Spending a Month in Kotor Montenegro

Kotor is small, but when you’re slow traveling, spending a month in Kotor, Montenegro, allows you to really experience the place and live more like a local. We can provide you with some great things to do in Kotor, regardless of whether you have one day or one month.

Since this will now be our third month traveling in the year, we arrived in Kotor from Albania via bus. It was about a 6-hour ride from Tirana to Kotor. For those who might be anxious about taking the bus from Albania to a neighboring country, we had a pretty easy experience. I did a lot of research beforehand to prepare. Here’s a quick overview of how to do this:

Bus from Tirana, Albania to Kotor, Montenegro

I purchased our tickets online via GetByBus. But my biggest question was whether I needed to print the tickets before arriving at the bus station. After lots of Google searching, the answer still wasn’t clear. So, for lack of a better word, we just arrived at the bus terminal. Here’s the location of the bus terminal.

After waving away the taxis, trying to get our attention (since we didn’t have to go anywhere but where we already were), we found the booth for Kotor. One of the people working there asked if we needed tickets, and when we told him we purchased them online, he pointed us to where we could have them printed. I’m not sure if they usually charge to have the tickets printed, but we did not get charged. Super easy!

Don’t expect much at the terminal, but plenty of cafes are nearby. So, while waiting for the bus, we went around the corner for some pastries. The bus arrived on time, and the ride was smooth and easy. I have no complaints. It cost us 2 Euros each for our luggage to be placed under the bus, so just be aware.

What to Do for a Month in Kotor

For reference, we stayed in the Muo neighborhood of Kotor, Montenegro. This was a little bit outside the old town – maybe a 15-minute walk. We arrived in Kotor around 6 PM on a Sunday, so many stores were closed. Thankfully, plenty of restaurants were open and we happened to be close to one of the best – BBQ Tanjga! This place specializes in meats. We shared the mixed plate, which happened to be a pile of various meats (steak, sausages, chicken, pork) piled on a plate with fries, various dips, and cabbages. So delicious! We ate here several times as it was delicious and affordable. Anyway, let’s get back to talking about spending a month in Kotor, Montenegro.

Explore the Old Town

The old town will be the main focus while you’re in Kotor. Kotor is a medieval fortified town on the Adriatic coast in the bay of Kotor. Walk the narrow streets, pet and take pictures of all the street cats, and enjoy the delicious restaurants and gelatos. The main entrance to the old town is at the Sea Gate. You can also enter on the side at the Gurdić Gate.

If you enter the Sea Gate, you’ll be right in the main square, with the iconic clock tower. The clock tower was originally built in 1602 and rebuilt following an earthquake in 1979. It provides a great backdrop for the Fortress of Kotor. Head towards the River Gate (or North Gate) for a great view of the walls and river. If you’re a cat person, like I am, stop by Cat Park to enjoy the company of the numerous street cats.

We were in Kotor, Montenegro, from early March to early April, which is somewhat of an off-season time. But while there, we got to experience the Spring Festival and attended a concert in the Old Town’s main square. It was a great experience!

Take a Boat Tour

One of the most popular excursions is a speed boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks and the Blue Cave. We booked our tour via GetYourGuide for about $40 USD per person. This tour took us to Our Lady of the Rocks in Perast, into a former submarine tunnel, to view Mamula Island, and into the Blue Cave.

The tour was about 3 hours and a lot of fun. You don’t need much time on Our Lady of the Rocks, as it’s a small artificial island with only a church. But you get some great pictures. If you don’t want to take the speedboat tour, you can easily go to Perast and take a boat from there for about 5 Euros.

Our Lady of the Rocks will be the only time you get off the speedboat on this tour. If the weather is nice enough, you can swim once you arrive at the Blue Cave. It was so cold when we were there that no one was interested in swimming. But it definitely looks beautiful.

Visit Towns Near Kotor, Montenegro

There are many beautiful towns in the area, especially on the coast. Although we were spending a month in Kotor, Montenegro, we visited only two other towns. We took an easy bus ride to Perast. You can catch this bus right outside the Old Town. Here’s the location of the bus stop. When I’m writing this (2024) it costs 2 Euros per person for the bus. From my research, it seems the bus comes every hour, 20 minutes after the hour (for example, 1:20).

The ride back was a little more confusing as we weren’t sure of the bus times returning. We waited at the bus stop, and when a bus arrived, we asked the driver if that was the bus to Kotor. He said yes, but it did not have the same appearance as the public bus we used to get to Perast. We handed the driver 2 euros anyway. From what I know now, we probably got on the small coach buses that go to the towns further. But that bus also picked up along the way, and we easily returned to Kotor.

