9 Best Kotor Boat Tours (and 1 to Avoid)

Discover the best Kotor boat tours for your trip. See the top sights, beautiful scenery and swim on a fun boat tour in the stunning Bay of Kotor, Montenegro!

Kotor boat tours are one of the most popular things to do for visitors to Kotor.

And with good reason!

Kotor boat trips are great because:

• You get the most out of your visit by seeing the top sights faster than you can by car
• The scenery in Kotor Bay is stunning
• You can cool off with some swimming and spend some time on the beach
• Zooming around the bay in a boat is super fun!

We did the Our Lady of the Rocks, Mamula and Blue Cave Boat Tour and loved it!

Having said that, there’s a huge number of Kotor boat tours to choose from, and choosing one can be overwhelming! And some tours are not as advertised. This tour, for example, is cheap and advertises itself as having a flexible return time, however it hasn’t offered that since 2021.

Most tours visit the two must-see sights:

• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Blue Cave

But you can also try local cuisine, hang out on the beach and visit other top destinations like Perast and Porto Montenegro marina.

The best Kotor Bay boat trip for you will probably depend on how much time you have and what you want to see. You can do a boat tour from Kotor in as little as 2 hours, or you can spend all day on a leisurely cruise.

I highly recommend taking one that visits Our Lady of the Rocks. The Blue Cave is great if you plan to swim or love natural wonders. If you’re more interested in history and museums, visiting Perast would be a better choice.

I’ve gone through them all and here is my round-up of the best Kotor boat tours. You’ll find tours that take anywhere from just a couple of hours to full-day cruises. You’ll also find both group and private boat tours. These are all highly-rated tours that have been reviewed by hundreds of other travelers.

If you’re short on time, below you’ll find my pick of the top 3 tours. And at the bottom of the page you’ll find tips on what to bring to get the most out of your Kotor boat tour.

Contents

Quick Guide: 3 Best Kotor Boat Tours
Best Kotor Boat Tours
Tips for Kotor Boat Tours
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Thoughts

Quick Guide: 3 Best Kotor Boat Tours

Best Kotor Boat Tours

1. Our Lady of the Rocks, Mamula and Blue Cave Boat Tour

RATING: 4.7/5 (796+ reviews) | TOUR LENGTH: 3 hours | BOOK NOW

Highlights of this tour:

• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Submarine tunnels
• Mamula drive-by
• Blue Cave

The most popular of the Kotor speed boat tours, this boat tour takes you to the coast’s top attractions: Our Lady of the Rocks and the Blue Cave.

This Blue Cave boat tour starts out from Kotor City Park, which is conveniently located right opposite the old town. It takes you on a scenic ride through the Bay of Kotor, where you’ll be able to see the pretty stone houses and palaces lining the shore.

The first stop on the tour is the island church Our Lady of the Rocks by Perast. The island church is over 500 years old and has legends abound associated with it. The stories surrounding the island and its neighbour, Sveti Ɖorđe, give you an insight into the swashbuckling history of seafaring Perast’s past.

The next stop on the tour is Kotor Bay’s submarine caves, which were used to hide submarines during the Yugoslav era. You ride past Mamula Island, the former island prison that’s been turned into one of Montenegro's luxury hotels and onto the Blue Cave.

When you get to the Blue Cave you can swim in its iridescent blue waters, snorkel and see the underwater marine life. The water here is incredibly clear and warm in summer. After swimming you cruise back through the bay to Kotor.

This is a great tour if you want to see the highlights of the bay in minimal time. It’s especially good if you’re visiting on a cruise and don’t have much time in Kotor. Combine it with a Kotor walking tour to cover the highlights of this area!

I recommend checking the prices for this tour on both GetYourGuide and Viator. Although it’s the same tour, it will sometimes be cheaper on one booking site so it’s worth checking both!

You can book tickets on the group tour which leaves at 9am, 12pm, 3pm and 6pm daily, or you can book this as a private tour. Click the links below to check pricing and availability for each option.

2. Speed Boat Adventure

RATING: 5/5 (8+ reviews) | TOUR LENGTH: 5 hours | BOOK NOW

Highlights of this tour:

• Blue Cave
• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Submarine tunnels
• Rose fishing village
• Kotor

This private boat tour form Kotor is run by 5-star-rated guide, Ana Badnjar. The tour starts from Kotor, but since it’s a private tour you can start from anywhere.

The tour starts out with a fun speed boat ride through the bay to the Blue Cave. There, you can swim and snorkel in the cave’s blue waters. After swimming you cruise back into the Bay of Kotor.

The great thing about having a boat to yourself is you have plenty of space for sunbathing and this is the idea time, while you cruise towards the village of Rose.

Rose is a quaint and picturesque fishing village where you’ll stop for lunch after a quick stop at the old submarine base.

I recommend trying a local seafood dish like sea bass, calamari or buzara (seafood stew) with a glass of local wine (vranac if you like red wine, krstač) if you like white).

