A day on a boat: how chartering works and what it costs

People take a boat here not to “go for a ride” but to reach places with no road. Half of Montenegro’s best coves — Kraljičina plaža, Dobreč, the islets off Petrovac, the Blue Cave — can only be reached from the water. No bus goes there, and there is no path either.

In short: you charter the whole boat, skipper included, from €355 for three hours. Here is how it works in practice: the types of vessel, what the price covers, who is at the helm and what it costs.

You charter the whole boat

The thing that confuses people first: the price is almost always per boat, not per person. You pay for a vessel that takes 6–12 guests, then split it among yourselves.

Which makes the arithmetic simple: for two it is expensive; for six it comes to about €60 a head, a little more than a group trip, and the freedom is not comparable.

Four types and how they differ

Motor boat — the cheapest way onto the water. Fast, nimble, gets into narrow coves. For up to 7 guests it runs from €355 for 3 hours, for up to 9 guests from €390. Taken for swimming in the nearby bays and for sunsets.

Catamaran — two hulls, so it barely rolls. Plenty of deck, a net between the hulls, shade. For up to 8 guests from €520 for 4 hours, for 12 guests from €780. The best call with children and with anyone prone to seasickness: Catamaran cruise.

Sailing yacht — quiet progress, some heel, two cabins. For up to 8 guests from €390 for 3–4 hours. This is about the sailing itself, not about speed: under sail a distant cove takes longer.

Premium — a large motor yacht for a full day, from €3,495 for 8 hours. A different story and a different budget.

Short trips are also sold by the hour: a speedboat costs from €130 an hour in Bar and from €170 in Budva, and two hours out of Budva from €235.

The boats, with prices and free dates, are on the yacht charter page.

What the price includes

• A skipper. No licence needed; the company’s skipper runs the boat.
• Fuel for the route — normally already inside the quoted price.
• Water, ice, towels — with most operators.
• Snorkelling masks and inflatables — often, but ask.

Usually not included: lunch at a shore restaurant, port fees in other marinas, and the skipper’s tip. There is no charge to visit the Blue Cave.

What the day looks like

A standard bay cruise runs 4–6 hours. Out of the marina, through the Verige strait, the islets off Perast, a swim stop in a cove, back.

A full day adds the exit from the bay: Mamula, the Blue Cave, Žanjice beach and lunch on the water. Mamula is a hotel now and landing is closed to anyone who is not a guest, so you see it from the water. Since 2026 motor vessels have not been allowed into the Blue Cave: the boat waits at the entrance, and you go inside by kayak, on a SUP or swimming.

What the routes look like: Bay of Kotor cruise from Tivat, from Kotor, coast cruise.

Lowest prices by town, per vessel: Tivat from €390 for four hours and from €650 for a full day, Kotor from €580 for three hours, Budva from €355 for three hours, Bar from €130 an hour, Herceg Novi from €415 for four hours.

Your own boat or a group ship

If there is no group to split with, there is a ready format: a ship around the whole bay with hotel pickup, from €53 per person — Bay of Kotor boat tour.

The trade-off is honest:

• The ship — a timetable, eighty people aboard, stops set by the programme, and a guide who speaks only Russian.
• Your own boat — your departure time, anchorages wherever you like, and as much swimming as you want.

For six, your own boat from €355 comes to about €60 a head, from €390 about €65: €7–12 more than the ship. The two even out at seven or eight guests.

What to bring

Light-soled shoes, or the willingness to go barefoot: dark rubber marks the deck, and every operator asks for this.

Sunscreen, a hat, a windbreaker for the evening — it is cooler on the water than ashore. A towel if the operator does not supply one. Cash for lunch and small spending ashore.

If you get seasick: pills half an hour before departure, and a catamaran rather than a monohull.

The weather decides

Trips are cancelled in a swell, and that is not a whim: boats do not go near the Blue Cave in chop, and past Mamula the open water rolls in earnest.

When weather cancels a charter, operators move the date or refund — worth confirming at booking. Mornings are calmest: the wind usually gets up after midday.

Where to go next

The marinas are in Tivat, Kotor, Budva and Bar, and boats also leave from Herceg Novi. On Tivat and Porto Montenegro see Tivat and Porto Montenegro; on Kotor, Kotor in a day.

Related formats on the water: Blue Cave, sea fishing, scuba diving. Everything is listed under things to do.

Getting to the marina is easiest under your own steam: quayside parking is paid but usually available — car rental.

Prices by vessel type, what the sum covers and what is billed separately are in what a yacht charter costs.

With children the choice narrows to a catamaran, and the reason is roll rather than comfort: a yacht with children.

Prices are indicative “from” figures, per vessel, checked in September 2026. The exact sum for your date is quoted by the company that owns the boat: booking and payment happen directly with them.