The best things to do in Budva on a budget

If you’re thinking about heading to coastal Montenegro, no doubt, you’re looking at staying in Budva. This gorgeous small city boasts a gorgeous Old Town, amazing bars and restaurants, stunning beaches, and a thriving nightlife scene and festivals in the summer months.

While Montenegro is still a budget destination compared to many touristy parts of Greece, Croatia, and Italy, the prices are slowly starting to creep up. So, here are the best things to do in Budva on a budget.

Wander the Old Town

One of the best ways to get a feel for Budva is to walk around the wonderful medieval Old Town. The rabbit warren of streets is easy to get lost in, making it an excellent place to just meander. Here, you can find everything from tourist knick-knack shops to galleries to comic book stores.

Of course, there are plenty of great restaurants, cafes, and bars around the Old Town as well. Remember to check out the views of the Citadela Budva. It does cost to go inside (5.50 Euros), and there’s a small museum attached to it.

You can also check out the Church of Saint John the Baptist. This church has been around since the 12th century, so it’s well-worth visiting. It’s also lit up at night, so it’s a cool place to see at any time of day.

Head to Sveti Nikola

This is a great thing to do if you’re visiting Budva in the summer or in the late-spring. We went in May and the restaurant and beach bar on the island of Sveti Nikola was just opening up for the season. It’s just off the coast and you can haggle at the harbor for a water taxi to take you over. We paid around 10 euros each way for two of us, but it was early in the season.

Sveti Nikola is a beautiful beach-filled island with plenty of viewpoints across the bay of Budva and out across the sea. However, most people come here for the beaches. They’re beautiful and the water is warm but shallow for the most part, making it a great place to paddle and cool off.

In the summer, there’s often live music and beach parties here, if that’s your kind of thing. The bar is popular, and it’s best to have cash on you. Everything from the bar, to the water taxis, to even booking a lounger (if you don’t want to lie on your towel), relies predominantly on cash.

Make sure you book a time to return with your water taxi. Let them know the time when you get dropped off. There’s no guarantee there will be a water taxi on the island side of the bay when you want to leave, and it’s not like Uber when you can request them. We were going to the airport in the afternoon, so made sure to give ourselves plenty of time getting picked up in case the guy didn’t come back or there was some kind of delay.

Check out Mogren Beach

While there’s no shortage of beaches in Budva, if you want a more chilled out vibe, hike around the coast, past the Old Town to Mogren Beach. You essentially follow the coast past the Ballerina statue and through natural rock arches to reach this secluded-feeling beach.

It’s unlikely you’ll be the only one there, but it’s usually quieter and nicer than the main drag in Budva. You can relax without the sounds of traffic, and there’s a small beach bar and toilets in the cove towards the back of the beach. There’s also a couple of beach showers which is always a nice touch.

You can also head up a hillside trail from the beach named Mogren 2 on Google Maps (it’s just the next bay around). This brings you to a parking lot with an alternate path down. This leads you to the Mogren Fortress on top of the hill. You’ll be rewarded with incredible views of Budva, the Old Town, and the bay.

Jump on the bus to Kotor

For a cheap day out, head to the Budva bus station and get on a bus to Kotor. Home to a UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, it’s a popular day trip in Montenegro. The bus costs around 4 euros and takes as little as 50 minutes, depending on which bus you get. Navigating the public transport in Montenegro can be tricky, with multiple vendors, so check out Omio to figure out different routes and timings. For seasonal information and latest updates, check out Busticket4.me, which is the Montenegrin transport website.

Once in Kotor, head for the Old Town. Here you’ll find a labyrinth of alleyways, churches, and monuments to check out. You can easily spend all day just in the Old Town. There’s a ton of cafes and restaurants here as well if you need a little rest or if the weather turns, like it did for us.

If you get to Kotor early, check out the city’s Farmer’s Market. It’s located just outside the Old Town walls and is full of cool local artisanal products, fresh produce, and has a great mix of more tourist-friendly items and well-priced independent stalls.

Battle public transport to Lake Skadar National Park

If you’re feeling confident after getting the bus to Kotor, another great thing to do on a budget in Budva is to head out to Lake Skadar National Park. As a warning, this isn’t the easiest place to navigate to on public transport, as the timetables are seasonal and all say conflicting things.

In the peak summer season, you can reach Lake Skadar National Park on the fast bus that runs between Budva and Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. However, we were there a month too early for that. So, we got the bus to Sutomore and switched to a train to Virpazar, which is located on the edge of the park. All in all, it takes just over two hours and costs £6 each way.

When you get there, the journey will be worth it! Grab a coffee at the entrance to the park, and then start chatting to the boat operators to get the best option. We got a three hour boat tour with alcoholic drinks included for 10 Euros each. It’s a truly beautiful place and the small boats are the best way to experience it. The view of the lily pads stretching out as far as the eye could see was truly phenomenal.