Montenegro is a Balkan country, located on the Adriatic Sea. It has a population of less than 700.000. A place with the most incredible sceneries and views.
LANGUAGE: official language is Montenegrin.
CURRENCY: euro
BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO VISIT: late March to early June or in September (we visited in June)
We decided to base ourselves out of Kotor. To be more specific right outside of Kotor in Dobrota. It was a great location, it had incredible views but with no crowds.
HOW TO GET THERE?
To get to Kotor we decided to fly into Dubrovnik and then take a 2 ½ hours bus to Kotor. If you decide to fly into Kotor then your best option is to fly into the Tivat Airport. Tivat airport located less than 15 min drive from Kotor.
You can buy tickets for Dubrovnik-Kotor here. Prices are between 15 € to 18 €
WHERE TO STAY?
Depending on what you are looking for, you can stay in Kotor’s Old Town or just outside as we did. Check Airbnb there are lots of cute and affordable rentals.
We stayed just outside of Kotor in Dobrota at the Huma Kotor Bay. Dobrota is a quick 5 min drive or a 40 min walk to the Old Town. You can also take a cab into town which was around 4-5 euros.
HUMA Kotor Bay was amazing, it had a relaxing and serene view of the Bay of Kotor. It also has a private man-made beach and 2 pools. It was a great place to relax and take in the scenery. Fully equipped gym and spa.
WHAT TO DO?
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EXPLORE THE OLD TOWN
It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, built between the 12th and 14th centuries. You can see the medieval architecture and monuments. The first thing to do is walk around and get lost in the charming alleys of this Old Town.
Walking around the old town you can see:
~The Saint Tryphon’s Cathedral
~Saint Nicholas’ Church
~Maritime Museum and many other sites.
Go to the tourist kiosk right outside the entrance to the Old Town and pick up a map. It’s free, just ask for it in your language. There you will be able to see all the must-see sites in the Old Town.
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CITY WALLS
Unfortunately, when we went it was extremely hot. We decided not to go up the walls. In the summer days, I recommend going early morning or late in the afternoon.
If you can, go around the walls. It seems to have stunning and jaw-dropping views. It takes 90 minutes to 2 hours to do the full walk. Bring lots of water, a hat, and sunscreen.
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PERAST
A 10 min drive from Kotor will bring you to this stunning town. It’s a very small town, with a population of less than 400 people. From the town, you can see two islands the Lady of the Rocks and St. George. One of the biggest attractions here is taking a boat to the island. Visitors are only allowed at the Lady of the Rocks.
It’s worth checking out, you can take a boat for 5 euros. Someone will take you there and will pick you up after as well. We went to Perast in the morning, by the time decided to visit the island it was getting crowded.
I recommend going in the afternoon. You don’t need a full day in Perast, it’s quite small.
Most restaurants have great views of the bay, so take time to sit, have a drink and enjoy the scenery. Don’t forget to walk around the back streets, not only the main one. The back streets are just as cute and charming.
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EXPLORE THE BAY OF KOTOR
It’s a beautiful bay worth walking around or renting a car and going to explore. There are different towns to check out if you want to get away from busy Kotor. Some of the towns you can visit are:
~Budva
~Tivat
~Lastva
WHERE TO EAT?
We had some of the most delicious and tasty food while staying on the bay of Kotor.
In Dobrota, near our hotel
- Konoba Portun
- Pirun&Ozica
- Konoba Bonaca
In Perast:
- Restaurant Armonia
Kotor left me in love with this country. It showed me a side of Europe I hadn’t seen before. The medieval architecture and jaw-dropping views were incredible. If you have been thinking about visiting this country I have to tell you…GO! You will love it.
People tend to only visit Kotor as a day trip from Dubrovnik. I recommend going for a week and fully exploring more of Montenegro. It’s an incredible country worth 100% checking out!
I hope this guide was useful and pushes you to visit stunning Montenegro!
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Looks fantastic!! Definitely inspired to go one day.
Thank you!! I am happy it inspired you to want to go!!
Your photos are gorgeous! This has definitely inspired me to look into Montenegro. It’s not a place I’d even considered before. Looks like you had an incredible time!
Andrea | https://andreapeacock.com/
Thank you so much! It really is an incredible place. We absolutely loved it and really want to go back haha