After lunch, you hop in the boat again and cruise to Our Lady of the Rocks. There, you have a guided tour through the church and museum. The church has incredible frescoes and the museum has exhibits from the local area that date back to the Bronze Age.

After visiting Our Lady of the Rocks, you cruise back to Kotor, where you have a guided walking tour of the old town that includes top sights St Tryphon Cathedral and the Maritime Museum.

3. Boka Bay Day Cruise

RATING: 4.8/5 (249+ reviews) | TOUR LENGTH: 8 hours | BOOK NOW

Highlights of this tour:

• Blue Cave
• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Submarine tunnels
• Porto Montenegro

If you have a day to spend and want to take advantage of Montenegro’s gorgeous weather and sea, this full-day boat tour is for you. This tour takes you out on a spacious catamaran and it’s an amazing way to spend the day! 

Although this Kotor boat tour starts in Kotor, you can arrange a pick up from Budva, Tivat or Kotor. From Kotor, you cruise along the Bay of Kotor coastline to Bijela, where you stop for swimming.

Next, you head along the Herceg Novi Riveriera to circle around Mamula Island and learn about the island’s history.

Then you sail along the Luštica Peninsula coast to the Blue Cave, where you can swim in and around the cave. This area has incredibly clear water, so bring a snorkel and mask!

After swimming here, you cruise back into the bay and over to Porto Montenegro in Tivat.

Porto Montenegro is the world’s first platinum-rated marina and you can wander the piers to see the super yachts, have lunch at one of the restaurants and explore Tivat.

After that, you head back on the boat to Our Lady of the Rocks for a guided tour of the church and museum on the island and more swimming.

This is the perfect day out on a boat in the Bay of Kotor!

4. Perast Old Town and Our Lady of the Rocks Boat Tour

RATING: 4.8/5 (167+ reviews) | TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours | BOOK NOW

Highlights of this tour:

• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Perast

If you are short on time and want to go out on a boat, but don’t feel like swimming in the Blue Cave, this boat trip from Kotor to Perast is ideal. 

At just 2 hours, you can see top sights, Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks, and still fit in a Kotor walking tour, even if you’re only in Kotor for a few hours. It’s a group tour and departs Kotor every two hours from Kotor City Park, opposite Kotor old town.

On this tour you cruise from Kotor along the coast to Our Lady of the Rocks island church. You can take a guided tour through the church and museum for a small fee. I highly recommend doing this because you learn so much about this area and its history as well as the 500-year-old church.

After visiting Our Lady of the Rocks, it’s a short trip in the speed boat to Perast. Perast is a known for its beautiful architecture, Baroque palaces and authentic atmosphere.

Perast was once the seat of wealth and power in the Bay of Kotor. A visit to the town museum will help you learn a lot about the Bay of Kotor and its history.

You can also climb the church spire or try an authentic seafood meal and wine at one of the seaside restaurants (the black risotto at Conte is my hubby's favourite!).

Whatever you do, Perast is a beautiful place to explore. The tour ends with a cruise back to Kotor.

This tour has both group tour and private tour options and it's available on both GetYourGuide and Viator. I recommend checking both sites to get the best price!

5. I Want to Stay in Boka Bay Forever

RATING: 5/5 (2+ reviews) | TOUR LENGTH: 4.5 hours | BOOK NOW

Highlights of this tour:

• Private boat tour from Kotor
• Kotor
• Perast
• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Porto Montenegro

This private boat tour is run by my favourite guide, Ana Badnjar, and it covers all the best sights in the Bay of Kotor.

The tour starts with speed boat ride to Perast, the beautiful and historic town in the middle of the bay. There, you have walking tour of the town to see its churches and palaces and learn about the significance of the town. Then, you take a short ride in the boat to Our Lady of the Rocks, where you have another guided tour of the island church and museum.

After that, you take a relaxing cruise through the Verige Strait to Tivat. In contrast to Perast and its history, Tivat is a modern and vibrant town that’s home to Porto Montenegro, a luxury super yacht marina. You have free time here to admire the yachts, grab a bite to eat and shop in the boutiques.

After your time in Porto Montenegro, you take a relaxing cruise back through the bay to Kotor, where the tour finishes with a walking tour of Kotor old town that includes both St Tryphon Cathedral and the Maritime Museum.

6. Kotor Bay - Blue Cave Adventure and Beach Time

RATING: 4.5/5 (34+ reviews) | TOUR LENGTH: 6 hours | BOOK NOW

Highlights of this tour:

• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Blue Cave
• Beach time

This Kotor boat tour is great because it takes you to the must-see sights in the Bay of Kotor and gives you time to enjoy one of the best beaches on Luštica Peninsula. 

This speed boat tour departs from Kotor and starts with a visit to Our Lady of the Rocks, where you can take a guided tour of the church and museum. Then you cruise through the bay, past Mamula Island and into the Adriatic Sea to swim in the Blue Cave.

After swimming in the cave, the skipper drops you off at Žanjice Beach to enjoy a few hours of uninterrupted beach time. Žanjice is a sheltered cove and has crystal clear waters, a pebble beach and several restaurants, including high-end Ribarsko Selo (Fishermen's Village).

