MUST SEE SPOTS IN DUBROVNIK

Dubrovnik is one of my favorite cities in Europe! The second you enter the Old Town it’s as if you’ve entered the medieval times. This makes the old town such a unique place to explore. The surrounding cities are absolutely spectacular as well. I recommend spending at least three days in Dubrovnik. Honestly, you could spend a week in Dubrovnik and not have enough time!

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If you only have time for one activity in Dubrovnik, make it the walls! It’s hands down the best thing to do in town. The views are spectacular and it’s such a unique experience. The walls encompass the Old Town of Dubrovnik and were built in the 15th and 16th century to protect the city.

The best time to walk the walls of Dubrovnik is either first thing in the morning or just before closing. If you plan on walking the walls in the morning, they generally open at 8 am and I recommend getting there at 8 am sharp! The tours start rolling in around 8:30 so an 8 am start time will give you a little jump start. Set aside roughly two hours to walk the walls factoring in plenty of time for photos.

If you have time, there are a few restaurants within the walls that serve drinks. You can grab a seat and enjoy the incredible view from the walls.

Booking:

• Self guided: You can purchase your ticket at the entry for 250 Kuna. This cost also includes entry to the Lovrijenac Fort.
• Tour: City Walls Walking Tour (entry fee to walls NOT included!)
• Tour: Combo Tour – City Walls + Old Town (entry fee to walls NOT included!)

One of my favorite things about Dubrovnik is the Old Town. It’s honestly one of the best Old Towns to wander and get lost in the streets. The second you enter Pile Gate, it feels as though you’ve entered medieval times (aside from the number of tourists of course). Dubrovnik is getting very popular so the town gets pretty busy. Because of this, I highly recommend exploring Dubrovnik early morning or late afternoon.

For one of the best views overlooking the town, head to Mount Srd. There’s an excellent view at the top of the mountain and it’s a great place to enjoy a sunset while in Dubrovnik. There’s a restaurant at the top so you can always grab a bite to eat while enjoying the view.

There are a few ways to get to Mount Srd. The most popular way to reach the top of Mount Srd is by Cable Car. The Cable Car was actually built in 1969 in order for visitors to have a great view of Dubrovnik. The entrance for the cable car is located just outside of the Old Town.

Pricing: The pricing for the Cable Car round trip is 170 Kuna for an adult. A one way ticket costs 90 Kuna.

If you’re active or on a budget, I recommend hiking to the top of Mount Srd! There isn’t much of a view in the beginning but, once you get above the tree line, the view is spectacular! It’s a relatively challenging path as there are a number of switch backs but, it’s not terrible. It took us less than an hour to reach the top. I suggest pulling up the trailhead on either Google Maps or Maps Me since it can be confusing.

One of my favorite tours in Dubrovnik was to the Elaphiti Islands. I loved it because the excursion is reasonably priced and the islands are absolutely beautiful.

There are a number of tours to chose from which range in price. You can book either a private or group tour. Most of the tours are large and hold up to 150 people maximum. Max and I booked a tour with up to 60 people. However, since it was off season, there were approximately 20 people. As I mentioned, you can also book a private tour which is, of course, more expensive.

Pricing & Booking: This is a pretty popular tour in Dubrovnik as it’s around 40 USD! You’re able to book online or in person at a tour agency in Dubrovnik. We booked this trip online approximately two days before our excursion. If you prefer to book in person, head to a tour agency upon arrival and they will be able to help you.

Since we did the group tour, I’ll focus on this tour. While there are many islands, most tours will take you to Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan. These three islands are inhabited by less than 1,000 people in total.

After boarding the boat, you’ll cruise to Lopud island where the boat will dock for approximately 2.5-3 hours. You’ll have free time on the island to walk around town or head to the beach. Sun Beach is regarded as one of the best sandy beaches in the region. It takes about 20 minutes to hike to Sunj beach from port. A beautiful cove with warm shallow waters and a beach club serving food and drinks. They also have golf carts stationed by the port and beach to transport you to and from Sunj beach for about 4-5 Euros a way.

After your time on Lopud, you’ll get back on the boat where lunch is served! Unlimited drinks such as water, soft drinks, and wine are included in the price. From there you’ll head to Sipan Island for a quick 45 minute stop. The last stop of the day will be Kolocep Island for just over an hour. The islands feel vastly different from one another so it’s nice to be able to see three islands. You can pick up local products such as wine, jam, and olive oils from most of the islands on the tour.

