Climbing Kotor's 1,350 Steps in August: What It Costs

I told myself I would start at seven. I started at nine, because the coffee at the place near the Sea Gate was too good to rush, and that ninety-minute delay is the whole story of this climb.

What nine o’clock actually feels like on the way up

San Giovanni Fortress sits about 260 metres above Kotor’s old town, and the path up is close to 1,350 steps, depending on how you count the uneven stretches. The number gets quoted everywhere, and after doing it I believe it, though I never stopped to tally them myself — nobody does, past step four hundred. What I can tell you precisely is the time: 1 hour and 20 minutes door to door, starting from the old town gate, including two water breaks and one long stop just to let my heart rate come down.

The steps themselves are the first surprise. They are not uniform. Centuries of feet, mule hooves, and rain have worn the stone into smooth, slightly sloped surfaces that vary in height from one step to the next, so you cannot fall into a rhythm the way you can on a modern staircase. Some sections are wide flagstone terraces with a low wall to lean on; others narrow into a single-file gravel switchback with loose stone underfoot. By the halfway mark my ankles were working harder than my lungs.

The heat problem, in numbers

Kotor in August regularly sits in the low-to-mid thirties Celsius by midday, and the fortress path has almost no shade. A short patch of trees near the base and a few metres of cover close to the fortress walls are the only relief on the entire route. The stone underfoot and the limestone cliff face on one side both radiate heat back at you, and the bay below reflects sunlight upward, so it is hotter on the path than the temperature reading in town would suggest.

I brought one 500ml bottle. That was a mistake. I finished it by the halfway terrace and spent the rest of the climb rationing sips, which is not something you want to be doing on a 260-metre ascent in direct sun. The guides posted at the ticket booth sell small bottles at tourist prices, and by mid-morning in peak season they sometimes run low. Bring at least 1.5 litres per person from a shop in the old town before you start — it costs a fraction of what you pay partway up, and running out is a genuinely bad position to be in on an exposed stone staircase.

What	Number
Steps (approximate)	1,350
Elevation gained	~260m
Round trip, average pace	1h to 1h30
Ticket price (booth, mid-route)	8–15 EUR, varies by season
Water to bring	1.5 litres minimum per person
Shade on route	Almost none
Best start time	Before 8am or after 6pm

The ticket booth halfway up

You do not pay at the base. The ticket booth sits roughly halfway up the climb, staffed in season, and the price has moved around between 8 and 15 EUR over the years I have tracked it, so treat any single figure you read as a snapshot, not a promise. Cash in euros is the safe bet; card readers at a stand this remote are not something I would rely on. Past the booth the path steepens again toward the fortress ruins and the final viewpoint, which is where the climb earns its reputation — the whole of Kotor’s old town laid out below the bay, with the water curving away toward Perast in one direction and toward Dobrota in the other.

When the mairie closes it

What surprised me more than the heat was learning the climb gets shut on the worst days. Kotor’s municipal authorities have closed access to San Giovanni Fortress during extreme heat alerts and after heavy rain, when the polished stone steps become slick or the risk of heat exhaustion on an unshaded, unshelter route is judged too high. There is no central status page I found reliable — the practical move is to ask at your accommodation or check locally the morning of, especially if the forecast is pushing into the high thirties.

If you time it wrong, or simply do not want to do 1,350 steps in August heat, the good news is Kotor does not require it. A Highlights of Kotor, Perast and Budva day trip with a guided tour along the bay’s highlights covers the same views from sea level and from Perast’s boat crossing to Our Lady of the Rocks, no stair-climbing required.

For a broader loop that also takes in Tivat and the villages above the water, an e-tuktuk tour through Prčanj, Tivat and Trojica Hill gets you comparable elevation and views while someone else does the driving.

The alternative nobody mentions at the ticket booth

There is a free route up the same hillside: the Ladder of Kotor, an old mule track that climbs further west of the main fortress path and reconnects higher up. It is longer, rougher underfoot, and just as shadeless, but it bypasses the paid entrance entirely if you only want the ridge views and don’t need to walk the fortress ruins themselves. I’d only recommend it to people already comfortable with rough trail walking — it is not a gentler version of the main climb, just a different one.

What I would do differently

Start at seven, not nine. That two-hour window before the sun gets serious is the single biggest variable in how this climb feels. Carry more water than seems necessary. Wear proper shoes, not sandals — the worn, sloped stone punishes flat soles. And if the forecast says extreme heat, consider swapping the climb for a morning on the water instead: a Montenegro highlights day trip with a guide or a speedboat trip around the bay gets you out on the water where the heat is at least moving past you rather than radiating up from stone underfoot.

For planning the rest of a first visit around this, our one-day Kotor itinerary and two-day itinerary both slot the fortress climb into an early morning window before the cruise ship crowds fill the old town streets below. Pair it with notes on what to pack, where to park before you start, and what to do if the heat gets to you — pharmacies in Montenegro stock rehydration salts behind the counter, no prescription needed.

If you’d rather explore the wider hillside on foot afterward, our nature and hiking listings cover routes that continue past the fortress ridge, and best time to visit Kotor explains why late May and September make this same climb considerably more pleasant than August ever will.

San Giovanni Fortress climb: frequently asked questions

How many steps are there to San Giovanni Fortress?

The commonly cited figure is around 1,350 steps from the old town gate to the fortress walls, though nobody has an official count carved in stone. The path is a mix of stepped stone, gravel switchbacks, and a few flat stretches, not one continuous staircase.

How long does the climb take?

Budget 1 to 1.5 hours round trip at an average tourist pace, including stops to catch your breath and take photos. Fast, fit walkers can do it faster; anyone stopping for shade or water every few minutes should allow closer to 2 hours.

How much does the San Giovanni Fortress ticket cost?

The ticket booth partway up charges in the 8 to 15 EUR range depending on the year and season; there is no fixed price I would quote as final. Bring cash in euros, since the booth is a small stand, not a shop with a card reader guaranteed to work.

Is there any shade on the climb?

Almost none. A short stretch near the old town gate has some tree cover and a few sections pass close to the fortress walls, but for most of the 1,350 steps you are exposed to direct sun with the bay reflecting extra glare and heat back up at you.

How much water should I bring?

At least 1.5 litres per person in August, more if you are climbing after 10am or with children. There is nowhere to refill on the way up, and the small stand at the ticket booth does not always have cold water in stock by midday.

Is San Giovanni Fortress ever closed?

Yes. Kotor’s municipality has closed the climb during extreme heat warnings and heavy rain, when the worn stone steps become genuinely dangerous. There is no live status page, so check locally on the day if temperatures are forecast above the mid-30s Celsius.

Is there a free alternative to the paid fortress path?

Yes, the Ladder of Kotor, an old mule track that climbs the same hillside further to the west and reconnects higher up. It is longer, less maintained, and unshaded like the main path, but it avoids the ticket booth entirely.

What is the best time of day to climb in August?

Before 8am or after 6pm. By 9am the sun is already strong and the stone steps radiate heat; by midday it is uncomfortable even for people used to hot climates. An early climb also means the old town below is still quiet before the cruise crowds arrive.