Shortest rideTunnels, Mamula & cave
Opatovo Pier, Donja Lastva
- Length
- 2 hrs
- At the cave
- 30 min
- Rating
- 4.77
- Price
- from $45
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Guide · Getting there
Budva to the Blue Cave, or a shorter run from Tivat and Herceg Novi
Kotor is not the only door to the Blue Cave. Here is where the cave sits on Luštica, how far each coastal town is, and which boats leave from Tivat, Budva and Herceg Novi.
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Editorial team, blue-cave-montenegro.comUpdated October 25, 2026about 6 min to read33 sources
Quick answer
- 01Where it is
- On Luštica, about 5.6 nautical miles from Herceg Novi.1
- 02From Tivat
- A 2-hour speedboat from Donja Lastva, from $45.
- 03From Budva
- A 3-hour trip with pickup, or a 9-hour day by coach and boat.
- 04From Herceg Novi
- Private boats with hotel pickups, 2 to 4 hours.
- 05By car
- The Kamenari ferry crosses the bay day and night in summer.2
Where the Blue Cave is
The Blue Cave lies on the open-sea coast of the Luštica peninsula, between the cove of Zlatna Luka and Cape Mokra Gora, about 5.6 nautical miles from Herceg Novi.1 Luštica itself is a broad, green tongue of land south-east of Herceg Novi, 13.2 km long and up to 5.9 km wide, closing off the Bay of Kotor from the open sea.3
The peninsula is shared by Herceg Novi and Tivat. It was a municipality of its own from 1826 to 1944; after that its larger north-western part went to Herceg Novi and the south-eastern part to Tivat.4 That is why both towns, and the boats based in them, think of the cave as their own neighbourhood sight.
As for how to get to the Blue Cave in Montenegro, no road reaches the cave mouth, so you arrive by water. The nearest big beach is a short hop along the coast: Žanjic cove lies about 2.7 nautical miles from Herceg Novi, with a white-pebble beach over 300 m long sheltered by Cape Arza.5 Several boats pair the cave with a swim there, which turns a quick look into a slow half day.
Luštica beyond the cave
Luštica is worth more than a swim stop. The municipality calls it the Montenegrin Holy Mountain and counts 19 active churches on the peninsula, each of them also a cultural monument.6 Right by Žanjic beach stands the church of St John, from 1881, built on the ruins of an older church of the same name.7
Between Žanjic and Cape Arza lies the cove of Mirište, and near Arza sits the islet of Žanjic, also called Mala Gospa, with a monastery church of the Presentation of the Virgin.8 Above the water, Arza fortress was built by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy around 1850 to strengthen the defence of the bay entrance, one nautical mile east of Mamula.9
The Žanjic beach can take more than 1,000 bathers, so on a summer afternoon it is lively rather than secluded.10 If you are staying on Luštica, a boat from the beach area to the cave is the shortest ride of all; ask locally, because the listings on this page start in the towns across the bay.
From the airport
Driving distance from Tivat Airport
km
By starting town
Blue Cave boats outside Kotor
| Start | Length | At the cave | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donja Lastva, Opatovo | 2 hrs | 30 min | 4.77 |
| Donja Lastva, Saint Roko | 100 min | 20 min | 4.78 |
| Tivat, Žanjice day | 6 hrs | 15 min | 4.54 |
| Budva, with pickup | 3 hrs | Weather permitting | 4.30 |
| Herceg Novi, private | 2 to 4 hrs | 20 min | 4.87 |
Figures taken from each listing's own record; every cave stop depends on the open sea.
Start outside Kotor
Three ways in from the coast
Shortest ride
Beach time
Pickup includedDecision helper
Where should you start?
Choose by where you sleep
Donja Lastva
A 2-hour boat from Opatovo Pier.
A trip with pickup
The 3-hour Budva trip includes pickup.
A private boat
Pickup at 6 points in town, 2 to 4 hours.
Start in Kotor
The booked tour adds both before the cave.
Take the ferry
Kamenari to Lepetane cuts out the inner bay.12
Tivat to the Blue Cave: the shortest ride
Tivat lies much closer to the mouth of the bay than Kotor does, which shortens the run to the open sea. A 2-hour speedboat leaves Opatovo Pier in Donja Lastva, by the main coastal road, and asks you to be ready 15 minutes before departure. Its optional stops are a former submarine tunnel for 15 minutes, Mamula for 10 minutes and the Blue Cave for 30 minutes, and it is rated 4.77 from 66 reviews.
A second boat starts from the dock in front of the church of Saint Roko in Donja Lastva and does the loop in 100 minutes, with 20 minutes of swimming and snorkeling at the cave. For a whole lazy day, a 6-hour trip from Tivat adds 1.5 hours of free time on Žanjice beach after a 15-minute swim at the cave.
