Day Trips From Kotor and Budva

Day Trips From Kotor and Budva

The coast is a good base for day trips because mountains, a lake and a royal capital all sit within roughly two hours of Kotor and Budva. Costs are in euros and can change.

Lovćen, Njeguši and Cetinje

This is the classic loop, about 90 km and 6 to 8 hours with stops. From Kotor the road climbs the serpentine, 25 hairpin bends that gain about 1,000 meters. Large coaches can block the turns, so give way to uphill traffic and go slowly.

  • Njeguši: the village is known for smoked ham with protected status and firm cheese. Kod Pera na Bukovicu, a family smokehouse operating since 1881, is a common tasting stop.
  • Lovćen National Park: entry is €3 a person. The Njegoš Mausoleum on Jezerski Vrh is a further €8 and 461 steps up, usually open daily from about 09:00 to 18:00 between May and October or November. Snow closes it in winter.
  • Cetinje: walk the pedestrian Dvorski Trg and visit the Biljarda museum. Cetinje Monastery is an active monastery, so dress modestly.

Return by the Brajići road, which looks over the Budva coast.

Lake Skadar and Rijeka Crnojevića

From Budva, the drive to Virpazar through Petrovac and the Sozina tunnel takes about 45 minutes. A two-hour boat trip costs roughly €20 to €30 a person, plus the €5 park fee, and passes water lilies and pelican colonies. Afterward, follow the winding road to the Pavlova Strana viewpoint over the double bend of the Crnojević River. The old double-arched Danilov Most bridge in Rijeka Crnojevića and a trout or carp lunch at Konoba Mostina make a natural last stop before heading back through Cetinje.

Blue Cave and the Luštica Coast

Boat trips to the Blue Cave leave from Kotor, Tivat and Herceg Novi and cost roughly €30 to €45 a person. The cave sits on the open Adriatic side of the Luštica peninsula, where sunlight through the sandy bottom turns the water bright blue, and swimming is allowed. Most trips add a swim at Žanjic beach, a pass by the former Austro-Hungarian submarine tunnels at Rose and a view of Mamula island. Shared speedboats from Kotor’s waterfront park run similar three-hour circuits, including Our Lady of the Rocks, for about €35 to €45.

Ostrog Monastery

Ostrog is a working pilgrimage site for Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim visitors, not a sightseeing stop in the usual sense. It lies about 88 km (roughly 1 hour 45 minutes) from Kotor and 95 km from Budva, via Podgorica and Danilovgrad. Entry is free and donations are customary. Cover shoulders and knees, keep quiet, avoid photography in the chapels and keep your shoes on. A steep uphill path of about 3 km links the Lower and Upper monasteries, and a municipal shuttle is an alternative. Niagara Falls on the Cijevna River, near Podgorica, is a nearby lunch stop.

Why Durmitor Is Not a Day Trip

Žabljak lies roughly 160 km from Kotor, a drive of 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes in each direction over mountain passes, which leaves little time for Black Lake or rafting. Plan at least one night there; the multi-day trips guide lays out a route.

Getting There

Buses link Kotor and Budva for about €3.50 to €5 and take around 45 minutes. A car makes the mountain loop far easier. Waits of one to three hours or more are common at the Croatian border at Debeli Brijeg in July and August, so allow for it on the way to or from Dubrovnik airport and never schedule a tight flight.

Read more: the attraction tours guide covers Cetinje’s museums and the Risan mosaics in more detail.

Guided day tours covering the Lovćen loop can be browsed on Viator , and park fees are listed on nparkovi.me . Kotor’s tourism office, kotor.travel , keeps visitor information for the bay.