Private All Day Tour & Blue Cave swimming

The best part of this private Kotor boat tour is its mix of old stone towns, military secrets, and open-water swimming. In about six hours, you cruise from Kotor to Perast, enter a former submarine base through a sea tunnel, stop at Mamula Island, and spend an hour swimming in the Blue Cave.

I like the small private group and the easy pace. Up to eight people can share the boat, so you avoid a crowded deck and can focus on the views, swimming, and lunch at Ribarsko Selo. The skipper also arranges safe swimming spots and a good lunch stop, which gives the day a relaxed feel.

The main thing to consider is the cost: $600.79 per group is a fairer deal for six to eight people than for only two or three. The tour also depends on good weather, and lunch, dinner, and the museum at Our Lady of the Rocks cost extra.

Key things to know before booking

• Blue Cave swimming: You get about one hour to swim, listen to music, and enjoy the cave’s blue light.
• A private boat for up to eight: The price covers the group, not each person, so the value improves as your party gets larger.
• Ribarsko Selo lunch stop: Plan on two hours here for seafood, local food, swimming, and time at the small private beach.
• A submarine tunnel by speedboat: You enter the former Yugoslav naval base directly from the water rather than walking around the peninsula.
• Drinks and snorkel gear included: Bottled water, a small serving of domestic white wine, apple juice, and snorkeling equipment are provided.
• Extra costs to allow for: The Our Lady of the Rocks museum costs €3 per person, and lunch or dinner is not included.

Six hours from Kotor to the open Adriatic

This is not simply a sightseeing cruise around the Bay of Kotor. It is a full day of changing scenery and activities, with enough variety to keep the boat ride from becoming repetitive.

You begin at Park Slobode in Kotor, with pickup offered and additional details available from Sea Rush Speedboat Tours. The boat heads across the bay for roughly 20 minutes, giving you an early look at Kotor’s walls, churches, old houses, and steep mountain surroundings.

I like starting on the water because it gives you a better sense of Kotor’s setting. From the shore, the mountains can feel like a backdrop. From a speedboat, you see how tightly the bay is framed by rock and how the old town sits at the edge of that dramatic setting.

The ride is quick enough to feel lively but not so long that you are simply waiting for the next stop. Bottled water is included, along with fuel, insurance, taxes, and use of snorkeling equipment. Those inclusions matter on a private boat, since fuel and marine fees can otherwise add unpleasant surprises to the final cost.

Perast and the small islet of Our Lady of the Rocks

Perast receives about 30 minutes, which is enough for a quick look at its Venetian-era streets and Baroque buildings. The town is compact, with old palazzi, churches, and defensive towers packed along the water.

This is a short stop rather than a full historical tour. You can enjoy the architecture and the view across the bay, but do not expect time for a long wander through every lane. The appeal is the setting: Perast feels quieter and more intimate than Kotor, and its waterfront makes a strong contrast with the busy mountain scenery around the bay.

The boat then takes you to Our Lady of the Rocks, the artificial islet opposite Perast. The island was built over time by placing rocks in the water and sinking old ships loaded with stone. That unusual origin gives the stop a strong local character, rather than making it just another scenic church visit.

The museum entrance costs €3 per person and is not included. If you want to keep the day focused on the water, you can treat this as a brief cultural stop. If you enjoy churches, maritime traditions, and small museums, the extra fee is modest, but the 15-minute time allowance means you should keep an eye on the clock.

Two hours at Ribarsko Selo

Ribarsko Selo is the day’s main food and rest stop, with about two hours between Žanjice and Mirišta on the Luštica Peninsula. This is where the tour shifts from sightseeing to a slower coastal break.

The setting includes a seaside restaurant, an organic garden, and a small private beach. You can order fresh seafood and local dishes, swim in clear water, or simply sit by the shore. The stop is not included in the tour price, so keep money available for lunch.

I like this arrangement because it avoids forcing a meal into a rushed 30-minute pause. Two hours gives you room to eat without watching the boat clock every few minutes, then take a swim or enjoy the shoreline.

