Montenegro Day Trip from Dubrovnik: Kotor, Perast and Budva, Group or Private?

Ask anyone who has spent a week in Dubrovnik which day they would repeat and most say Montenegro. The reasons are simple: the border is an hour away, the Bay of Kotor is the most dramatic piece of coast on the whole Adriatic, and Kotor's old town is small enough to walk and old enough to matter. The day is sold two ways from Dubrovnik, as a shared coach tour and as a private tour with your own driver, and the difference is more than price. Here is what the day actually looks like, and how to pick.

The group day, hour by hour

The Best of Montenegro group day trip picks up from central Dubrovnik locations from about 07:00; the operator confirms your exact time the evening before. The road south runs through Župa Dubrovačka and the Konavle valley to the Debeli Brijeg border, where the queue is the one thing nobody can predict: ten minutes in May, an hour on an August morning. Have your passport ready, not in the suitcase.

Across the border the road drops to the bay and follows the water. The first stop is Perast, a single street of baroque palaces facing two islands: the natural one with a monastery, and Our Lady of the Rocks, built by five centuries of sailors dropping stones at the spot of a legendary icon. The boat across takes ten minutes and costs about 15 euros per person, paid on the spot; take it, the church and its silver votive plaques are the best thing in the bay. From Perast the tour continues around the inner bay to Kotor, where you get up to three hours of free time. That is enough for the old town, the cathedral of St Tryphon, lunch in a square and, for the energetic, a climb part-way up the fortress walls for the view back over the water. A small entrance fee for the old town is collected at the gate. The drive back reaches Dubrovnik in the early evening.

The private day: same bay, your pace, plus Budva

The private Montenegro tour leaves from your hotel at about 08:00 with a driver who stays with you all day. The route covers the same bay, Perast and Kotor, and then continues to Budva, the walled town on the open coast further south, before turning for home. One price covers up to three people and a second tier covers four to eight, which means a family of four pays roughly what they would pay for four coach seats and gets a vehicle, a door-to-door pick-up and the right to change the plan: an hour longer in Perast, lunch at a bay restaurant instead of a Kotor square, Budva skipped if the children are tired. The boat to Our Lady of the Rocks is still extra. The private tour runs all year; in winter, when the group departures thin out, it is often the only way to do the bay in a day.

Which one?

Two people on a budget who are happy to follow a guide: the group tour, and it is the cheapest way out of Croatia. Two people who want quiet, or anyone who wants Budva, or any party of four or more: the private tour. Travellers who get car-sick on bay roads should note that the private vehicle can stop whenever it needs to. Both versions give you Kotor at the hottest time of the day, so sunscreen and water matter more than on any other day trip from Dubrovnik.

The ferry alternative

There is a third way into the bay: by sea. The Dubrovnik to Kotor ferry leaves from Gruž port and enters the Bay of Kotor from the open Adriatic, which is how the Venetians, the pirates and everyone else arrived for most of its history. It is a different day, with no Perast stop and no driver, but for anyone who would rather be on the water than on a coach it is the more memorable approach. Both can be booked on Ventoro.

What to bring and what to know

Passport for everyone, including children; EU citizens can usually cross on a national ID card, but a passport is never refused. Euros, which Montenegro uses even though it is not in the EU. Cash for the Perast boat and the Kotor entrance. Comfortable shoes for the fortress steps. Lunch is not included on either tour, and Kotor's squares are full of places to eat. Phone roaming is outside the EU, so check your plan or use Wi-Fi in cafes. The best months are May, June, September and October, when the border is quiet and the bay is still warm; in July and August book two or three days ahead and expect the queue.

For the other side of Dubrovnik's map, Mostar and the Kravica waterfalls, see our Mostar day trip guide, and for every tour from the city the Dubrovnik guide.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Dubrovnik to Kotor?

About two hours including the border, depending on the queue. The tour spends roughly four hours on the road over the whole day.

Do I need a passport to go to Montenegro from Dubrovnik?

Yes. Montenegro is outside the EU and the Debeli Brijeg crossing is a full border check. EU citizens can usually use a national ID card; everyone else needs a passport. Check whether your nationality needs a visa before booking.

Is Our Lady of the Rocks included?

The boat from Perast to the island is optional on both tours and costs about 15 euros per person, paid in cash on the spot. It is worth it.

Can I visit Budva on the group tour?

No. The group tour covers Perast and Kotor. Budva is included on the private tour, which also lets you drop it if the day runs long.

Does the Montenegro day trip run in winter?

The private tour runs all year. Group departures are frequent from spring to autumn and thin out in winter, when the private tour is the reliable option.