With kids · Kotor · Montenegro
Kotor with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Geotiger18, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Kotor suits families who like boats, cats and short walks. The old town is car-free, the waterfront walk is flat, and boat trips to Our Lady of the Rocks and the Blue Cave are hits with children; the full wall climb is only for older, fit kids. Top picks: Cats of Kotor and the Cats Museum, Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks and Bay boat trip and Blue Cave. Families usually base themselves in Dobrota.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Dobrota
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Museum · Old Town (Stari Grad)
1.Cats of Kotor and the Cats Museum
Kotor's many street cats are treated as the town's mascots, fed by residents and sold on every souvenir. The small Cats Museum displays postcards, prints and drawings of cats from around the world, with proceeds helping to look after the town's cats.
Children enjoy a 'cat hunt' through the old town; the squares near St Luke's are reliable spots.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Island · Perast
2.Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks
Opposite Perast, Our Lady of the Rocks is an artificial islet built up over centuries by sailors sinking ships and dropping stones, with a domed church full of votive silver plaques and Baroque paintings. Small boats cross from Perast's quay in about five minutes; the natural islet of Saint George, with its monastery and cypresses, sits beside it.
Go in the late afternoon when tour boats thin out, then have dinner on Perast's waterfront.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Couples
- Photo spot
- History
- Views
Experience · Bay of Kotor
3.Bay boat trip and Blue Cave
Boat trips from Kotor's harbour run through the narrow Verige strait past Perast to the Luštica peninsula, where the Blue Cave glows with reflected light and you can swim inside. Many tours also pass the former submarine tunnels at Rose and the island of Mamula.
Choose a small speedboat tour in the morning, when the water in the cave is calmest and the light is best.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Views
Waterfront · Dobrota
4.Dobrota waterfront walk
A flat footpath runs north from the old town along the bay through Dobrota, past captains' mansions, little harbours and swimming platforms. It is the easiest way to see the bay at walking pace and to escape the crowds, with cafés and places to swim along the way.
Walk out in the late afternoon and swim from one of the platforms, then return as the walls light up after dark.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
Neighbourhood · Old Town (Stari Grad)
5.Kotor Old Town
Enter through the 16th-century Sea Gate onto the Square of Arms, with its clock tower and the pillar of shame in front. From there, marble lanes lead past Venetian palaces such as the Pima and Drago palaces to small squares named after flour, milk and bread. The triangular old town is small enough to wander in an hour but rewards a slow evening.
Explore before about 9am or after 6pm on days when cruise ships are docked, when the lanes are calm.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- After dark
Rainy-day ideas
- Cats of Kotor and the Cats Museum — Children enjoy a 'cat hunt' through the old town; the squares near St Luke's are reliable spots.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for couples, families and quiet stays
Dobrota
Dobrota stretches for several kilometres along the bay north of the old town, lined with 18th-century sea captains' houses, small piers and concrete swimming platforms. Apartments and boutique hotels here often have bay views and private water access, and the old town is a 15–30-minute waterfront walk away.
- Good
- Bay views and swimming from the doorstep; Quieter than the old town; Flat waterfront walk to Kotor
- Watch out
- Narrow, busy coast road; Few restaurants in some stretches
- Nearby
- Kotor Old Town, Dobrota waterfront, Church of Saint Eustace
Family travel tips
- Climb only as far as the Church of Our Lady of Remedy with younger children; the steps beyond are steep and uneven.
- Swim from the platforms in Dobrota or head to sandy Plavi Horizonti near Tivat for small children.
- Strollers work on the waterfront but are hard on the polished, uneven old-town marble.
- Plan outdoor activities for the morning in July and August, when afternoons are very hot.
- Restaurants are relaxed about children and offer simple grilled dishes and pasta.
Day trips for families
- Lovćen National Park and Njegoš Mausoleum (About 1 hour by car) — The road from Kotor climbs about 25 hairpin bends above the bay to Njeguši and Lovćen National Park.
- Lake Skadar (About 1.5 hours by car) — The Balkans' largest lake is a national park of reed beds, water lilies and birdlife, including Dalmatian pelicans.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–June and September. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Kotor good for kids?
Kotor suits families who like boats, cats and short walks. The old town is car-free, the waterfront walk is flat, and boat trips to Our Lady of the Rocks and the Blue Cave are hits with children; the full wall climb is only for older, fit kids.
+What can kids do in Kotor?
Cats of Kotor and the Cats Museum, Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks, Bay boat trip and Blue Cave, Dobrota waterfront walk and Kotor Old Town.
+Where should families stay in Kotor?
Dobrota: Captains' stone mansions and swimming platforms along the bay north of town.