The tradeoff is that lunch is a separate expense. Dinner is also not included, and a seafood experience with Boka Seafood can be arranged at an additional cost. Ask about the current food prices before ordering if you are keeping to a strict budget.

The location also gives the day a more local, coastal feel than a standard boat circuit. You are not stopping only for a photograph. You have time to eat, cool off, and enjoy a quiet place between the historic bay and the open coast.

Entering a former submarine base near Rose

Near Rose, the speedboat enters a concealed sea tunnel leading to a submarine base built for the Yugoslav army during the World Wars. You do not walk across the Luštica Peninsula. Instead, the boat goes directly through the water entrance.

The stop lasts about 10 minutes, so this is a brief look rather than a long museum visit. Still, the method of arrival makes it memorable. You see the base as it was meant to be used, from the sea, through the opening that hid submarines from view.

This is one of the tour’s most unusual details. Many coastal boat trips offer the same pattern of beaches, churches, and swimming. The submarine tunnel adds a piece of military history and a sense of discovery without taking much time away from the water.

Because the stop is short, your expectations should stay realistic. You will not receive a long guided history lesson based on the information provided. Think of it as a striking visual stop and a chance to see a structure that is difficult to reach by ordinary road transport.

Mamula Island at the mouth of the bay

Mamula Island sits at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. Its round stone fortress dominates the island, surrounded by Mediterranean plants and open sea.

The fortification was built in the 19th century by General Lazar Mamula. The island also served as a military prison during World War II. Earlier groups, including Illyrians, Romans, Venetians, and Austro-Hungarians, used or fortified the site in different periods.

The tour description does not give a separate visit length for Mamula Island, so your time here appears to be part of the boat route rather than a long land stop. You should expect to view the island and fortress from the speedboat unless the crew tells you otherwise.

I value this stop because it adds context to the coast. The island is not only a pretty patch of land at the bay entrance. Its fortress, prison history, and defensive position show how important this waterway was over many centuries.

The boat also gives you a useful viewpoint. From the water, you can see the fortress in relation to the bay entrance and the sea beyond it. That setting helps explain why the island was chosen for defense.

One hour inside the Blue Cave

The Blue Cave is the tour’s main swimming stop, with about one hour set aside for it. Sunlight reflects from the pale pebble floor and creates the cave’s blue glow, which is strongest when the light reaches the water at the right angle.

The cave can only be reached by boat, so this private speedboat trip makes the visit simple. Once inside, you can swim in clear water, use the supplied snorkeling equipment, listen to music, or relax on the boat.

An hour is generous for a cave stop. You have time to get in the water more than once and enjoy the setting without feeling that the boat is leaving immediately. The review information also points to a skipper who focuses on safe places to swim, which is useful here because the goal is enjoyment without careless rushing.

The Blue Cave is also the part most affected by weather and sea conditions. The tour requires good weather, and poor conditions can lead to a different date or a full refund. If the water is rough or the weather changes, the cave may not have the calm, clear feel you are hoping for.

Bring swimwear, a towel, and sun protection, even though these are not listed as included items. Snorkeling equipment is provided, but the tour details do not state that towels or personal belongings storage are available.

The return through the Bay of Kotor

The ride back takes about 50 minutes through the heart of the bay. This is not dead time after the Blue Cave. It gives you another view of the steep cliffs, small coastal villages, and changing angles of the shoreline.

I like having this longer return cruise at the end of the day. After the swimming and lunch stop, you can settle into the boat and watch the bay from a different direction. The same mountains and villages look different when the light shifts and you are moving away from the open coast.

A speedboat also changes how you read the bay. You cover more water than you would on foot, but you still remain close enough to see the details along the shore. The route connects the enclosed waters around Kotor with the more exposed coast near the Blue Cave, making the geography easier to understand.

The exact time at each point may vary with sea conditions, lunch, and swimming. The stated duration is approximately six hours, so plan your day around a flexible half-day schedule rather than a precise return minute.

