Kotor, Montenegro - what to do

[onthebalcony]

I am starting a thread on Kotor, Montenegro as there is confusion with Koper in another thread and both locations are being discussed!!

 

Does anyone have any tour/guides for Kotor? What should we spend our time seeing? In some threads Budva was worth the visit and Njfegusi nothing special with hair pin curves to get there. Not my idea of fun and my hubby would have a fit!!! It also sounds that you can DYO in Kotor.

 

We arrive on the Azamara Quest Nov. 11 at 10:00 am and are tendered and depart on Nov. 12 at 6:00 am when we are docked.

 

Is there a free shuttle available from the port to town?

 

Any information would be gretly appreciated.

[Eileen G]

We were on the Quest last Sept and stopped in Kotor. If you like to hike there is a great trail up to the fort. The Captian and hotel director led a group up to the top. There is no need for a shuttle into town. Here is the part of my review on Kotor.

 

Kotor was our next port and we arrived at the Bay of Kotor before sun up. There was a commentator on board from Montenegro who told us a lot about the country and it’s history while sailing in. The views were beautiful and the captain even circled the small islands with the churches on them. We were able to dock right near town and walked right off the ship. We walked through town to the trail leading up to the fort above town. It is a steep trail with several switchbacks. There are wonderful views from the top. After hiking down we walked around town. There is also a small beach within easy walking distance.

Here are my pictures:

http://cid-1e98e90214e77bf9.photos.live.com/browse.aspx/Az%20Quest%209-20-10%20Kotor

[onthebalcony]

Eileen,

Wonderful pictures!!! It looks like you can DYO in Kotor old town?? I guess I could do the hike up to the fort but my hubby won't be able to.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Anne

[merprincess]

We were in Kotor last month. We were tendered in and walked over to the old town section. After 4 organized tours prior to this, we decided to do Kotor on our own. We had a relatively leisurely day of strolling though the old town area and visiting St. Tryphon's Church. We browsed in some shops, bought some souveniers and had a lovely lunch across the town square from St. Tryphon's. We ate outdoors at the La Pasteria (highly recommended by Rick Steves) and sampled some local wine and specialties. After touring the French Riviera, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast, this was at our own pace and very enjoyable.

[blondietoo]

We were in Kotor last month. We were tendered in and walked over to the old town section. After 4 organized tours prior to this, we decided to do Kotor on our own. We had a relatively leisurely day of strolling though the old town area and visiting St. Tryphon's Church. We browsed in some shops, bought some souveniers and had a lovely lunch across the town square from St. Tryphon's. We ate outdoors at the La Pasteria (highly recommended by Rick Steves) and sampled some local wine and specialties. After touring the French Riviera, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast, this was at our own pace and very enjoyable.

Are Euros accepted in Kotor or is it Kuna?? If it is Kuna can i get some on board(Pacific Princess) or from an ATM in the town???

[celebritydave]

Eilleen, awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing, looking forward to visiting there in November

[Julessmiles]

This is from my review when we did Kotor last year which might help - Perast was well worth a visit, not sure if you can do this by public transport:-

 

Kotor

 

Up early (5.30am!) for the sail-in to Kotor – another must-do. It was stunning, Fjord-like scenery. Did a half-day “Coastal Charms” tour here (via cruise ship) which took us to the pretty village of Perast, onto a little boat across to the pretty “Lady of the Rock” Island. We then continued by coach and across a car ferry and onto Budva, a large tourist resort which has a lovely old walled town. Here you have the option of freetime or a guided tour around. We weren't that impressed with the tourist area of Budva itself but the walled town was lovely. Back to Kotor and again the chance of a guided tour around the old walled town.

 

[comcox]

I've been to Kotor twice and it's a very easy to walk (unless you want to climb to the fort) old walled town. You can cover the sights within the old town easily in an hour and then allow extra time to sit at a cafe. On my second visit I took one of the ship's tours inland and it was wonderful to see the countryside and amazing to watch our driver navigate the 25 switch backs up and over the mountains. And as someone already mentioned one of the highlights is the sail in and out of the bay.

[zennor]

Are Euros accepted in Kotor or is it Kuna?? If it is Kuna can i get some on board(Pacific Princess) or from an ATM in the town???

 

I understood that Kotor (in Montenegro) uses Euros & that Kuna is for Croatia (Split, Dubrovnik etc.) - can anyone confirm? Thanks.

[onthebalcony]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the great information. Any way you can see the area without the 25 switchbacks up and over the mountains??? How about just a coastal tour? My hubby is not into switch backs and I would be car sick unless I took a Bonine!

 

Anne

[Julessmiles]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the great information. Any way you can see the area without the 25 switchbacks up and over the mountains??? How about just a coastal tour? My hubby is not into switch backs and I would be car sick unless I took a Bonine!

 

Anne

 

 

The tour we did to Perast, car ferry across the water to Budva did not include any mountain roads!

[onthebalcony]

Julessmiles,

Did you rent a car? Was this a ship's tour? Where does the ferry drop you off - in Perast or Budva? Sorry for all the questions!

 

Thanks for any information!

 

Anne

[merprincess]

I understood that Kotor (in Montenegro) uses Euros & that Kuna is for Croatia (Split, Dubrovnik etc.) - can anyone confirm? Thanks.

 

Yes, I can confirm that it is euros in Kotor and kuna in Croatia.

