Attractions & day tripsBy Clever Tourists · Published
Climbing Kotor's city walls to St. John's Fortress (Tvrđava Sveti Ivan, also called San Giovanni) costs €15 (≈ $16.7) per adult for foreign visitors. That is the price set by the Kotor municipality, which raised it from €8 (≈ $8.9) in November 2023; Montenegrin residents and children under 12 are free. Fees are collected from 1 March to 30 November, from 07:00 to 20:00 between May and September. The climb is about 1,350 steps and takes most people 45 minutes to an hour up. Older blogs quoting €8 (≈ $8.9) or €3 (≈ $3.3) are out of date.
Free toolConvert to your own currency at live rates →Live mid-market rates for all 17 currencies we used, so you can see what a price actually costs.The Kotor municipality announced on 8 November 2023 that foreign visitors would pay €15 (≈ $16.7) instead of the previous €8 to walk the walls (bedemi) up to the fortress, with free entry for anyone with residence in Montenegro. When collection resumed in March 2024, Radio Kotor reported the full rules: €15 (≈ $16.7) per individual, free for children under 12, people with disabilities, official delegations and, on religious holidays, visitors as set by the Diocese of Kotor.
We found no later change to the €15 (≈ $16.7) price as of autumn 2026, though some 2026 blogs and tour listings still quote €8 (≈ $8.9). Bring cash in euros; the gates have traditionally been cash-only.
Per the municipality's 2024 schedule, fees are collected from 1 March to 30 November:
• March and April: 08:00 to 18:00
• May to September: 07:00 to 20:00
• October and November: 08:00 to 17:00
There are two ticket points inside the Old Town: Parila, behind the Church of St. Mary (Blessed Ozana) near the north gate, and Škaljari square (Škaljarska pjaca) at the south end. Outside these hours and in winter, no one staffs the gates. People do walk up then, but the path is unlit, worn smooth in places and you are on your own if anything goes wrong.
The route zig-zags up the mountain behind the Old Town on about 1,350 stone steps and ramps, past the small Church of Our Lady of Remedy about halfway, to the fortress ruins more than 250 m above the bay. Allow 45 to 60 minutes up at a steady pace and 30 to 40 minutes down, plus time at the top: two hours in total is comfortable.
The route has little shade, so in summer go at 07:00 when the gates open or in the last couple of hours before sunset. Take water (there are few or no vendors on the route), proper shoes with grip, and expect the steps to be slippery after rain. Avoid the hours when cruise ships are in port, when the narrow path gets crowded.
The Ladder of Kotor is an old mule track that climbs the mountainside north of the walls in dozens of switchbacks. It starts outside the Old Town near the north side, by the road, and is not part of the ticketed walls; walking the trail itself is free.
About 25 to 35 minutes up, past a small chapel, a short wooden ladder leads to a gap in the fortress wall. Hikers climb through it into the fortress area without passing a ticket gate. It is not an official entrance, the ledge has a sharp drop on one side, and it has no legal status as a free alternative, so treat it as a hiking route rather than a way to skip the fee. The full Ladder continues far higher, toward the P1 road; our Kotor serpentine driving guide covers the road version.
For the rest of the town, see our Kotor guide.
€15 (≈ $16.7) per adult for foreign visitors, set by the Kotor municipality in November 2023. Montenegrin residents, children under 12 and people with disabilities enter free.
The fee is collected 1 March to 30 November, 07:00 to 20:00 from May to September (shorter hours in spring and autumn). Outside those hours the gates are unstaffed, but the path is unlit and unsupervised.
About 1,350 steps from the Old Town to St. John's Fortress. Most people take 45 to 60 minutes up and about two hours for the round trip.
Yes, the Ladder of Kotor trail is free. A gap in the fortress wall links it to the fortress, but it is not an official entrance and has a drop on one side.
Plan on cash. The ticket points at Parila and Škaljari square have traditionally taken euros in cash only.
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