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Without a doubt one of my favourite things I did in Kotor was to ride the cable car. The views are incredible! I’ll be honest, I sometimes get a bit nervous on cable cars, however everything is very modern and I felt really safe. The journey is really smooth and it only takes about 10-15 minutes to reach the top. If you are staying in or near Kotor, I’d highly recommend this activity for the whole family.
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Kotor: At a glance
Where to stay: Katereo Apartments for a cute stay in the heart of the Old Town. For secluded luxury, stay at the Hyatt Regency, across the Bay of Kotor. Enjoy sea views at The Golden Luxury Apartments or stay at the budget friendly Montenegro Hostel 4U.
Best things to do: Wander the Old Town, Ride the Kotor Cable car or explore the bay of Kotor by boat. Â
Best time to visit: Honestly, Kotor is a great place to visit almost all year round, however if you want sunshine without the crowds, then the best time to visit Kotor is during the ‘shoulder season’ in June, early July and September.
What is there to do at the Kotor cable car?
There are several things you can do once you reach the top of the mountain – if you can prize yourself away from the views, that is!
Ride the Alpine mountain coaster
One of the most popular things to do at the top of the Kotor cable car is to ride the mountain coaster. Tickets are €14 for a single ride and you must be over the age of 8 and taller than 135cm. I didn’t go on this, as the queue was really (really) long! However, you can book a fast pass ticket in advance on the official website to save you waiting.Â
Despite not going on this Alpine coaster due to the long wait, I did ride a similar coaster in Dalat, Vietnam and loved it. I also did a toboggan ride in the Swiss mountains at Lake Oeshinen which was incredible.
Children's playground
There is a kids playground at the upper station, which is completely enclosed and safe. It is also relatively shaded and looked like a lot of fun! Entry is €4 per child. Adults enter for free.
Mediaeval adventures & Archery
A short stroll down the road from the Upper station is a small mediaeval museum and archery range. Inside the museum is a range of artefacts, knights armour, weapons and information about Kotor’s mediaeval past. It is an interactive museum and you can try on a knight’s helmet, have a go at the printing press or minting your own coin.Â
The price is €9 for adults and €5 for children for a full tour.
Hire an E-bike
If you want to explore further than the amenities at the cable car station, you can hire an E-bike and discover more of the Lovcen National park. Bikes are available at the Velo Experience office and to do a self guided tour with an E-bike, it costs €45 per adult.
See the Mausoleum and Mount Lovcen summit
At the upper cable car station you can hire a taxi tour to explore a bit of Mount Lovcen and the National Park. There are various tours and transfers available, many of which visit the summit of Mount Lovcen viewpoint and the Mausoleum. Note: If you are going to the Mausoleum, there is an entrance fee of €8 per person.
Hiking trails
You can also walk on some of the hiking trails at the top of the mountain. I use the term hiking trails loosely though, as these are gravelled paths that snake around a small section at the top of the mountain – you don’t cover that much distance, but they do take you to a couple of great viewpoints.Â
Places to eat at Kotor cable car
There are a couple of options for food and drinks available at both the lower cable car station, where the car park is, and also at the upper cable car station, at the top of Mount Lovcen.Â
Monte 1350
Located near the upper cable car station, I would highly recommend walking the short distance along the road from the cable car station to Monte1350 bar. Here, you can relax and enjoy drinks and snacks overlooking the mountain range and the Bay of Kotor. It has a really great atmosphere to it as well. We visited around lunch, and I loved reclining back on the loungers, looking at the gorgeous views.Â
Forza Kuk
This is the restaurant that sits next to the upper cable car station. It is a more formal restaurant inside, with inside and outside seating. This is a great option if you are looking for somewhere to enjoy a special dinner as the sunsets.
Viewpoint Kiosk
Located near the Upper Cable car station. This small kiosk is on the walking path towards the amphitheatre and Budva viewpoint. You can get hot and cold drinks and snacks, including burgers here.
Coffee shops
Outside the upper station is a small selection of shops. Here you can find a coffee shop and also a shop serving ice cream and frozen bananas.
Station tasting bar
At the base of the cable car, at the lower station is the ‘Station tasting Bar’. This restaurant serves pasta, appetizers, sandwiches and local wine. It also stocks and sells a variety of local products and you can even order pasta to go.
La Parisienne
Located at the lower station, this cafe serves a variety of pastries , cakes , ice cream and sandwiches, as well as coffee and cold drinks.
How to get to the Kotor cable car
The lower cable car station (Dub) is a short distance out of Kotor town. The best (and cheapest) way to get to the Kotor cable car station is to catch the shuttle bus from Kotor bus station.Â
Book your shuttle+cable car bundle ticket from goshuttle.me for the best package price. I paid €27 per adult for a return cable car ticket and return shuttle bus ticket instead of the usual €30 as I paid with Mastercard and they had a promotion on. Also look out for cheaper promotional tickets at the weekend.Â
Top tip: Don’t book your cable car ticket via the official Kotor cable car website, as you cannot add on the shuttle bus ticket. The price for a return cable car ticket on the official website is €23 but then you will need to pay €10 for the return shuttle when you arrive at the bus station, which makes it more expensive in total.Â
If you have your own car, there is also a large car park at the Kotor cable car lower station (Dub). You can also drive to the upper station (Kuk), however be prepared for the multiple switchbacks and very winding roads up the mountain!Â
Best time to visit the Kotor cable car
The best time to visit the Kotor Cable car is when there are no cruise ships docked in the Bay of Kotor!Â
Kotor is a popular stop on many Adriatic cruises and thousands of cruise passengers will flood the tiny town of Kotor on an almost daily basis. My husband and I visited the Kotor cable car on a weekend in August and managed to get an entire cable car all to ourselves in both directions. It really was not busy at all, and I think a large part of the reason for this is that there were no cruise ships docked on that day. You can check the cruise schedule on the Cruise Mapper website.
If the cruise schedule does not align with the time you are in kotor, don’t worry, simply go either early in the morning, or late afternoon. The earliest shuttle time to the lower cable car station is 9am, so you cannot go earlier than this unfortunately. Another great time to visit is late afternoon, after lunch as most of the organised tours will be making their way back down into Kotor. Stay at the top of the mountain for sunset and then make your way back down in the evening.
