Kotor Cruise Holidays
Historically known as Cattaro, the Montenegrin port of Kotor offers a fantastic welcome as you sail down a narrow channel into the Bay of Kotor and dock in the heart of the old town centre.
The cruise pier is located right next to the city’s historic walls and just a short stroll from any of Kotor’s top tourist attractions, sights of interest, bars, cafes and shops.
If you have always wanted to visit a fjord but don’t like to sail in cold weather locations, Kotor is the port for you as whilst not technically a fjord, it has all the hallmarks you would expect from the steep sided mountains to the narrow channel.
After a day of exploring, which can often mean plenty of hill climbing due to Kotor’s topography, there is nothing better than getting back onboard your chosen cruise ship, heading to an outside seating area and enjoying a well deserve drink and snack whilst having the stunning views over Kotor and Kotor Bay.
Cruises To Kotor
Kotor Cruise Guide
This guide is for those who have already booked a cruise holiday in the region, who are set to visit the port and who are wanting to make the most of their ashore.
It is also for those who are currently researching as to whether a stop in Kotor on a cruise of the region Is right for them or not.
Type of Cruises Available
Kotor doesn’t currently have the facilities needed to turnaround a cruise ship, so you can only visit as a port of call rather than starting or ending your trip there.
That still does leave plenty of options for those wanting to visit however including Fly Cruises, Cruise and Stay getaways and even No Fly cruises directly to Kotor from the UK.
A number of turnaround cruise ports in the Med offer itineraries cruising around the Adriatic, the eastern Mediterranean and down to the Greek Islands that call into the port.
Amongst the most popular to offer trips include Civitavecchia (Rome), Piraeus (Athens), Dubrovnik, Corfu Town and Barcelona.
Those port cities listed above also make for a great pre or post cruise holiday destination for those who would like to add on a few days stay in a hotel.
If you prefer not to fly on holiday or simply want to spend as little time in an airport, it is possible to cruise to Kotor directly from the UK on either a round trip or a repositioning cruise, but you will need plenty of free time as a round trip takes around 3 weeks.
Kotor Cruise Port Location
One of the great aspects of visiting the town on a cruise is that you dock right in the centre of town, just a short stroll from the city walls and old town from where the best place to get a view of Kotor is from onboard your ship.
The town is only small and the dock is only capable of taking one ship at a time, so some ship may have to drop anchor in the bay and tender guests to shore.
Kotor Attractions
The main attraction of Kotor is its Old Town, where visitors can stroll around the winding streets of the Old Town which nowadays have a range of local cafes and shops and sights of interest including a beautiful clock tower.
It is in the Old Town where access to the city’s historic city walls can be found. Originally built as a defensive structure, the walls nowadays offer a fantastic view of the bay, and your cruise ship, so long as you make the long uphill hike.
If you don’t fancy the hike, the walls can be explored at the foot of the mountain including the Gurdich Gate, the North Gate and the Kampana Tower, that all make for a great photo opportunity.
The town, and especially the Old Town, is home to several interesting churches including the St Tryphon Cathedral, the Church of St Luke and the St Nikola Church.
Kotor Shorex
If you prefer things to be organised in advance, there are lots of option to book a tour of the city via your cruise ship where a local guide will walk you around town and give you a good insight into the its buildings, history and culture.
If you would like to head further afield, there are a number of boat journeys that take you out into the bay and to a number of nearby attractions including the famous Blue Cave and the Our Lady of the Rock Church.
Back on land, excursions to nearby places of outstanding natural beauty, such as the stunning Skadar Lake are available.
Best Time To Visit Kotor
The main cruising season for the Adriatic Sea is between March and October but most visitors will want the sunny weather and blue skies of the summer months to really make their photos stand out.
Unfortunately, much of the summer see’s the town become crowded and for such a small place, that can take away some of what makes it so special.
With that in mind, we would recommend visiting the port in late May to early July to get the best weather but without the crowds.
Transport
Although there are local bus services in the town, there is no need for holidaymakers to use any from of transport in the town as your cruise ship drops you off right in the centre of town and within walking distance of most tourist attractions.
Kotor Cruises From UK
The majority of cruisers heading from the UK or North America to Kotor will fly to one of the leading turnaround cruise ports in the region.
If you do prefer not to fly, there are a very limited number of cruises that set sail from the UK and call into the port on round trips that take around 25-30 days.
Kotor Cruises From Southampton
If you would like to take advantage of an No Fly itinerary, the chances are that it will be offered from the UK leading cruise port of Southampton.
