KotorCruise Port Guide
A medieval walled town at the foot of a mountain fjord, a couple of hundred metres from the gangway. Here's what fits in your hours, with real prices.
Welcome to Kotor
Pro Picks
Speedboat · 3 hrsBlue Cave, Submarine Tunnel & Lady of the Rocks by Speedboat
A three-hour speedboat run from Kotor past Perast to the island church of Our Lady of the Rocks, into a hidden Yugoslav-era submarine tunnel and out to a swim stop at the Blue Cave. Arrive 30 minutes early; the island charges a €5 cash fee that isn't in the price.
From $43.15/ person
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Speedboat · 2 hrsPerast & Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour
The short version of the bay: a two-hour speedboat ride from the park beside the port to the little island church off Perast, then time on Perast's waterfront. The island's church and museum tickets are extra.
From $32.71/ person
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Driving tour · 2.5 hrsBay of Kotor Electric Car Tour
Drive yourself in a two-seat electric car along the coast road to Perast, following a guide on a motorcycle. The meeting point is about a 15-minute walk from the port, so a taxi is the easy way there, and you need a valid driving licence.
From $67.27/ person
Book Now →Your time ashore
Count from leaving the ship to being back aboard.
Kotor in 3 hours
Speedboat
Perast & Lady of the Rocks Speedboat
Two hours by speedboat to the island church and Perast's waterfront, starting at Park Slobode beside the port. Check in 20 to 30 minutes before departure, and church and museum tickets are extra.
From$32.71
Time required2 hours
Driving tour
Bay of Kotor Electric Car Tour
A guided drive in small electric cars along the bay's coast road, with a motorcycle guide out front. It starts about a 15-minute walk from the port, each car seats two and you need a driving licence.
From$67.27
Time required2.5 hours
Kotor in 5 hours
Speedboat
Relaxed Bay Tour to Lady of the Rocks & Perast
An unhurried three hours inside the bay, with stops at the island church and Perast. It leaves from a booth in Park Slobode, under five minutes from the port, and skips the open-sea Blue Cave leg.
From$45.93
Time required3 hours
Speedboat
Blue Cave, Tunnels & Perast Old Town
Four hours that add Perast's old town to the Blue Cave swim and the submarine tunnels. There's no toilet on board, and departures can slip up to ten minutes for maritime police checks.
From$50.95
Time required4 hours
Small-group tour
Perast & Budva Shore Excursion
A road trip for up to eight people to Perast and the beach town of Budva, with a guide meeting you outside the port gate. The optional boat ride to Our Lady of the Rocks is €10 in cash.
From$89.26
Time required4 hours
Kotor in 9 hours
Catamaran cruise
Full-Day Catamaran Cruise & Blue Cave
Eight hours of swim stops, Our Lady of the Rocks and a lunch break at Porto Montenegro, with lunch not included. The meeting point depends on the option you pick, and rough seas can swap out the cave stop.
From$105.30
Time required8 hours
Within a stroll of the boat
Everything here is inside or beside the Old Town walls, a few minutes from the gangway. Kotorska plaža, the small town beach, is a short walk the other way along the waterfront.
Landmark · 0.1 mi · ~4 min
Sea Gate (Vrata od Mora)
The main entrance to the Old Town from the waterfront, mapped as a city gate. Walking through it is the first thing most people do.
Plaza · 0.1 mi · ~4 min
Arms Square (Pjaca od Oružja)
A pedestrian square just inside the Sea Gate and the Old Town's main open space, so it works as a meeting point and a place to get your bearings.
Market · 0.2 mi · ~5 min
Kotor market (Gradska pijaca)
A marketplace mapped on the south side of the Old Town walls. Opening days and what's sold weren't verified, so treat it as a look-in.
Landmark · 0.2 mi · ~6 min
Cathedral of St. Tryphon
The Old Town's best-known church, on St. Tryphon's Square, and a natural centre for a loop. CruiseMapper dates it to 1166; hours and admission weren't verified.
Museum · 0.2 mi · ~6 min
Maritime Museum (Museum Maritimum)
A museum in the middle of the Old Town, mapped as Museum Maritimum. Hours and admission weren't verified.
Beach · 0.3 mi · ~7 min
Kotorska plaža
A small public pebble beach north of the port along the waterfront. A guide calls it suitable for a short swim, but expect a town beach, not a resort one.
Handy Helpers
Small things that make a port day easier.
Private Driver, Waiting at the Dock
A pre-booked driver meets you at the dock for a fixed price. No haggling, no waiting for a taxi to fill.
Bike rental
Cover more ground than on foot. Book ahead and return it well before all-aboard.
Travel eSIM
Install it on ship WiFi and your maps and ride apps work the moment you land in Kotor.
Quick answers
Facts last checked .
How we checked these answers
Every answer is built from facts we checked against the sources below and cross-checked with recent port guides. Where sources disagreed, the answer says so instead of guessing a number.
