11 Glorious Must-Take Day Trips From Kotor, Montenegro

Last updated on May 7th, 2023

Not only Kotor is one of the most beautiful cities in Montenegro, it also happens to be located in the area with close proximity to many sights and natural wonders. This is why you shouldn’t miss an opportunity to go on day trips from Kotor to see historical settlements that preserve cultural treasures and offer magnificent landscapes with unspoiled nature.

Want to see the Baroque architecture of the centuries-old town in Kotor Bay? Explore a gigantic cave? Or sip wine on a family-owned vineyard overlooking the mountains? Float the lake? Hit up another lesser-known but no less beautiful Montenegro town? Hike in a park with panoramic views?

Any one of those can be reached within an hour or two of Kotor – so no matter what your interests are, there are some nice Kotor day trips for you. You can get to all these places either by car or bus, by bicycle, on a tour or even on foot – it all depends on the time, distance, and your budget!

For car hire, the best company to rent a car in the region is LocalRent (former MyRentaCar). With it, you can find a car in any city, including Kotor. They have the lowest prices and include insurance in the rate. Read on my driving and Montenegro car hire tips before you set off.

Please note: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you make a purchase or booking by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you).

Here are 11 Must-Take Day Trips From Kotor

Day Trip to Perast and Ostrvo

The town of Perast, located right by the water and main road, is a picturesque small Adriatic town with gorgeous architecture, reflecting its glorious past. Perast is like an open-air museum that shows guests magnificent examples of Baroque architecture against the backdrop of the natural scenery of Bay of Kotor.

Many buildings are like real palaces and no wonder why. In the past, there were 12 noble families who lived in town and they built all those Baroque mansions and churches that Perast is proud of to this day.

The most beautiful architectural masterpiece of Perast is the Bujović mansion, built with the money of the Venetian Republic according to the project of the Venetian architect Giovanni Batista Fontana. The mansion houses the Perast Museum which presents a collection of sea maps, ship models, portraits of outstanding mariners, weapons, and archival documents. This museum will be especially interesting to families traveling to Montenegro with kids.

The uniqueness of Perast lies in the fact that there are 2 islands nearby inseparable from the town both geographically and historically. One of them is the island of Ostrvo or as it is also called Our Lady of the Rocks. This is the only man-made island of the Adriatic.

The island has an 11 m high Byzantine-style Catholic church with impressive interior decoration. On the second floor of the church is a museum.

The second island is the island of St. George which also bears the second name “Island of the Dead”. It has a cemetery where the famous captain Perast was buried. The island is very picturesque, but you can only admire it from the water since it is closed to the public.

If you are looking to visit Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks island, these are some of the best tours:

If you intend to get to the island on your own, then you can do it by water taxi from Perast. The fare is 5€ per person and the travel time will take only a couple of minutes. In the summertime, leave as early as possible to avoid crowds.

Budva Old Town And Surroundings

Budva is one of the oldest cities in the Adriatic. It is more than two and a half thousand years old. Located only 23 kilometers away from Kotor, it makes it easy and fast to go there on a day trip, either you are traveling by car or by public bus.

Being the main tourist center of the country and the capital of nightlife, Budva has beautiful beaches and a cute vibrant old town. It is worth devoting one long day to this city and the surrounding area.

Some of my favorite sightseeing spots and activities in Budva are:

– Old Town with its church square, Citadel, door to the sea, museum, and beach cafe

– A wall around the old town. If you don’t want to walk along the streets of the old city, then walk along its perimeter along the walls, looking down at the courtyards, yachts, and the sea

– Mogren Beach

– Coffee-break in the panoramic cafe Vista Vidikovac

– The ruins of the Mogren fortress

– Park zone of the Slovenska Plaza hotel

– A boat trip to the island of St. Nikola to the beach.

