Budva travel blog — The fullest Budva guide & top things to do in Budva

Budva is a small town similar to Kotor, small and lovely and brings bold Italian style. So, is Budva worth visiting, what to do in Budva and how to plan a perfect budget trip to Budva, montenegro for the first-time? Let’s check out our Budva travel blog with the fullest Budva travel guide (Budva guide) from how to get to Budva, best time to come, where to stay, best places to visit, what to eat and top things to do in Budva to find out the answer!

When I went to Budva, I had been in Montenegro for less than two weeks. At that time, because I traveled a lot, I met many friends, so I was already tired, so I didn’t expect much but just thought that I could relax as much as I could. One day I even sat on the pedestal of the city wall looking at the sea, listening to music, doing nothing. But it turned out that Budva brought me extremely deep memories. I met a beautiful and gentle Russian girl. When we say goodbye, I have never seen such a beautiful life. Relationships between people can be very strange – knowing each other for a few days but can be close, and say goodbye before seeing the other person’s dark side.

But the miracle is still behind. I met her again in Amsterdam. Twice destined to meet, twice to say goodbye, once in the bustling darkness of Budva, once in the dazzling sunshine of Amsterdam. It was thanks to this chance relationship that Budva became a special existence for me.

In this article, I will share everything I known about Budva: How to visit, where to go, what to do, what to note.

Budva guide: How to get to Budva?

I came to Budva from Kotor. This is very simple way, go back to Kotor’s bus station and take the bus. There are many trips to Budva. Tickets seem under 5 euros/one-way. You don’t even have to look up, just go out there and wait for a bus. If you don’t know which bus, there will always be a station conductor who will guide you.

The ride takes almost two hours. The bus will drop off at Budva bus stop. The stop is far outside, a few minutes walk to the main beach. From the beach, it takes about 10 minutes to reach the old town of Budva. When you get off, you should ask for directions. Or before you go, you should look up the road from the bus station to the old town, because the road is not straight but a bit curvy. It takes less than 20 minutes to get there by taking a taxi. Be sure to negotiate the price in advance. Taxis in poor countries tend to “cut and slash”.

In addition to Kotor, there is a direct bus to Budva from Podgorica, Bar, Tivat (generally the one from the coastal towns and the capital). Tickets are all cheap. However, there is no direct bus from Tivat airport or Podgorica airport.

There is no train to Budva. The nearest station is in another town. I don’t remember which town, but in general, this is not a reasonable choice because of having to go around.

In addition to buses from popular destinations, one thing is for sure, there are many buses/tours from Dubrovnik, Croatia to Budva. If you want to come from other European countries, you can only go to Dubrovnik first and then take a bus from there (or go to Podgorica or Tivat).

Getting to Budva is not difficult, as long as you choose the right departure point. And the most convenient is to take the bus.

Budva travel blog: Where to stay in Budva?

As usual, the best options come from Hostelworld, Booking, Agoda or Airbnb. Generally, Budva is a city that favors couples and families, so traveling alone can be a bit lonely.

In Budva, I don’t dare to recommend any place to stay in particular, and I am a bit hesitant to mention that my place that I stayed is Freedom Hostel. This hostel… the staff is super friendly, always trying to help, the location is great – right in the old town, easy to find. However, the facilities are really not commendable. A bit cramped, the toilet is “tattered”, so terrible. Luckily, it is equipped with air conditioning and cheap. Moreover, many young tourists gather here. If you like to make new friends, it’s fine to come here. But if you want to have a little better vacation conditions, it is not very suitable.

I was lucky because on the second day I met that Russian friend while eating. We talked right away, very match and she invited me to live together in her room for my remaining days… It was a bit of a shock at the time. Why does she trust people like that, maybe she was nice and kind. But the condition of my hostel is really bad. The place she rented was bright, spacious, and had… three beds. So, I took my backpack to move in immediately.

However, I found that in Budva there is a branch of Montenegro Hostel B&B Budva, like the one in Kotor I used to stay. This one I highly recommend. The Kotor branch is too good, Budva’s one can’t be so bad.

Going with two or more, Airbnb is the most convenient.

Below we recommend more best budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

• Hotel Kadmo (Agoda, Booking)
• Avala Resort & Villas (Agoda, Booking)
• Hotel Aleksandar (Agoda, Booking)
• Hotel Slovenska Plaza (Agoda, Booking)
• Hotel Astoria (Agoda, Booking)

Check out more top and best hotels in Budva on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

So, you already know basically how to get and where to stay in Budva when deciding to travel to Montenegro. But this is just the beginning.

