Perast in 1 day
Six stops fit into one morning, on foot from one end of the single seafront street to the other.
- How long
- half a day, full with Kotor
- Car needed
- no
- Entering the town
- free (town)
Perast takes half a day, full with Kotor. Nobody drives through the centre, so everything is done on foot from one end of town to the other. The order below puts the boat to the island before midday, while the queue at the jetty is shorter, and leaves the museum and the bell tower for later in the morning, once the sun is no longer straight over the water.
The waterfront, the island, the bell tower and the museum
Arrival and parking at one of the town's two entrances, taxi (no organised bus) from Tivat airport (TIV) for €35. Entering Perast itself is free (town); parking at the entrances is paid.
A walk along the waterfront past the baroque palaces to the jetty in the centre, free.
The boat to Our Lady of the Rocks: €5, 5 min each way, departing through the day in season.
Our Lady of the Rocks — church and museum: €2–3 (church and museum), to 17:00 (Apr, May, Sep, Oct); to 18:00 (Jun); to 19:00 (Jul–Aug), the visit takes ~15 min (the island). The neighbouring island of St George, two hundred metres on, none (viewed from a distance), free (viewed from outside).
The climb up the bell tower of St Nicholas on narrow wooden stairs: €1–2 (token fee), 10 min up and back.
The Museum of Perast, in Bujović Palace, costs €8 (€5 children up to 12, €5 groups of 10+) and keeps 15 Oct–15 Apr: Tue–Sun 10–16; 15 Apr–15 Oct: Tue–Sun 8–20; closed Monday, all of January, Orthodox Easter, 1 May, 13–14 November.
Lunch on a terrace at the far end of the promenade, away from the jetty, with the same view over both islands and fewer people.
St George isn't open on any day — the island is closed to visitors, not just on set days.
What spoils the half day
- Arriving after ten in season. The boat queue lengthens by midday, and both entrance car parks fill up.
- Ordering fish without asking the price. It's charged by the kilo; ask what the piece weighs before you order.
- Driving through the centre. Nobody drives through Perast — arrive by car and you leave it at one of the two entrances and walk from there.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How much time does Perast need?
Perast needs half a day, full with Kotor — half a day covers all six stops, including the boat to the island.
Does anything in Perast need booking ahead?
No: the church and museum on the island (no), the boat (no), the bell tower (no) and the Museum of Perast (no) are all paid for on the spot; St George isn't visited at all (no).
Can you land on St George island?
No. The island holds a Benedictine monastery and the burial ground of Perast families; it's seen from the boat, the shore or the bell tower, never from the inside.
Ready for Perast?
Where to next
The best time to visit Perast
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Kotor · 9 km
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→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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