The Best Things to Do in Kotor, Montenegro — ALONG DUSTY ROADS

Today, visiting the Fortress of San Giovanni (as it’s officially known) is probably the most popular thing to do in Kotor, but you will have to sweat for the experience.

The climb to the top involves a series of 1,300+ steep, narrow steps, which can really take a toll – and then you have to do them all again on the way back down! Along the way there are the ruins of churches, a few information boards, and plenty of fantastic viewpoints.

However, the fact of the matter is that the entry price of €15 per person is ridiculous. It was at a much more reasonable €8 a couple of years ago, but there doesn’t appear to have been much investment into information boards or upkeep. It’s therefore difficult for us to give a full-throated recommendation, especially for travellers who may be on a stricter budget – especially when the Ladder of Kotor offers a free alternative.

Where + When | There are two entrances from the old town up to the Fortress – one by the North Gate and one by the by the South Gate – and you can go up and exit from either. Now, we have to warn you that you’ll see almost everyone on the Google Reviews for those two entrances calling them ‘scams’: this isn’t true.

These are the official Kotor Fortress entrances + exits, and it’s the tourists that are wrong in this case; this is mostly because they’ve read the wrong information about the Ladder of Kotor hike.

It’s €15 for adults and free for children under 12 years old, with cash and card accepted (although there are sometimes issues with card payments). You will receive a receipt, and make sure you don’t lose the ticket.

They’re open from 8am-9pm summer, and 7am-8pm outwith. If hoping to visit earlier, you can usually enter for free and then pay on exit.

Know | For avoidance of doubt, there’s no point visiting Kotor Fortress unless you plan on going to the very top of it (this a ruin primarily, rather than a castle you can walk around). If you come before 10am, most of the path up will usually still be in shade and that will make everything more pleasant – we do not recommend starting your walk up between 12-3pm. If you’re just going up to the top of the fortress and back down, you’ll need around two to three hours for the activity.

It’s a good idea to bring a hat, plenty water, and suncream – and wear trainers rather than sandals if possible.

The stairways are very narrow and bottlenecks occur often, so a bit of patience and give/take is required of everyone.

The Alternative // As mentioned, there are two alternative ways to visit the Fortress and/or combine it with the Ladder of Kotor loop and, depending on your route and choices, these can be done for the same €15 entry or for free. These have become quite popular in recent years, but there is a lot of confusion and wrong information about this online, whilst access isn’t always guaranteed.

We’ve done our best to clear everything up in this post: The Ladder of Kotor Fortress Hike Explainer