Excursion to Our Lady of the Rocks

There were boats from Kotor that went directly to our Lady of the Rocks, then stopped in Perast, then back to Kotor. We had all day so we also got off in Perast and had a lovely lunch at a restaurant on the water. You don't need any more time on the island than the boat gives you. I don't remember what the shortest time was if you stayed with your original boat times - maybe 3-4 hours for the whole trip? We bought our ticket from people on the Quay in the morning and took a mid-day or early afternoon boat.

The other thing you can do in Kotor is climb to the top of the stairs for the view. May or may not be part of your tour. It would certainly make your tour a strenuous one.

Tigerfan’s information would be the easiest.

I didn’t stay in Kotor; but in Petrovac, Budva, and Perast itself, you just walk to the beach and buy a ticket - I doubt Kotor is any different. The only variable would be if several cruise ships are there and it’s a sea of humanity instead of water…. lol. And probably any boat ride you take would be a really nice experience, as long as the weather is nice.

I took a €30 half day trip from Perast that went several places, including a stop at Our Lady of the Rocks (but didn’t include a ticket inside, so that might be something to keep an eye on - although the ticket was only a few euro). In Budva, it was €10 for a return ride to some nearby beautiful islands. Prices for comparison.

Since you're traveling in and out of the Bay of Kotor on a cruise, I don't see a reason to favor traveling from Kotor to Perast by boat rather than by bus or taxi. I think bus service is fairly frequent. The distance is less than 10 miles, and Perast is on the way to Herceg-Novi. It's easy to get a boat out to the tiny island from Perast. I don't remember anything to see on the island besides the church. I think it's a man-made island, created for the purpose of building the church.

If the bus schedule is inconvenient for you, or if there isn't a place right near the port to catch the bus (that I do not know), I bet a taxi will be very affordable. The whole thing will be cheap compared to any other port excursions you may take.

Thanks Travelmom, Tigermom, and Acraven. Sounds like there are many options. I had the idea to boat from Perast Beach from some previous posts. I did note that people mention that the drive is quite beautiful though I would imagine a boat ride from Kotor would be as well. Are these boats from Kotor or Perast, "official" as in a booth set up, or unofficial like people doing some self promotion. I don't know that I favor one over the other, but just want to know how it works. I also feel that it may be prudent to not purchase anything in advance which would leave my options open for other Kotor activities and be responsive to when the boat leaves for the next stop.

I have plenty of time and would be interested in any additional thoughts.

If you have one day, I personally would favor a boat from Kotor over the bus. But that is a matter of preference only. A bus to Perast and boat from there would work fine - I just love to have more time on the water and you wouldn’t have to worry about catching a return bus.

Everywhere I went, I saw signs along the beach for boat rides (of various kinds). I took a look at Google Maps just now and saw this one from Kotor, which is very similar to,the one I took from Perast. https://seastars.me/our-tours/ticket-tours/blue-cave-mamula-submarine-tunnel-lady-of-the-rocks-tickets

But they also have this one without the Blue Cave. https://seastars.me//our-tours/ticket-tours/lady-of-the-rocks-perast-old-town-tickets

I am sure there will be other companies as well.

I was there mid September and the weather was still good for swimming. Being in the crystal clear water in the Blue Cave is absolutely amazing - although I think (?) you are a diver so may have seen better.

When I was staying in Kotor we drove the short distance to Perast for lunch (some very good waterside restaurants). Whilst there we took the opportunity to take a boat over to Our Lady of the Rocks. There are plenty of boats lining the waterside and we paid €10 for a round trip. The island is a small man made island built specifically for the church to be built on, there really isn't anything to see other than the small church and we spent around 30 minutes there. It's not something that I'd specifically go out of my way for but if you're going to be in Perast anyway then it may be worth visiting.