– Podmaine Male Orthodox Monastery

– Walking trail from Budva to Becici, as well as to Kamenovo beach through tunnels

– Fish farm ‘Pojata’ with restaurant and mountain waterfall. The only reason I recommend this place is a mountain waterfall, where you can swim in a natural pool on a hot summer day. Additionally, this place will be interesting for kids since, in the summer, there are geese, a donkey, rabbits, pigs, a pond with fish, and pool. The food at the restaurant is expensive and not very tasty. The best way to get here is by car.

– Round panoramic platform at the Church of St. Sava

– Austrian fortress Kosmach with a view over the Budva Riviera

If you would like to go on an adventure, check this 3-hour paddleboard tour to coastal caves.

Kotor Day Trip to Lovcen National Park and Cetinje

One of the viewing platforms in Lovcen National Park

Kotor day trips — Famous Cetinje Monastery

Lovcen National Park is one of the 5 nature reserves in Montenegro. Since it is very close to the sea coast, a lot of tourists try to visit it during the first days of their trip. And rightfully so.

It is worth going to Lovcen in any season. In summer – for the sake of mountain coolness because the height of the mountain range reaches 1749 m. Then in spring – Lovcen’s meadows are dotted with crocuses. In autumn – trees dress in golden robes. And in winter – the slopes get covered with snow.

No matter which season you choose to travel to Lovcen, it is better to visit on a sunny day without rain. Otherwise, because of the clouds, you will not see a beautiful panorama of Montenegro.

I have a very detailed guide to the Lovcen National Park hiking and Mausoleum visit. Make sure to read it to have a better understanding of the area.

Once you are there, don’t skip the political and spiritual center of Montenegro Cetinje. Steeped in history and hidden in clouds, it has many historical sights.

And these are very detailed group day tours to Lovcen and Cetinje from Kotor:

From Kotor to Lustica Bay Marina

Lustica Bay is not really a tourist attraction but a beautiful place for walking, lunch, and/or spending some time near the sea. This luxury looking marina is a relatively new project built by Middle East investors, so you can expect it to be expensive. However, you can easily come here for a few hours or a day and not spend much.

This ambitious project includes not only a port and a hotel, but also a restaurant, cafes, walking paths, shops, and a hundred or so private houses and infrastructure for residents.

The Chedi Luštica Bay, a 5-star hotel with a spa and beach, has opened on the seafront last year. Its luxurious design has lots of vegetation, a clean sea, stunning views, and Mediterranean-style buildings. Their restaurant ‘The Spot’ is really gorgeous. You don’t need to stay there to be able to visit.

Also, there are several other cafes nearby that have very reasonable prices. If you get to come for breakfast, I recommend 21 Bistro Sea View and next door bakery ‘Pekanbaru Davidovic’ with delicious borek.

Almara beach-club is another spot for relaxation and a beach day.

Things to do here: Walk, visit the hotel, get a spa treatment, dine, and spend time on the beach. If you are not planning to go to the spa or stay on the beach (umbrellas and beach chairs rent prices are somewhat high) then it is better to make it as a half-day trip from Kotor and combine it with other attractions.

The quickest and the most convenient way to visit here is by car.

Tivat and Porto Montenegro

Most people associate Tivat mainly with the airport, not knowing that there is actually much more to it. Yes, Tivat is a small city but there are enough interesting sites to see.

Modern Tivat is the main infrastructure center of the Bay of Kotor.

When Montenegro gained independence from Serbia, there was no such a city as Tivat, just a small village near the former base of the Yugoslav submarines. Soon after, a group of investors, including a Canadian businessman Peter Munk and French businessman president of Louis Vuitton Bernard Arnault, in the late 2000s began to create the giant Porto Montenegro as an alternative to overloaded and terribly expensive city-ports in Italy and France.

Porto Montenegro today is the reason why many people travel there calling it ‘Adriatic Monte Carlo’. If you are looking for ideas on what day trips from Kotor to take, I recommend you check out this beautiful Perl by the sea.

Here you’ll find the most expensive shops and hotels and an amazing PMYC yacht club with a bar, restaurant, and an impressive 64-meter infinity swimming pool overlooking the sea.

