Skip to content

Montenegro day trip from Dubrovnik, Kotor & Perast private tour.

Kotor and Perast by car around the Bay of Kotor, with pickup from your accommodation. ID card or passport required.

+4View Gallery

This private day trip crosses the Montenegro border early, before the queues, and follows the road around the Bay of Kotor. The first stop is Perast, with a five-minute boat ride to Our Lady of the Rocks, followed by Kotor, whose walls climb 260 metres up the hill behind the old town.

Documents. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can cross with a national ID card or passport; all other nationalities need a passport. The climb up the Kotor walls is 1,350 steps.

The route, stop by stop.

Indicative route. Every trip is private, so you can swap, skip or add a stop.

  1. Hotel pickup

    Mercedes at your accommodation. Brief route walk-through over the first coffee.

  2. Karasovići border crossing

    Document check at Karasovići. We time the departure to avoid the longest queues.

  3. 1

    Perast

    Our Lady of the Rocks. Stroll the seafront. Local boat out to the man-made island and its 15th-century church, with its hundreds of votive plaques.

  4. 2

    Kotor

    Old town walk. Walking tour of the Old Town, cathedral, Square of the Arms, St. Tryphon's, the cats. Optional climb to St. John's Fortress.

    Lunch on a Kotor square. Quiet konoba booked away from the cruise crowds. Time to sit, eat, and watch the town.

  5. Drive back

    Coastal road in reverse. Golden-hour light if the day's running on time.

Montenegro day trip from Dubrovnik: the road to the bay

A Montenegro day trip from Dubrovnik is mostly coast road. You leave past Cavtat and the airport, cross the Konavle valley and reach the border, with the Croatian check at Karasovići and the Montenegrin one at Debeli Brijeg a few hundred metres on. From there the road drops to Herceg Novi at the mouth of the bay and stays close to the water for the rest of the way.

The Bay of Kotor (Boka kotorska) is a deep, winding inlet with mountains rising straight out of the sea. It narrows at the Verige strait, only a few hundred metres wide, before opening into the inner bay where Perast and Kotor sit. The bay road is narrow and slow, so a private car that stops when you want suits it better than a coach timetable.

What to have with you

  • A valid ID card or passport for every person in the car, children included.
  • Water and a hat if you plan to climb towards St John's Fortress. There is very little shade on the walls.

Perast and Kotor beyond the main sights

Next to Our Lady of the Rocks lies the natural island of St George with its old Benedictine monastery, which you see from the boat but normally cannot visit. The bell tower of St Nicholas in Perast gives the best view of both islands.

Kotor's old town is a maze of small squares rather than one main street. Besides the cathedral, the Maritime Museum covers the bay's seafaring history, and the North Gate by the Škurda river is much quieter than the main Sea Gate.

Who this day suits

It suits first-time visitors who want a second country in one day, families, and anyone who would rather see the bay from the road than from a deck. If you prefer to arrive by sea, look at our Montenegro boat tour from Dubrovnik. For a one-way journey there is a private transfer from Dubrovnik to Kotor, and for another day across a border, the Mostar and Kravice day trip. Prices are on request: we send an itemised quote by email or WhatsApp.

Questions about Montenegro.

All FAQs
What documents do I need for a Montenegro day trip from Dubrovnik?
Every traveller needs their own valid document, because Montenegro is outside the EU and the Schengen Area. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can use a national ID card or passport; all other nationalities need a passport. Non-EU passports must be less than 10 years old and valid for at least 3 months after you return to Croatia.
How long is the border wait from Croatia to Montenegro?
It depends on the day. On peak summer Saturdays the wait can reach one to two hours in the middle of the day. We leave at 7:30 to reach Karasovići before the queues form, and return in the mid-afternoon for the same reason.
Is Kotor worth a day trip from Dubrovnik?
Two UNESCO towns, baroque Perast and walled Kotor, on one of Europe's most scenic coast roads. Yes.
Do we need a local guide?
For Montenegro we recommend booking a licensed local guide. Our drivers know the route well but are not guides. The guide is not included in the price and is charged separately; tell us and we arrange one for your date.
Do I need to change money?
No. Montenegro uses the Euro despite not being in the EU. Card payments are accepted in Kotor and Perast.
Is the climb to St. John's Fortress required?
No. It is an optional 40-minute climb of 1,350 steps with views over the bay. If you skip it, the driver can suggest an alternative.

Other private day trips.

Kravice waterfalls in Herzegovina

Mostar & Kravice Waterfalls

The Old Bridge over the Neretva and a swim beneath the Kravice falls.

View the tour
Waterfalls in Krka National Park

Krka National Park

Travertine waterfalls and wooden walkways in the karst north of Šibenik.

View the tour
Korčula old town walls from the harbour

Korčula & Pelješac Wine

Korčula old town, the Ston walls and a Pelješac winery.

View the tour

Enquire about Montenegro & Bay of Kotor.

Tell us your date and group, one reply from the team with a tailored plan and an itemised quote. Door-to-door from your hotel, no obligation.

Flybridge motor yacht cruising along the coast
Borna & the teamYour trip advisors · Cavtat 800+ guest reviews · replies within hours
WhatsAppChat now, fastest reply Call+385 99 435 9102 Emailinfo@boat-dubrovnik.com

Check availability

WhatsApp