From Bay of Kotor: Blue Cave Private Speedboat Tour

The best part of this four-hour outing is the contrast: you race across the Bay of Kotor by speedboat, then slip into the still, blue-lit water of the Blue Cave. Along the way, you get old stone towns, military ruins, a former prison camp, and time to stretch out on a beach.

I like the private boat format, which gives your group room to set the pace. I also like the mix of swimming and history, especially the stop at Mamula Island and the view into the old submarine tunnels. The main consideration is simple: this is not a quiet sightseeing cruise. The boat ride can be lively, music may play, and open water can get choppy.

Key points to know before booking

• Blue Cave swim: You get about 25 minutes for swimming and snorkeling in the cave’s blue-lit water.
• Private group up to six: The $483 group price works best when shared by several people.
• Mamula and submarine tunnels: You see two striking reminders of Montenegro’s military past.
• Žanjic Beach finale: The final 45-minute stop gives you time to swim, sunbathe, eat, or try a six-meter cliff jump.
• Flexible skipper: Guides such as Marko and Nikolai have been praised for being friendly, helpful, and willing to adjust the outing.
• Bring beach gear: Pack swimwear, a towel, sun protection, sunglasses, and a camera.

Speeding out of Kotor Bay

Your morning or afternoon begins at the MontenegroGlobe office near the Kamelija shopping center, a short walk from Kotor’s old town and port. Look for the office with illuminated advertising along the main road. In summer, parking is limited, so walking from your accommodation or the port may be easier than bringing a car.

Once aboard, you have a private speedboat for your group, with a maximum of six people. That matters. You are not being moved through the bay as part of a large crowd, and you can speak directly with the skipper about the pace and your interests.

The first ride lasts about 20 minutes. Expect music, wind, and wide views of the bay as the boat pulls away from Kotor. The speed is part of the appeal, but it also means you should secure your hat and protect your phone from spray. If you are prone to motion sickness, sit where you feel most stable and tell the skipper early.

Drinks, snacks, onboard Wi-Fi, transport, snorkeling equipment, and travel insurance are included. The Wi-Fi is a useful touch if you want to send a quick photo or stay in contact, though the main reason to bring your phone is the scenery.

Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks

The first major stop is near Perast and the small island of Our Lady of the Rocks. You have roughly 20 minutes here for a visit and photographs. The island is artificial, and its church and museum give the stop more substance than a simple photo pause.

You can pay €2 per person to enter the church and museum. You can also browse the shops. The time is short, so decide what matters to you before stepping off the boat. If you want only pictures and views, 20 minutes is enough. If you want to study the museum carefully, you may find the visit rushed.

Perast itself is one of the most attractive waterfront towns in the bay, with stone buildings facing calm water and steep hills behind them. From a low speedboat, the setting feels particularly good. You see the relationship between the town, the island, and the surrounding water in a way that is harder to grasp from a road.

This is also the least beach-focused part of the day. If swimming is your priority, keep your visit efficient and save your energy for the Blue Cave and Žanjic Beach.

The old submarine tunnels

After another 20-minute ride, the boat stops by the entrances to abandoned submarine tunnels built by the Yugoslav Army. The stop lasts about five minutes and is mainly for photographs.

The tunnels are not presented as a long walking tour. You look into the dark openings from the water and hear about their purpose from the skipper. Their appeal comes from the setting: military structures cut into the rocky coast, reached by boat rather than by a regular road.

Five minutes is enough for a look, but not for a detailed exploration. That short stop helps the tour fit in the cave and beach visits later. If you enjoy military sites, ask the skipper to explain what you are seeing while the boat is positioned at the entrance.

Mamula Island and its difficult past

The next ride takes about 15 minutes, followed by a roughly 10-minute stop at Mamula Island. The island is ringed by an Austro-Hungarian fortress that later served as a concentration camp during World War II.

The fortress gives the trip a serious edge. You are not just collecting pretty coastal views. You are seeing how this strategic entrance to the bay was fortified and used over time. Your English-speaking skipper explains the island’s past, making the brief stop more meaningful than a photograph from offshore.

The schedule lists this as a photo stop, so do not expect a long museum-style visit. The value is the combination of the structure, the island setting, and the account of what happened there. Ten minutes goes quickly, particularly if your group wants photos.

Skippers Marko and Nikolai have been singled out for being sociable, caring, funny, and clear in their explanations. Your assigned skipper may be someone else, but the experience depends heavily on the person at the helm. A good skipper makes the short historical stops feel connected rather than tacked onto a swim day.

Swimming inside the Blue Cave

From Mamula, it is about 10 minutes to the Blue Cave. You get around 25 minutes for swimming and snorkeling in the clear water, with light reflecting through the cave opening and giving the water its famous blue color.

This is the tour’s main event. The boat gets you close to the cave, and the included snorkeling mask means you do not need to arrange equipment separately. You should still bring your own towel and swimwear. Sunglasses and a hat are useful between stops, while a camera can capture the entrance and the color inside.

The cave stop is short enough that you should be ready to get into the water promptly. If you want a relaxed swim, do not spend all your time taking photos from the boat. If you do not feel like swimming, you can enjoy the view from the speedboat, but the experience is designed around getting into the water.

Conditions on the open sea can change. Previous outings have included larger waves, and a skilled skipper may need to adjust the approach. This is one reason a private trip helps: your group can discuss the conditions and your comfort level rather than simply following a fixed crowd schedule.

Forty-five minutes at Žanjic Beach

The final major stop is Žanjic Beach, reached after about 10 minutes on the boat. You get approximately 45 minutes here, making it the longest stop of the day.