Walk around, go for a cup of coffee with a view of the snow-white yachts, or rent a pedal catamaran or kayak and sail to the largest island in the bay Sveti Marco.

Prevlaka Island & Stradioti Island

Not far from Tivat, there are a few islands that tourists don’t usually visit. But I advise you to go to one of them on a day trip from Kotor if you have more time in the country.

The first one, Prevlaka Island is easily accessible by car. You can park right after you cross the bridge to the island and then walk on foot.

In the past, during Yugoslavia times, Prevlaka Island was home to the sanatorium complex for the military. Today, it is abandoned and has a small monastery, museum, and ruins of another monastery. The main reason to come here is for the great views, to swim and fish. By the way, if you are visiting Montenegro in summer and looking to escape crowds of people along the Montenegro coast, come to swim here. This island will be empty.

Stradioti or Island of St. Mark is the largest island in the Tivat Gulf, and actually in the entire Kotor Bay. From a distance on the shore, it seems that there is nothing on the island except greenery. However, from an airplane or helicopter, you can see old buildings and reed bungalows that used to belong to the French company ‘Club Med’ before the Yugoslav Wars.

No, I do not suggest any helicopter tours. Instead, if you want to have an adventure, you can get to the island by rented kayak, boat, canoe, or floatie (just kidding). The best place to rent a boat or canoe is Tivat. Just make sure to wear closed shoes in the summer since there can be snakes.

Sightseeing Tour of the Bay of Kotor

Every traveler who comes to Montenegro must see fjords. And one of the best ways to do that is to go on a tour around the Bay of Kotor. So one of the must-take day trips from Kotor should definitely include sightseeing around the bay.

There are a lot of really cool tours to choose from based on your budget. We have personally gone on these two:

– Sightseeing tour of the Bay of Kotor on a double-decker bus Hop-On Hop-Off. For those who are not familiar with this type of excursion, here is a brief review. Excursions on Hop-On Hop-Off buses are good because you will have a personal audio guide in English and the opportunity to leave the bus at any stop to get acquainted with attractions and then wait for the next bus and continue the ride.

The ticket is valid for the entire day.

The Hop-On Hop-Off bus departs from the old town of Kotor and stops at several interesting places such as Risan, Perast, Bazhova Kula, Kotor. Entrance to the Roman mosaics and the museum in Perast are included in the price of tickets.

– One day excursion around the Bay of Kotor on a boat. For this price, you will see the bay, the church of St. Mary on the man-made island, Kotor, the blue cave, the island of Mamula, and other interesting places.

If you have more time in the country, I highly recommend seeing the bay from the water and from the land. You’ll get two different perspectives on this magical place.

If you don’t have a lot of time and decide between two, it is probably better to go on a self-guided tour by car or on a group tour on a bus. In this way, you’ll get to see and experience more.

Trip Around the Bay of Kotor By Car

I highly recommend, besides a sea or bus excursion, to drive on your own along the coast of the Bay of Kotor. This drive is one of the best road trips in Europe with hidden pearls of architecture along the narrow winding road. Dilapidated palaces and gorgeous churches, lovely clean beaches, historic towns, and lots of views of fjords – this is what awaits you along this road.

The best places to visit in Boko-Kotor Bay by car during one day are: Dobrota, Perast, Ostrvo, and Saint George islands, Roman Mosaics in Risan, Tvrdjava Unter, Morinj with one of the most beautiful beaches in Montenegro, Kamenari, and Herceg Novi.

On the way back, you can better take a ferry from Kamenari to Lepetani to save time and drive a new road.

Ostrog Monastery With a Few Sights on the Way

The main holy place in Montenegro – the Ostrog monastery is carved in the rock above the Belopavlichka plain at an altitude of 900 m above sea level.

This is the place of incredible beauty, faith, and spirituality. Also, this is the most visited place by pilgrims in Montenegro. If you come here on Saturday, you will see an interesting picture. On the platform in front of the monastery people from all over the Balkans will be lying on mattresses. They came to the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog to spend a night in prayers. Every “true” Orthodox believer wants to do that.

