montenegro

Hiking & Heating Up In Kotor, Montenegro

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I’m not sure where to start with Kotor – which is probably why it’s taken so long for me to write this post!

Montenegro was the main reason I went on this trip. Photos of Kotor have captured my attention for a few years, and I was determined to get there before tourism blew up on the scale of Croatia, particularly given its proximity to Dubrovnik. Originally, I had planned to spend at least two or three days there, so when I booked the Travel Talk tour, I was worried that we wouldn’t be given enough time in the city.

I had one thing on my list: walk up the city walls to one of the best panoramic viewpoints I’ve ever seen in my life. As long as we had time to do that, I’d be happy.

Kotor, Montenegro

And we did – just. It wasn’t ideal, and I would have been happier with at least another hour or two there to soak up the atmosphere of the old town, but the city itself is tiny (the old town is much smaller than Dubrovnik’s) and we enjoyed a walking tour of most of the streets before we had time to ourselves.

So while it was the perfect introduction to the town, I would love to go back and explore more, especially as I saw virtually nothing outside of the old town.

We hadn’t even arrived in Kotor before I was struck by Montenegro’s beauty, though. In fact, our first view from above Kotor Bay was absolutely stunning too.

Bay Of Kotor, Montenegro
From one mountain to another

“Why do you pose with your back to the camera?” someone asked me on the bus, having clearly never been on Instagram.

“Because,” I said, gesturing towards the other photo where I did in fact pose face on, as if no explanation was needed.

Bay Of Kotor, Montenegro

I suppose I look alright, actually – some irony here considering it’s now my blog profile picture across all my socials. But at the time, I thought it would be safer to get an epic pose from the back in case I looked like an idiot like I often do!

We continued our journey down into the bay, the views over the water ever prettier as we trundled along.

Kotor Bay, Montenegro

And then we arrived in Kotor, and it felt like we were about to enter a fairytale.

Kotor mountains, Montenegro

Our walking tour was short, being that the old town is tiny.

But having only ever seen photos of the water, the beach (which I also didn’t have time to see!) and the views above the town, I had no idea what to expect from the architecture and atmosphere in the town itself, so I was amazed to find that it was incredibly pretty.

Like, incredibly.

St Nicholas Church, Kotor, Montenegro
Cathedral of St Tryphon, Kotor, Montenegro

Of course, the mountains helped even more. It was like a smaller, quieter Dubrovnik with far more epic scenery. I loved it instantly.

Old town, Kotor, Montenegro

I wish I had more time to photograph the town, but I was on a mission to see the place from higher up. Thankfully, a couple from the tour were also keen to get up to the viewpoint too, so they joined me on my quest.

Walking the city walls of Kotor

I had read about the free way to get up the city walls, but as we were short on time, after a quick look for the detour to a a different path where you can avoid the ticket booth, we found ourselves on the path to the official entrance anyway. We quickly resigned ourselves to paying – after all, I don’t mind the proceeds going to preserving this place, and it was nowhere near as expensive as walking the walls in Dubrovnik (Kotor was 8€, which had increased from 3€ so a pretty steep hike… for a steep hike!! But Dubrovnik is a whopping 25€, which is outrageous).

It took around 10 minutes to reach the first landmark, the Church Of Our Lady Of Remedy, with its already stunning view over the bay.

View over Kotor Bay, Montenegro
View over Kotor Bay, Montenegro

At this point, it felt like we were already half way up – let me assure you that you are not!

I think it took us around 45 minutes to reach the top of the 1,300 steps (not all of it is steps – I found it easier to switch to the cobbled path alongside them sometimes), but that was with a lot of stops for photos.

View over Kotor Bay, Montenegro
View over Kotor Bay, Montenegro
My postcard shot, seeing as I ran out of time to get a postcard!

And for good measure, here’s one of me front on. Just to prove that, you know, it does happen.

View over Kotor Bay, Montenegro

It’s easy to forget that there are plenty of other views on the climb up – the views of the mountains right next to us, the walls trailing up in the foreground, were resplendent with textures and almost looked like paintings!

City walls, Kotor, Montenegro
Mountains, Kotor, Montenegro

It’s a tough hike in the Mediterranean heat, especially on a day like this where there was no respite from the sun and it was our hottest day on the tour so far. But as a hike, it’s pretty easy, and it took us about an hour and a half including all the stopping and ooh-ing and ahh-ing.

