DubrovnikTravel Guide
Dubrovnik is a walled limestone city dropped straight into the Adriatic — a former maritime republic whose ramparts, marble main street and terracotta roofscape have survived earthquakes, siege and stardom. It is also one of Europe's most crowded summer destinations, which makes timing, not budget, the real currency here.
Is Dubrovnik right for you?
May–June, September–October
It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.
No hour-by-hour route here yet — the guides below cover it by subject instead.
Our editors pick it for a trip with one other person.
May–June, September–October
Mixed
Typical cost profile for visitors
- Kotor, Montenegro61 km
an easy day trip · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (mid)
- Split170 km
a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (mid)
- Matera, Italy250 km
a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (mid)
- Belgrade, Serbia300 km
a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (budget)
Kotor
Split
Matera
BelgradeFinding Dubrovnik
Reading Dubrovnik
- Hidden GemsDubrovnik Early and Late: The City Before and After the Tour Groups2 min
- DestinationsDubrovnik on a Budget: How to Do It Well for Less2 min
- The ListThe Unmissable Dubrovnik Experiences, Ranked2 min
- StaysWhere to Stay in Dubrovnik: Neighborhoods and Classic Hotels2 min
- DestinationsDubrovnik: Walls, Water and How to Beat the Crowds3 min
Dubrovnik, place by place
Everything below is named in one of our own stories about Dubrovnik. The line under each is the sentence that recommended it, and the link goes to the piece it came from.
Where to stay
The areas and addresses our writers put first
Inera Isovic
Ploče
Just east of the walls, the Ploče district climbs above the sea with the finest views in Dubrovnik — the Old Port and ramparts framed across the water.
Pile
DubrovnikWest of the walls around Pile Gate, you are one minute from the Old Town without living inside its stone bowl.
Lapad and Babin Kuk
DubrovnikOn the green peninsula a short ride northwest, Lapad and Babin Kuk trade medieval drama for pine-shaded promenades, pebble coves and resort hotels with pools — generally at friendlier prices.
What to see
The things that justify the trip
Yoko Correia Nishimiya
Fort Lovrijenac
For the classic postcard angle of the walls themselves, climb Fort Lovrijenac, the freestanding fortress on a 37-metre sea cliff just outside Pile Gate.
June 媛君 Liu
Banje Beach
Swimmers should head to Banje Beach, just east of the walls, or better, to the bathing rocks below Buža Bar, a cliffside bar reached through a hole in the seaward wall, where drinks are ordinary and the setting is any…
Stradun
DubrovnikEverything funnels onto Stradun, the limestone main street polished to a shine by centuries of feet, running from Pile Gate to the Old Port.
Rector's Palace
DubrovnikFlanking it are the Rector's Palace, seat of the old republic's month-long governments, and the Franciscan monastery with one of Europe's oldest working pharmacies.
Lokrum
DubrovnikLokrum, the green island facing the Old Port, is the local escape: a botanical reserve with peacocks, a small salt lake for swimming and rocky bathing ledges.
Things to do
Walks, tours and days out we would book again
Kayak beneath the walls
DubrovnikGuided sea-kayak tours typically loop from near Pile Gate around the fortifications and over to Lokrum's caves.
What we'd do in Dubrovnik
See and do
- The Stradun at first light
Walk the main street just after dawn and you will hear your own footsteps on limestone polished to a shine by centuries of them.
Read: Dubrovnik Early and Late: The City Before and After the Tour Groups - Time your splurges
The walls are worth the money — once, early in the morning, in the best light.
Read: Dubrovnik on a Budget: How to Do It Well for Less - Escape to Lokrum
A short boat hop from the Old Port lands you on a forested island of botanical gardens, strutting peacocks, rocky swimming coves and a small salt lake.
Read: The Unmissable Dubrovnik Experiences, Ranked - The Old Town and the walls
Everything funnels onto Stradun, the limestone main street polished to a shine by centuries of feet, running from Pile Gate to the Old Port.
Read: Dubrovnik: Walls, Water and How to Beat the Crowds - Markets and coffee
By 8:00 the morning market stalls are out and the cafés fill with residents, not visitors.
Read: Dubrovnik Early and Late: The City Before and After the Tour Groups
Where to stay
- Old Town access
cars cannot enter the walls — pack luggage you can roll over stone
Read: Where to Stay in Dubrovnik: Neighborhoods and Classic HotelsCheck ratesad · Booking.com - Shoulder-season value
May and October typically bring gentler prices and warm seas
Read: Where to Stay in Dubrovnik: Neighborhoods and Classic HotelsCheck ratesad · Booking.com
Practical essentials for Croatia
Euro (EUR) — adopted on 1 January 2023, replacing the kuna
Croatian; English is widely spoken in the cities and along the coast
Type C/F, 230V 50Hz
Intercity buses are the workhorse — more frequent and faster than the trains — and Jadrolinija ferries connect the coast to the islands.
Around 10% in restaurants is customary but not obligatory; rounding up is perfectly normal.
Tap water is safe to drink throughout the country, including Zagreb and Dubrovnik.
Right-hand side; a UK or EU photocard licence is valid for up to a year, so most visitors need no International Driving Permit.
112 (general); 192 police, 194 ambulance, 193 fire, 195 sea rescue
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
Greece
Slovenia