Best Things to Do in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik can be crowded for a reason, it’s an absolute stunner of a city. Between the glossy marble streets, huge defensive walls that surround a medieval Mediterranean city, and the clear aqua of the sea, it’s sure to be a highlight of your vacation in Croatia. If you are heading to Croatia, don’t skip Dubrovnik because you’ve heard it’s expensive and overrated. Dubrovnik ended up being a highlight of my two weeks in Croatia and Slovenia and I would happily return again.

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Is Dubrovnik Worth Visiting?

Absolutely! Dubrovnik is definitely worth visiting. Dubrovnik does get a bad rap for being a tourist trap and being crowded. But for me, it’s crowded for a reason. Dubrovnik has earned its reputation as a top destination in the Balkans, and Dubrovnik definitely belongs on your Croatia itinerary.

I’ve read a lot of reviewers that recommend skipping Dubrovnik and going to Split instead. I also visited Split and think it’s worth a visit in its own right, but it’s not a replacement for Dubrovnik.

How Many Days to Spend in Dubrovnik

There’s a lot to do in Dubrovnik and the surrounding area, I recommend at least two full days in Dubrovnik itself and then adding time on for any day trips you want to make. I outline some possible day trips near the bottom of this post. Leave some space in your schedule as Dubrovnik is a wonderful place to stroll around with no destination in mind.

When to Visit Dubrovnik to avoid crowds

The exposure the city got with being featured on Game of Thrones has only increased its popularity as a tourist destination.

Try to visit Dubrovnik in the shoulder season (April, May, October, and November), when you get fantastic weather but fewer fellow tourists to contend with.

Try to avoid midday crowds, when the tourist population will be at its peak with all the cruise ship visitors. Morning and evenings in Dubrovnik are wonderful as the old town will be practically empty.

Where to Stay in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is a popular place so it can be pricey if you want to stay in the area within the walls. If you don’t mind taking a bus to the main sights or walking, you can save money and it is better if you need to park a car.

Hotel Lero is a fantastic place to stay. It’s only a 15-20 minute walk to the old town, it’s close to a nice beach, and there’s a pool. This is a great choice if you are traveling with a car as there is free parking available on site.

Apartments Festa is a good choice if you want to stay within the Old Town of Dubrovnik. There are kitchenettes so you can save money by prepping some meals but if traveling with a car you will need to park outside the city walls.

Where to Eat in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik has some really great food. There’s a little something for everyone here. Even though Dubrovnik can get pricey for food, compared to other parts of Europe I would say that restaurant food prices are on par. If you’re a foodie, you may want to join this food tour at the beginning of your time in Dubrovnik to get some insider info on where to eat.

If you want good food without paying the highest prices, explore some of the alleys. Restaurants on the main square or streets are much pricier. A little bit of exploring and you can find a quiet street with good food and photo opportunities. My favourite for pasta and pizza was Storia, it’s inside the walls on the west side of the Old Harbour, near the aquarium.

Some of the most highly rated restaurants are found outside of the walls, including Pantarul, which looks to have amazing food in a more “locals only” neighbourhood. I had a recommendation to go to Taj Mahal Lero, a Bosnian restaurant, but ran out of time.

In addition to restaurants, try some of the pastries for breakfast. I ended up eating quite a few apricot jam-filled croissants while I was in Dubrovnik. They were very tasty and you can pick them up at almost every bakery. Bakeries are also a great place to check out if you are looking for a cheap lunch.

Things to Do in Dubrovnik in Two Days

With two days in Dubrovnik, you can see all the highlights of the city. Dubrovnik is also a good place to base yourself for day trips to Montenegro and Mostar in Bosnia so you may want to extend your stay in the city for those experiences.

Walk Dubrovnik’s Ancient Walls

This is going to be on every list you see about must-do’s in Dubrovnik, and rightfully so. The walls are probably what drew you to the city in the first place. From up on the walls you get a fantastic vantage point over the old town of Dubrovnik and it is a great way to spend a couple of hours. If I had a single day in Dubrovnik, this would be on my itinerary. From your view on the walls, it’s hard to believe that it was only in 1991 that Dubrovnik was shelled and all the damage has been repaired. Those roofs with brighter, new terracotta are the ones that had to be replaced because of damage.

The downside of the walls is that of course, they are crowded. The best way to avoid the crowds would be to arrive early as by noon they start to get quite crowded. Tickets can be purchased from the tourist office on the right-hand side just after entering the walls from Pile Gate. You can only enter once with the ticket and must walk anticlockwise. There is minimal shade and I recommend you bring water with you.

Fort Lovrijenac and the West Harbour

You can use your ticket you bought to see the walls for admission to the fort. The fort is the big imposing building to the west of the walls. The walk over is quite short but there are quite a few steps to get up to the fort. Even a walk down to the West Harbour (between the walls and fort) will give you great views of the walls of Dubrovnik if you don’t want to make the trek up to the very top. From the West Harbour, there are kayak rentals if you are interested. It’s fun to explore the building itself and it is from here that you can get the classic photo of Dubrovnik’s walls.

Pile Gate and the Main Street

Pile Gate is unavoidable. It’s the main entrance and has a drawbridge and leads you out onto the main street, known as Stradun. The main street can get quite crowded during the day but when the crowds thin it’s really lovely and nice to stroll with some gelato. In addition to the main gate, it’s worth a visit to Ploce Gate as it is a beautiful walkway into the city. If you walk onto the road you can get a nice photo of the bridge that connects to the gate with the Old Harbour in the background.

