We spent a day wandering around the quaint Montenegrin town of Budva during our Balkan Road Trip. Of all the places we visited, this pretty seaside town, with spectacular views from almost every vantage point, was one of my favourites. With its ancient citadel and city walls, Budva has all the charm of its more famous neighbour Dubrovnik but without the crowds (and the prices).
View from Budva City Walls
How to get to Budva
Budva is on the coast of the little country of Montenegro. In fact the entire country has a population of just 623,000, a third of whom live in the capital, Podgorica. We drove up the coast from Albania, stopping to admire the view of the exclusive island of Sveti Stefan along the way. The whole drive along the Montenegro coast from the Albanian border to the Croatian border is just 80 miles (or 90 miles if you drive round the Bay of Kotor, which I thoroughly recommend!)
By air, it is possible to fly to Montenegro; Podgorica airport is around 40 miles from Budva. However, it is probably easier (and cheaper) to fly into Dubrovnik in neighbouring Croatia, which has many more flights and is also around 40 miles away. There are also bus services (national and to neighbouring countries). The bus station is around a mile from the old town. A useful list of transport details can be found here.
Getting around Budva
The only way to get around the cobbled, walled old town of Budva is on foot. There is a car park near the entrance to the old town, which costs €1 per hour. It is barrier controlled, so we were fairly confident leaving all our possessions in the car while we spent the day exploring beautiful Budva.
Where to Stay in Budva
Budva is only small, with a population of just 18,000. We opted to continued a further 14 miles north to spend the night in another of Montenegro’s ancient walled cities – Kotor.
Budva in 1 Day Itinerary
| Budva Old Town (Stari Grad) |
| City Walls |
| Church of Saint John (Sveti Ivan) |
| Citadel |
| Church of the Holy Trinity |
| Ričardova Glava Beach |
| Ballerina Statue |
Budva Old Town (Stari Grad)
Budva is a beautiful Venetian town circled by a turreted wall overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Inside the walls, the Old Town, with its marble pavements and labyrinth of narrow streets is a wonder to enjoy, either at street level, or looking down from the city walls.
City Walls
Very roughly speaking, the old town forms a square on a peninsula, with a wall running round three sides. A highlight of a visit to Budva is to walk around these historic City Walls for fantastic views of the old town and across the bay. There are entrances at either end, so you can either enter at one end and exit at the other, or turn and retrace your steps. Arriving in Budva, you will be close to Entry Point 2. We walked from here to the main entry point, exited and continued to explore the old town from there.
The walls are open daily from 9 am until 8 pm. Entry costs €3.
Church of Saint John (Sveti Ivan)
Exiting the walls brings you to the Church of Saint John (or Sveti Ivan as he is known locally). This 17th Century church has an imposing bell tower which can be seen from across the city.
Citadel
At the end of the walls is the Citadel, built by the Austrians in the 19th Century (hence the inscription in German as you enter through the gate). There is a small museum, a library and a restaurant inside, but the main reason to visit is for the architecture (and the spectacular views).
The Citadel is open daily. Entry costs €3.50.
Church of the Holy Trinity
The 19th Century Church of the Holy Trinity is constructed from whitish and pink hewn stone. The pink stripes and rows of bells put me in mind of a wedding cake.
Ričardova Glava Beach
Nestled in a bay beneath the city walls is Ričardova Beach. Not the place to go for peace and seclusion, this popular beach has bars, a gazillion (expensive) sunbeds and a view to die for.
Ballerina Statue
A short walk from the old town along the promenade brings you to the Ballerina Statue. This striking bronze sculpture of a girl dancing, created by sculptor Gradimir Aleksic, poses gracefully on a rock overlooking the sea and the old town.
- Trip taken: September 2018
- Updated: August 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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