Most reviewedGuides
Language
EnglishCurrency
US dollar · $GetYourGuide shows prices in the currency you choose.
Guide · Boat tours
Blue Cave Montenegro boat tour: the Kotor speedboats compared
A Blue Cave Montenegro boat tour from Kotor looks the same on every poster. The order of the stops, the minutes in the water and the small print are where they part ways.
Check availabilityfrom $53 · cancel without a fee
Editorial team, blue-cave-montenegro.comUpdated October 25, 2026about 8 min to read7 sources
Short version
- 01The usual loop
- Perast, the islet of Our Lady, a submarine tunnel, Mamula and the cave.1
- 02Booked tour
- 3 hours from Kotor with an optional 30-minute swim at the cave.
- 03Starting price
- From $53 on the booked speedboat.
- 04Not included
- The islet admission, paid in cash per guest, and tips.
- 05Inside the cave
- Motor boats are banned; you swim in from outside.2
What every Kotor boat to the Blue Cave has in common
Almost every speedboat that leaves Kotor for the Blue Cave strings the same pearls along the same thread. Depending on the tour, the boats stop at Our Lady of the Rocks or Perast, look at Mamula island, nose into a former submarine base and run out to the Blue Cave and Žanjice beach.1 The national tourism organisation itself lists swimming in the cave, the man-made islet and an old Yugoslav submarine tunnel among the sights of a bay trip.3 So the question is rarely where you go. It is how long you stay at each place, and in what order.
The cave sits far from Kotor. It lies on the Luštica peninsula, between the cove of Zlatna Luka and Cape Mokra Gora, about 5.6 nautical miles from Herceg Novi.4 From the old town that means running the full length of the inner bay, through the narrows at Verige, across the wider outer bay and out past the fortress islands to open water. Most of a morning on these tours is spent moving, and the boat rides are part of the show: limestone walls, villages on the waterline and the mountains folding into each other behind you.
Because the cave faces the open sea, it is also the stop most likely to be dropped. The booked listing changes its route or offers another tour when waves on the open sea are too big, and other operators write the same in their own words. Keep that in mind when you compare the offers below: a tour that is cheap on a calm day is only cheap if its weather rule suits you on a rough one.
The booked loop
Three hours from Kotor, stop by stop
-
Start
Kotor departure
Two starting points, depending on the option you book.
-
After 20 min
Perast from the water
The boat passes the town for about 3 minutes.
-
20 min stop
Our Lady of the Rocks
An optional break on the man-made islet.
-
10 min stop
Submarine tunnel
A visit and photo stop at a former tunnel.
-
5 min
Past Mamula
The fortress island at the mouth of the bay.
-
30 min
The Blue Cave
An optional swim from the boat.
The booked tour: four stops in three hours
The tour this site books is a 3-hour speedboat loop that leaves Kotor with two starting points to choose from, depending on the option you pick. After 20 minutes on the water the boat passes Perast, then stops for 20 minutes at the islet of Our Lady of the Rocks, a stop you can skip. Next comes 25 minutes of running to a former submarine tunnel, with a 10-minute visit, before the boat passes Mamula island and reaches the Blue Cave for an optional swim of 30 minutes.
A licensed captain and a licensed local guide run the boat, and fuel, life jackets, snorkeling masks when available and music on board are part of the price. The live commentary is in English, and an audio guide in 8 languages plays on your own phone, so bring one with mobile data. Private or small-group versions are offered as options on the same listing, which is worth checking if you travel as a family that wants the boat to itself.
Of the tours compared here it carries the most reviews, rated 4.86 from 4,443 reviews, and it can be reserved without paying today, with cancelling free until 24 hours ahead. Guests are asked to arrive 30 minutes before the start for check-in, because a late arrival can lose the slot without a refund. In summer the traffic into Kotor is slow, so build that buffer into your morning.
Side by side
Kotor tours that stop at the Blue Cave
| Tour | Length | Cave stop | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booked speedboat | 3 hrs | 30 min swim | 4.86 |
| Same stops, Park Slobode | 3 hrs | 30 min swim | 4.70 |
| Longer Perast stop | 3 hrs | 25 min swim | 4.80 |
| Cave first | 3 hrs | 20 min | 4.82 |
| Private speedboat | 3 hrs | 30 min swim | 4.80 |
| Catamaran day | 8 hrs | 1 hr | 4.73 |
Figures taken from each listing's own record; starting prices change and are shown live on each tour.