Explore Dubrovnik After the Crowds Leave

This goes for almost every place. But Dubrovnik felt truly magical when the majority of tourists had left the old town and the lights came on. Dubrovnik was the best lit place I traveled to in Croatia and it made for really beautiful twilight and night photos of the city. With the polished marble, the light reflects off of it and is really nice at nighttime. Even small sidestreets have lights that make it fun for photographing and viewing. The main street and the side streets on the east side of Dubrovnik with staircases were the most fun to photograph at twilight. One of the best parts about staying after the crowds leave, is you get a better feel that the city isn’t just for tourists. It isn’t Disneyland, people actually live within the walls of this city.

Watch the Sunset from the Rocks

If you can manage to find your way to a tiny road and a small door that goes through the city walls, you can watch the sunset from the rocks. You can also order up a drink at Buza Bar nearby, but drinks are unsurprisingly expensive. It wasn’t overly crowded but it is popular. If sitting on the rocks isn’t your thing, there are also sunset cruises that you can book or you can watch the sunset behind Fort Lovrijenic from just outside of Pile Gate.

Go Sea Kayaking

Dubrovnik is perfectly placed for trying out some sea kayaking. Dubrovnik has nearby islands like Lokrum that are easily accessible by kayak. It also has a very rugged coastline and hidden beaches, only accessible by boat. Kayak tours also give you a chance to explore its crystal clear water by doing some snorkeling. There are many tour options to join for kayaking in Dubrovnik, including this sunset tour.

Try the Fruit

You probably aren’t traveling to Croatia for the fruit but if you are from a more Northern country, Dubrovnik has fantastic fruit. The Mediterranean weather means that you can have fresh pomegranates and citrus fruits. It’s so much better fresh off the tree and makes for a pretty cheap (but authentic!) snack. I was lucky enough to stay at an apartment where the owner offered up any of the pomegranates that grew on the tree in the yard.

Hit Banje Beach

Dubrovnik has many beaches nearby, but Banje beach is the easiest to access and has a fantastic view of the city. To get to it you just walk past Ploce Gate and walk along the road for a bit until you see a staircase that goes down to the beach. There is also a bar here where you can order drinks and rent a reclining chair. Do not use the lounge chairs unless you are a paying customer, I definitely witnessed a woman being shooed off by a waiter.

Bellevue Beach is also nearby, you can access it by staircase from Kotorska street. If you are just looking for swimming and don’t need a beach, you can swim right next to the walls near Fort St. John and the Old Harbour. There are some ladders and steps to get back up onto the concrete areas next to the walls. For more beaches, check out this guide to the best beaches in Dubrovnik.

Walk around Dubrovnik’s Old Harbour

With so much to do inside the walls, it’s easy to forget that just on the other side of them is the old harbour. A walk around the harbour will give you a great view of the city and some great photo opportunities. Just on the other side of the large fort there is also an area for swimming and relaxing on the rocks. When I was there, local kids were also playing soccer on the pier.

Just at the main entrance to the harbour area where there are gelato shops is also the only location I found in the old town with a public washroom. It wasn’t free so make sure you have some coins on you.

Find some Game of Thrones filming locations

Wandering the walls and the old town will have you spotting Game of Thrones filming locations. There are even tours you can book that are Game of Thrones-themed.

I’m sure that these tours are fun but if you are traveling on the cheap or don’t like being in large tour groups, you can find these locations yourself. Dubrovnik is the main filming location for King’s Landing and Qarth. Fort Lovrijenic is used as the Red Keep. If you want to take your own walk of shame, start at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church and walk down the stairs to Gundulic Square and continue down Stradun street.

Leave Dubrovnik’s Old Town

With so much to do and see in the old town, it can be hard to drag yourself away. Likely your accommodation will be outside of the city walls so it will give you a small chance to see the rest of Dubrovnik. There are two bright sides to this: 1. Save money 2. You get to experience more of the city.

Outside of the old city, Dubrovnik is a charming coastal city with cliffs that cut into the sea and views over the city. It’s always nice to walk around a bit of the city where residents actually live and see a bit of the more normal ide to Dubrovnik rather than an almost purely touristy side.

Day Trips from Dubrovnik

Okay, so this one isn’t in Dubrovnik, but Dubrovnik is a great jumping-off point for many beautiful day trips to nearby places in Croatia and to other Balkan countries. You could easily add on multiple day trips to your time in Dubrovnik.

Local day trip options include the nearby Elafiti Islands, the town of Cavtat, and Lokrum island.

If you are feeling up for a longer day trip, you can cross the border into Bosnia to visit Mostar or Montenegro to see Kotor. While it’s tempting to visit another country, I highly recommend spending the night in Mostar or Kotor as it is a lot of driving for a single day and both destinations deserve more than a couple of hours spent there.

If you aren’t visiting Dubrovnik as part of a road trip, it may be more convenient to join a group tour. For visiting Bosnia, you could join this tour that visits Mostar and some other small villages to get a cultural experience or this tour that takes in both Mostar and Kravica Falls. For tours to Montenegro, this tour takes in both Kotor and Budva on a full day trip from Dubrovnik.

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