Montenegro day trip from Dubrovnik: Kotor and Perast, private.
Kotor and Perast by car around the Bay of Kotor, with pickup from your accommodation. We recommend a licensed local guide for Kotor, booked by us on request.
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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 local boat ride to Our Lady of the Rocks, paid separately. Next comes Kotor, whose walls climb 260 metres up the hill behind the old town. For Kotor we recommend a licensed local guide: our drivers know the road but are not guides, so we book one for your date, charged separately.
Documents. Bring a passport. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may also cross with a national ID card.
The route, stop by stop.
Indicative route. Every trip is private, so you can swap, skip or add a stop.
Hotel pickup
Mercedes at your accommodation. Brief route walk-through over the first coffee.
Karasovići border crossing
Document check at Karasovići. We time the departure to avoid the longest queues.
- 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.
- 2
Kotor
Old town walk with a local guide. We recommend a licensed Kotor guide, booked by us and charged separately. You can also walk on your own: the cathedral, Square of the Arms, St Tryphon’s, the cats. Optional climb to St John’s Fortress.
Lunch in Kotor. Quiet konoba away from the cruise crowds; we book the table, lunch itself is not included. Time to sit, eat, and watch the town.
Drive back
Coastal road back, with a photo stop if you wish. Back in Dubrovnik around 17:30.
More about the places
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 and cross the Konavle valley to the border. The Croatian check is 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 passport for every person in the car, children included (EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may use a national ID card).
- 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 because the quote depends on the car (E-Class or V-Class) and your group size. We send an itemised quote by email or WhatsApp.
Questions about Montenegro.
All FAQsWhat documents do I need for a Montenegro day trip from Dubrovnik?
How long is the border wait from Croatia to Montenegro?
Is Kotor worth a day trip from Dubrovnik?
Do we need a local guide?
Do I need to change money?
Is the climb to St John’s Fortress required?
Can you see Kotor and Perast in one day?
Other private day trips.
Mostar & Kravice waterfalls
The Old Bridge over the Neretva and a swim beneath the Kravice falls.
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Krka National Park
Travertine waterfalls and wooden walkways in the karst north of Šibenik.
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Korčula by land
Korčula old town, the Ston walls and a Pelješac winery.
View this tripEnquire about Montenegro & Bay of Kotor.
Tell us your date and group, and one person on our team replies with a tailored plan and an itemised quote. Door-to-door from your hotel, no obligation.
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