Budva guide: What to do in Budva & things to do in Budva

Budva is very pretty, more suitable for couples, honeymooners and families than going alone. If you’re not a super sociable person who makes friends easily, you might feel a little lost here. When I came, it was the last days of a long trip, a bit tired. I spent the whole first day to sitting on the wall overlooking the sea, doing nothing.

But one day later, when I was hungry, I chose to eat out. I chose L&M restaurant (recommended). It’s outside the old town, the menu is diverse, the seafood dishes are very special, tasty, especially squid! Due to its location, it is quiet and tranquil. Moreover, it was here that I met a beautiful Russian girl. At that time, I just wanted to smoke so I asked the waiter if there was a table outside. He asked me to come sit with the girl outside. We saw each other and just exchanged greetings, and immediately became friends. From the meeting, we started to explore Budva together. And here comes the list below!

What to do in Budva? Going to the sea, of course, swimming!

Around Budva there are many beaches: Morgen beach, Jaz beach, Slovenska Plaza beach. Personally, I recommend Jaz beach, quite airy, comfortable, not noisy. Morgen Beach and Plaza are often crowded, jostle and hustle, full of sun loungers of restaurants. The average price for a pair of sun loungers ranges from 10 to 20 euros. Family seats are more expensive. But that is still considered acceptable. I was overwhelmed with a seat of 200 euros in Italy.

Going to these places, having a picnic, drinking beer and relaxing is more suitable. It’s best not to go during the hottest time – because everyone goes at that time.

Walking around the old town and playing with cats

Like Kotor, Budva is a cat’s paradise, and it also has a cat museum. The cats here are docile, friendly, and lazy, lovely. We walked on the street and saw them sleeping everywhere, so adorable.

In addition, the old town of Budva is very beautiful, small and very private. Small streets, tiny houses, many low walls overlooking the sea. You can buy tickets to access the city wall to go for a walk to see the sea. Prices range from 7 to 14 euros (I’m not sure because I did not take a walk), also a great way to relax. But when the sun is out, let’s go. And it closes around 6, 7pm or something like that.

See Sveti Stefan, swim in sea with pink sand beach

Sveti Stefan is a very beautiful small island, connected to the mainland by an artificial road, it looks like Taormina. However, normally you cannot go to the island because it is owned by a private resort, you have to stay there to get on. But you can totally bathe at the two pink beaches overlooking the island, enjoy a relaxing session!

Important note: The north beach is still belong to the Aman resort on Sveti Stefan but open to the public, but you have to pay 80 euros to access it to swim! The other beach is completely open to the public, each pair of sun loungers costs around 15 euros. Please ask carefully.

And if you don’t want to go on a tour, don’t want to go to the resort, there is still a way to access the island, which is to order a meal (preferably sunset dinner) at Adrovic restaurant – this place has a balcony overlooking the beautiful Sveti Stefan with reasonably priced. You can check the menu and prices here.

How to get to Sveti Stefan? There are two ways. One is if you just want to get a view, you can go on a tour. The other way is to catch a bus from the bus station. Price of 2 euros each way, go straight there. Very easy.

Nightlife in Budva

In Budva, it’s only late at night when bars, music, parties start to come to life. It is advisable to go out for a walk, sit around somewhere to enjoy the youthful atmosphere with friends. We didn’t sit in particular, but crawl from one bar to another. Although the curfew is at 1pm. But since then there are private parties, there are famous DJs of all kinds, around Budva. You should ask the receptionist where you stay for more information!

Hawaii without pineapple, no huhulala

Budva’s Hawaii! This is a small island near Budva called Saint Nikola’s Island, about 20 minutes by train to get there, the two-way ticket is under 10 euros. You can go back and forth anytime. The island is incredibly small but nice, with a few pebble beaches – nothing but the sea. But here, it’s deserted, quiet, the sea is very beautiful, ideal for sunbathing and bathing.

Behind the island there is a big restaurant, the food is very good, the price is reasonable, absolutely not get rip-off. I love fish soup and wine here, very chill. A pair of chairs is 10 euros. Very reasonable.

If you want to find the pier, just go along the beach and you will see full of signs. They also stand to distribute leaflets everywhere. Note that the last trip back from the island is around 5 or 6 pm or something like that, remember to pay attention.

So that’s tight enough, isn’t it? But not enough! Please read section 3 below to know more about a hidden gem of Budva.

A day at Skoljke Boke oyster farm near Budva

After the fun things to do in Budva above, this part I would like to introduce the Skoljke Boke oyster farm – a secret gem near Budva that not everyone knows. But if you know it, I’m sure everyone will like it!

As you’ve heard me crap, after a two-day break with that lovely Russian girl, we decided to explore a little further. Specifically, she wants to go to eat oysters at an oyster farm near Budva. The only information we know is… there is an oyster farm where can reach by bus, walk down when get off until you see a pink car, it’s there. Generally extremely vague. Especially the “pink car” sign. But at least we know it’s real, because she found a picture and described the place on Instagram (that’s why there’s the “pink car” instructions).

