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Our Lady of the Rocks Tour From Kotor
An Our Lady Of The Rocks Tour from Kotor takes you by boat to a man-made island in the Bay of Kotor, with the whole trip running around 3 to 4 hours.
Quick answer Our Lady of the Rocks tour from Kotor in brief
Our Lady of the Rocks sits on an artificial island a 5-minute boat ride from Perast, and boats also run directly from Kotor for a round trip of roughly 3 to 4 hours. From Kotor you can book a 2-hour speedboat tour at $41 per person or a 4.5-hour guided trip with the cable car at $133 per person, both with free cancellation 24 hours ahead.
Key takeaways
- Browse all kotor shore excursions to see every boat and land option in one place.
- Compare the Perast & Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour (2h) with the Kotor Cable Car - Perast - Lady of the Rocks Guided Tour.
- Check how each option fits a cruise day in port before you pay.
- Read what the church and museum hold so you know how long to stay on the island.
Our Lady of the Rocks Tours You Can Book
Both tours start from Kotor and cover Our Lady of the Rocks plus Perast, and both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. They differ in length and scope. The Perast & Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour (2h) is the simple, affordable choice at $41 per person. The Kotor Cable Car - Perast - Lady of the Rocks Guided Tour adds a ride on the cable car and a guide throughout, and runs 4.5 hours at $133 per person.
from $41
Shortest boat trip
Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour (2h)
A 2-hour speedboat trip from Kotor to Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks, for a port day too short for a longer tour.
Check Availability
from $133
Entries included
Kotor Cable Car, Perast and Lady of the Rocks Guided Tour
This is one of the few Kotor tours that combines Our Lady of the Rocks with church and museum tickets and a cable car ride included in the price.
Check AvailabilityHow do both tours compare side by side?
The speedboat tour is half the price and half the length, while the cable car tour adds a guided day with a bigger view of the bay.
Both are listed on this site with live prices, ratings and free cancellation 24 hours ahead. Use the table to match one to your day.
The two options at a glance
If you only want the island and Perast, take the speedboat. If you want a fuller half day with a guide and the cable car, pay the difference.
| Tour | Price | Length | Rating | Operator | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perast & Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour (2h) | $41 per person | 2 hours | 4.7 from 1,152 reviews | Montenegro Submarine & Speed Boat Tours | Free cancellation 24h |
| Kotor Cable Car - Perast - Lady of the Rocks Guided Tour | $133 per person | 4.5 hours | 4.9 from 163 reviews | Explore Montenegro | Free cancellation 24h |
Which one suits you
Cruise passengers with a limited afternoon usually pick the 2-hour speedboat because it fits a tight window. Travellers with a free day, or anyone who wants commentary along the way, get more from the guided 4.5-hour version. Both leave from Kotor, so neither needs a separate transfer to Perast.
The Church of Our Lady of the Rocks, built on an artificial islet off Perast in the Bay of Kotor. Photo: Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What does the day look like on an Our Lady of the Rocks tour?
A typical trip runs Kotor to the island, then a stop in Perast, then back to Kotor, taking around 3 to 4 hours in total.
The order of stops is the same whether you book or buy a seat on the quay. The difference is comfort and timing.
From Kotor, stop by stop
Boats leave Kotor and head straight across the bay to Our Lady of the Rocks, where you go ashore to see the church and museum. The boat then calls at Perast, a UNESCO-protected old town, before returning to Kotor. Speedboat tours can compress this into 2 hours, as the Perast & Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour (2h) does.
If you go independently, the usual route is a bus or taxi to Perast and then a short boat across. Perast's old town rewards a 40-minute self-guided walk on its own, which is how one GetYourGuide itinerary structures the stop.
| Stop | What you do |
|---|---|
| Kotor quay | Board and cross the bay |
| Our Lady of the Rocks | Church, museum, island stroll |
| Perast | Old town, waterfront cafes |
| Return to Kotor | Direct ride back |
Cruise passenger timing
Because the loop takes 3 to 4 hours, it fits a standard afternoon in port if you board soon after the ship docks. The 2-hour speedboat leaves a bigger margin for getting back to the gate.
Why is it called Lady of the Rocks?
Two sailors from Perast found an icon of the Madonna and Child on a reef on July 22, 1452, and locals built the island up from that reef with rocks and sunken ships.
The name comes from the way the island was made, stone by stone, on top of a reef in the middle of the bay.
An island built by devotion
After the icon was found on July 22, 1452, locals sank old seized ships and threw rocks into the sea to build a platform big enough for a church. The church standing today is the largest building on the islet and was renovated in 1722. It carries a museum, a small gift shop and a navigation light at its northern end.
| Date or era | Event |
|---|---|
| July 22, 1452 | Two sailors find the icon of the Madonna and Child on a reef |
| 1722 | The church is renovated |
| Today | Church, museum, gift shop and a navigation light on the islet |
The fašinada festival
The building never stopped. Every year at sunset on 22 July, locals take their boats and throw rocks into the sea around the island to widen it, an event called the fašinada. Visitors in summer can see it, so if your trip falls on that date it is worth planning your boat around the evening.
For everyone else the story explains why the island looks man-made, because it is.
Source: Our Lady of the Rocks.
What is inside the church and museum?
