Private Boka Bay tour from Kotor: Blue Cave and submarine tunnels

Hidden submarine tunnels built to hide from satellites, now open to explore.

A private 3-hour guided tour of Boka Bay departing from Kotor, with a live guide in English or Serbian, takes you to the Blue Cave, Mamula Fortress, Our Lady of the Rocks, and the submarine tunnels near Rose village. The tour includes bottled water and scuba glasses. You choose which stops matter most to you, and the guide arranges the route around your interests. Bring your own snorkel or goggles if you have a preference.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Bay of Kotor10m · entry included
2. Our Lady of the Rocks30m · entry included

Explore Kotor Bay highlights

• Visit submarine tunnels near Rose village
• See Mamula Fortress from the boat
• Explore the Blue Cave with snorkel
• Visit Our Lady of the Rocks island
• Enjoy panoramic view of Perast city

The experience

The submarine tunnels near Rose are the centerpiece: three of them, built by the Yugoslav Navy in the 1970s and disguised with fake rocks so thoroughly that satellites could not spot them. The largest tunnel actually hosted submarines and small ships. Your guide takes you inside to see the construction and the history, something almost no casual visitor to the bay ever finds. The tunnels sit at the entrance to Boka Bay, so the boat ride itself carries you through some of the most dramatic water in the Adriatic.

From there, the tour moves to the stops that matter to you. Mamula Fortress, built in 1853 by the Austro-Hungarian Army, sits on an island at the mouth of the bay and carries a heavy history. It was a prison in both world wars and a concentration camp under Mussolini. The Blue Cave on Luštica Peninsula gets its name from the way light bounces off the sandy bottom and fills the whole cave with blue. You need to be in the water to see it properly, which is why the scuba glasses are there. Our Lady of the Rocks is an artificial island built by local sailors over centuries, stone by stone, with a church from 1630 still standing. The panoramic view of Perast rounds out the afternoon.

The guide speaks English or Serbian and designs the route with you. If you want to skip a stop or spend longer at one, the three hours flex around what you actually want to see. Bottled water is provided. Bring your own snorkel or goggles if you prefer them to the glasses included.

What’s included

• Bottled water and scuba glasses.
• a live guide in English or Serbian.
• the boat and the route through Boka Bay.
• access to the submarine tunnels, Mamula Fortress, the Blue Cave, Our Lady of the Rocks and Perast.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00, 12:00 and 15:00

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Serbian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Golden Wave

Is this one for you?This tour is private, so the route and the pace are yours to set. If you want to spend an hour at the tunnels and skip Perast, or reverse the order, the guide arranges it. Choose it if you want to see the places most tourists miss and avoid the fixed schedule of a shared boat.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Serbian.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are the submarine tunnels and why are they hidden?

The tunnels near Rose village were built by the Yugoslav Navy in the 1970s to shelter submarines and small ships, and the entrance was covered with fake rocks so the location would be invisible to satellites and spy planes. The largest of the three is the only one that actually hosted submarines, and your guide takes you inside to see the construction.

Can I snorkel or swim in the Blue Cave?

The Blue Cave is best seen from underwater. The blue light comes from the way sunlight reflects off the sandy bottom, so you need to be in the water to experience it. Scuba glasses are included with the tour. Bring your own snorkel or goggles if you prefer them.

What is Our Lady of the Rocks and how did it get there?

Our Lady of the Rocks is an artificial island in Kotor Bay, built over centuries by local sailors who brought stones on their boats. A church was built there in 1630 after a fisherman found an icon of the Holy Mother of God on a sea rock following a shipwreck. Entry to the church is free. The museum costs 2 euros.

How long is the tour and can I choose which stops to visit?

The tour runs three hours and is private, so you work with your guide to pick which stops matter most: the submarine tunnels, Mamula Fortress, the Blue Cave, Our Lady of the Rocks, and the view of Perast can all be included or adjusted based on your interests.