Three ways out
Shared, private or a whole day
Most reviewed
Private
LongestDecision helper
Which Blue Cave boat suits you?
Find the line closest to your plans
The booked speedboat
Rated 4.86 from 4,443 reviews, with a 30-minute swim.
The loop with a Perast stop
It stops 20 minutes in the town.
A private speedboat
3 hours from City Park with the same stops.
The catamaran
8 hours with a 1-hour break at the cave.
A tour that refunds bad days
One Tivat tour cancels and refunds if the cave cannot be reached.
How the rival tours change the order and the minutes
The closest rival covers the same four stops in 3 hours from City Park, Park Slobode, about 200 meters from the main gate of the old town. Its swim at the cave is also optional and lasts 30 minutes, and its listing spells out that the boat anchors 10 to 20 m outside the cave so guests swim in. It starts from $61 and is rated 4.70 from 4,348 reviews, and its sub-scores read guide 4.7, transport 4.8 and value 4.6.
Other boats shuffle the deck. One loop leaves from an agency near the Kamelija shopping center, adds a 20-minute stop in Perast and gives the cave 25 minutes of swimming and snorkeling. Another runs to the Blue Cave first, gives it 20 minutes and then works its way back through Mamula, the tunnel and the islet of Our Lady. Neither order is better on paper; it only changes when in the morning you reach each place.
A third family of tours keeps the cave shorter and adds time on land. One passes the islet of Our Lady and Mamula without stopping, swims for 20 minutes at the cave, photographs the tunnel for 5 minutes and then spends 20 minutes in Perast. If walking the waterfront of Perast matters more to you than a long swim, that pattern suits you better than ours, which only passes the town from the water.
Checklist
Before you book a Blue Cave tour
01
Check on the listing
- Minutes at the cave, not just the stop list
- What happens when the open sea is rough
- What is paid on the day, in cash
02
Bring
- Swimwear under your clothes and a towel
- Cash for the islet admission and tips
- A phone with data for the audio guide
Cost calculator
What the shared boats cost your group
Starting totals for shared Blue Cave tours by group size.
People
Total from$105
each from $53
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
A Boat Trip from Kotor to the Blue Cave
The YouTube player stays off until you press play.
Shared, private or a full day on a catamaran
Shared speedboats are the default, but a couple of alternatives are worth knowing. A private speedboat from City Park in Kotor follows the same order of stops in 3 hours, with an optional 30-minute swim and snorkel at the cave, and is rated 4.80 from 95 reviews. It starts from $277, and the record does not say whether that is per boat or per head, so enter your party size on GetYourGuide for the real total.
A second private option from Park Slobode runs 3 to 4 hours, is listed as wheelchair accessible and gives the cave a 30-minute stop. It is rated 5.0 from 23 reviews, a small sample but a perfect one so far. Private boats make the most sense for families with small children, for anyone who wants to linger where the guide would normally move on, and for groups large enough to fill the seats anyway.
At the other end of the scale sits a full day on a catamaran: 8 hours, with public departures from Kotor port, from the Porto Montenegro car park in Tivat and from a bus stop in Budva. It gives the Blue Cave a 1-hour break, adds swimming stops and asks you to bring a towel, but lunch is not included. It starts from $109 and is rated 4.73 from 657 reviews, a slower and more social way to see the same water.
Blue Cave Kotor prices, and what the ticket leaves out
The shared speedboats from Kotor cluster close together. The booked tour starts from $53, a rival with the same stops from $61, a group tour from Park Slobode from $42 and the loop with the longer Perast stop from $52. These are the lowest starting prices GetYourGuide shows; the date, the option and your group decide the final figure, so read Blue Cave Kotor prices as a range, not a quote.
Two costs sit outside most tickets. On the booked tour the admission to the islet of Our Lady of the Rocks is paid in cash, per guest, from April 1, 2026, and tips for the crew are your own choice. A day cruise from Budva also asks for the Blue Cave entrance fee in cash on board. Carry some cash in small notes; a wet swimsuit pocket is not the place for a card, and the islet has no machine waiting for you.
