ccarlson

We are visiting Kotor in May of next year on a luxury cruise just so we can decompress (I know for some that is not your cup of tea but it is ours so please no judgement). Can anyone recommend what to do in town for the day? Sometimes when we travel we hire a private guide, sometimes we explore the town on our own and sometimes we just pick up a car (or a scooter - we have them at our home) and just drive around and see the scenery. Being only in town a full day (8a - 5p) can limit our options on what we can do but of course, we want to enjoy the town that we are in. FYI…we are not big on taking the group cruise tours.

Anyone have experience with this town and recommendations of what you recommend to do for the day?

Travel_Nerd

Kotor is really small without a whole lot "to do." With that having been said, if you are up for it, you can hike the Ladder which has two stopping "points" at Chapel St. Ivan and then continue on to San Giovanni Fortress. The views are spectacular, but the fortress is not well maintained. I will warn you that I am in decent shape and hike regularly and this made me struggle. If you do this walk, bring water and wear proper shoes. There is a fee of 8 Euro, but rumor that it is "free" before 8am - do not quote me on that, though.

In town, the city walls are free and give a good look at "eye" level over the Bay. Other than that, really the only thing in town are churches and a museum devoted to cats (mostly historical artwork, media, stamps, etc.). It is only a Euro and proceeds help with care for the town's resident cats, who are their unofficial mascots, so to speak. The town does have lots of little shops, though most are souvenir shops.

Outside of Kotor you could visit Budva, Perast (the boat to Oir Lady of the Rocks church is very popular, but I was underwhelmed by it), and Risan has Roman mosaics (I have not visited).

If none of this appeals to you, maybe consider a walking guide or explore special interests. There are probably food based tours available through a local agency.

ccarlson

Oh geez. I love cats but whole museum devoted to it. LOL. I did see Budva so maybe that is something to look at it. Thank you for the advice on the hike. Although we enjoy easy walks we would probably pass on the hike. Can you not get the view and fortress by transport?

Travel_Nerd

You can "see" it in town but it is only accessible via foot.The road/trail it is on is on a centuries old mountain pass trail thst does not have road access, only foot.

If you zoom in st the top where the flag is, that is the fortress. The remainder of the structure is the "walls" of the complex (best way to describe it) on the trail/steps.

rialtogrl

With one day I would not go to Budva. There is a very small old town but the rest is urban sprawl, a lot of it not very appealing.

Perast is the favorite of many who do day tours, there is not much there either but it is pleasant to go for a couple of hours, to visit the island and church and have a drink in one of the cafes on the bay.

If you want spectacular views without a hike, get a guide to take you up the old road to Cetinje. The drivers in Montenegro can be, let’s say, a bit aggressive but if you stay off major roads, you could get scooters and go along the bay road to Tivat and back.

‘There are plenty of agencies in Kotor who can design an itinerary including a tour in Kotor, a very good one is Mladen at Kotour - https://www.kotour.me

If you happen to visit close to the end of the week (especially Saturday) the farmers market in Kotor is fantastic.

To keep it easy, maybe a guide around Kotor, then a driver to take you up the old road to Cetinje, Perast, and lunch at Stari Mlini.

https://starimlini.com