We did not spend a ton of time in Perast. It is very small and you only need an hour or two. We had lunched and walked around for a bit before returning. It’s definitely beautiful and worth an easy visit, though, if you’re already in Kotor, Montenegro.

To visit any of the towns further away, you’ll go to the main bus station and buy tickets there. You can check out this website for the timetables. This station also takes you to international destinations, like Croatia. We took a bus here to get to Herceg Novi, which cost around 4 to 5 Euros per person, one way.

Since we work and budget while we travel, even though we were spending a month in Kotor, Montenegro, we decided not to go to other towns, like Budva, Tivat, or Cetinje. But we heard great things about these places and would encourage you to visit if you have the time.

Herceg Novi, Montenegro

Herceg Novi is located on the western entrance to the Bay of Kotor. It’s a beautiful coastal town with several fortresses. The ride from Kotor took about an hour, but it was beautiful. After walking through the Old Town of Herceg Novi, we tried to go to Kanli Kula Fortress. This sits in the northern part of the Old Town and has views over the town. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the entrance. The several times we tried to go in, the entrance was closed. So, not sure if they were closed for the day or if we just couldn’t find the right entrance. Either way, we ended up skipping that.

Instead, we walked down towards the water and went to Fortress Mare. This fortress is Herceg Novi’s oldest and is considered the symbol of the town. It was built in 1382 by the Bosnian king Stephen Tvrtko I. After exploring this fortress, you can walk down to the promenade and Herceg Novi Beach. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Konoba Feral with a great view of the water. Before returning to Kotor, we walked down the promenade for amazing views and relaxation. On the walk, you’ll also stumble upon the remains of Fort Citadela, much of which is lying in the Adriatic.

Hike to Kotor Fortress

Besides the Old Town, this is probably the most popular site when spending time in Kotor, Montenegro. There are two ways to get to the Fortress: the stairs or what’s called the Ladder of Kotor. The stairs take you through the main entrance, cost (in 2024) around 15 euros per person, and comprise 1,350 stairs.

The other option is hiking the Ladder of Kotor. This switchback trail behind the Old Town goes to the back of the Fortress. This might be the option for those looking to save money and are a bit adventurous. When we hiked it, the ladder was gone. In its place was a precarious pile of stones. If you’re brave enough to climb up on the stones and through a window into the fortress, go for it! There are some amazing views up there.

Climbing the stones was a big NO for me! We also did not want to pay 15 euros when we heard there was not much to see in the fortress except the views. Instead, we continued hiking the Old Kotor Trail. While hiking this trail, definitely stop by the Cheese Shop. A local family sells homemade cheese, prosciutto, juices, and rakia. We had cheese, prosciutto, and bread with homemade pomegranate juice. We were also given a shot of the homemade rakia, which gave us the legs to continue up the trail. The price was a bit expensive, but the views and experience were worth it.

Hike to Vrmac Fort

There are some amazing hikes you can do when spending time in Kotor, Montenegro. The most popular is the Ladder, but my favorite was the one to Vrmac Fort. The trail can be a bit tricky to find. You’ll start here and follow the stairs through the neighborhood. But it becomes a bit more confusing once you get to the serpentine road. You’ll see a driveway for someone’s house. Next to that driveway, there is a stone wall. Follow the path onto the stone wall, and you’ll see the trail again.

The trail took about an hour and a half to two hours to hike to the top. It’s a beautiful hike with amazing views of the bay and Kotor Old Town/Fortress. When you arrive at the top, you can see the other side of the mountain to Tivat, and in the middle is the old fort. Fort Vrmac is an abandoned Austro-Hungarian fortification built between 1894 and 1897.

Today, the fort is abandoned and open to the public. There is no fee to enter, but the sign tells visitors to explore at their own risk. The interior is surprisingly well intact though you do have to be careful where you step as there are some holes in the floor. There are also remnants of a fresco created by a hermit monk who resided there and turned one of the mortar castmates into a prayer room. I explored around, even finding the way to the roof, while Sean stayed outside.

Where to Eat in Kotor Montenegro

For delicious cakes, pastries, and burek, check out Pekara Vrmac.

For the best BBQ and meats at a really low price, definitely go to BBQ Tanjga. This place gets busy, so you may have to wait. But there is seating in the back, so you’re bound to find a seat eventually.

For some of the best pizza in Kotor, Montenegro, check out Pizzeria Pronto. It’s a small place, so there is not a ton of seating, but it’s quick and delicious. You can also get to-go slices served.

For something a little more pricey but very delicious, check out Pepe Nero. Their risotto and pasta were amazing.

We really enjoyed two gelato places: Gelateria Sol and Mashall’s Gelato. Both had amazing pistachio flavors.