Fort Lovrijenac is remarkable, built on a 37 meter high sheer rock. If you’re looking for a great view of the Old Town, head to Fort Lovrijenac which dates back to the 10th century. I’m not a huge Game of Thrones fan, however, this is one of the filming locations.

Pricing: Fort Lovrijenac is included in the price for the walls. If you aren’t walking the walls, the entrance fee is 50 Kuna.

Another one of my favorite activities in Dubrovnik was kayaking! We rented a kayak for three hours and started our Kayak from Fort Lovrijenac. From there we kayaked past Old Town to Banje Beach. Just past Banje Beach, there is a really cool cave that is worth a visit! You can kayak past it or pull your kayak up on shore and take a quick swim. From the caves, we headed to Lokrum Island for a swim. The island is filled with great spots to layout and swim. We chose to do a kayak rental so we could go at our own pace and make stops whenever we wanted. We followed the path the tours go on however, preferred going on our own.

Tour Information:

• Kayak Rental: 30 USD (3 hours)
• Sunset Kayak Tour: $43 USD per person (2.5-3 hours)
• Kayak & Snorkeling Tour: $38 USD per person (2.5 hours)
• Kayak Lokrum Island: $43 USD per person (3 hours)

Lokrum Island is maybe a 10 minute ferry ride from Dubrovnik city center. If you plan to visit Lokrum Island, I would set aside at least four hours for the trip. The island is spectacular and has plenty of areas for swimming! Lokrum Island is most well-known for the “Dead Sea” which is a little sea in the middle of the island. The Island is also known for the Monastery and the rocks which are made of limestone and dolomite. You can also visit Fort Royal and The Church of Annunciation. You can’t stay overnight on the island as it’s said to be cursed.

Getting There: Ferries run consistently from the Old Port in Dubrovnik to Lokrum Island.

For one of the best sunset spots, head to Buza Bar for panoramic views of the Adriatic Sea! This little hole in the wall bar is situated on the edge of a cliff right above the sea. There is plenty of seating and you can actually swim here as there is a pathway to the water. Buza Bar actually has two locations Buza Bar I and Buza Bar II. The bars are pretty close to one another. It can be a little challenging to find so just follow google maps to Buza Bar.

Drinks are relatively pricey however, it’s worth the splurge! The view is absolutely spectacular especially for sunset. When we visited, we had the choice between wine, beer, or champagne. My husband and I each had one drink which was about 100 Kuna total (approximately 14 USD). Grab a drink and enjoy the view!

Getting there: Follow google maps to find Buza Bar I & Buza Bar II

If you’re a wine drinker, wine tasting is a must! The most popular areas for wine tasting are Korcula and Peljesac Peninsula. There are a few different tours that combine wine tasting on Korcula and Peljesac Peninsula. There are also tours that combine a visit to Ston as well as Peljesac Peninsula. The tours combining Ston and Peljesac Peninsula tend to be a little pricier as it’s generally a private tour. Most of these tours can be booked a day or two in advance.

Fun Fact: Pelješac Peninsula is known for Dingač wine which is a red wine that can only be produced in this region.

Ston is a medieval town approximately one hour from Dubrovnik. Ston is most well known for the city wall which is actually one of the longest stone walls in Europe! The stone wall connects Ston and Mali Ston. It takes approximately one hour to hike from Ston to Mali Ston. From Mali Ston, there is a walking path that takes 15 minutes to get back to Ston. There is also a small loop you can do in Ston which takes about 20 minutes. The path takes you to a nice viewpoint of the town and back into town.

Ston is also most well-known for their oysters!

Pricing: It cost 70 Kuna to walk the walls in Ston. This ticket will also give you entry to Fort Kastio.
Getting there: You can book a tour to Ston or you can take the bus in Dubrovnik.

If you’re looking for a charming little town, head to Cavtat! It’s approximately 20-30 minutes south of Dubrovnik. This quaint little town can be explored within just a few hours. A number of restaurants line the waterfront and offer the most picturesque view of town. Grab a coffee or a glass of wine and enjoy the view!

Getting there: From Dubrovnik you can take either a boat or bus (10).

For a moderately priced beach club, head to Banje Beach! If you want a relaxing day at the beach this beach club offers a great view of the Old Town of Dubrovnik. There are beach chairs available for purchase as well as a small area to layout.

Dubrovnik is simply the best! I hope you enjoy exploring this medieval town just as I do.

Planning a trip to Croatia? Here are a few articles to help plan your trip.

• Complete Guide to Split, Croatia
• Most Magical Towns in Croatia

Safe Travels,

Sarah :)

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