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The first time we visited Croatia was several years ago, on a family activity holiday in Croatia aimed at keeping the teenagers entertained. On that trip we saw the beauty of the Croatian national parks, alongside a short time in Zadar and Split. We loved our introduction to Croatia, and we were keen to come back and visit Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic.
So, after a week on a villa holiday near Dubrovnik with a family group of seven, the love affair with Croatia continued. This is our Dubrovnik itinerary for a relaxed week on the Southern Dalmatian Coast, with how we used the Dubrovnik Pass, where we stayed and parked, and how to be mindful of the crowds. Each part of the week has its own guide, linked below. If you’re planning a longer trip, our five days in Split and our Croatia travel guide cover the rest of the country.
Dubrovnik is too good to rush. Split your sightseeing into relaxed chunks, from an early Old Town walk and the city walls at golden hour to Lokrum Island, Mount Srd and a boat day to the Elaphiti Islands and Ston, and head into the Old Town early or on days when no big cruise ships are in port.
Yes, you can put in a good shift and do all of your Dubrovnik sightseeing in one day, but when you visit, you’ll quickly realise that Dubrovnik is just too good to rush. Take your time and savour the beauty of the city. With a week on our villa holiday, we divided our sightseeing into chunks, as follows.
Morning
Self-guided walk around Old Town Dubrovnik
An early start on a morning with no cruise ships in port, walking from the Ploče Gate to the Pile Gate along the Stradun.
Afternoon and golden hour
Fort Lovrijenac and the city walls at sunset
A visit to Fort Lovrijenac and a late lunch, then a guided walk around the city walls as the light turned golden.
Full day
Lokrum Island and Mount Srd
The ferry from the Old Port to Lokrum Island, dinner overlooking the port, then the cable car up Mount Srd for sunset.
Full day
The Elaphiti Islands and the walls of Ston
A boat trip out to the Elaphiti Islands and on to the walled town of Ston, famous for its oysters.
Guided tour
A Game of Thrones tour of Dubrovnik
A group guided tour of the city's filming locations, booked through GetYourGuide.
A kayak trip around the city walls
We had booked a kayak trip around the city walls, but it was cancelled due to wind. Next time!
Check the cruise ship timetable before you plan your Old Town day, and save the walls for golden hour when your legs are fresh.
We started with a self-guided walk around Old Town Dubrovnik, early on a morning when there were no cruise ships in port. We walked from the Ploče Gate in the east to the Pile Gate in the west, taking in the Stradun, the Rector’s Palace and the Old Port along the way. It’s an easy half day, and it leaves the walls for another time, when your legs are fresh.
On another day, after a visit to Fort Lovrijenac (the Red Keep, for Game of Thrones fans) and a late lunch, we joined a guided sunset tour of the Dubrovnik city walls. The golden light on the terracotta rooftops made it one of the highlights of my week.
We took the ferry to Lokrum Island from the Old Port for a day of shady paths and swimming. Back in town, we had dinner overlooking the port, then rode the Dubrovnik cable car up Mount Srd for sunset. The view was very pretty, although the crowds at the top meant it wasn’t quite the highlight I’d imagined.
A boat trip took us out to the Elaphiti Islands and on to the walled town of Ston. We sailed through turquoise water to the islands, then on to Ston, with its long medieval walls and the oysters it’s famous for.
Tom also joined a group Game of Thrones tour of Dubrovnik, which he booked through GetYourGuide.
Not everything went to plan. We had also booked a kayak trip around the city walls, but it was cancelled due to wind. If you’d like to try it yourself, a sea kayaking trip around the Dubrovnik city walls is still on our list for next time.
On our Old Town walk we somehow missed the Jesuit Stairs, a Game of Thrones filming spot, so that’s another one for our next visit. Luckily, Tom did get to see the Jesuit stairs because he visited them on the Game of Thrones tour! Lucky him.
The European summer months are perfect for a week in Dubrovnik in terms of enjoying maximum sunshine and warm water temperatures. However, summer also brings the crowds.
If you prefer a quieter break, then you might need to consider visiting in the shoulder season of May, or late September and October, and compromising slightly on the weather. Either way it will still be beautiful. It just depends on your priorities.
Dubrovnik has become a victim of overtourism for several reasons. It is truly beautiful and full of history, it was the setting for the popular TV series Game of Thrones, and it sits on the Mediterranean cruise ship routes.
That said, the city has been working hard to manage its visitor numbers. Its Respect the City initiative has included measures such as these.
Visitor limits: Setting limits on visitor numbers in the Old Town.
The Dubrovnik Pass: Raising funds for heritage preservation and encouraging visitors to explore beyond the main crowds.
Cruise tourism: Changing how cruise ship visits are scheduled and how long ships stay.
Residents first: Putting the needs of residents first and tackling congestion and noise.
We read that this work has improved Dubrovnik’s rating with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), and that it helped the city onto Wanderlust magazine’s Travel Green List. Check the GSTC and Wanderlust websites for the latest.
When you plan a visit to Dubrovnik, think about adopting some of these measures for your stay.
Before choosing which day to visit the Old Town of Dubrovnik, have a look at an online cruise ship timetable to see when the larger cruise ships, with thousands of sightseeing passengers, are due in port.
