Dubrovnik Travel Guide Introduction
We visited Dubrovnik in August 2021 while on a Road trip in the Balkan. It was our last stop in Croatia, and we drove there directly from Split.
Dubrovnik is known for its distinctive Old Town, encircled with massive stone walls completed in the 16th century that you can actually visit. But it also has well-preserved buildings ranging from baroque St. Blaise Church to Renaissance Sponza Palace and Gothic Rector’s Palace, now a history museum.
If you want to visit Dubrovnik, any stay between 1 to 2 days would be good enough to get most of it. We personally visited it in a complete day, and we don’t regret doing so. Of course, you could spend more time there or even visit some of the nearby beaches.
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
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Getting there
There are 2 easy ways to get to Dubrovnik :
- By plane: You can flight to from most of the main airport in Croatia as well as lots of airport through Europe.
- By Ferry: You can also reach Dubrovnik by ferry from Barri Italie, or from some of the main coastal city in Croatia.
If you are coming by car, we recommend finding an accommodation with an parking lot because parking is CRAZY expensive in Dubrovnik. It is the most expensive we have seen in all Balkan. A good option is to park at “Dubrovnik City Parking – 10kn per hour” which is located 25min walking distance from the historical center
Moving Around
Once you are in Dubrovnik, everything is nearby and reachable on foot. The furthest point would be the parking. Unless you want to visit some of the cool beach nearby. In that case you would need to have a car.
When to Visit
As all Croatia, the best time to visit Dubrovnik is from April to October. Though it is good to know that July and August are the warmest month as well as the most crowded.
The best recommendation would be June or September when you get into the lower tourism season and out of the peak temperatures.
Where to Stay
Things to do in Dubrovnik
Lovrijenac
Lovrijenac is the fort located outside of the old city wall and was used to film some of scene from Game of Throne. There isn’t much to see within the fort, but it offers an amazing view of the old city.
Famous for its importance in resisting Venetian rule, it overshadows the two entrances to the city, from the sea and by land.
Pile Gate, Dubrovnik
To enter the old city, one of the best ways is through Pile Gate, a 15th-century gate with a stone bridge over a former moat.
The old Wall
One of the best things to do once you enter the old city is to walk on the old wall and visit Tvrđava Minčeta or Fort St. Ivana that are part of it. The entry is not free, but you get a 50kun discount if you visited Lovrijenac.
If you walk the complete rampart, it will be over 2km and you will have stunning view from the old city. But you can exit it from any of the entrance: Inner Pile Gate, St Lucas Fortress on St. Dominic’s Street and St. John’s Fortress
We recommend doing the complete tour of the rampart 😊 with hope to also avoid too many groups and people as not everyone is doing the complete run.
Franciscan Church and Monastery
Visit this complex dating from the 1300s. One of the must-sees is the monastery’s pharmacy, dating to 1317 making it one of the oldest still-operating pharmacies in the world. But the library is also magnificent, with 20,000 books, among which are some 1200 priceless manuscripts.
Dominikanski samostan
Explore this other old monastery. It another nice piece of architecture that was also rebuilt after the earthquake. The inner courtyard is a beautiful place to see.
Sponza Palace
Sponza Palace is a rectangular palace with a handsome loggia. It datesfrom the early-1500s and has served as a secular public building. The atrium within the building’s gate was a place of business for merchants and traders up to the 20th century,
Orlando's Column
One of the best things to do in Dubrovnik is just explore all the streets and squares. It isn’t too big and can be done easily. On your way you can stop at Orlando’s Column, a landmark column, flagpole & statue of Dubrovnik’s hero knight holding a sword, unveiled in 1418.
Crkva sv. Ignacij
Pop by the Collegium Ragusinum, which was the Jesuit college in the Republic of Ragusa, now the city of Dubrovnik. Following early Jesuit presence in Ragusa in the late 1550s, the college was established in 1658 and closed in 1773 with the Suppression of the Society of Jesus.
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Don’t forget to admire the magnificent Assumption Cathedral, a Roman Catholic cathedral. On the main altar there’s a triptych of the Ascension of Mary by the renaissance painter Titian from 1550.
In the treasury is a wealth of precious liturgical items dating from the 1000s to the 1700s, including the gold-plated bones of St. Blaise.
Nishta
If you want a cool place to eat, Nishta is our recommendation. You can super yummy vegan food in the middle of the streets! What more to ask. Don’t forget to make a reservation, it’s pretty small.
Smaller street
The best things to do, is simply strolling around. And some of the best streets for that are the one located north of the city where Nishta is located.
Dubrava Observation Point & Srđ Hill
To get to the viewpoint, you can either take the cable car, go by car or hire a taxi to drive you there and back. If you don’t have your car and are a small group, the last one could be the best option. From there you will have an amazing view of the old city of Dubrovnik.
Other Things to do
Beach
If you have more time, you could also consider some of the local beach. Some are just a piece of rock near the old wall, some other, further are a bit bigger. We tried Jakob beach on the day we arrived, and it was cool to get there as it was at the bottom of a small hill going through an abandoned hotel resort. But the beach was super small and super crowded.
1 day Itinerary Dubrovnik
- Visit Lovrijenac
- Pass the Pile Gate and visit the ramparts
- Visit one of the Monastery
- Stroll around Sponza Palace and Orlando’s Column
- Visit the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
- Lunch at Nishta
- Stroll on the smaller street
- Dubrava Observation Point & Srđ Hill
Ne trči pred rudo ‘Don’t run in front of the carriage’: Don’t jump the gun.
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