What the $600.79 group price really means

The price is $600.79 for a private group of up to eight people. At full capacity, that works out to about $75 per person before lunch and any optional extras. For four people, it is about $150 per person. For two people, the same boat becomes a much more expensive experience.

That pricing structure is important. If you are a family or group of friends, privacy, fuel, insurance, taxes, drinks, and snorkeling gear make the cost easier to justify. You also get a boat designed around your group rather than a seat on a large shared excursion.

Included drinks are limited but useful: bottled water, a 0.33 deciliter serving of domestic white wine, and a 0.33 deciliter serving of domestic apple juice. Extra wine and apple juice are available at a price on request.

Lunch is the main budget item to remember. Ribarsko Selo offers seafood and local food, but the meal is separate. The same applies to dinner and the €3 museum entry at Our Lady of the Rocks.

The tour has a perfect five-star rating from seven submitted reviews, but that is a small sample. I would treat it as encouraging rather than proof that every departure will be identical. The strongest praise centers on a fun day on the boat, safe swimming places, and a well-arranged lunch stop.

Who will get the most from this boat trip

I would recommend this experience to you if you want one private outing that covers both the Bay of Kotor and the nearby open coast. It suits groups that care about swimming, scenery, seafood, and unusual historical sites more than long guided walks.

It is especially practical for:

• Families or friends who can share the group price
• People who want private use of the boat
• Visitors with one free day for several major coastal sights
• Anyone who prefers swimming and short stops to a museum-heavy schedule
• Food lovers who want time for a seafood lunch at Ribarsko Selo

It may be less suitable if you want a detailed guided tour inside every church, fortress, or museum. The stops at Perast, Our Lady of the Rocks, and the submarine base are fairly short, while the emphasis is on cruising and swimming.

You should also think about sea comfort. The experience uses a speedboat, and the tour depends on good weather. If your plans are tight, avoid scheduling it on the last possible day of your stay, even though cancellations caused by poor weather offer a different date or a full refund.

Pickup is offered, and the listed meeting point is Park Slobode, CQG9+H6W, Kotor. Confirmation is provided at booking. Service animals are allowed, the meeting area is near public transportation, and the supplier states that most people can participate.

Should you book the Blue Cave and Kotor private tour?

Book it if you have a group large enough to share the $600.79 cost and want a day that mixes Kotor scenery, coastal food, military history, and swimming. The route has enough variety to feel like a real introduction to the bay and Luštica coast, not just a fast ride to one photo stop.

Before booking, confirm the pickup details, ask about the lunch cost, and decide if you want the €3 museum visit. Then check the weather forecast and bring swimwear, a towel, and sun protection.

For two people, the price may feel high unless privacy matters greatly. For six to eight people, the value is much stronger. The safe swimming arrangements, long Ribarsko Selo stop, and unusual submarine tunnel give this tour a useful edge over a basic scenic cruise.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The listed meeting point is Park Slobode, CQG9+H6W, in Kotor, Montenegro. Pickup is offered, and you can contact the provider for additional pickup information.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts approximately six hours.

How many people can join the private tour?

The private boat can accommodate a group of up to eight people.

What language is offered?

The experience is offered in English.

Is lunch included in the price?

No. Lunch at Ribarsko Selo is not included. Seafood and local dishes are available at an additional cost.

Is dinner included?

No. Dinner is not included. A separate seafood experience with Boka Seafood is available at an additional cost.

How much does the Our Lady of the Rocks museum cost?

Entrance costs €3 per person and is not included in the tour price.

Is snorkeling equipment provided?

Yes. Use of snorkeling equipment is included.

What drinks are included?

The tour includes bottled water, domestic white wine in a 0.33 deciliter serving, and domestic apple juice in a 0.33 deciliter serving. Extra wine and apple juice cost extra.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather causes cancellation, you can choose a different date or receive a full refund. You can also cancel for a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time.