Blue Cave run or Perast trip?

The short answer

These two boat trips share a harbour and a landmark, and little else. The Blue Cave run is a swim-and-sightseeing sweep across the bay to its mouth. The Perast trip is a quick, calm visit to the two things most people have photographed before they arrive: the church islet and the old town. If you can only do one and you swim, the cave run is the richer day. If you do not swim, the Perast trip makes more sense.

• Choose the cave run for a swim, a tunnel and a fort
• Choose the Perast trip for the islet and a walk ashore
• Pick the shorter trip if the sea looks rough

How long each one takes

The cave run lasts about three hours, and the Perast trip about two. The extra hour on the longer trip goes on the sail to the bay's mouth and the half-hour swim, not on more time at the church. Both trips stop for about twenty minutes at Our Lady of the Rocks, so the islet itself gets the same time on each. Check the departure times on the booking page, since they depend on the date. On a day with a tight schedule, the shorter trip is easier to fit around a ferry or a meal.

Read next: Kotor Blue Cave tour: worth it?

What each trip visits

The cave run passes Perast and its two islets, stops at Our Lady of the Rocks, visits a former submarine tunnel, passes the fort on Mamula and swims at the Blue Cave. The Perast trip stops at Our Lady of the Rocks and then continues to the old town of Perast, where you have time on the waterfront. Wikipedia says the town grew rich under Venetian rule and built baroque palaces and churches, and you see them close up only on the shorter trip. The cave run adds the open-water stretch towards the bay's mouth, and the fort on Mamula, which Wikipedia dates to 1853.

Swimming

Only the cave run has a swim stop of about half an hour, with life jackets and snorkel masks where available. Guests who are not proficient swimmers are not allowed into the water, for safety reasons. The Perast trip has no swim stop on its route. If your party mixes swimmers and non-swimmers, the shorter trip keeps everyone together, while the cave run leaves non-swimmers on the boat for the main stop. Showcaves says most boats allow about 15 minutes of swimming at the cave, so the half-hour stop on the longer run is relatively generous.

The sea

The cave run goes out towards the mouth of the bay, where Wikipedia places the island of Mamula, between two peninsulas. That is open water, and rough waves can change the route. The Perast trip stays in the inner bay, near the shore, so it is less exposed, although either trip can be changed, rescheduled or cancelled if conditions are unsafe. The Bora wind in winter and the jugo in autumn and spring, which Wikipedia describes, are the usual culprits. Watch the forecast for the day before you go, and be ready to switch to the calmer trip if the wind is up.

What the Perast trip adds

The short trip lands you in Perast, which the longer run only passes. Wikipedia places the town on a cape between the Bay of Risan and the Bay of Kotor, below the hill of St Ilija, and says it had a maritime school and free trade with the Republic of Venice. The trip gives about half an hour ashore on the waterfront, which is long enough to stroll and photograph the islets from the quay.

Crowds and the other boats

Both trips share the same islet and the same bay, so expect other boats. The cave is the place where numbers matter most: Showcaves says high season is crowded, boats may wait outside and, with too many boats, swimming is not possible. The Perast trip has no such bottleneck, because its stops are a landing and a waterfront. That makes it more predictable, even if it is less dramatic.

The church islet and dress

Both trips visit Our Lady of the Rocks, and the dress rule is the same. Swimwear is not allowed in the church, and shoulders and knees need to be covered, so bring a cover-up even on the swimming trip. Entry to the church and museum is an optional extra paid in cash, and its opening hours change with the season. The islet itself can be visited even if the church is closed.

Read next: Our Lady of the Rocks explained

A third option: the full-day cruise

A larger boat offers a middle path. The full-day cruise from Tivat or Kotor runs about eight hours on a three-deck wooden ship, with a stop at Our Lady of the Rocks, a swim near a beach or at the Blue Cave and a visit to Herceg Novi. The cave stop is subject to weather, and entry to the cave and the church are extras. It suits visitors who want a slow day on the water, and it is not wheelchair-accessible by default.

Seasickness and small boats

Speedboats are quick and close to the water, and the cave run reaches the bay's mouth where the swell is strongest. Anyone prone to seasickness is on the list of people for whom the cave run is not suitable. The Perast trip stays in sheltered water, but its boat is a speedboat too. If you are unsure, the bigger ship on the full-day cruise is steadier, and a day on land is the safest choice.

Group size and private boats

Both trips offer private and small-group options, and the group sizes differ. The cave run has private and small-group boats for up to ten people and a standard group of up to thirty. The Perast trip offers a small group of up to ten and a private option for much larger parties. If you are travelling with a family or a few friends, a private boat gives control over the pace, which matters most at the cave and on the islet.

Languages and guides

The cave run has a live guide in English and an audio guide in eight languages, including French, Spanish, German, Russian, Hebrew, Italian and Portuguese. The Perast trip offers a live guide or an audio guide, with languages that include English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and French, among others. Both audio guides need a phone with an internet connection, so charge it and bring earphones, since wind and engine noise on a fast boat can drown a speaker.

Who suits which

Confident swimmers, teenagers and travellers who like a bit of adventure suit the cave run. Visitors who want a short, scenic, low-risk outing, families with small children and people who dislike speed suit the Perast trip. Neither trip is for wheelchair users, pregnant women or people with back problems, and the faster cave run is a poor match for anyone prone to seasickness. If you are unsure whether you swim well enough, take the short trip.

Doing both

Some visitors book one and skip the other, since they share the islet and the view across the bay. If you have several days, do the cave run first, for the swim and the tunnel, and use a free afternoon for Perast on foot or by the short boat trip. The two make little sense in the same day, because each fills a half day with the same landmark.

Who this isn't for

Neither trip suits every visitor, and both operators list groups who should not book. Both trips use fast, small speedboats, so the list below is worth reading before you pay. Skip both if any of these applies to you or someone in your party, and consider a day on land in Kotor instead, or a larger boat on a longer cruise.

• People who are prone to seasickness
• Wheelchair users, since neither trip is suitable
• Pregnant women and people with back problems
• Anyone who wants a long, slow, sit-down cruise

Booking

Decide which trip you want, then pick a day and the option that suits your group, and check the starting point on the booking page. This site is independent of both operators, the islet and its museum. Both trips are booked with GetYourGuide, which opens when you press a booking button, and the page shows current availability and prices.