Bay of Kotor
5
Day Itinerary •
Montenegro
Five days in the Bay of Kotor gives you the complete extraordinary experience of the most dramatic fjord on the Adriatic, from the UNESCO walled city of Kotor and the Baroque village of Perast to the hidden Lustica peninsula, the outer bay at Herceg Novi, a day into the Montenegrin interior and the extraordinary mountain road to Lovcen National Park above the bay. This route covers the full bay and its surrounds. Kotor old town and the city walls, Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks, the Lustica peninsula hidden coves, the full bay circuit including Herceg Novi, the extraordinary road up to Lovcen and the Njegos Mausoleum with its panorama over the entire Adriatic, and the finest seafood, Vranac wine and Montenegrin prosciutto throughout.
Best Time To Visit
May to October
Getting There
Fly into Tivat (TIV), 15 min drive to Kotor
Getting Around
Rental car essential; bay ferry saves 40 min
Budget Per Day
Approx 60 to 120 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
KOTOR OLD TOWN
MORNING
KOTOR OLD TOWN AT DAWN, UNESCO WALLED CITY
Arrive at Kotor old town before 8am when the cruise ship day trippers have not yet arrived and the medieval lanes are empty. The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon built in 1166 is the finest Romanesque church in Montenegro. The Piazza of the Arms, the Clock Tower and the River Gate are all extraordinary in the early morning light. The Maritime Museum tells the story of the Venetian sea captains who commanded the bay for 400 years. Entry to old town free, cathedral approx 3 euros, Maritime Museum approx 4 euros. Drive: 1 hour climb
MIDDAY
KOTOR CITY WALLS, 1,355 STEPS TO THE FORTRESS
The Kotor city walls are the finest fortification on the Adriatic coast, climbing 4.5km from the sea gate up the sheer limestone cliff to the San Giovanni fortress at 260 metres. The 1,355 steps pass through extraordinary medieval gates, ruined chapels and viewpoints over the bay below. The fortress itself, largely ruined, gives a 360-degree panorama over the entire inner bay, the mountains above and the water stretching to the horizon. Entry approx 8 euros. Drive: 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
KOTOR WATERFRONT AND EVENING OLD TOWN
The waterfront promenade outside the Kotor sea gate gives the finest exterior view of the city walls with the mountains directly behind. The old town in the late afternoon after the day trippers have left returns to its extraordinary calm. The cats of Kotor, protected residents since Venetian times, emerge in numbers in the cool of the afternoon. The evening light on the walls from the waterfront is extraordinary and the finest time to photograph the city.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Kotor fortifications extend beyond the city walls up the mountain to the extraordinary Castle of San Giovanni, then continue along the ridge to a further series of towers and walls that most visitors never reach. The walk beyond the main fortress along the ridge takes 30 minutes to increasingly extraordinary views. Included in the city walls ticket.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Maximus, Kotor Dawn coffee in the old town square before the crowds. The cats will find you immediately. | Lunch: Konoba Scala Santa Local squid ink risotto, grilled Adriatic fish and Montenegrin Vranac wine in the old town. | Dinner: Restaurant Galion, Kotor The finest seafood in Kotor, just outside the sea gate on the waterfront. Book ahead.
DAY 2
PERAST AND THE ISLANDS
MORNING
PERAST, BAROQUE VILLAGE OF THE VENETIAN SEA CAPTAINS
Perast is the most extraordinary village on the Bay of Kotor, 16 churches and 17 palaces built by the Venetian sea captains who commanded the bay. The main waterfront street is lined with extraordinary 18th-century Baroque palaces, several still inhabited by descendants of the original families. The Church of St Nicholas at the eastern end has the finest campanile on the bay and an extraordinary treasury. The walk from one end of Perast to the other takes 15 minutes and every building is extraordinary. Drive: 5 min boat
MIDDAY
OUR LADY OF THE ROCKS AND ST GEORGE ISLAND
Our Lady of the Rocks is the most extraordinary church in Montenegro, built on an artificial island created by fishermen throwing stones into the bay after a miraculous apparition in 1452. The church interior is covered with 68 silver ex-voto tablets and an extraordinary collection of icons painted by local artists over four centuries. The adjacent natural island of St George, topped by a 12th-century Benedictine abbey, cannot be visited but the water taxi passes between the two islands in an extraordinary channel. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
RISAN AND THE ROMAN MOSAICS
Risan at the head of the inner bay is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement on the Bay of Kotor, founded by the Illyrian queen Teuta in the 3rd century BC. The extraordinary Roman villa mosaics discovered in 1930 show the god Hypnos in a state of extraordinary preservation, the finest Roman mosaic in Montenegro. The village itself is largely untouched by tourism and the view back down the bay from Risan is extraordinary. Mosaic entry approx 3 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Church of Our Lady of Health on the hillside above Perast is reached by a steep path through the terraced olive groves above the village in about 20 minutes. The view from the church terrace over Perast, the two island churches and the inner bay is the finest elevated view on the Bay of Kotor and almost entirely unknown to visitors. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Perast Coffee on the extraordinary waterfront with the two island churches reflected in the still bay. | Lunch: Restaurant Conte, Perast Fresh bay fish, local prosciutto and Vranac wine in the finest restaurant on the bay. | Dinner: Konoba Bokun, Kotor Traditional Montenegrin lamb, local cheese and outstanding Vranac back in the old town.