A lot of people try to visit Ostrog. Montenegrins even bring small kids and babies to get closer to relics. For some travelers, it may be better to go on an organized day tour from Kotor and be part of the group than to go on their own.

If you prefer to hire a car and visit Ostrog without a tour, you can go from Kotor through Podgorica (that road is only 6 kilometers longer) and see a few other attractions on the way. I recommend leaving very early and visiting another monastery in a cave – Serbian Dajbabe Monastery. Not far from it, there is a waterfall ‘Nijagara’, the Montenegrin version of Niagara Falls.

On the way back, if you still have daylight, make a stop at Slano Lake.

This is a good guided tour to Ostrog monastery:

Ostrog & Rijeka Crnojevic Private Tour

Skadar Lake Through a Scenic Road

Skadar Lake or Shkodra is the largest lake in the Balkans. It is worth going there if you would love to explore one of the islands, see the flora and fauna of the lake, fortresses, and cute villages on its banks, and possibly go on a boat tour. Pelicans and other species of birds are found there, and on the islands in the lake, there is either a chapel or a fortress.

The best way to visit Lake would be by car. Excursions to Skadar Lake, sold in travel agencies in coastal cities of Montenegro do not show the real beauty of the lake. A lot of tours are short, guides do not go into details or tell stories about local life. And there are many settlements around the reservoir and a lot of interesting facts to learn.

The gate to Skadar Lake is the village of Virpazar. It is the most touristy place on the lake with a lot of people in the summer. In Virpazar, you can rent a kayak, go to the restaurant, and climb the Besac castle.

Although I personally don’t like Virpazar since it’s too touristy. So instead, I recommend you to go to Godinje which is a lesser-visited and known village on Skadar lake, even though it’s only 10 minutes away from Virpazar. It is famous for its wineries and beautiful scenery.

Stop at Winery Garnet to taste great wine and national cuisine, for example, fish from Skadar Lake or homemade goat cheese. The owner Mishko can show you his winery and rent a canoe or motorboat. If you want a full-fledged excursion with historical facts and an interesting walk in Godinje, Mishko can offer it to you too and have a tour in English. Contat him in advance to find out about the price and make arrangements. For a faster response, contact him on Instagram.

On the way back to Kotor, instead of taking the same highway road through the tunnel (the only paid road in Montenegro by the way), make a loop and go on a scenic drive through Donji Murici to Cafa Stegvas panoramic point from where you get to see Albania.

Note: in August, the water blooms, so you may get wrong impressions about this place. The ideal time for visiting is May through early July or Septmeber through November.

The entrance to the reserve is 4 euros per person.

How to get there: by car. Another option is to take a one-day excursion. But to be honest, tours are below average. They do not allow any immersion in the local life. If you still decide to go with a tour, keep in mind that most depart only from Budva or Podgorica.

You can combine a full-day tour from Kotor to Skadar lake with the Lovcen trip.

Lipa Cave and Rijeka Crnojevica

Among the thousands of caves in Montenegro, Lipa Cave is the only one equipped for visits. And it is one of the largest caves in the former Yugoslavia.

Inside the cave, there are paths, lighting and visitors can go on a guided tour. Outside there is a cafe with a bathroom. Nature created huge stalactites and stalagmites in the Lipa cave which will leave a lasting impression. Lipa Cave is conveniently located next to Cetinje, so you can combine these two visits with another visit to Lovcen National Park.

This cave is a great attraction for families who are traveling to Montenegro with kids or anyone else who would like to cool off on a hot summer day.

The temperature is always around 7-10C degrees. Make sure to bring warm clothes with you.

How to get there on your own: if you are not a tour person, you can always visit by car or by bus to Cetinje and from there go by taxi to the cave.

How much does it cost? 10,90 euro per adult for a one-hour-long tour.

Timetable: April tours start at 12:00 and 14:00. May through October tours begin at 10:00; 11:30; 13:00; 14:30 and 16:00. For more details, visit the Lipa Cave website.

