Sea, lakes, mountains, national parks, a small territory with great diversity, and pleasant prices. All of this is offered by one of the youngest European countries, which was only established in 2006 after separating from Serbia. Yes, you might already guess that we are talking about Montenegro – the Black Mountain. It holds the title of the most ecologically friendly country in the world thanks to 54 km2 of untouched forest in the Biogradska Gora National Park. 60% of the territory is covered by mountains reaching above 1000 meters above sea level.
Detailed Google map with attractions
Summary of prices per person
Flight Price: 35€ | Flight Duration: Budapest – Podgorica: 1h 5min (check cheap flights)
Accommodation: 30€ / 3 nights | Car + Gas: 62€ | Food and Drinks: 100€ | Total per person: 227€
Practical Information
- Documents, Currency, Roaming – just an ID card is enough, the currency is Euro, but be careful, as they are not in the EU, roaming regulations do not apply here (no calls or data)
- Accommodation – can be found very cheaply through booking.com, for example in one of the main resorts Budva you can get from 10€ / night
- Podgorica Airport – Wizz Air flies to Podgorica Airport, which is 65 km away from Budva (about 1h 10min drive). There are no buses from the airport, you can either pay for a taxi or rent a car. A taxi from the airport to Budva costs around 35€ one way, so we opted to rent a car.
- Prices – are like ours, or even cheaper, for example, beer in a pub 2.50€, čevapi with side dish in a restaurant 6.50€, magnet 0.50-1€
- Beaches – you will find sandy ones (e.g. Mogren Beach) and rocky ones (e.g. Sveti Stefan or Hawaii), we recommend bringing water shoes
- Services – due to massive tourism, they are very developed – supermarkets are even 24-hour, you could pay by card everywhere, there are countless boat taxis that will take you on a trip from Budva, etc.
- Toll Sections – there are none and no highways, we only paid 2.50€ for the Sozina Tunnel
Budva
We chose the town of Budva as our central point to stay, from where we have easy access to beautiful beaches and the UNESCO town of Kotor. Our accommodation, Apart Budva, for €10 / night comes highly recommended. Very friendly host and excellent location close to the center and beaches. We booked a car for the first time through booking.com with Surprice, as they offered a better price than Ryanair car hire. The distance from Podgorica Airport to Budva is approximately 65 km, and along the way, there is a paid tunnel called Sozina. Honking seems to be common here if you stick to the speed limits. We experienced that in a tunnel where the limit was 40 km/h 🙂 We arrive in Budva around midnight and are pleasantly surprised to find a 24-hour supermarket. Prices seem reasonable at first glance, similar to those at home.
What to see in Budva?
- Mogren Beach – Mogren Beach is undoubtedly the most beautiful beach in Budva with yellow sand. It consists of two coves hidden behind the city center and has a beautiful green scenery with hills. At the beginning of each cove, there are paid sun loungers or you can lay down for free behind them. There are also massages available. Snorkeling and fish swimming around the rocks were also nice. The only downside is the crowd.
- Hawaii on Saint Nicholas Island – yes, Montenegro has its own Hawaii, more precisely Hawaii Beach on Saint Nicholas Island. The boat runs every half an hour for €4 one way. There is also a stylish bar and plenty of sun loungers on the island. Since all beaches are pebbly, we recommend water shoes.
- View from Vista Restaurant – for us, the most beautiful viewpoint in Budva overlooking Saint Nicholas Island with Hawaii Beach, as well as the natural Mogren Beach.
- Budva Old Town – Budva’s Old Town is uniquely situated on a peninsula jutting into the sea. The walls and narrow streets create a perfect medieval town atmosphere. At the end of the town, there is a church and a citadel overlooking the sea.
- Town Promenade – the promenade is lined with numerous restaurants and parked boats ready to take you on a trip of your choice. By coincidence, you will also find Slovenska Plaza, which translates to “Slovak Beach.”
Kotor
Kotor is a beautiful UNESCO medieval town with majestic walls and narrow streets. The Bay of Kotor, resembling the Norwegian fjords, is among the TOP attractions in all of Montenegro and can be found on every postcard. The city of Kotor houses palaces, churches, restaurants, and museums. The most famous one is the Cat Museum, as the city is home to many cats brought by sailors, which are still fed by locals as their residents.
TIP: Free parking is located just a short distance before the town, see our Google mapAfter entering the main gate (Sea Gate), we arrive at the Square of Arms with a clock tower from the 17th century. An interesting feature is the enlargement of things like benches or table lamps, as if for giants. You will also find curious street and square names. The street “Pusti me prećo” (Let Me Pass) is so narrow that two people couldn’t pass by each other. Several squares are named after raw materials – “Trg od brašna” (Flour Square), “Pjaca od mlijeka” (Milk Square), or “Trg od Salate” (Salad Square). The city’s biggest pride is the Cathedral of St. Tryphon with two towers from 1124, which is the oldest Romanesque church in the Adriatic. In the most famous Grgurina palace, there is a maritime museum.
There are several paths leading above the city. After paying 8€, you can take them all the way to the ruined castle Castle Of San Giovanni. The paths are marked with three colors – the blue trail above the city is safe, the yellow one is relatively safe with increased risk (stairs without handrails), and the red one indicates a high-risk zone. A 250m elevation gain can be overcome in about an hour.
Sveti Stefan
The town of Sveti Stefan is best known for its iconic peninsula, which could also be called an island for the wealthy. Without accommodation, where a night can cost up to 800€, you won’t get here at all. Its beauty has been appreciated by many celebrities – actors Kirk Douglas, Liz Taylor, Sofia Loren, Sylvester Stallone, Claudia Schiffer, and chess grandmaster Robert Fischer have all vacationed here.
And what would this gem be without beautiful beaches? The northern sandy beaches tinged with red are private, and if you even try to bring a towel here, they will immediately charge you. The good news is that the southern beach is free. From this pebble beach, you have an equally good view and picturesque shots:) We recommend water shoes. Snorkeling alongside the rocks was also nice, and we saw schools of fish. Beyond the rocks, heading south, is the quiet part of the beach.TIP: You can park right after turning off the main road, and then take the stone stairs down to the southern beach quickly
