Destinations / Montenegro
Bay of Kotor: five days between sea and stone
Old stone towns under mountains that drop straight into the water. Small enough to learn in a week, quiet enough to slow down in.
- Length5 days
- Best monthsMay–Sep
- TypeCoast
- Budgetfrom €420
02 / Why go
The Adriatic, folded into the mountains
The bay winds inland like a fjord, with a walled town at its far end and villages strung along the shore. You can swim before breakfast, climb a fortress before lunch and eat fish by the water at night.
Five days gives you Kotor itself, the baroque village of Perast, a day in the mountains above the bay and a day on the beaches near the open sea, all from one base.
03 / The route
Day by day
Day 1
Kotor old town
Get lost on purpose. The walled town is a knot of lanes and small squares, with a cathedral, a maritime museum and more cats than you can count. Evenings are best, once the day visitors leave.
- St Tryphon Cathedral
- Maritime Museum
- Sea Gate
- Old town squares
Day 2
The fortress and a swim
Climb to the fortress of San Giovanni early, before the heat. It is more than a thousand steps, and the view over the bay is the one on every postcard. Spend the afternoon swimming off the stone piers in Dobrota.
- San Giovanni Fortress
- City walls
- Dobrota waterfront
Day 3
Perast and the islands
A short bus ride along the shore. Perast is one street of palaces and church towers. Take a small boat to the island church of Our Lady of the Rocks, then stay for a long lunch by the water.
- Perast
- Our Lady of the Rocks
- Risan mosaics
Day 4
Lovćen and Njeguši
Drive the old serpentine road above Kotor, hairpin after hairpin, to Lovćen National Park and the mausoleum on its summit. Stop in the village of Njeguši for smoked ham and cheese on the way back.
- Kotor serpentine
- Njegoš Mausoleum
- Njeguši village
Day 5
Tivat and Luštica
End by the open sea. Walk the marina in Tivat, then head to the Luštica peninsula for clearer water and quieter beaches than anything inside the bay.
- Tivat waterfront
- Luštica peninsula
- Beach afternoon
04 / When to go
Either side of high summer
Our pick
Warm enough to swim, cool enough to climb, and the old town still has room to breathe.
Hot and busy
The sea is at its best, but so are the crowds and the prices. Start every day early.
Quiet, often wet
Calm and cheap, with many places closed. The bay gets a lot of rain in the cold months.
05 / Budget
What five days cost
An estimate for one person sharing an apartment outside July and August. Flights are not included, and prices change with the season, so check before you book.
06 / Practical notes
Worth knowing before you land
Watch the cruise ships
When a ship is in port the old town fills by late morning. Go early or after five.
Bring cash
Montenegro uses the euro. Small cafés, buses and boatmen often take cash only.
Pick your airport
Tivat is closest. Podgorica and Dubrovnik also work, but the border from Croatia can be slow in summer.
Pack water shoes
Beaches inside the bay are stone and concrete piers, not sand.
Hire a car for one day
Buses cover the shore well. You only need wheels for Lovćen, and the road is narrow.
Stay in Dobrota
A short walk from the old town, quieter at night, and with the water at your door.
Want this route for your dates?
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