7. Private Boat Tours around Boka Bay, Montenegro

RATING: 5 / 5 (5+ reviews) | TOUR LENGTH: 1-8 hours | BOOK NOW

Highlights of this tour:

• Charter a boat for as long as you like
• Go wherever you like
• Includes waterskiing

Why not design your own Kotor boat tour itinerary?

With this private boat tour, you can rent a speed boat for anywhere from 1 to 8 hours and go wherever you like.

There are several options to choose from on this boat tour:

• Full-day private charter
• 1-hour charter
• 4-hour customised tour
• 3-hour adventure tour to the Submarine bunkers and Blue Cave with optional waterskiing
• 3-hour relax tour to Porto Montenegro with optional snorkelling
• 3-hour culture tour to Kotor, Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks
• 1-hour waterskiing
• 1-, 2- and 3-hour custom boat tours

Essentially, you can hire a beautiful speed boat and skipper for as long as you like and go wherever you like. The boat can take up to 8 guests, so it’s ideal for small groups travelling together.

8. 4-Hour Private Kotor Bay Boat Tour with Lunch and Wine Taste

RATING: 5/5 (13+ reviews) | DURATION: 4.5 hours | BOOK NOW

Highlights of this tour:

• Blue Cave
• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Lunch of fresh mussels

This tour is ideal for seeing the top sights of the Bay of Kotor and experiencing the bay’s local cuisine.

This private boat tour takes you from Kotor to Our Lady of the Rocks for a guided tour through the island’s church and museum. Then you cruise through the bay and past Mamula Island to the Blue Cave, where you can swim in the sea cave. And because this is a private tour, you can stop and swim anywhere you like!

After swimming in the cave, you cruise back through Kotor Bay to Perast for a visit of the Baroque town.

Then you head to Ljuta, a pretty hamlet just outside of Kotor, for a traditional lunch of mussel buzara and wine. Buzara is a traditional dish in the Bay of Kotor. It’s a seafood stew made with onions, garlic, wine and tomatoes. You can make it with any kind seafood, but most people make it with mussels.

If you don’t take this boat trip but would still love to try buzara, I recommend trying it at Konoba Ribar in Kostanjica in the Bay of Kotor.

After lunch, you return to Kotor on the boat.

9. Mrs Zora’s Yummy Oysters

RATING: 5 / 5 (2+ reviews) | TOUR LENGTH: 5 hours | BOOK NOW

Highlights of this tour:

• Our Lady of the Rocks
• Porto Montenegro
• Kotor
• Family-owned Oyster Farm

Keeping with the theme of the Bay of Kotor cuisine, this private speed boat tour takes you to top attractions Our Lady of the Rocks, Kotor, Porto Montenegro and a traditional oyster farm.

This tour starts with a speed boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks, the island church and museum. After a walking tour of both you head over to glamourous marina, Porto Montenegro, to see the super yachts and modern village.

After a walk here you head over to Mrs Zora's to try the flavours of coastal Montenegro: mussels, oysters, prosciutto, cheese and homemade wine.

Your day ends with a walking tour around Kotor's ancient streets that includes St Tryphon Cathedral and the Maritime Museum.

This tour is a fantastic way to experience the essence of the Bay of Kotor: its history, future, connection to the sea and cuisine!

Tips for Kotor Boat Tours

• If you’re taking a tour that includes swimming, wear your swimsuit. Most boats (except the catamaran used on the Boka Bay Cruise) don’t have bathrooms or anywhere to change. Wearing your swimsuit at the start of the tour will save you from trying to awkwardly get changed in front of your fellow passengers!
• Bring a towel
• Bring goggles or a snorkel and mask (if you have them). The water in the Bay of Kotor and around the Blue Cave is very clear. If you have goggles or a snorkel and mask  you’ll be able to see fish, starfish and sea urchins!
• Bring warmer layers, even if it’s hot. The wind chill on a speed boat can make you feel cold, even on the hottest days, especially if you’re wet from swimming. Bring a long-sleeved top to keep yourself warm
• Bring sunscreen and a sun hat. You might be in the direct sun on the boat, so sunscreen and a sunhat are a must!

Frequently Asked Questions About Kotor Boat Tours

Final Thoughts: Best Kotor Boat Tours

Kotor boat tours are a fantastic and fun way to see the highlights of the Bay of Kotor. You'll find boat tours from Kotor to suit every time frame and budget.

If you're short on time, the Our Lady of the Rocks and Blue Cave Tour is a guaranteed winner. You'll see the top sights and fit a swim in in just 3 hours.

If you've got more time, I recommend spending some time on the beach on the Blue Cave Adventure With Beach Time or even spending a whole day cruising on the Boka Bay Day Cruise.

And if you're looking for a private tour, my favourite guide, Ana, can put together an incredible itinerary for you that will make your time in Kotor unforgettable!

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• Visitors Guide to Our Lady of the Rocks
• Ultimate Guide to Visiting the Blue Cave, Montenegro
• Best Hotels in Kotor, Montenegro

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