DAY 3
LUSTICA PENINSULA
MORNING
LUSTICA PENINSULA, THE HIDDEN ADRIATIC OF MONTENEGRO
The Lustica peninsula between the inner and outer bay is the finest hidden landscape in the Bay of Kotor, a rugged limestone headland of ancient olive groves, hidden coves and extraordinary views. The village of Rose at the tip of the peninsula is one of the most extraordinary hidden villages on the Adriatic, accessible by a long narrow road or by boat, with a Byzantine watchtower, a handful of fishermen's houses and a small harbour of extraordinary tranquillity. Almost no tourists reach Rose. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
BLUE CAVE AND THE LUSTICA COAST BEACHES
The Blue Cave on the southern Lustica coast is the finest sea cave in Montenegro, where extraordinary blue light filtered through underwater openings illuminates the cave interior. Boat tours from Tivat and the Lustica villages run throughout the morning. The beaches along the Lustica coast are the finest on the Montenegrin coast, small pebble coves with extraordinarily clear water backed by ancient olive trees. The water is some of the cleanest in the Adriatic. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
PORTO MONTENEGRO AND TIVAT
Porto Montenegro in Tivat is the most extraordinary marina development on the Adriatic, a former Yugoslav naval submarine base transformed into one of the finest superyacht destinations in Europe. The naval heritage museum in the restored arsenal building tells the story of the Yugoslav Navy that operated from this extraordinary base during the Cold War. The waterfront promenade at Porto Montenegro is the finest in Montenegro for an afternoon coffee.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The fortress of Mamula on a small island at the bay entrance was built by the Austrians in 1853 and used as an Italian prison camp during WWII. Now being converted to a luxury hotel but still visible from the water as an extraordinary circular fortress rising from the sea. Boat tours from Herceg Novi pass it on the outer bay circuit.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Kotor Early coffee before the Lustica drive. Pack water and snacks for the peninsula. | Lunch: Konoba in Rose Grilled fish and local wine by the fishermen at the extraordinary tip of the peninsula. | Dinner: One, Porto Montenegro Finest waterfront restaurant in Tivat. Outstanding Adriatic seafood and Montenegrin wine.
DAY 4
LOVCEN AND CETINJE
MORNING
THE LOVCEN ROAD, 25 HAIRPIN BENDS ABOVE THE BAY
The extraordinary road from Kotor up to Lovcen National Park climbs 25 hairpin bends in 12km from sea level to 1,650 metres, the finest mountain road drive in Montenegro. Each bend reveals a more extraordinary view of the Bay of Kotor below until the entire inner bay, Kotor old town and the surrounding mountains are visible from a single viewpoint. The road was built by the French in the Napoleonic period and remains one of the most dramatic drives on the Adriatic. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
NJEGOS MAUSOLEUM, THE FINEST PANORAMA IN MONTENEGRO
The Njegos Mausoleum on the summit of Jezerski Vrh at 1,657 metres is the most important monument in Montenegro, the tomb of the greatest Montenegrin ruler and poet Petar II Petrovic Njegos who died in 1851. The climb of 461 steps from the car park reaches the extraordinary granite mausoleum with its 360-degree panorama over the entire Bay of Kotor, the Adriatic coast, the mountains of Albania and Bosnia and the plains of Serbia on clear days. Entry approx 3 euros. Drive: 45 min drive
AFTERNOON
CETINJE, THE OLD ROYAL CAPITAL OF MONTENEGRO
Cetinje is the former royal capital of Montenegro and one of the most extraordinary small towns in the Balkans, its grand 19th-century embassies and palaces built when Montenegro was an independent kingdom sitting quietly in a mountain valley almost entirely unvisited by tourists. The National Museum in the former royal palace of King Nikola I is the finest museum in Montenegro, with an extraordinary collection of Montenegrin royal regalia, weapons and paintings. Entry approx 5 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Lovac hunting lodge on the Lovcen plateau was used by the Montenegrin royal family and later by Tito as a personal retreat. The extraordinary Art Nouveau interior is open for guided tours in summer. The views from the lodge terrace over the karst plateau and down to the bay are extraordinary. Entry approx 3 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Kotor Early coffee before the Lovcen drive. The road is best in the morning light. | Lunch: Restaurant on Lovcen Local mountain food at the Lovcen plateau. Lamb, cheese and Montenegrin brandy. | Dinner: Konoba Stari Most, Cetinje Traditional Montenegrin cooking in the old royal capital. Local lamb and Vranac wine.
