Kotor is one of the top-visited places in Montenegro. It’s a pretty, historic walled city with some great sights. Here’s how to make the most of Kotor in one day, with the top things to see and do.
Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. All links are only to products I would personally recommend.
Kotor is a really beautiful place to visit, and one of the most famous places in Montenegro. It’s a small, historic walled city with a great range of sights, food and drink. But there’s more here as well, with a steep but stunning walk up to the fortress, and amazing views across the beautiful fjord-like Bay of Kotor. If you’re seeing Kotor in one day, then you can have a great fun-filled day see some amazing sights.
When should I visit Kotor, and where should I stay?
The best time to visit Kotor in one day is between May to October, but ideally May/June or September/October. These months give you a great balance of good weather and a good atmosphere, without it being too crowded. Kotor is very popular with cruise ships, especially in the summer months of July and August. And the small city can get packed with the cruise ship visitors. Visiting in May/June or September/October mean you still get good weather and everything is open (a lot of places are closed in winter), but you avoid the worst of the cruise ship crowds.
There are lots of options for places to stay in Kotor. You can stay in a hotel right in the centre of the historic city. This is a great option if you want to be right in the middle of the action, and right next to all the bars and restaurants. However, I prefer to stay slightly outside of the main city. Just a short 5-10 minute walk from the walled city, you can find some lovely apartments for much more reasonable prices. And you can even find some that have stunning sea views across the whole bay.
Check out the best places to stay in Kotor on Booking.com here (affiliate)
What are the top things to see and do in Kotor in one day?
With one day in Kotor, you can see a lot of the top things to see and do in Kotor. I recommend first walking up to Kotor fortress – it’s best to do this walk in the morning before it gets too hot. Then you can enjoy lunch in Kotor, and spend some time walking around the city. Later in the afternoon, you can relax on Kotor Beach, before heading back into the main city for dinner and drinks in the evening. Here’s my guide to Kotor in one day, with the best things to see and do.
To really get to know Kotor, book this Kotor walking tour through Get Your Guide (affiliate), or this walking tour through Viator (affiliate). Or this Kotor tour also includes a trip to nearby Budva (affiliate).
Morning: Hike up to Kotor Fortress
In the morning of your one day in Kotor, I recommend first doing the walk up to Kotor Fortress. I know it might feel wrong to not first of all explore the city. But if you want to do this walk, it’s definitely best to do in the morning. The walk up to Kotor Fortress is very steep – there are 1,350 stairs. And it can get very hot later in the day. So it’s best to do this walk in the morning, before the day gets too hot, because it’s a very steep uphill walk. But it’s worth it.
The path up to Kotor Fortress leaves from the centre of Kotor. It’s a steep uphill climb. You have the choice of whether to use the stone steps, or the uphill path next to them. Both options are hard work! And both can get slippery if the weather is wet. But the views are definitely worth it. As soon as you start climbing, you start to get views down to the city and across the whole bay.
You need to pay a small fee to access the path once you get a bit higher. But it’s worth paying.
The path zig-zags uphill. And with each turn, the views just get even better. I was told by someone in the town that the walk takes about 45 minutes to get to the top. But I took a lot longer – well over an hour. My excuse is that I was stopping a lot to take photos. But the photo stops were also an excuse to catch my breathe…the path was really steep!
One of my favourite views was the view from the church on the way up – the Church of Our Lady of Remedy. It’s about halfway up, and a great viewpoint.
The fortress at the top feels so rewarding to get to. It’s a ruined fortress, so there’s not a huge amount still there. But there’s still enough to be able to imagine what it would have been like, back in the 15th century, when this city was an important Venetian city and fortress. Again, the views are just stunning.
The walk back down is a lot easier than going up. But it’s still a bit hard work, especially as the steps are quite wide. But I loved this walk, and felt like it was definitely worth the effort to get such amazing views of Kotor and the Bay of Kotor.
Lunch in Kotor
After climbing up to Kotor fortress, you’ll definitely have earned some lunch in Kotor. There are so many options for food and drink in Kotor. If you want, you can sit at one of the many restaurants that have outdoor seating in the squares, and have a leisurely lunch while people-watching. Or, you can have a quicker lunch so you can get on with sightseeing.
