In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Kotor is in Montenegro, outside the Schengen area, so a day trip means a passport and border checks each way. Coaches run from Dubrovnik bus station at 07:15, 11:00, 15:00 and 17:30, take about 2 hours 30 minutes and cost €37.59 one way (Dubrovnik bus station), which is more than most day tours. The Old Town is part of a UNESCO World Heritage region, and the walls run for more than four kilometres. Or book a tour: From Dubrovnik: Montenegro Day Tripad (from €58, 4.4 stars from 5,929 reviews) takes the border, the road and a stop in Perast out of your hands for 11 hours.
⚠️ Bring your passport. Montenegro is outside the Schengen area, and the UK government says land border crossings into Montenegro can close at short notice (UK government).
Getting to Kotor by bus
Coaches from Dubrovnik bus station call at Kotor on a timetable that includes the border crossing. The times below are the departures the bus station lists, with the fare for a single journey including the reservation and the station fee.
| Dubrovnik to Kotor | Arrives | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| 07:15 | 09:45 | €37.59 |
| 11:00 | 13:10 | €37.59 |
| 15:00 | 17:00 | €30.59 |
| 17:30 | 19:50 | €37.59 |
| Kotor to Dubrovnik | Arrives | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| 10:10 | 12:30 | €36.66 |
| 14:40 | 17:00 or 17:30 | €36.66 |
| 18:00 | 20:45 or 21:00 | €36.66 |
The 07:15 out and the 14:40 back give five hours in Kotor, and the 18:00 back gives eight. The same times are sold by Croatia Bus and FlixBus, and a return costs about €74 at these single fares, which is more than the Montenegro day trips below that start at €50 to €58.
Border and passport rules
Montenegro is not part of the Schengen area, so border checks happen on the way in and again when you return to Croatia.
- Passport: the UK government asks for a passport issued less than 10 years before you enter and valid for 3 months after you leave. Canada also asks for 3 months beyond the date you leave (UK government, Canada).
- Visa: none needed for up to 90 days. The UK says 90 days in any 180, and Canada says up to 90 days.
- Stamps: the UK government says to get your passport stamped on entry and exit.
- Returning to Croatia: the EU’s Entry/Exit System can ask you for a photo and fingerprints, and the UK government says to allow extra time at the border (EU, UK government).
- Excursion tax: visitors in organised groups or on agency trips pay €1 per person at Kotor, and children under 12 are exempt (Tourist Organisation of Kotor).
The entry rules by nationality for Croatia are on the Dubrovnik guide.
Tours from Dubrovnik
A tour is the sensible default for Kotor: it costs less than the bus, the operator handles the border queue, and most itineraries add Perast and the bay. The bus is better when you want to set your own hours.
Montenegro day trip with Kotor and Perast
From €58 · 4.4 stars from 5,929 reviews · 11 hours · pickup available · free cancellation
From Dubrovnik: Montenegro Day Tripad is a coach day from Dubrovnik with time in Kotor Old Town, the choice of Perast or a short boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks, and pickup from your accommodation.
Perast to Kotor boat tour
From €53 · 4.5 stars from 5,574 reviews · 11 to 12 hours · skip the line · pickup available · free cancellation
From Dubrovnik: Montenegro Boat Tour from Perast to Kotorad adds a cruise on Boka Kotorska Bay and covers the cultural heritage of the bay.
Boat ride in a smaller day trip
From €80 · 4.7 stars from 213 reviews · 11 hours · skip the line · pickup available · free cancellation
Dubrovnik: Montenegro Day Trip to Kotor, Perast & Boat Ridead is the dearest of the three and combines Kotor, Perast and a boat ride.
Montenegro coast full-day trip
From €55 · 4.7 stars from 247 reviews · 11 hours · skip the line · pickup available · free cancellation
From Dubrovnik: Montenegro Coast Full-Day Tripad covers the Montenegrin coast in an 11-hour day, with pickup.
Bus or tour: the prices side by side
The GetYourGuide figure is the cheapest option in each product.
| Option | Price | Time in Montenegro | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus, 07:15 out and 14:40 back | About €74 return | Five hours in Kotor | Your own schedule, no guide |
| Bus, 07:15 out and 18:00 back | About €74 return | Eight hours in Kotor | Your own schedule, no guide |
| Montenegro day trip | From €58 | An 11-hour day | Pickup, border handled, Perast or a boat stop |
| Coast full-day trip | From €55 | An 11-hour day | Pickup and the Montenegrin coast |
The Sea Gate, Kotor Old Town. Photo: Michał Bulsa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see
The Tourist Organisation of Kotor is the source for the sights below.
- Kotor Old Town: a UNESCO-protected walled town of nameless streets and asymmetrical squares, named after what was sold there: Salad Square, Flour Square, Milk Square and Arms Square. About 50 churches were built from the 13th to the 20th century. UNESCO says the earthquake of 1979 damaged four Romanesque churches and the town walls, and the town has been restored with UNESCO’s help (UNESCO).
- The walls and St John’s Fortress: the walls extend over four kilometres and rise up to 20 m in places, and were recognised by UNESCO in 1979. The Fortress of St John stands at the top, on a cliff 70 m high above the town.
- Our Lady of the Rocks and St George: two islets off Perast. Our Lady of the Rocks is artificial, made by sinking stones and old sailing vessels around a crag, with a church and an archaeological-ethnological museum beside it. St George is a natural island with a 12th-century church.
- Kotor City Pass: the S pass costs €19 and the M pass €30, each valid for a month. The S pass covers the Maritime Museum, Boka Aquarium, St Tryphon Cathedral and the churches of St Nicholas and St Luke, and the churches cannot be visited during services. The M pass adds the Perast Museum, the Roman mosaics in Risan and the Gallery of Solidarity among others.
Perast on the Bay of Kotor. Photo: Jaakko Luttinen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Inside the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks. Photo: Miomir Magdevski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see next
- Day trips from Dubrovnik: the comparison table and the border rules for every trip.
- Mostar day trip: the other cross-border trip.
- Money in Dubrovnik: cash and cards on the Croatian side.
- 3 days in Dubrovnik: where a Montenegro day fits in an itinerary.
- Is Dubrovnik safe: safety before you travel.
Common questions
Do I need a passport for Kotor from Dubrovnik?
Yes. Montenegro is not in the Schengen area, so you cross a border each way. The UK government says British passports must be less than 10 years old and valid for 3 months after you leave, and Canada says the same 3 months.
Do I need a visa for Montenegro?
Not for a short stay. The UK government says British passport holders can visit for up to 90 days in any 180, and Canada says up to 90 days without a tourist visa.
Is there a bus from Dubrovnik to Kotor?
Yes, from Dubrovnik bus station. Coaches leave at 07:15, 11:00, 15:00 and 17:30 and take about 2 hours 30 minutes, with return coaches from Kotor at 10:10, 14:40 and 18:00. A one-way ticket is €37.59, or €30.59 on the 15:00 coach.
Will the EU Entry/Exit System slow the border?
It can. The UK government says you may be asked for fingerprints and a photo when you enter the Schengen area, that it can take extra time, and that you may be asked again when you leave.
Is there a tax on day trippers in Kotor?
Visitors in organised groups or on agency trips pay a €1 excursion tax per person, and children under 12 are exempt, according to the Tourist Organisation of Kotor.
What is Our Lady of the Rocks?
An artificial island in the Bay of Kotor made by sinking stones and old sailing vessels around a crag, with a church and an archaeological-ethnological museum.