Kotor Day Trips That I Don’t Recommend Taking And Here is Why

Durmitor National Park

Durmitor National Park is definitely one of the best places to see in Montenegro. However, it is not a place for a day trip. Especially a day trip from Kotor.

It takes almost 3 hours to get there one way but honestly, there are quite a few things to see along the way. With a few stops, you could be driving 5-6 hours one way.

Even if you don’t make any stops and go to the park alone, it will still take 6 hours of your time just to drive to the park and back.

Usually, tourists who go to Durmitor for a day, get to see only the most touristy part of the Black Lake and sometimes drive on a scenic road Sedlo Pass. Sometimes they drive past it towards another famous place Tara Bridge. That’s it.

How much else can you squeeze in one day? In fact, not a day but 7-8 hours. In the spring or fall months when days are shorter, it’s even less time. However, there is so much more in and around Durmitor Park.

For the best experience, I recommend going to Durmitor for at least 2 days. During this time, you’ll be able to experience true beauty, try local food, and possibly go on one of the hikes that I talk about in my post about Durmitor hiking.

Whitewater Rafting in Tara

Whitewater rafting in Tara is absolutely astonishing adventure! And you should definitely add it to the Montenegro bucket list. However, as with Durmitor National Park, spending 5-6 hours in a van just for a few hours on a river rafting boat just doesn’t seem to make sense.

If you want to go from Kotor to the mountain canyon for the rafting, it is better to do it together with a trip to Durmitor. And for that, my advice to you is to devote at least 2 days and spend one night in the city of Zabljak or in the mountains nearby. By the way, I have a guide to Montenegro resort cities and towns where I talk about the best places where to stay in Montenegro, including Zabljak.

In one day you won’t have time to enjoy whitewater rafting adventure and the mountains. You’ll be tired of never-ending serpentines (about 450 – 500 km). And the mountain area is not a place for the rush. The northern part of Montenegro is a place for relaxation and enjoying the beauty of nature.

If you are still convinced you’d like to go on a whitewater rafting tour from Kotor, choose at least that tour that lasts 12 hours. The drive itself takes 3 hours one way, so you want to make sure there is enough time left for the adventure.

In August you can also pick berries and mushrooms in the forest. And by the way, you shouldn’t worry about the ticks and mosquitoes because there are none!

Dubrovnik

The only time when I recommend going on a Kotor day trip to Dubrovnik is when a traveler got to see a bigger part of Montenegro. And, if he/she got enough time in the country.

I am an advocate for slow travel which is more qualitative and rewarding at the same time. Are you coming to Montenegro for a week and plan to spend two days in Kotor? What’s the point to gallop through the country not being able to see even half of all the amazing attractions?

I would say if you have at least two weeks in Montenegro then sure, go on a day or even a few days trip to Dubrovnik. Otherwise, you’ll end up spending more time on the road and border crossing than actual sightseeing and enjoying the moment.

Where to Stay in Kotor – My Favorite Airbnbs and Hotels

VILLA MARINER: a beautiful apartment on the peninsula between Kotor and Tivat. It has its own beach and pier. Located in a quiet village Prcanj but is easy to get to from Kotor. Especially if you have a car.

BOGDANOVIC APARTMENT WITH SEA VIEW: A clean and spacious flat in Dobrota which is only a few minutes walk from Kotor. Being only a few steps from the private beach, this apartment has a beautiful sea view from the balcony. The price is very reasonable, check them out.

ASTORIA HOTEL: a lovely historic accommodation in the Old Town of Kotor. It has a very unique interior and decor, clean rooms with large beds, and the best location. The hotel, although looks like it was built in a cave, has modern furniture and bathrooms.

HOTEL R PALAZZO: a modern and relatively new hotel in an excellent location in Dobrota which offers absolutely unbeatable views. It features spacious rooms with a modern design, a gym, outdoor pool, sauna, and stunning views of Kotor Bay. Come to spend some quality time and get full relaxation.

11 Must-Take Amazing Day Trips From Kotor, Montenegro (And 3 Places to Skip)