Things to do in Dubrovnik
**I've arranged an included transfer from our pier into the main area of Dubrovnik, shortly after we dock, around 1:30pm. You can easily Uber back on your own at the end of the day. The Uber/Taxi pick up area is at Pile (pron: pee-lay) Gate. We'll dock overnight in Dubrovnik.
Pier Info: ship will be in either Gruž or "under the bridge", but we won't know our docking position until we arrive.
Included tour today: Pier Transfer and Dubrovnik Walking Tour
Walk the Old Town Walls (fee) (Book Your Ticket Here)
You can enter the walls right after the Pile Gate (Pea-lay Gate) – the entrance is on your left side. Before you climb to the wall, you need to purchase the ticket at the ticket office next to the entrance (or online). Keep it with you in the safe place; it will be rechecked when you walk the walls.
The Dubrovnik Walls are almost 2 kilometers long, and you can walk the circuit uninterrupted, counter-clockwise direction). There are three entrances: by Inner Pile Gate, by St Lucas Fortress on St. Dominic’s Street and by St. John’s Fortress. You don’t have to go all the way around and you can finish your tour earlier. However, consider doing the whole circuit as the view from all the sides are spectacular and worth the effort of climbing up the steep stairs every now and then. The visit to the Old Town Walls usually takes around 2 hours. Best times to visit are early in the morning or at sunset.** Your single use wall ticket also includes the entrance fee for Fort Lovrijenac (the Fort of St. Lawrence). If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you’ll be jazzed to know the fort features as the Red Keep in the hit TV series.
Best viewpoint for sunset and Dubrovnik city: Dadiro Viera
Dadiro Viera viewpoint offers an amazing view of the nearby Elaphiti Islands and Mljet and sunset over the islands. You will see the whole city of Dubrovnik, but the angle for the old town is not the best. How to get to Dadiro Viera viewpoint? Take an Uber to Dadiro Viera viewpoint.
It’s much cheaper with Uber than cable car and the drop-off point is much closer to the viewpoint. Uber drivers in Dubrovnik take visitors up and down so many times that they know every turn of the narrow drive up and where to drop you off.
Hike up from the old town
It’s about an hour from Pile Gate or 50 minutes from the Old Town and Lokrum Viewpoint, through Mount Srđ Hiking Trail. Put this in Google Maps for walking direction from Old Town and Lokrum Viewpoint to Dadiro Viera viewpoint, Dadiro Viera, M425+9H, 20000, Pile-Kono, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Best viewpoint for Dubrovnik old town: Bosanka
The walk to Bosanka viewpoint gives you the best view of Dubrovnik Old town. You’ll see a full frame of the old town port, and the gradually elevated old town from there. People who are willing to hike up tend to do the Mount Srđ Hiking Trail but not Bosanka because the trailhead for Bosanka is difficult to find. How to get to Bosanka viewpoint? Take an Uber to Bosanka viewpoint. This is the easiest way. It’s the same road that will take you to Dadiro Viera, but an earlier stop. Then, hike up the stairs. The walk and the view along the way is very enjoyable. You’ll get a closer overlook of the old town from a perfect angle than at the top viewpoint. Here is the walking direction and map from the starting point (42.6427731, 18.1196088) to Bosanka viewpoint, about 20 minutes. Map yourself to the trailhead (42.6427731, 18.1196088) first.
View of Dubrovnik old town from Sea Kayaking (fee)
The city walls look even more impressive from the waters around. Sea kayaking offer an incredible vantage point of Dubrovnik. Imagine coming to trade in the maritime, or attempting to invade from the sea. The view of Dubrovnik just outside of Betina Cave is spectacular.
The sea is pretty calm in summer for sea kayaking. You can join a 2-3 hr tour or just rent a kayak by the hour. Sunset tours are more popular. Most kayak companies launch kayaks at the bay between Fort Bokar and Fort Lovrijenac.
Gianni artisanal Ice Cream
Gianni’s is truly artisanal ice cream in Croatia. They use only high-quality ingredients and lots of love for creating edible works of art. The owner and pastry chef Gianni started his own shop after working at a Michelin star Restaurant 360 in Dubrovnik. Perhaps from his culinary background, he creates playful ice cream flavors with perfect complement and contrast. Gourmet pastries, Cogito coffee, natural juices and outdoor seating by the city walls are also available to give you a nice break in the old town. There may be a line, but it's worth it!
Visit Fort Lovrijenac
Located just outside the Old Town, Fort Lovrijenac doesn’t attract too many visitors, which is a bit surprising really. Not only this is yet another Game of Thrones location, but the views from the fort are also among the most beautiful you will see in Dubrovnik. You can admire the Old Town, including the walls, in their full glory.
