Kotor Views From Above, Minus the Hiking: The Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car

One of the top recommended things to do in Kotor is to climb above the town to St John’s Fortress for stunning panoramic views. However, with soaring June temperatures we decided to give this a miss. Luckily, there’s another way to see the Bay of Kotor from above: the Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car.

Located a short drive out of the town, the Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car is a perfect way to check out the spectacular scenery from above. Opened in the summer of 2023, 48 gondolas transport visitors 1300 meters above sea level in 11 minutes. From the rooftop swimming pool of our Muo Airbnb we could see the gondolas making their ascent.

Our Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car Flight

We decide to visit early evening, planning to take the cable car back down around sunset. In hindsight, we could have gone up an hour or so earlier, giving us more time to explore some of the Lovcen National Park hiking trails. Or, more likely, more time to relax with a spritz-with-a-view. I’d definitely recommend giving yourself a couple of hours at the Upper Station.

We booked our tickets online on the day, taking advantage of the discount offered for Mastercard holders. Which means we skip the queue at the ticket office, and head straight for the Cable Car entrance. There are just a handful of people in front of us, and the operator is happy to assign us all individual gondolas for our parties. The fully-enclosed gondolas can take up to 10 people, and on our descent we do find ourselves in a full cabin.

The views just get better and better as we continue our smooth ascent, of dense forests, towering cliffs and the distant point where the sea meets the sky. The breathtaking Bay of Kotor shimmers in a golden light. The ride actually feels longer than 11 minutes, but in a good way. I’d take this ride all day thank you very much.

Once we get to the top, we take a stroll to soak up the views and the thankfully cooler air. I’m wearing unsuitable shoes for any meaningful hikes though. Not as unsuitable as some though, tottering around on high heels. The Friday night crowd are out to party. There’s a bar and restaurant, Forza Kuk, right next to the exit of the Upper Cable Car station, and the spacious terrace of Monte 1350 is a short walk beyond. There are also souvenir shops, including a Hard Rock shop, and a store selling local gastronomic produce – perfect for an impromptu picnic.

The Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car will not operate in adverse weather conditions. The cable car was suspended the day after our visit due to high wind speeds. Check opening times and information on the official Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car website.

The most scenic rollercoaster in Europe?

If your 11 minute cable car ride isn’t thrilling enough, there’s another way to get an adrenaline rush at the Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car Upper Station. Welcome to the Alpine Coaster, possibly one of the most scenic rollercoasters in Europe.

Perching on a precipice and plunging into lush woodland, each car is self-powered, meaning that the rider has full control of the speed. This seems a little worrying to me. What if I crash into the car in front? What if I’m too slow and someone crashes into me from behind? Can I make a whiplash claim? Is it possible to fall off the tracks and drop right into Kotor Bay? The cars hold two riders so I’m planning on hitching a ride with Mr Fletche.

It turns out that anyone over 8 years old can ride solo. Which makes my anxiety about riding alone a little irrational. If an 8 year old can remember which lever goes forward and which lever slows the car down, I’m sure that I – a UK driving licence holder for over 20 years – can handle it. We queue for about 10 minutes, which gives me the opportunity to flip-flop between options. And suddenly, I’m strapping in solo, the ride operator is giving me very rudimentary instructions (“push down to go forward, pull up to brake”) and I’m reciting these to myself like a mantra as I ascend the first incline.

And then we hit the first dip, and I’m having the time of my life. It’s fun, and exhilarating, and yes, easy to control. I trust that Mr Fletche is not going to ram me over a cliff. If I feel like I’m sometimes about to tip over as I whizz around a sharp bend, there are other times of slow serenity, with plenty of time to admire the stunning view. By the time we roll gently into the station, I want to go again.

A spritz-with-a-view

After all that excitement, we need a little breather to enjoy the breathtaking vista. Keeping one eye on the timetable for the final cable car, we stroll over to the terrace of Monte 1350. I don’t need to worry about time, there’s a server hovering to take our order within seconds of sitting down. Mr Fletche goes off for a stroll, returning with tales of the live violinist performing with a DJ on the other side of the bar. Meanwhile I’m very smug that we didn’t choose a deckchair seat after watching the poor lass in front of us collapse in a very inelegant heap.

It’s certainly one of the more stunning backdrops for a spritz. And for a proposal. Not ours I hasten to add – been there, done that in beautiful Crete. The whole terrace cheers when she says yes. I dread to think what might have happened if she’d said no, bearing in mind we’re on top of a mountain.

We also enjoyed a cable car ride and spritz-with-a-view during our visit to Dubrovnik!

Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car and Alpine Coaster prices

Tickets prices vary throughout the season. We travelled in June and our return Cable Car tickets were €18pp; high season tickets (until September) are €23pp. There’s a small discount for purchasing online rather than at the ticket office. The beauty of booking online is that you don’t need to commit to a date or time, your online ticket is valid for one return trip throughout the season.

You can also purchase one-way cable car tickets. Apparently some odd people hike up and then get the Cable Car back down. I’d definitely suggest the other way round 😉

Alpine Coaster tickets are €8pp. All riders need a ticket, regardless of whether they are riding solo or in a pair.

 Money-saving tip: you get an additional discount if you purchase your tickets online using a Mastercard!

Getting to the Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car from Kotor

The Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car Lower Station is located just a 10 minute drive from Kotor Old Town. Although please bear in mind that getting out of Kotor can take twice as long as the actual journey. Its off the E80, which connects Kotor to Budva, and is also the road to get to Tivat Airport from Kotor. If you’re coming from Kotor and the road is busy, you may want to pass the entrance on the left and go right around the roundabout so that you can access easier with a right-hand turn. Mr Fletche uses every trick in the book to make driving in Montenegro easier 😉

There’s a large car park with plenty of spaces available. Parking is €1 per hour and you make payment at the booth on exit. The modern Lower Cable Car Station houses a bakery, a gelataria, and wine bar, as well as toilets.

Do you want to read more about what it’s like to hire a car and drive in Montenegro? All the details are here

If you don’t have a car, there’s an official shuttle bus, which goes from Kotor Bus Station to the Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car Lower Station. It’s €15 per adult for a round trip, you can also include your Kotor Cable Car ticket for a total of €30. You can find more info here 🔗https://www.kotorcablecar.me/article/bus. There is also a shuttle bus from Budva Main Bus Station; this leaves at 5:25pm and returns at 9:00pm. Tickets must be purchased online by 12 noon on the day of travel.

We also spotted plenty of taxis lining up in the car park; as always if getting a taxi abroad either make sure the meter is running or agree a fare beforehand. The Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car has a partnership with local taxi firms, these taxis are marked with “Shuttle Service”.

Final thoughts

Riding the Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car – and the subsequent alpine coaster ride and spritz-with-a-view – was one of the highlights of our week in Montenegro. I have no doubt that if we’d done this earlier in our holiday we’d have made a second trip, spending more time exploring the trails of Lovćen National Park. The views from the top are truly breathtaking – and all without much effort 😉