Tivat also has the airport on this stretch of coast. The airport lies 4 km from the town centre, and the airport operator gives the drive to Kotor as 12 minutes and 8 km.1311 If you have one morning between a flight and a hotel, a Tivat departure is the least travel for the most cave.
Map
From Kotor to the Blue Cave on Luštica
The mouth of the bay with the cave, Mamula and Žanjic; the inner bay from Kotor past Perast to Tivat; and the coast from Herceg Novi down to Budva.
1Blue Cave2Mamula3Žanjic4Arza5Submarine pen6Rose
7Kotor8Perast9Our Lady of the Rocks10Lepetane11Donja Lastva12Tivat Airport
13Herceg Novi1Blue Cave14Tivat7Kotor15Budva
- 1Blue Cave
About 5.6 nautical miles from Herceg Novi, under a cliff about 30 m high.114
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Mamula
A round fortress about 200 m across, 3.4 nautical miles from Herceg Novi.15
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Žanjic
A white-pebble beach over 300 m long, sheltered by Cape Arza.5
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Arza
An Austro-Hungarian fort from around 1850, one nautical mile east of Mamula.9
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Submarine pen
One of the tunnels the Yugoslav navy cut into the hills of the bay.16
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Rose
A small fishing village 1.7 nautical miles from Herceg Novi.17
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Kotor
The port lies 100 m from the Old Town.18
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Perast
Its golden era ran from 1420 to 1797, under Venice.19
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Our Lady of the Rocks
A man-made islet; its birthday is kept on 22 July 1452.20
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Lepetane
The ferry from Kamenari lands here after crossing the Verige strait.21
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Donja Lastva
Opatovo Pier, the start of a 2-hour Blue Cave run.
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Tivat Airport
12 minutes and 8 km by car from Kotor.11
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Herceg Novi
Its fortress Kanli Kula was built in 1539.22
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Tivat
The airport is 4 km from the town centre.13
In Google Maps ↗ - 15Budva
20 km from Tivat Airport.23
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
Before you set off from the coast
01
Plan
- Your pickup point or pier, saved on your phone
- Extra time for summer traffic and the ferry
- A free day held back for a calm-sea retry
02
Bring
- Swimwear, towel and a dry layer
- Some cash for fees paid on board
- Sun cream and a hat
Cost calculator
The cave from the coast, for your group
Starting totals for shared boats outside Kotor.
People
Total from$89
each from $45
Check availabilityfree cancellationA total here is the lowest per-person starting price on GetYourGuide times the size of your group, converted with the European Central Bank's daily reference rate; the date and option you pick set the final amount.
Video
Herceg Novi and the Luštica Peninsula in Summer
The YouTube player stays off until you press play.
Budva to the Blue Cave: pickups and long days
From Budva the cave lies up the open coast, outside the bay. Budva's tourist organisation puts Tivat airport 20 km from the town.23 The national tourism organisation calls the Bay of Kotor and Budva the most popular starting points for sea excursions.24
A deluxe 3-hour trip from Budva includes pickup and runs with a guide in English, Russian and Serbian, but its skipper will not sail to the open sea when he judges it unsafe. At the long end, a 9-hour day starts from one of 7 pickup points around Budva, Bečići, Rafailovići, Sveti Stefan and Petrovac, rides a coach for 40 minutes, then takes to the water with breaks in Herceg Novi and Kotor.
A Budva day cruise to the bay runs 9 hours too, with a cruise of 110 minutes, an hour in Herceg Novi, half an hour at Our Lady of the Rocks and an hour in Kotor; food, drinks and the Blue Cave entrance fee are paid in cash on board. The full-day catamaran also has a public departure from Budva and stays an hour at the cave. Long days suit people who want one big outing rather than a quick swim.
Herceg Novi and the Blue Cave: the neighbour town
Herceg Novi is the town the municipal guides measure from, and it shows. Rose, a small fishing village on Luštica's north-west coast, is 1.7 nautical miles away; Mamula fortress 3.4; the cave 5.6.17151 On a calm day these are short hops, and the boats from here can afford to linger.
The Herceg Novi listings in our comparison are private. One private boat collects you from one of 6 pickup points in town, spends 20 minutes at the Blue Cave and adds optional stops at Mamula, Žanjic beach and a former submarine tunnel, over 2 to 4 hours. It anchors a short distance from the entrance and guests swim in when the sea allows.
The town itself rewards an evening. Its Clock Tower, the entrance to the old town, was built in 1667 and stands 16 m high, and the Kanli Kula fortress dates from 1539.2522 The municipality says Herceg Novi has more than 200 sunny days a year on average.26
Kotor to the Blue Cave, and the ferry across the bay
From Kotor the boats run the length of the bay, and the booked tour takes 3 hours for the loop with its stops. Kotor to the Blue Cave is the long way round by water, but it adds Perast, the islet of Our Lady and the tunnels on the way, so the morning becomes a tour of the whole bay.
