🇲🇪 3 WONDERFUL DAYS IN KOTOR, MY ITINERARY
Kotor is probably one of those cities where in 3 days you manage both to soak up the atmosphere and not to wear yourself out rushing around. It's compact, scenic, with mountains and clear sea in a single frame. I'm sharing a day-by-day itinerary, tested on myself, a trip that became a surprise for my wife's birthday.
One important thing about the season right away: we were there in March. That means empty, without the cruise crowds, but the serpentine road where people drive is unfortunately still closed, it opens at the end of May. Keep that in mind when planning your trip. In other words, if you want quiet and relatively moderate prices, then March is a great choice; if you want attractions and warmth, better go in summer. So…
📍 Day 1. The Old Town
We started with the Old Town, which is also where we booked our hotel. It's the heart of Kotor, a medieval labyrinth of stone streets under UNESCO protection. It's easy to get lost here, but also easy enough to find your way again, since the area is fairly small.
What's worth seeing:
· St. Tryphon's Cathedral, 12th century, the city's main church
· Cosy squares with the churches of St. Luke and St. Nicholas
· The cat park by the North Gate
Kotor is a city of cats in general, they're everywhere here, there are even cat houses and a museum. Our child sat with them for about 30 minutes, feeding and stroking them, they're very tame here.
In the evening we walked along the waterfront by the bay. It's super romantic, peaceful, and that very place where time stands still.
📍 Day 2. The climb to St. John's Fortress
The main highlight of the trip. The climb up the Ladder of Kotor, around 1,350 steps, up to the San Giovanni fortress. Not easy, but the views are worth it: all of Kotor from a bird's-eye view, the bay laid out below you. We made it harder for ourselves and started the climb from the other side, up the serpentine.
It turned out later that this is the free route, while the steps are the paid one. The climb took about an hour, we barely stopped, maybe a couple of times for water. Even our 10-year-old found it relatively easy.
It's best to head up an hour or hour and a half before sunset, to enjoy an incredibly beautiful sundown.
After coming back down, your legs may ache and tremble a bit if you're not in shape. So it's better to spend the rest of the day in cafes and wandering the streets of the old town.
📍 Day 3. Perast and Tivat
We headed out beyond Kotor, and it was worth it.
Perast is a tiny, toy-like little town on the shore of the bay: stone houses, bell towers, a single waterfront and complete calm. We got there by taxi in 15 minutes. A magical place, steeped in serenity and the total absence of any cares at all.
Tivat and Porto Montenegro are also worth visiting, and that's also 20 minutes by taxi. A luxury marina with yachts, expensive boutiques and restaurants won't leave you indifferent. The contrast with medieval Kotor is striking. Be sure to stroll along the waterfront, it's fairly long and winding and lets you look at this beautiful place from different angles.
💰 A few words on money and logistics
Montenegro is fairly expensive, not only for tourists but also for those who live there, take it from someone who lived there for almost a year. But travel is exactly what's meant to put experiences first and leave you ready to pay for them.
· A taxi to neighbouring towns – 20 euros
· A good-level hotel – 80-150 euros a night for two
· Restaurants – 10-12 euros average bill per person
If you want to save on food, there's a big mall with a supermarket nearby, where you can stock up on fruit, water, vegetables, snacks, and everything you consume daily that doesn't need cooking.
✨ To sum up
3 days in Kotor is the perfect amount of time for a trip: you manage to see the city, climb the mountain, make a little excursion out to the bay, and simply have a good wander too. Life in Montenegro left me personally with very mixed feelings, but Kotor is exactly the place I'd happily return to.
Save the itinerary if you're planning to go to Montenegro. Write your questions in the comments and I'll be sure to answer.
#itinerarycheck #montenegrotravel #kotor