Three days in Montenegro, based in Kotor

Three days in Montenegro is enough to fall for the coast, not to see the whole country. My plan is simple, one base in Kotor, no packing every night, and three days mixing old town, bay, mountain and beach. Fly into Tivat, 8 km away, and you can start the same afternoon.

Day 1, Kotor from inside and above

Start with the old town, part of the Kotor World Heritage region since 1979. Go in through the Sea Gate, home to the tourist information centre, and spend the morning between St Tryphon’s cathedral and the squares. In the afternoon, climb the walls. According to the National Tourism Organisation, they zigzag for 4.5 km with about 1,400 steps, and the visit up to St John’s, 300 m above the water, takes an hour. I’d go up once the heat drops, with water and proper shoes, because that’s a lot of steps to climb in one go, whatever the weather. Details in Kotor’s city walls.

Day 2, Perast and Lovćen

In the morning, Perast, about 14 km along the shore. The National Tourism Organisation highlights St Nicholas church, with its 55 m bell tower, and two islets opposite, one of them Our Lady of the Rocks, with a church and a museum, and the other St George. In the afternoon, head back towards Kotor and ride the cable car from Dub to Kuk on Lovćen in 11 minutes. A return costs €20 on the 2026 off-season fare, and the whole bay is laid out below you at the top. More in the Kotor cable car.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Kotor on Expedia and filter by area before price.

Day 3, Budva and Sveti Stefan

Budva is about 22 km from Kotor. Its walled old town is more than 2,500 years old, according to the national tourism office, and the Citadel holds a museum and a library. Then catch the Mediteran Expres local bus, every 10 minutes by day, to Sveti Stefan, about 9 km on. The islet, now a hotel, hangs off the coast on a sandbar with a beach on each side, and from there it looks just like the photos. If you’d rather have history than beach, swap this day for Cetinje, about 48 km from Kotor.

Getting around

You don’t need a car. Private buses link Kotor and Budva, Budva’s local bus covers Sveti Stefan, and the cable car has official shuttles from Kotor, Budva and Tivat. A car does make Perast easier, remembering they drive on the right. Transport options are in getting around Montenegro.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Kotor and pick one that fits your day.

What I’d save for next time

Durmitor, Lake Skadar, Ostrog and the north. Kotor to Žabljak is about 153 km and over three hours each way on my estimate, which makes no sense on a three-day trip. If you can stretch it, see Montenegro in five days.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Kotor on Booking.com and filter by area before price.