If you want a quicker lunch, I recommend Pizzeria Pronto. They do huge pizza slices, that you can get as a takeaway. There’s a square nearby where you can sit to eat. The pizza was amazing!
And afterwards, you definitely need to try Krempita. it’s a famous dessert that’s made locally in Kotor and Montenegro. It’s a delicious pastry, filled with custard.
For the best food and drink in Kotor, book this walking tour of Kotor that includes food tastings (affiliate), a Kotor cooking class (affiliate), or a Kotor food tour (affiliate).
Afternoon: walk around the streets, squares and churches
After lunch, take some time to walk around the walled city of Kotor. It’s a small city within the city walls. It’s a maze of narrow streets, with tall buildings on each side.
I loved just walking around, without trying to follow a map. I loved just getting lost, and taking whatever turn I fancied. It’s the best way to explore Kotor. Just walk, and see what you find.
There are lots of squares, and lots of churches as well. The best churches in Kotor are the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon and Saint Luke’s Church, but there are others as well. It’s nice to go inside – some are free, and some have a small entrance fee.
There’s the cat museum in Kotor as well, which is great if you’re looking for a slightly alternative museum. Wherever you walk in Kotor, you’ll see the street cats everywhere. They’re so friendly, and I loved seeing the cats of Kotor around.
Make sure you find the Clock Tower as well, in one of the biggest squares near Sea Gate. There’s a great ice cream shop here as well.
Late afternoon: relax by the seafront
Once you’ve explored the streets inside the walled city, you can go for a walk along the seafront outside the city. It’s a lot more peaceful here. I enjoyed seeing the boats in the marina just outside Sea Gate.
Walking along the sea front is lovely. The sea is such a beautiful colour here. There are more boats, and beautiful views down the Bay of Kotor. There are several cafes and restaurants along here as well, which are lovely if you want to stop for a drink and enjoy the views and sea air.
You’ll also find Kotor Beach along here as well. Just make sure you manage your expectations when you see ‘Kotor Beach’ mentioned on a map. It’s pleasant, but it’s not a huge expanse of golden sand. It’s a small, stone-y beach. But it’s still nice, and if you want to swim in the sea then it’s a nice place.
Dinner and evening in Kotor
Head back into the walled city for dinner. There’s a huge choice of places for dinner, and most restaurants have seating outside which is lovely on warm summer evenings. The food in Kotor is heavily influenced by Mediterranean cuisine. There are several good pasta restaurants – pasta with truffles is a local specialty. Or seafood is a great option, with fresh fish and seafood including sea bass, swordfish and tuna.
There are some great options for local drink as well. The local beers in Montenegro are great – especially Nikšićko and Tuborg. Or wine lovers have to try Vranac, the local red wine.
More things to do in and around Kotor
Seeing Kotor in one day gives you a great flavour of what the country of Montenegro has to offer. But there’s so much to Montenegro beyond Kotor. You can take the cable car from near Kotor up into the Lovćen National Park. Book your cable car tickets here (affiliate), or book these tickets for the cable car that includes much more (affiliate). There are stunning views from the cable car and the bars and restaurants at the top, but it’s worth staying in a mountain hotel for a few days to enjoy the Lovćen National Park mountain scenery. There are some stunning hiking trails you can do. Or take a day tour of the National Park (affiliate).
Alternatively, you could spend more time around the Bay of Kotor. You can visit the lovely coastal towns of Tivat and Perast, or take a speedboat trip to the Blue Cave, or a private speedboat trip (affiliate). There are more active options as well, with paddle boarding on the Bay of Kotor (affiliate), kayaking around the Bay of Kotor (affiliate), and kayaking to the Blue Cave (affiliate).
If you want to spend more time in Montenegro beyond just seeing Kotor in one day, make sure you check out my itinerary for one week in Montenegro, which will show you the best that this small but beautiful country has to offer.
Hope you enjoyed my guide to Kotor in one day, with the top things to see and do! Make sure you also check out my guide to one week in Montenegro, and also the top hikes near Kotor. For more stunning Balkan scenery, check out my guides to Croatia, including a week sailing in Croatia, exploring Dubrovnik, and the best things to do in Croatia.