[jenlynmc]

We were on Celebrity cruise in May. We shared a sailing trip with Tim and Katie on the Monty B. There were two other Cruise Critic couples scheduled, but only one of them showed up. We started the morning with a walk around Kotor. I found a shopping mall not too far from port and bought some excellent sandals. We ate at a little cafe and then proceeded to the docks to find the Monty B. They did two shorter excursions that day and we were on the second one. This was one of the highlights of our 12 night, 9 port trip. The area is extremely scenic and the sailing was great fun. Being somewhere so relaxing and away from crowds is a great way to spend a day on a trip like this. It was Great!

[Naomi2]

We are going to Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Island with Montegro Holidays with pick up at the boat. If you can gather a group of 10 or more it is 20 Euros per person. Yours, Naomi2

[Miss Jolly]

We had a fantastic impromptu day in Dubrovonik when we hired a taxi to take us to the walled city but stayed with him for 5.5 hours - no he did not kidnap us!:p My previous research on the CC boards had fully prepared me and I knew that his suggestions were appropriate. It was a highlight of our 49 day cruise and very unexpected. Are we likely to have a similar experience in Kotor?

[tourdirector101]

Eileen, thanks for those awesome photos. I am praying for such a sunny day in November and look forward to hiking up those slopes.

TD101

[leongcpa]

Naomi,

 

When are you going to Kotor? And what is the contact information for Montenegro Holidays?

 

Thanks,

 

Alfred

 

We are going to Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Island with Montegro Holidays with pick up at the boat. If you can gather a group of 10 or more it is 20 Euros per person. Yours, Naomi2

[TLCOhio]

We had a great time in Kotor last month. Below is the link to the posting that I did with many details on the ship's tour we did to their historic Montenegro capital, seeing this bay from high in the mountains above Kotor, going to the coastal areas nearby, etc. Below are a few of my sample pictures.

 

You can see much, much more by going to this thread on these Cruise Critic boards:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

 

Let me know your reactions, questions, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. These postings are now at 24,855 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2011, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 47,427 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Don’t be shy and feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest.

 

 

Our coach driver went up, back and forth, through twenty-five serpentine twists and turns to rise up the 4000’ high mountain above Kotor. Here was that great view from this high point!:

 

 

 

This shows Kotor’s wall fortifications and the mountain areas above the town.:

 

 

 

This is the walled gate as we entered Kotor to see in various historic buildings, many churches and shops. YES, they have lots of shops, whether needed or not!!:

 

 

 

This is a close up of the mountain fortress that overlooks Kotor and the fjord bay.:

 

 

 

We went to nearby Budva, a 2,500 year-old-fortress that is now in the heart of a resort area. This walled coastal town projects out into the sea. This is the overview of walled coastal town and how it projects out into the sea. Lots of fancy private ships docked here in their harbor.:

 

 

 

As you sail in and out of Kotor, you see these two island with church built on them. These are not natural island, but built up there over the years. Spectacular sighting.:

 

[harryw]

We want to see Kotor on our own. How many minutes walk is it from the port to the town? Is it feasible or economical to find a local taxi driver for a brief tour outside the town?

 

Harry

[Eileen G]

The dock is about a five minute walk from the old walled town. When we were there there were plenty of taxis waiting for people who wanted to take a tour. In the picture you can see how close our ship was to old town.

 

[harryw]

Thank You. Eileen. I'll be there in October, and exploring the town by foot then securing a taxi, will be my plan.

 

Harry

[TLCOhio]

We want to see Kotor on our own. How many minutes walk is it from the port to the town? Is it feasible or economical to find a local taxi driver for a brief tour outside the town? Harry

 

Hi, Harry! As Eileen noted, the dock is "right there", just a few steps until where you go in the main gate of the walled city. Kotor is not big, big. Fairly small and easy to cover in a reasonable period of time.

 

If you were to get a cab, the question is what do you want to see or do? A beach town such Budva? Going up to the big mountain top to get the great overview for this area as show below? What's most of interest? Do you want to go to Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Island?

 

Don't miss the sail-in and sail-outs for Kotor.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 35,967 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

From high above Kotor, this is the view of the fjord bay with our ship in prime position to soak up the spectacular sun on our visiting day there. To get here, our driver went up, back and forth, through twenty-seven serpentine twists and turns to rise up the 4000’ high mountain above Kotor. This view shows the other water connections to the Adriatic Sea. This bay is sometimes called the southern-most fjord in Europe. :

 

[harryw]

Thanks Terry -

 

Someone recommended Budva, so our idea is to take a taxi there from the port.

 

Harry

[zennor]

I just wondered if anyone had done this tour or similar. We are on Azamara Quest but I think it is also offered by Celebrity. I was hoping to do the Captain's 'hike' but I really don't think my back will be up to it & I'd quite like to see a bit of the countryside. Any views?

 

Montenegro Villages Tour - Zabrdje & Kotor

 

Depart the port of Kotor for a 45-minute drive to reach the Lustica peninsula for your village tour. Your visit to the Zabrdje Village will commence after a drive with amazing views. A welcome drink is served by the host on the centuries’ owned family estate. The Old Mill, an important source of income for many generations, occupies a prominent location on the estate. After visiting the Old mill you will proceed towards the threshing floor. The view from this huge round stone terrace is breathtaking. A snack made of smoked ham, cheese and salad followed by a drink will be served (actual serving location will be dependent upon weather conditions of the tour date) on a terrace or inside their home. Local musicians will perform melodies and songs very typical for this part of Montenegro.

 

Reboard your coach for the return drive to Kotor. The Old part of Kotor developed within a small area enclosed by town walls. During your guided walking tour in this little town, your guide will show you several highlights including the Town walls, approximately 2.8 miles long. At the end of guided walking tour, you will have free time for shopping and exploring the town of Kotor on your own before returning independently to the ship.