The cheapest line in the table is not always the best value. A shorter cave stop, a stop in Perast you do not want or an early start that clashes with your cruise ship can all cost you more than the gap in price. Compare the minutes at the cave and the weather rule first, then the price.
When the open sea says no
The cave lies outside the shelter of the bay, so every operator writes a plan for rough days. The booked tour runs rain or shine and hands out raincoats, but changes the route or offers another tour when the waves on the open sea are too big. One rival lets you postpone or take a full refund when the weather stops the tour. A Tivat tour goes further and cancels with a full refund whenever the weather does not allow entry to the cave.
Other tours keep sailing inside the bay. One Kotor loop says that if high waves stop it from reaching the cave, it stays in the protected water and the change is not grounds for a refund. That is a fair rule for a boat ride, but a disappointing one if the cave was your only reason to book, so read the weather clause before you click.
The rules at the cave changed for the 2026 season.5 A new navigation rulebook from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs bans motor-powered boats from the Blue Cave area, and only boats without motors may enter.62 On every speedboat tour you now swim in from the boat. Some older listing texts still describe boats going inside; trust the ministry over a description written before the ban.
Picking your boat without the agonising
Choosing a Blue Cave tour from Kotor starts with what you want most. For the longest swim at the cave on a shared boat, look for a 30-minute stop, which the booked tour and its closest rival both list. For a walk through Perast, choose a loop with a land stop there. For the quietest experience, pay for a private boat or start in Tivat, which is closer to the cave.
Then check the start point against your plans. Cruise passengers usually want a meeting point in walking distance of the port, and the Port of Kotor lies 100 m from the old town.7 Drivers should know that summer traffic into Kotor is heavy; a Tivat or Herceg Novi departure can save you the queue.
Finally, read three things on the listing before paying: the minutes at the cave, the weather rule and what is paid on the day. If all three suit you, book and stop comparing. The bay is the same for everyone, and the boat that runs is better than the perfect one you are still deciding on.
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.
How long is a Blue Cave boat tour from Kotor?
Usually 3 hours. The booked tour lasts 3 hours, a private one 3 to 4 hours, and a catamaran day 8 hours.
How much does a Blue Cave tour from Kotor cost?
From $53 on the booked tour. Shared rivals start from $42 to $61; private boats cost far more.
Do the boats go inside the Blue Cave?
No, not since the 2026 rules. Motor-powered boats are banned from the cave area; you swim in.62
How long can I swim at the Blue Cave?
Up to 30 minutes on the booked tour. Other boats give 20 or 25 minutes, and a catamaran gives a full hour.
Is the islet of Our Lady of the Rocks included?
The stop is, the admission is not. The booked tour stops there for 20 minutes; the islet admission is paid in cash per guest.
What happens if the sea is too rough?
The route changes. The booked tour changes its route or offers another tour when waves on the open sea are too big.
Can I book a private boat to the Blue Cave?
Yes, from Kotor. A private 3-hour speedboat starts from $277; set your group size on GetYourGuide to see the total.
Is there a guide on board?
Yes, a licensed local guide. Live commentary is in English, with an audio guide in 8 languages on your phone.
Sources
Where the information comes from
- 1National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro (montenegro.travel)Boat tours↩
- 2Government of Montenegro - Ministry of Maritime Affairs (Ministarstvo pomorstva)Radulović: Zabrana ulaska plovilima u Plavu špilju↩
- 3National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro (montenegro.travel)Boat trips↩
- 4Municipality of Herceg Novi (Opština Herceg Novi)Novska rivijera i Orjen↩
- 5Government of Montenegro - Ministry of Maritime Affairs (Ministarstvo pomorstva)Radulović: Pravila plovidbe važiće za sve, cilj je sigurno ljeto na moru i jezeru↩
- 6Government of Montenegro - Ministry of Maritime Affairs (Ministarstvo pomorstva)Radulović: Zabrana ulaska plovilima u Plavu špilju↩
- 7Port of Kotor (Luka Kotor A.D.)Position and transport connections↩
Keep reading