On the way down, we passed several of our tour running up there after lunch; something I feel like they may have regretted!!

Old Town from above, Kotor, Montenegro

That said, we had forgone our own lunch for it, so we found ourselves pretty hungry and ducked into a café for a helping of chips to tide us over. Again, I found myself wanting longer in the town so that I could enjoy the local cuisine rather than settling for a quick plate of chips.

It was the first time on the tour that I’d really felt rushed, and of course it was in the one place that was virtually at the top of my bucket list.

We stayed that night in nearby Budva, but the walking tour we were supposed to have there didn’t happen, and we spent the rest of the evening on the beach before heading out for dinner. In fairness, some relaxation on a beach was exactly what we all needed, even if I would rather have spent the time in Kotor.

We also made a quick pit stop overlooking Sveti Stefan, the exclusive resort island that I was keen to see. It would be nice to stay there one day, but I’ll probably have to resign myself to the fact that will never happen!

Sveti Stefan, Montenegro

So, hand on heart, I will be back. I want to experience more of Montenegro, including its national parks, mountains and more of Kotor Bay.

But this was a great introduction to the country, and has only made me excited for next time!

While you’re here, do you fancy reading more about my Balkans trip? Here are some of the highlights:
⭐ Sofia: A City Of Colour And Contrast
⭐ Exploring Beautiful Belgrade
⭐ Sorrow In Sarajevo: A Heartbreaking Tale Of The Bosnian Capital
⭐ Mostar: The Gem Of Bosnia
⭐ Surviving Dubrovnik – And Falling In Love With It
⭐ Adventures In Albania: Two Hours In Tirana Is Not Enough
⭐ Sunshine, Lakes & Statues In North Macedonia

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60 thoughts on “Hiking & Heating Up In Kotor, Montenegro”

  2. You did a very similar tour that I did when I went to Montenegro. I had about 2 hours in Kotor and likewise hoofed it to the top of the fortress upon arrival; my tour guide had warned us that it would take 90 minutes round-trip for the hike, but I managed to book it up and down within 70 minutes and still had time for some gelato back in town. Unfortunately, it rained in Budva, but still gorgeous. Montenegro is certainly understated, more so than Croatia, and it’s worth a trip over!

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    1. I think we had 4 hours, so we did a walking tour when we first got there, I took a little wander before going up the fortress, and by the time we got back down, we only had about 45 minutes left. It definitely needs more time than that, but I’m glad I didn’t have to run up and down like everyone else on the tour haha. Yeah, absolutely – so far, I prefer Montenegro, but I do need to see more of, well, both actually! 😀

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  4. Kotor looks magical; love those views over the town and the bay. Sounds as though self-guided (assuming that’s possible/relatively straightforward) is the way to go if you want more time to explore the place, though!

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    1. Yeah, absolutely! A lot of companies do day tours from Dubrovnik and you only get a couple of hours there (as per comments above), so I was glad to have a *little* extra time there so I didn’t have to rush up and down, but it would be lovely to go and stay for a few days. I’m pretty sure public transport is easy enough, just so many people visit Dubrovnik that the day tours to Kotor (and Mostar) are a big hit.

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  8. Kotor looks like a really great place. I have never thought about visiting Montenegro before but it looks like such a great location. And I love hiking, this hike, in particular, has really cool view

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  31. Kotor looks beautiful! And I’m glad you took the picture facing the camera as well as with your back to the camera because you look great!

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  33. I don’t mind hiking, and always love the views, but I hate steps, so I would also want to walk off to the side. Steps are just no fun at all. But this impressive view is. I have heard a lot more about Montenegro, so I get what you mean that it might be going the way of Croatia. Unfortunately I still haven’t been to either so I need to get a move on

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    1. Haha girl, GROUSE GRIND!!! This wasn’t too bad with the steps to be honest, they were little steps. But it was good to be able to step off the side. And also (unlike the Grind) you get amazing views the whole way up so it’s nice to stop and uhh, take yet more photos lol.

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  36. Those views are absolutely stunning!! What an amazing place to explore! I am definitely saving this for later! Thanks for sharing! : )

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