Walking Routes in Kotor, Perast and Budva

Montenegro’s coastal towns are compact and mostly pedestrian, so the best way to see them is on foot. These four routes need no guide, take between 1.5 and 2.5 hours, and pass the sights that carry an entry fee. Entry fees are in euros and can change.

Kotor Old Town (about 2.5 km, 2 hours)

Begin outside the Sea Gate, built in 1555, and walk in past the clock tower on Arms Square, where the stone Pillar of Shame stands. Winding lanes lead past the Bizanti, Beskuća and Pima palaces to St Tryphon’s Cathedral, consecrated in 1166. It is a working church, so cover shoulders and knees and keep your shoes on.

Continue to Trg Bokeljske Mornarice and the Maritime Museum (about €4); check opening times locally. From there go north to Wood Square and the Collegiate Church of St Mary, dating to 1221, which holds the reliquary of Blessed Osanna of Kotor. Leave through the River Gate to see the Škurda spring flowing out of the cliff base.

Walking the old town is free. The climb up the 1,350 steps to San Giovanni is a separate ticket at €15 in season, bought at the official turnstiles. Keep the ticket stub, as rangers check it along the way.

Perast Waterfront (about 2 km, 1.5 hours)

Perast is a single stone promenade of roughly 1.5 km along the bay, and in summer it is closed to cars that do not belong to residents. Start at the western fortress end and pass the 1694 Bujović Palace, now the town museum. The Smekja and Zmajević palaces and the belfry of the Church of St Nicholas come next, and the bell tower can be climbed for about €2.

Small boats ferry visitors out to Our Lady of the Rocks, about €5 to €10 return, with another €3 for the church and museum. Finish on a stone jetty with an espresso and a slice of peraška torta, the local almond cake, at Conte Restaurant.

Budva Old Town and the Mogren Path (about 3 km, 1.5 hours)

Wander the cobbled lanes of the old town, rebuilt after the 1979 earthquake, then exit through the western gate by the small harbor. The Citadela (about €3.50) overlooks the sea and includes a museum and maritime library. A boardwalk hugs the cliffs above the water, passing the bronze Ballerina statue, and then a short rock tunnel opens onto Mogren I and Mogren II, two golden-sand beaches. Visitor information for the town is at budva.travel .

Herceg Novi, the Town of Stairs (about 3.5 km, 2.5 hours)

Herceg Novi climbs a hillside at the mouth of the bay, and its stairways, called skaline, link the harbor to the upper town. Start at the harbor and climb through palm and oleander gardens to Forte Mare, a 14th-century sea fortress. Belavista Square follows, with the Church of St Michael the Archangel and the 1667 clock tower. A final climb reaches Kanli Kula, a 16th-century Ottoman fortress now used as a 1,000-seat open-air amphitheater, with views toward the bay entrance.

Tips for Walkers

• Choose early morning or evening in summer, when temperatures can pass 35°C.
• Wear sturdy shoes: Kotor’s lanes are paved with stone and the stairs in Herceg Novi are steep.
• Cruise ships swell the Kotor crowds, so check the day’s arrivals if you want quiet lanes.

Read more: the attraction tours page goes deeper on the museums along these routes.

Guided versions of these walks can be compared on GetYourGuide .

• Montenegro
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