DAY 5
HERCEG NOVI
MORNING
HERCEG NOVI OLD TOWN, THE FLOWER CITY OF MONTENEGRO
Herceg Novi at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor is the finest town on the outer bay, its extraordinary stepped old town climbing the hillside above the sea with a sequence of medieval and Ottoman fortifications at its heart. The Kanli Kula fortress at the top of the old town gives extraordinary views over the bay entrance and the Adriatic beyond. The extraordinary subtropical botanical garden in the nearby Igalo peninsula contains species from across the Mediterranean. Fortress entry approx 2 euros. Drive: 30 min walk
MIDDAY
SAVINA MONASTERY AND THE BAY ENTRANCE
The Savina Monastery just east of Herceg Novi is the finest Orthodox monastery on the Bay of Kotor, a complex of two churches containing the extraordinary treasury of the metropolitan bishops of Zeta. The Great Church of the Dormition has the finest Baroque facade on the Montenegrin coast. The monastery garden above the sea, with views over the bay entrance and the fortress of Mamula in the water below, is one of the finest in Montenegro. Free to enter. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
KAMENARI FERRY AND RETURN TO TIVAT AIRPORT
The Kamenari to Lepetane ferry crosses the narrowest point of the Bay of Kotor in 5 minutes, running continuously throughout the day. The ferry crossing gives the finest water-level view of the bay narrows, where the mountains squeeze the water to a passage barely 300 metres wide. The drive from the ferry to Tivat airport takes 15 minutes. Montenegro's extraordinary bay has given one of the finest five days on the Adriatic coast.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Blue Grotto on the Lustica peninsula near Herceg Novi is the most extraordinary sea cave on the outer bay, accessible only by boat from Herceg Novi or the Lustica villages. The cave is best visited in the morning when the sun angle creates the most extraordinary blue light effect inside. Boat hire from Herceg Novi harbour approx 20 euros per hour.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Herceg Novi Coffee in the old town square with the bay view before the final morning exploration. | Lunch: Konoba Fontana, Herceg Novi Fresh Adriatic seafood in the finest old town restaurant. Local fish and Vranac wine. | Dinner: Restaurant in Tivat Final dinner near the airport. Porto Montenegro waterfront restaurants are excellent.
Where To Stay
Kotor, Nights 1 to 3 Hotel Cattaro or old town apartments. Approx 70 to 160 euros per night. Perast, Night 2 optional Hotel Per Astra on the waterfront. Approx 80 to 150 euros per night. Herceg Novi, Nights 4 to 5 Hotel Perla or guesthouses in the old town. Approx 60 to 120 euros.
Top Tips
1. Climb the Kotor city walls at sunrise. Start at the Sea Gate at 6am and reach the fortress before the heat and the crowds arrive.
2. The Njegos Mausoleum on Lovcen gives a 360-degree panorama over the entire Bay of Kotor and the Adriatic. The finest view in Montenegro.
3. Vranac is Montenegro's finest red wine, a full-bodied indigenous grape variety. Order it with grilled lamb or local prosciutto throughout the trip.
4. The Kamenari ferry runs day and night and costs approx 5 euros per car. Never wait more than 10 minutes and saves 40km of driving.
5. Cetinje old town is the former royal capital of Montenegro and almost entirely unvisited by the Kotor day trip crowds. Extraordinary and free.
6. Montenegro is significantly cheaper than Croatia. Budget 30 to 40 percent less for accommodation, food and activities across the board.
Total Budget
60 to 120 euros/day