Kotor day trip from Dubrovnik
A day trip to Kotor from Dubrovnik: the climb up Kotor's walls to St John's Fortress, the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon and a walk through the old town's squares and lanes, then the waterfront village of Perast and the island church of Our Lady of the Rocks. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Kotor in 1 day
Day 1
Kotor walls and St John's Fortress
Venetian walls zig-zagging up the mountain behind the old town to St John's Fortress, a steep climb with views over the bay.
Cathedral of Saint Tryphon
Romanesque cathedral of 1166 with two bell towers, frescoes and a treasury, the landmark of Kotor's old town.
Historic centre of Kotor
A walk through the walled old town's maze of stone lanes, squares, churches and Venetian palaces, part of a World Heritage site.
Historic centre of Perast
Small baroque town on the bay, a walk along its waterfront of captains' palaces and churches below a tall bell tower.
Our Lady of the Rocks
Artificial islet off Perast with a blue-domed church and a museum of votive paintings, reached by a short boat ride.
Watch: Kotor
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
Getting there
Kotor is about 90 km from Dubrovnik, about 2-2.5 hours by car or bus including the border crossing, longer in summer; many visitors go on a day tour. Perast is about 15 minutes from Kotor by car or local bus along the bay.
Staying in Dubrovnik? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Kotor
May, June, September and early October are the best months, warm enough for the bay without the summer crowds. July and August are hot and busy with cruise passengers, and winter is mild but very rainy. Kotor holds a winter carnival in February and the Boka Night festival of decorated boats in August.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Kotor on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Kotor on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Kotor on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Montenegro from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Kotor
- Bring a passport: the drive from Dubrovnik crosses the Croatia-Montenegro border, and queues there can be long in summer.
- Climb the walls to St John's Fortress early or late in the day; the path is steep stone steps with little shade.
- Cruise ships moor in front of the old town on many days, filling its lanes from late morning; arriving early helps.
- Small boats leave from Perast's waterfront for the short crossing to Our Lady of the Rocks throughout the day.
- Montenegro uses the euro, though it is not in the European Union, so there is no need to change money coming from Croatia.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Cathedral of Saint Tryphon: Geotiger18, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historic centre of Kotor: Jason Rogers, CC BY 2.0
- Historic centre of Perast: FrDr, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kotor walls and St John's Fortress: Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- Our Lady of the Rocks: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