The church holds 68 paintings by Tripo Kokolja, an icon from circa 1452 by Lovro Dobričević of Kotor, silver votive tablets and a famous tapestry by Jacinta Kunić-Mijović woven over 25 years with gold and silver threads and her own hair.
The museum is small but the collection is unusual, and it is the main reason to go inside rather than only circle the island.
What to look for
The standout canvas is The Death of the Virgin by Tripo Kokolja, ten metres long, part of a set of 68 of his paintings. Among the older works is an icon from circa 1452 by Lovro Dobričević of Kotor, close in age to the island itself. The tapestry is the strangest piece, woven over 25 years with gold and silver fibres and the weaver's own hair.
Where is Our Lady of the Rocks located?
Our Lady of the Rocks is an artificial islet in the Bay of Kotor, a 5-minute boat ride from the town of Perast in Montenegro.
The island sits just off Perast, across the bay from Kotor, and every visit starts with a short boat crossing.
Getting there from Kotor or Perast
From Kotor you can take a boat that goes directly to the island, then Perast, then back to Kotor. Both booked tours spare you the transfer to Perast entirely because they leave from Kotor, which is the Perast & Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour (2h) at $41 per person and the Kotor Cable Car - Perast - Lady of the Rocks Guided Tour at $133 per person.
Source: Our Lady of the Rocks.
Is Lady of the Rocks worth visiting, and how much time do you spend on the island?
Yes for most visitors, and the island itself needs a short stay, with the church and museum and a stroll around the islet fitting easily into a boat schedule.
The island is tiny. Most of the value is in the church, the museum and the crossing itself.
What a short stop covers
Visitors arrive on short boats from Perast or Kotor, tour the church and museum, stroll the tiny island and head back. Booked itineraries that add Perast give the old town a 40-minute self-guided walk. If you want time for every painting and the tapestry, tell the operator you would like a longer stay, or take the guided 4.5-hour option where the pace is set for you.
| Part of the visit | Suits | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Church and museum | Anyone interested in the art | A relaxed half hour or more |
| Island stroll | Everyone | Short |
| Perast old town walk | Most itineraries | 40 minutes |
Dress code
The island is a church site, so cover shoulders and knees inside. No dress rule is published for the island church, so covered shoulders and knees are the safe choice.
Should this be booked in advance?
Booking in advance locks your price, your departure time and free cancellation 24 hours ahead, while quay tickets depend on sellers being there when you walk past.
On the quay, tickets are bought from people standing there, which works but gives no guarantee of time or group size.
Booked versus on the quay
The case for booking is simpler logistics: both tours on this page, the Perast & Our Lady of the Rocks Speedboat Tour (2h) at $41 per person and the Kotor Cable Car - Perast - Lady of the Rocks Guided Tour at $133 per person, include free cancellation 24 hours ahead, so a cancelled cruise day costs you nothing. If you would rather go it alone, see the wider list of kotor shore excursions and book whatever else fills your day at the same time.
What are the top things to see in Kotor, Montenegro?
In one day you can pair the old town of Kotor with a bay boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks and Perast, and the cable car adds a high viewpoint for the whole bay.
The island trip is the most popular add-on to a Kotor stop, and it pairs naturally with the town itself.
Pairing the island with the rest of the day
Walk the UNESCO-protected streets of Kotor before or after your boat. The Kotor Cable Car - Perast - Lady of the Rocks Guided Tour (4.5 hours) bundles the cable car with the island and Perast, so one booking covers a viewpoint and both waterfront stops. If you only have a short window, the 2-hour speedboat leaves time for the old town on foot.
The bay's story, from the 1452 icon to the annual fašinada, makes more sense once you have seen the water the sailors crossed.
Source: Our Lady of the Rocks.
The bell tower of St Nicholas church rises above the palm-lined waterfront of Perast. Photo: travelmag.com, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Lady of the Rocks Tour FAQ
Is Lady of the Rocks worth visiting?
Yes. The island holds a church with 68 paintings by Tripo Kokolja and a tapestry woven with gold, silver and human hair, and the short boat crossing across the Bay of Kotor is part of the appeal. See both booked options on the kotor shore excursions page.
Why is it called Lady of the Rocks?
Because it was built on rocks. After two sailors found an icon of the Madonna and Child on a reef on July 22, 1452, locals threw stones and sank old ships to raise an island for a church.
Where is Our Lady of the Rocks located?
It is an artificial islet in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, about a 5-minute boat ride from Perast, with direct boats also running from Kotor.
Our Lady of the Rocks entrance fee
The boat ticket usually does not include the ticket inside.
How to get to Our Lady of the Rocks from Perast
Take one of the short boats that cross from the Perast waterside.
Our Lady of the Rocks dress code
No dress rule is published, so cover shoulders and knees to be safe. It is a church site, so cover shoulders and knees inside to be safe.
Should this be booked in advance?
Booking fixes your departure time and adds free cancellation 24 hours ahead on both tours listed here, at $41 and $133 per person. Quay tickets exist but depend on sellers being there when you arrive.
How much time do you spend on the island?
A short stop covers the church, the museum and a stroll around the tiny islet. Itineraries that add Perast give the old town a 40-minute walk, and the whole Kotor loop takes around 3 to 4 hours.
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