If you drive, the bay has a shortcut. The Kamenari to Lepetane ferry crosses the narrows; under the summer plan it leaves every 15 to 20 minutes, day and night, and in 2026 that plan ran from 4 May to 11 October.2 In winter it leaves every 20 minutes from 06:00 to midnight and then on the hour from Kamenari through the night.27 Foot passengers and cyclists ride free.28
Allow for queues. Budva's tourist organisation warns travellers heading for Dubrovnik airport to expect delays at the border and on the Lepetane to Kamenari ferry.29 The crossing saves you the drive around the inner bay, and the strait it crosses, Verige, is only about 350 m wide.21
Airports and distances at a glance
Montenegro has two international airports: Podgorica, 12 km from the capital, and Tivat, 4 km from the centre of Tivat.13 For the coast Tivat wins easily. The airport operator lists drives from Tivat Airport of 27 minutes and 21 km to Budva, 12 minutes and 8 km to Kotor, and 1 hour 11 minutes and 23 km to Herceg Novi.11
The figures are not identical on every page of the operator: another lists 30 minutes to Budva, 20 minutes to Kotor and 50 minutes to Herceg Novi, with the same distances.30 In summer, plan with the longer time. Podgorica Airport is 1 hour 55 minutes and 88 km by car from Tivat.31
Dubrovnik in Croatia is a third option for Budva-bound travellers; Budva's tourist organisation puts it 65 km away.32 Whichever airport you use, book the cave for a day after you arrive rather than the same afternoon. The open sea decides whether the boats go out, and a spare day lets you move the trip.
Into the blue
Church, tunnel, fortress, then a swim
3 hours by speedboat from Kotor, with an optional 30-minute swim at the cave.
You ask,we answer.
Which part of the coast is the Blue Cave on?
The Luštica peninsula. Between Zlatna Luka and Cape Mokra Gora, about 5.6 nautical miles from Herceg Novi.1
How do you get to the Blue Cave in Montenegro?
By boat. Boats leave from Kotor, Tivat, Budva and Herceg Novi; you swim in from outside.33
What is the shortest boat trip to the Blue Cave?
About 100 minutes from Donja Lastva. It includes 20 minutes of swimming at the cave.
Can I go to the Blue Cave from Budva?
Yes. A 3-hour trip includes pickup; longer days run 9 hours.
Is there a tour from Herceg Novi?
Yes, private boats. One collects you at 6 pickup points and spends 20 minutes at the cave.
How far is Tivat Airport from Kotor?
8 km. The airport operator gives 12 minutes by car.11
Sources
Where the information comes from
- 1Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 2Javno preduzeće za upravljanje morskim dobrom Crne Gore (Trajekt Kamenari - Lepetane)Red vožnje↩
- 3Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 4Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 5Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 6Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Izletišta↩
- 7Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 8Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 9Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Znamenitosti↩
- 10Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Izletišta↩
- 11Airports of Montenegro (Aerodromi Crne Gore)Tivat Airport - How to reach us?↩
- 12Herceg Novi Tourist Board (Turistička organizacija Herceg Novi)Useful informations↩
- 13National Tourism Organisation of MontenegroHow can you journey to us?↩
- 14Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 15Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Znamenitosti↩
- 16Wikipedia (last resort)Submarine pen↩
- 17Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 18Port of Kotor (Luka Kotor A.D.)Position and transport connections↩
- 19MPI Muzeji Kotor (municipal public institution)Perast Museum↩
- 20Kotorska biskupija (Roman Catholic Diocese of Kotor)Gospa od Škrpjela↩
- 21Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 22Herceg Novi Tourist Board (Turistička organizacija Herceg Novi)Kanli kula↩
- 23Turistička organizacija opštine Budva (Budva Tourist Organisation)Kako doći?↩
- 24National Tourism Organisation of MontenegroBoat trips↩
- 25Herceg Novi Tourist Board (Turistička organizacija Herceg Novi)Clock Tower↩
- 26Municipality of Herceg Novi (official website)Sights↩
- 27Javno preduzeće za upravljanje morskim dobrom Crne Gore (Trajekt Kamenari - Lepetane)Red vožnje↩
- 28Javno preduzeće za upravljanje morskim dobrom Crne Gore (Trajekt Kamenari - Lepetane)Informacije↩
- 29Turistička organizacija opštine Budva (Budva Tourist Organisation)Kako doći?↩
- 30Airports of Montenegro (Aerodromi Crne Gore)About Montenegro↩
- 31Airports of Montenegro (Aerodromi Crne Gore)Podgorica Airport - Parking and transportation↩
- 32Turistička organizacija opštine Budva (Budva Tourist Organisation)Kako doći?↩
- 33Government of Montenegro - Ministry of Maritime Affairs (Ministarstvo pomorstva)Radulović: Zabrana ulaska plovilima u Plavu špilju↩
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