We used the Cruise Timetables website, where you can search the port schedules by destination and date. We then planned our visit to the Old Town for a time when there were no large ships due in port. It helps, in a small way, to spread the tourism out. This was also invaluable on our visit to Venice, which has similar issues, as we explain in our guide to the Venice access fee and overtourism.
For similar reasons, to help spread out the flow of visitors to the Old Town, try to visit as early in the day as you can to get ahead of the crowds. The Old Town starts filling up by mid morning and will be heaving by lunchtime, with or without a large cruise ship in port.
We headed into the Old Town first thing on a day when no large cruise ships were due until midday, and we enjoyed a couple of quieter hours.
There are many souvenir shops on the Stradun and the surrounding streets, so try to buy artisan products and check the provenance of your souvenirs before you buy. There are not many chains to avoid, at least!
Stay in a hotel or a holiday rental outside the Old Town, rather than an Airbnb inside the walls. Short-term lets in the Old Town take up properties that would otherwise be homes for local people.
As we were travelling in a large group of seven, it was more cost effective for us to hire a villa for a week than to pay for four rooms in a hotel, so we planned a week-long Dubrovnik villa holiday.
The main advantage was that we had our own space, which suited our family group. However, to have that space, we ended up being based several kilometres outside Dubrovnik, to the north of the city. That meant planning how we got into town each day, which is where the Dubrovnik Pass and a good car park came in.
If you’re looking at villas in Dubrovnik for a group, it’s worth weighing up the extra space against the travel time into the Old Town, and checking whether there’s a bus stop nearby.
If you are visiting the Southern Dalmatian Coast, then the chances are that exploring Dubrovnik will be a priority for you. If so, I recommend buying a Dubrovnik Pass. It comes in one-day, three-day and seven-day versions, so you can match it to your length of stay. Check the official Dubrovnik Pass website for the current options and prices before you go.
The Dubrovnik Pass gives you entry to the Dubrovnik city walls, plus a list of other museums and attractions, and it includes travel on the local buses. The bus travel is a brilliant option if you have a bus stop near your accommodation, as you don’t need to worry about taxis or parking at all. Check how many bus journeys your pass covers.
Walking the Old Town walls of Dubrovnik is expensive on its own. The travel journalist Simon Calder has described the cost as “theme park prices”. So buying the Dubrovnik Pass can be a no brainer, depending on what else you want to see and how long you are visiting for.
With a week in Dubrovnik, it made sense for us to buy the seven-day passes. During that time we walked the walls and visited five other included attractions, so we more than got our money’s worth.
Parking options around the Old Town of Dubrovnik are limited, so it’s a good idea to catch the bus or a taxi into town if you are not staying within walking distance.
However, if you need to drive in, there’s a good underground public car park called Ilijina Glavica, on Zagrebačka ulica, around a 10 minute walk uphill from the Old Town. We found it a safe and convenient place to park, without the stress of chasing a space at the parking machines. Check the current charges on the car park operator’s website before you go.
Be aware that some of the car parks around the Old Town are for residents only.
There are lots of great ideas for day trips from Dubrovnik, such as these.
Boats run from the Old Port south along the coast to the pretty harbour town of Cavtat. Check the boat operators at the Old Port for current sailings.
For a more adventurous day out, Montenegro is within striking distance of Dubrovnik. You’ll cross a border, so take your passport.
Also close enough for a day trip from Dubrovnik, and also on our list for next time. Again, take your passport.
The day trip we did take. Sail through turquoise water to the islands and on to the walled town of Ston, where you can sample what are billed as “the world’s best oysters”. Read about our boat trip to the Elaphiti Islands and the walls of Ston.
Don’t forget to count the cats as you explore Dubrovnik. They seek out shade all over the city and add a hint of cuteness to your photos. You can even buy a Cats of Dubrovnik calendar, and find the unofficial cat café, which accepts donations for the cats it feeds. Interestingly, we hardly saw any dogs on our visits!
If you’re travelling to Dubrovnik in the summer, you’ll need to be organised and book activities, boat trips and popular restaurants in advance so you don’t miss out.
Wherever you go on the Dalmatian Coast in spring, summer or autumn, there’s usually a great place to swim, which is perfect when you want to cool down in the heat.
There are very few sandy beaches in and around Dubrovnik. Most are rocky and sea urchins are common, so don’t forget your water shoes!
Card payments were accepted in most tourist areas, but cash was preferred in taxis and smaller local shops. Cash was also useful for tipping.
Our son has a severe nut allergy, and he had business cards printed explaining it in Croatian, which he could show when eating out. Have a look at our allergy translation cards before you go.
In closing
If you're anything like me, you'll quickly fall for Croatia and find yourself dreaming of the azure sea, the orange rooftops, the rugged hillsides, the sunsets and the scent of pine in the air. Dubrovnik is busy, and it isn't cheap, but it's worth every step.
You can make your week on the Southern Dalmatian Coast as busy or as lazy as you want, but leave time to soak it all in so the sights and smells stay with you long after you get home. Start with our self-guided walk around Old Town Dubrovnik , go early, and save the walls for golden hour.
The love affair with Croatia continues.
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