Walk the main street – Stradun
Stradun is a showcase of Dubrovnik Old Town. The main street connecting Pile and Peskarija gates spreads for some 300 meters and shines like a diamond (literally). Stradun has been a pedestrian zone for over 50 years now and therefore, is lined with numerous cafes and restaurants. You can sit down in one of them, relax and watch life go by.
The majority of the houses along the street was built in the 17th century, after the earthquake that hit Dubrovnik in 1667. They all are in baroque style, with similar height and facades. The best time to admire the beauty of Stradun is early in the morning before the crowds flock into the Dubrovnik Old Town. You can get an excellent view of the street from the Old Town Walls too!
Get lost in the backstreets
One of my favorite things to do in Dubrovnik is just wandering around and getting lost in the backstreets. The further away from Stradun you go, the fewer people you will see, and you will be able to enjoy Dubrovnik Old Town fully. The backstreets are incredibly picturesque, with stairs up and down, arcades and charming corners. It might get a bit exhausting to climb up the steep stairs but exploring the hidden corners of the Old Town in Dubrovnik is definitely worth it!
See the famous Jesuits stairs (Game of Thrones)
Speaking of the Game of Thrones – did you know that the iconic stairs, known from the famous “walk of shame” scene, are located in Dubrovnik Old Town? They are gorgeous and impressive, and from the upper part you can get a beautiful view of the Old Town and beyond.
Visit beautiful monasteries
Inside Dubrovnik Old Town you can find two monasteries that can be a calm oasis from the crowds and a perfect place to relax a bit in kind of secluded place. The first and more popular one, Franciscan Monastery, is located directly at Stradun, next to the most popular entrance to the city walls. The first church at this very spot was built at the beginning of the 14th century, but most of it was destroyed during the earthquake in 1667. The only part that remained until today is the decorated, Gothic portal overlooking Stradun. Be sure to step inside the complex as you can find real wonders there: two cloisters, the library with over 20.000 books and the third oldest pharmacy in the world, operating since 1317.
The second monastery, Dominican, is located on the other side of the Old Town, near Ploce Gate. It might not have as many attractions as Franciscan Monastery, hence it’s less busy, but it surely is a beautiful place. Relax in the garden and you can listen to the birds and subdued sounds of the mass from the nearby church.
Visit Rector’s Palace
The beautiful palace was built in the first half of the 15th century. What we can admire now is a mix of styles, mostly Gothic and Renaissance, that is a result of numerous redevelopments over centuries. The palace was a seat of the rectors – de facto rulers of Dubrovnik (then the Republic of Ragusa) between 14th and beginning of the 19th century. They were elected from the noblest families in the town to rule for a month only (to entirely focus on their task). In that time, they lived in the palace, taking care of the republic’s well-being.
Find “Game of Thrones” locations
If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, Dubrovnik should be very high on your bucket list. From season 2 of the show, the town has served as the iconic King’s Landing. Numerous scenes have been filmed here (in season 1 the capital of Westeros was portraited by Mdina, Malta). When walking around the Old Town in Dubrovnik you can sometimes feel like you’re on the Game of Thrones movie set, so many places are well-known from the show. The most famous locations are Jesuits Stairs, Fort Lovrijenac, Pile Gate or West Harbour but some scenes were also filmed at the Minceta Tower, Rector’s Palace or at the footsteps of St. Dominic’s church. Book your tour here
Take the cable car to Mount Srd (fee)
One of the must do in Dubrovnik is the cable car that in a few minutes will take you from just outside the Old Town (near Ploce and Buze gates) to Mount Srd. From there you can admire some of the most stunning views of Dubrovnik and surroundings. It is actually one of the most photographed sights in whole Croatia! Sunset is a popular time to visit.
See the Old Port
Once you leave Peskarija gate, you are in the heart of the Old Port of Dubrovnik that for centuries used to serve as the main point of entry to the city. The first bastion surrounding the port and protecting the place was built here already in 1470! Today the port is packed with small, private boats.
Banje Beach
Because of Banje Beach’s proximity to the Old Town (just a five-minute walk from the eastern entrance, to be exact), it’s definitely the most popular Dubrovnik beach. This stretch of pebbly – not sandy – coastline close to the Old Town harbor offers a stunning vista of Dubrovnik’s Old Town. Now, you do have to walk down a steep set of about 100 steps leading down from the road to the beach. One part of it consists of a beach club, where you can pay to use the amenities (which include beach loungers, umbrellas and cocktail service) or you could just opt to throw your towel down on the pebbles (like we did on one visit) and chill out for a while.
St. Jacobs Beach
160 steps takes you to St. Jacobs Beach. It's a six minute Uber ride from town. Get dropped off at St. Jacobs churchand then walk down the 160 steps to a pebble beach.
