submarine tunnel and Mamula for $43, and the Cable Car, Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Guided Tour combines the island with the cable car, church and museum tickets included. On most boats the island church or museum ticket is paid in cash on the island.

Practical Notes for a Port Day

Montenegro uses the euro (EUR). Keep some cash for island fees, which the boat listings price at $5.54 (€5) for the church, museum or island admission on the Blue Cave speedboat tour, $3.32 (€3) for the museum on the Perast speedboat tour, and $11.08 (€10) for the optional island boat on the small-group cruise passenger tour. UK citizens can stay visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180, per the FCDO.

The emergency number in Montenegro is 112, including for an ambulance.

The Bay by Boat, Then the Walls

Start with a boat. The Blue Cave, Submarine Base and Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour runs 3 hours for $43 and stops 20 minutes on the island of Our Lady of the Rocks, 10 minutes at the old submarine base and 30 minutes at the Blue Cave. Bring $5.54 (€5) in cash for the island church.

Back on the quay, the Kotor City Walls Entry Ticket at $17 covers the climb above the old town on the date you choose. The ticket listing warns of steep staircases, so wear proper shoes and carry water. This plan suits strong swimmers and walkers.

A Land Tour From the Port

Not a swimmer, or travelling with someone who dislikes boats? The Kotor Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers collects you at the port and returns you there after 4 hours, for $88. It covers Perast, Budva, Porto Montenegro in Tivat and the Trojica viewpoint, with the boat to the island left out.

The Small-Group Montenegro Tour for Cruise Passengers costs $101.46 for 4-5 hours. Its driver waits at the fountain across the road from the port gate and its listing promises you back on time. Spend what is left of the day inside the walls, where the old town costs nothing to walk.

A Slow Day in Town

For a short call, or a second visit, stay close. The Kotor Old Town Walking Tour is 1 hour for $28.18 and starts on the plateau in front of the Sea Gate. The Kotor Food Tour takes 3 hours for $157.83 with brunch, snacks and drinks included, for groups of up to 10.

If you want the bay without a boat, the Bay of Kotor and Perast Electric Car Tour drives the shore road to Perast in 2.5 hours for $77. Its meeting point is about 15 minutes' walk from the port, and you need a valid driver's license.

Docked or Tendered

The Port of Kotor has two cruise berths and three anchorages. Berth 1 is 168 m long plus 120 m, with draught from 12.8 m down to 8.6 m. Berth 2 is in the Škurda river, 76 m long, used for smaller ships, mega yachts and ferries with stern-to mooring.

The two named anchorages are Kamenarovići Bay and Orahovac Bay, and port services include passenger transfers to and from the anchorages, so some ships tender guests ashore. Ships over 150 m long have a maximum draught of 7.8 m, and the port is open for traffic 24/7.

Where Each Tour Meets

Cruise days are short, so the meeting point and the length of each tour matter more than anything else on the page. The table below compares where seven tours start and how long they run, using each operator's own listing.

Booking Around the Ship

Two operators ask cruise guests for ship details at booking. The Blue Cave Kayak and Snorkel Trip asks for ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time, and refunds nothing if the tour is missed because the ship arrives late, as its listing states. The Kotor Old Town Walking Tour asks for the same ship details and also refunds nothing for a late or missing ship, while noting it departs within walking distance of the cruise port. Their cancellation terms differ: the kayak trip gives a full refund only 6 days ahead, and the walking tour allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Most other tours on this page carry a free cancellation window of 24 hours.

The City Walls and St John Fortress

The walls climb from the old town up to the St John fortress (San Giovanni), with views over the rooftops and the Bay of Kotor. The Kotor City Walls Entry Ticket costs $17 per person, is sold by Opstina Kotor (the Municipality of Kotor itself), and is a self-guided entry valid on the chosen date. Bring comfortable shoes and water, and expect steep staircases, as the listing advises.

The port's own Kotor page calls the town walls the second longest in Europe at 4.5 km.

Inside the Old Town

The Cathedral of St Tryphon stands inside the old town, and the walls ticket does not cover it. The Kotor Old Town Walking Tour is a 1-hour guided orientation walk costing $28.18 per person, which includes a guide, an old town map and the city tax, but not entry to the walls, the cathedral or the museum. If you would rather taste the town, the Kotor Food Tour runs 3 hours for $157.83 per person with brunch, snacks, drinks, all fees and taxes included, capped at 10 people.

The Kotor Cable Car

The Kotor Cable Car climbs from the lower station to Kuk at 1,348 m above sea level on a 3,900 m route with an altitude difference of 1,316 m. The gondola ride takes 11 minutes, with 48 gondolas of up to 10 passengers. The adult round-trip ticket is $22.16 (€20) and the adult one-way ticket is $13.30 (€12), per the Kotor Cable Car website, which also sets the opening days.