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How we spent 24hrs in Kotor on a very tight Budget.
Our time in Kotor was brief but delightful. We were en route from Albania to Dubrovnik and had a day to spare, so we decided to stop in Kotor along the way.
Kotor was unexpectedly beautiful, and staying inside the Old Town walls was an incredible experience.
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Old Town Hostel. Given more time, it would have been the ideal social environment. The hostel offered a pool and daily events, creating a fantastic atmosphere for making friends and socializing, especially for solo travelers. Unfortunately, our stay was less than 24 hours, so we ran out of time to participate in any activities.
What to Do
Since we had only a very short time in Kotor, we used most of it to explore. We spent a few hours walking around the Old Town and exploring the castle walls. We found many entrances that led to the top of the walls, allowing us to walk around and get a view of the city for free. We then headed to find a spot to swim for the afternoon. On our way back, we stopped for a drink amongst the Old Town walls before bed.
One thing worth noting is that all the food and drink were very expensive. While we were there, there were two cruise ships, so it was incredibly busy. Definitely a touristy destination, so keep that in mind.
How to Get There
In typical Briana and Liam travel style, we took a bus from Shkodër in Albania to Kotor, and then another bus from Kotor to Dubrovnik.
Our bus to Dubrovnik was 5 hours late, so be prepared for delays if you are heading to Dubrovnik by bus. There is a significant amount of traffic on the roads, with lots of people day-tripping to and from Kotor, causing substantial delays.
The bus station is situated approximately 15 minutes’ walk from the Old Town. Be sure to check inside that you don’t need to pay a terminal fee; some stations, like this one, require you to pay a fee even if you had booked your tickets online. Also, they may make you pay to store your bags on the bus, so have some cash with you if this is the case.
I would also recommend pre-booking your bus tickets to and from Kotor, as it is a very popular tourist destination, and all the buses we caught were fully booked. We purchased our tickets from Get by Bus.
Honest Opinion
Overall, we loved Kotor and wish we had another day there to do a bit more exploring and to join in on all the hostel’s activities. We have put Montenegro on our list of places we would love to explore more of one day. Our total cost for the 24hrs was approximately 71 euros per person. See a full cost breakdown of our Eastern Europe Trip here
Relevant as of December 2023
Amazing informative post!
Thank you!