We went and found it, so fun.

At that time, I followed her, but when I came back to find information, I found out that this place is not very famous, but it is present online. At that time, the name of the oyster farm was Skoljke Boke. So, now I am confident to write the article to guide you here.

How to get to Skoljke Boke?

To get to this oyster farm, it’s not difficult and also not easy. It’s not difficult because just go to the bus station, ask the ticket seller for this point, or ask the driver of each passing bus until you find someone who will drop you off there or know about that spot. The “not easy” of this place is that not many drivers know, not many of them driving pass through it. When they dropped us off right in the middle of the road, we walked for a while and saw a private beach of a hotel. After that, I had to turn back, walk more and more tired as I thought I was going nowhere, then suddenly I saw… the pink car as described on Instagram. That’s when it came out. Oh it’s real…

So, the best way is probably to ask the receptionist where you rest. And if no one knows, find the bus from the bus station to Orhovac, and then ask from there. This oyster farm is not in Orhovac but outside, midway between the main road in front of Orhovac town, something like that.

Although I’m sorry that I can’t describe it in more detail, if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Budva for a day of simply enjoying the tranquility of the sea and delicious food, premium wine, you should give it a try!

Here is the detail information about it including a phone number and address.

Oyster Farm Školjke Boke
Address: 291 E65, Dobrota, Montenegro
Hours: 1–7PM
Phone: +382 69 496 606

What to do at Skoljke Boke oyster farm?

Of course… eat oysters!

There are fresh oysters here, delicious! They picked it up straight from the sea, peeled off the shells and put it on a rock. You just need to eat, fresh, delectable and cheap. Price is 1.5 euros for 1 oyster. We order 2 times, 1 time of 10, 1 time 6 or 7 oysters, something like that (for that prosperous night). Very worth it.

Westerners pass on the experience of eating oysters in the months with the letter “R” in the month’s name, that is, January (January), February (February), March (March), April (April), September (September), October (October), November (November) and December (December). These months are cold, oysters store fat, so they will be fatter, greasy and sweeter. While it is hot from May to August, oysters are quite thin.

Just hearing it doesn’t feel very convenient, because everyone doesn’t go to summer. The good news for you is that the sea is cold here, although the oysters are not fat, they are quite juicy and delicious, but not boring!

Besides oysters, there are also vongole. This is also a family with shells, which look like clams but black shells, are parasitic on rocks, thick and very tasty meat, the love of the Mediterranean countries, especially in Italy when it perfect pair with spaghetti. They sold by the pound here. We only ate oysters, didn’t try vongole, but it was still very fresh.

These sisters ​​are delicious when they are fresh. Oysters only need a little lemon juice to be ecstatic. Vongole is boiled and then squeezed lemon is the 1 kg gone in “one note”. Also here they sell local white wine, it’s very good to drink! Each bottle costs around 7 euros, not expensive not cheap. One bottle for two people is enough.

When you get there, just follow the stairs down to see the farm. The farm owner could be there then. We walked around for a while before they appeared. Just ask the amount of food you want and then sit at the table or go to the beach to try!

Go to the beach!

Right next to this oyster farm is a very very mini pebble beach, only 3 4 people sitting in is tight. A little further is the open-air toilet. Peeing looking at the immense sea, the feeling is very funny. My friend who made stories on Insta showed off it, very cure, haha.

Grab your ass and you can swim there. That beach they spread a few pairs of chairs. But if someone comes first, it’s fine. We arrived early to capture a beautiful place, just lounging, sunbathing, swimming in the sea, eating oysters and drinking wine. Very good!

In fact, the farm is tiny, not much to explore, mainly for those who like to relax and have more options to do to avoid hanging around with activities popular with tourists in Budva. Considering that, you could easily spend an entire afternoon here.

How to get back?

Going back is simpler… a little bit. There is a bus stop not far away, (according to legend) there is a bus back either Kotor or Budva. However, whether that bus passed or not is still to be considered… That time we waited patiently at the station with another backpacking couple for almost an hour but no bus passed. In the end, all four of us teamed up to hire a local driver to take them back to Kotor. That time each paid 5, 7 euros or something, I don’t remember clearly. But this is a warning that: as confusing as the way to go, the way back is equally ambiguous.

So if you decide to go, consider all the events! But anyway, I hope you try and experience this place. A Budva’s secret gem!

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Montenegro you can refer to

• Bay of Kotor Whole Day Tour in Montenegro from Dubrovnik
• The Best of Montenegro Day Tour from Dubrovnik
• Montenegro Day Tour from Dubrovnik

Read more Montenegro guide here.