This is your chance to slow down. You can swim, sunbathe, stroll along the pebble shore, or sit at a local restaurant for lunch. The beach is not a long resort stay, but 45 minutes is enough to dry off, eat something, and enjoy a less structured part of the trip.

The tour also offers a six-meter cliff jump for those who want an adrenaline rush. This is optional, and you should make your own decision based on your comfort and the conditions. It is not a good reason to book the trip if you dislike heights or jumping into open water.

The beach stop gives the itinerary a useful balance. After the speed, fortifications, and cave swim, you have time to do very little. That matters on a hot day. Pack a towel, and do not count on having time to change into dry clothes at length before the return ride.

What the private price really gets you

The cost is $483 per group of up to six people. The price makes more sense when you fill the boat. Split six ways, it comes to about $80.50 per person. For four people, it is about $120.75 each. For two people, the same private format becomes much more expensive.

The value comes from more than the boat itself. You are paying for a dedicated skipper, transport between widely spaced sites, drinks and snacks, snorkeling gear, onboard Wi-Fi, travel insurance, and the ability to shape the timing within a four-hour route.

A private group is especially useful for families or friends with different priorities. One person can focus on photographs at Our Lady of the Rocks, another can swim at the Blue Cave, and the group can decide how long to linger within the available schedule. Previous trips have been adjusted to suit the group, including changes in where to spend more or less time.

The tradeoff is that four hours is compact. You see many places, but you do not get long visits at most of them. Think of this as a fast, varied introduction to the bay, not a slow historical tour or a full beach day.

How the four hours fit together

The timing is tight but logical:

• About 20 minutes from Kotor to the Perast area
• About 20 minutes at Our Lady of the Rocks
• About 20 minutes to the submarine tunnels
• About 5 minutes at the tunnel entrance
• About 15 minutes to Mamula Island
• About 10 minutes at Mamula
• About 10 minutes to the Blue Cave
• About 25 minutes for swimming and snorkeling
• About 10 minutes to Žanjic Beach
• About 45 minutes at the beach
• About 40 minutes back to Kotor

The return ride is the longest single boat journey, at about 40 minutes. That is a good time to enjoy the bay from the water, listen to music, use the Wi-Fi, or simply rest after swimming.

The schedule adds up to about four hours, but boat conditions and the exact pace can affect the feel of the day. You should arrive ready to move when the skipper calls time. This is not an outing where you can linger at every stop.

Who will enjoy this most

I would choose this tour for a small group that wants several types of experience in one half-day: scenery, swimming, military sites, a historic island, and a beach stop. It suits families with older children, couples, and friends who want their own boat instead of joining a large group.

It is also a good choice if you are staying in Kotor for only a short time. The route reaches beyond the inner bay and packs several notable sights into one outing. The speedboat saves time compared with trying to connect each place by land and separate boat trips.

You should think twice if you want a quiet cruise, long museum visits, or a slow afternoon on one beach. Music is part of the atmosphere, and one past outing included dancing to music on board. That sounds fun for some groups and tiring for others.

The boat is not suitable for wheelchair users, and the experience is not suitable for people over 95. The cave swim and six-meter jump also require a reasonable level of confidence around water, though the jump is optional.

What to bring and what to expect

Bring swimwear, a towel, sunglasses, a sun hat, and a camera. You may want a dry bag for electronics, though one is not listed among the inclusions. Drinks and snacks are supplied, but lunch at Žanjic Beach is an extra purchase.

Alcohol and drugs are not allowed. Bicycles are also not allowed on the tour. If you are driving to the meeting point, pay close attention to summer traffic and the shortage of parking spaces.

The activity is offered in English with a live guide. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, and you can reserve now and pay later. Starting times depend on availability, so check the schedule that suits your day in Kotor.

Should you book the Blue Cave speedboat tour?

Book it if you want a private, active half-day and your group can share the cost. The strongest reasons are the efficient route, the Blue Cave swim, the chance to hear about Mamula’s difficult past, and the freedom to spend more time on the parts you enjoy.

I would be less keen to book it for only one or two people because the group price becomes harder to justify. I would also skip it if you need a fully accessible outing or dislike open-water boat rides.

For six people who want swimming, history, music, and a little controlled adventure, this is a well-balanced way to see more of the Bay of Kotor in four hours.

FAQ

How long is the Blue Cave private speedboat tour?

The tour lasts four hours, including the boat rides and stops at Our Lady of the Rocks, the submarine tunnels, Mamula Island, the Blue Cave, and Žanjic Beach.

Where does the tour begin?

You meet at the MontenegroGlobe tour agency near the Kamelija shopping center, a few minutes from Kotor’s old town and port.

How many people can join the private group?

The private boat is available for a group of up to six people.

Is a guide included?

Yes. The tour includes a live English-speaking guide who also serves as your skipper.

Is snorkeling equipment included?

Yes. A snorkeling mask is included.

Is food included?

Drinks and snacks are included. Lunch at a local restaurant on Žanjic Beach is not included.

Do I have to pay to enter Our Lady of the Rocks?

Entry to the Lady of the Rocks site is not included. The stated entry fee is €2 per person.

How long do you swim in the Blue Cave?

The planned stop at the Blue Cave lasts about 25 minutes for swimming and snorkeling.

Can I jump from the cliff at Žanjic Beach?

Yes, the tour provides the option to jump into the sea from a six-meter-high cliff. The jump is optional.

Is the tour suitable for wheelchair users?

No. The activity is not suitable for wheelchair users or for people over 95 years old.