- Princess Cruises: Kotor cruise port
- Operator listing on GetYourGuide: Blue Cave Swim, Lady of the Rocks & Submarine Tunnels
- Operator listing on GetYourGuide: 3h Full Tour to Blue Cave & Swim & War tunnels
- Operator listing on GetYourGuide: Blue Cave, Submarine Base, and Lady of the Rocks Tour
- Operator listing on GetYourGuide: Perast and Island Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour
- Operator listing on GetYourGuide: Relaxing 3h Tour to Lady of the Rocks & Perast
- Operator listing on GetYourGuide: Perast & Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour (2h)
- Operator listing on GetYourGuide: Kotor Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers
- U.S. State Department travel advisory: Montenegro
Getting ashore
Where do cruise ships dock in Kotor, Montenegro?
Cruise ships in Kotor use a single pier right beside the Old Town walls, either docking there or anchoring in the bay and tendering passengers to the same pier. Princess says its ships may do either, and ship size and how busy the day is decide which. Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean and MSC all call, and no line has its own berth, so check your ship's daily program to see whether you dock or tender.
How long is the tender ride in Kotor if my ship anchors?
When a ship anchors off Kotor, the tender ride to the pier takes about 5 to 20 minutes depending on where it anchors. Allow extra time for the whole process of queuing and boarding, and be back at the tender pier well before all-aboard. Whether your ship docks or tenders is decided by its size and the day's traffic, so your daily program is the place to confirm.
Is it worth getting off the ship in Kotor, or is there anything to do at the port?
Yes for most people: Kotor's walled Old Town starts about 0.1 miles from the pier, so you can be inside the Sea Gate within minutes. The port itself is basic, with a small terminal, a souvenir shop, toilets and a café nearby, so the interest is in the Old Town's lanes, squares, cathedral and museums, a small town beach and the stone-step climb up to the fortress. See the stroll map for what's within about ten minutes.
Can I walk from the cruise pier to Kotor Old Town?
Yes, Kotor's Old Town is a short, flat walk from the cruise pier: the Sea Gate, the main entrance, is about 0.1 miles away, a few minutes on foot. From there the main square is about the same distance, and the cathedral and Maritime Museum are about 0.2 miles. The lanes are narrow, and the marble paving can be slick when wet. The stroll map marks each stop.
Can you walk to a beach from the Kotor cruise port?
Yes, there is a small public pebble beach, Kotorska plaža, about 0.25 miles north of the Kotor cruise pier along the waterfront, roughly a seven-minute walk. It is a town beach rather than a resort one, and it suits a short swim.
Excursions & time ashore
What is the best excursion in Kotor?
The most popular excursion in Kotor is a speedboat trip around the bay, which on GetYourGuide starts at $32.71 for two hours to Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks, or $43.15 for three hours that add a submarine tunnel and a swim at the Blue Cave. Most start in Park Slobode, beside the port, and ask you to check in 20 to 30 minutes early. See the half-day options for longer trips.
Can boats go inside the Blue Cave near Kotor?
No, motorized boats can't enter the Blue Cave, so the skipper anchors 10 to 20 metres outside and you swim in with a life jacket. Bad weather on the open sea can cancel the cave stop, and the tour then stays inside the bay. On the same trips, the island church at Our Lady of the Rocks charges a €5 cash fee that tour prices don't include, and swimwear isn't allowed inside the church.
How long does the Kotor fortress climb take and what does it cost?
The climb to San Giovanni Fortress above Kotor's Old Town is about 1,350 stone steps, which one guide allows 45 to 60 minutes to climb and about 30 minutes to come down. Entry is about €15 per adult, taken mostly in cash, and the upper sections have no shade. Take water and grippy shoes, and plan the climb with a buffer before all-aboard.
Can I get to Perast from the Kotor cruise port?
Yes, Perast is about 12 kilometres from Kotor, roughly a 15-minute drive north, and most visitors reach it on a boat tour or a small-group road trip. Boat tours leave from Park Slobode beside the port, with check-in 20 to 30 minutes before departure. Budva is about half an hour south by road if you want a different day.
Money, getting around & safety
What money do I need in Kotor, and do they take cards?
Kotor uses the euro, as all of Montenegro does. Cards work in restaurants and larger shops, but not at every small vendor, and some things are cash only: the fortress gate, a €5 island fee on some boat tours and a €10 Perast boat ride on one shore excursion. There is an ATM at the port and more inside the Old Town.
Do taxis in Kotor use meters, and is Uber available?
Taxis in Kotor are often fixed-price rather than metered, so agree the fare before you set off. Uber, Bolt and Lyft don't operate in Montenegro, and a local app called MonteGO covers Kotor. You don't need a taxi to see the Old Town, which is a short walk from the pier, and taxis wait outside the port exit for trips further afield.
Is there Wi-Fi or an ATM at the Kotor cruise port?
Yes, there is an ATM at the Kotor port, with more inside the Old Town, and guides say the café near the port office has Wi-Fi. The pier area is basic otherwise: a small terminal with a souvenir shop and public toilets, and a tourist information kiosk at the Sea Gate. There are no luggage lockers and no large restaurants at the port.
Is Kotor, Montenegro safe for cruise passengers?
The U.S. State Department rates Montenegro Level 1, Exercise normal precautions, and calls it generally a safe destination for travelers.
Do I need a passport to get off the ship in Kotor?
Bring your passport on a Kotor cruise. U.S. citizens on a closed-loop cruise, one that starts and ends at the same U.S. port, can re-enter the country with a birth certificate and a government photo ID, but the cruise line and the countries the ship visits may still require a passport. A passport is also needed if you have to fly home from a foreign port, and Montenegro is one.