How many days in Kotor? 2 with Perast

You can walk around Kotor old town in an hour. A day visit is still a mistake, and the reason is the clock: the best hours here are early morning and evening, exactly when the day visitors from the ships are not around. To have those you have to sleep here. So the short answer: 2 days with Perast, and 3 days if you also want the coast or Mount Lovćen.

How many days in Kotor at a glance

Day 1: on the steps at eight

The climb to San Giovanni Fortress is why the morning starts early. About 1,300 steps run up along the town wall, the climb takes about an hour and there is hardly any shade at the top. Start at eight, bring water and wear proper shoes. In high summer that is more than comfort: July and August average 30 °C. The path charges an entry fee, so stick to the official way in.

Back down, it is time for the lanes. The Romanesque Cathedral of St Tryphon from the 12th century is the best-known building, the small Church of St Luke was long shared by Catholic and Orthodox worshippers, and the Maritime Museum in a Baroque palace tells the story of captains and ship models. The Kotor region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; UNESCO notes that many monuments were seriously damaged in the 1979 earthquake and later restored. At lunchtime, buy fruit, cheese and ham at the market outside the Sea Gate.

The cruise ship problem, and how to dodge it

On many days in the season, ships dock right in front of the old town, and the lanes become very full in the daytime. You can check this in advance. Services such as Cruise Timetables list calls by day: for 10 August 2027 they show three ships, including Norwegian Gem from 7 am to 5 pm. These are third-party listings that can change, but they help you decide which of your days is for the old town and which for Perast. The idea is simple: when a big ship is in port, head out during the day and come back in the evening.

Day 2: Perast and the island on the rocks

Perast is 14 km away, 22 minutes of pure driving or about 25 minutes by bus along the bay. In season there are boats too. The village is made up of captains' houses and churches right on the water. The tall bell tower of St Nicholas dominates the view, and from there you can see both islands.

Small boats cross from the shore at Perast to the artificial island of Our Lady of the Rocks, with its church full of sailors' votive offerings. Go early. A few kilometres on are the Roman mosaics of Risan, easy to add on the way back. Guided trips around the bay are listed as tours in the Bay of Kotor^* on Tiqets. Back in Kotor in the evening, there is room for the Church of St Nicholas and a walk through the emptied lanes.

Day 3: Budva or Lovćen?

You have to choose here, and it depends on what you haven't had yet.

Budva is 22 km and 32 minutes of pure driving away. Its small walled old town on a peninsula, the Citadel and the coastal path to Mogren Beach give you the open sea that the bay lacks. In the evening there's the view of Sveti Stefan, the old fishing village on an island. It is now part of a hotel, so you see it from the coast road. This is the right day if you want to swim.

Mount Lovćen above Kotor is 31 km and 38 minutes of pure driving away, with hairpin bends and a mausoleum at the top. It justifies a rental car in Montenegro^* (Localrent), because buses serve the bay well but not the mountain. The German Foreign Office describes some roads as poor and advises against night driving outside towns if you don't know the area, with extra care on mountain roads. Allow about a third more than pure driving time.

Where to stay

• Old town: inside the walls and at its best in the evening. Little room for suitcases, and full in the daytime when ships are in.
• Dobrota: a calm district north of the old town right on the bay, with old captains' houses. You walk into the old town along the water.

Which airport: Tivat or Dubrovnik

The nearest airport is Tivat, 8 km and 11 minutes of pure driving away, about 20 minutes by taxi. The UK Foreign Office notes possible summer delays at Montenegro's airports. You can also come via Dubrovnik: 79 km and 1:49 hours of pure driving, plus the border between Croatia and Montenegro. That mostly makes sense as a combination, covered in how many days in Dubrovnik. For mobile data, our eSIM comparison for Montenegro lists the plans. Entry rules are on the UK government's page.

Best time to visit Kotor

Averages 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded.

The mountains hold the rain here: November averages 364 mm and January 254 mm. That is a lot, and in winter the boats run less often. May, June and September are best. July and August are dry, but hot and at their busiest.

Kotor compared

Kotor works well as part of a longer route. Our guide to city breaks in the Balkans has the overview, and further north, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is how many days in Sarajevo.

How YesTrip helps

YesTrip has a ready three-day plan for Kotor with times and a map, with the fortress as the first stop of the morning. Copy it into the app, swap days 1 and 2 if a big ship is in, and replace Budva with Lovćen if you prefer the mountains. The app shows the weather for your travel days, and the offline package keeps the map to hand. YesTrip is free and a planner; you book with the provider.

Kotor trip planDay by day, with map and tips

To the south, see how many days in Tirana.

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