The first time we visited Croatia was several years ago on an activity holiday aimed at keeping the teenagers entertained. On that trip we had an opportunity to experience the beauty of the Croatian national parks, alongside a short time in Zadar and Split. We loved what we saw on our introduction to Croatia, and were keen to return and visit Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic. After a recent Dubrovnik villa holiday week, here are some hints and tips to help you travel plan the perfect stay on the Southern Dalmatian Coast.
When to go to on a Dubrovnik villa holiday
The European summer months are perfect for a Dubrovnik villa holiday in terms of enjoying maximum sunshine and warm water temperatures. However, this also brings the crowds.
If you prefer it quieter, then you might need to consider visiting in the shoulder season of May, or late September/October, and comprising on the weather. Either way it will be beautiful, it just depends on your priorities.
Be mindful of Dubrovnik’s challenges with overtourism
Dubrovnik has become a victim of overtourism for several reasons: because it is truly beautiful, full of history, the setting for the popular TV series Game of Thrones, as well as being on the Mediterranean cruise ship routes. Here are some ways to be mindful of this when planning your visit to the area:
Stay in a hotel or villa rental outside the Old Town
Stay in a hotel, or a holiday rental outside of the Old Town, rather than using AirBnBs in the Old Town which are taking up properties otherwise available to locals as homes.
As we were travelling in a large group of 7, it was more cost effective for us to hire a villa for a week than pay for 4 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 this space, we ended up being based several kilometres outside Dubrovnik to the north of the city.
Check the Dubrovnik Cruise Ship Schedule
Before choosing which day to visit the Old Town of Dubrovnik, have a look at an on-line 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 scheduled our visit to the Old Town at a time when there were no large ships due in port. This helps (albeit in a small way) to help spread the tourism out. This was also invaluable on our visit to Venice, Italy which has similar issues.
Go early to beat the crowds
For similar reasons as above, to help spread out the flow of visitors to the Old Town, try and visit early in the day, from 8.00am or even earlier, to get ahead of the crowds. The Old Town will start filling up from 9.30am and will be heaving by lunchtime, with or without a large cruise ship in port.
We headed into the Old Town for 9.00am on a day when there were no large cruise ships scheduled until 12.00noon and benefitted from a couple of quieter hours.
Eat and shop locally
There are many souvenir shops on the Stradun and surrounding streets, so try to buy artisan products and check the provenance of your souvenirs before purchasing. There are not many chains to avoid at least!
Good to know in Dubrovnik
Buying a Dubrovnik Pass is usually cost-effective
If you are visiting the Southern Dalmatian Coast, then the chances are that exploring Dubrovnik will be a priority for you. If this is the case, I recommend buying a Dubrovnik Pass for 1 day (40 EUR), 3 days (50 EUR) or 7 days (60 EUR) depending on your length of stay. [2025 High Season prices].
The Dubrovnik Pass gives you entry to the city walls, plus 11 other attractions, and free travel on the local buses. The free travel on local buses is a brilliant option if you have a bus stop near your accommodation as then you don’t need to worry about taxis or parking at all.
The cost of walking on the Old Town walls of Dubrovnik is expensive, currently 40 Euros per Adult (“theme park prices” noted by Simon Calder, Travel Journalist with The Telegraph newspaper). 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 on a Dubrovnik villa holiday, it made sense for us to buy the 7-day passes. During this time, we visited the walls plus 5 other included attractions, so more than got our money’s worth from the Dubrovnik Pass.
The best place to park for Dubrovnik Old Town
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 in walking distance).
However, should you need to drive in, there’s a good underground public car park about 10 mins uphill from the Old Town called Ilijina Glavica (address: Zagrebačka ulica, Dubrovnik). We found this to be a safe and convenient place to park without the stress of ‘chasing the space’ on the parking meters. Note – some of the car parks around the Old Town are for residents only.
Cats rule in Dubrovnik
Don’t forget to count the cats as you explore the city of Dubrovnik. They will be seeking 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 that it feeds. Interestingly, we hardly saw any dogs on our visits!
Dubrovnik should not be rushed
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. On our Dubrovnik villa holiday, we divided our city sightseeing into chunks, as follows:
- Self-guided walking tour of the Old Town (early on a morning when there were no cruise ships in port).
- Golden hour walking tour of the walls of the Old Town, after a late lunch and visit to Fort Lovrijenac (AKA The Red Keep for Game of Thrones fans).
- Boat trip to Lokrun Island from the Old Port of Dubrovnik, followed by dinner overlooking the port and a trip on the Dubrovnik cable car for sunset.
- Boat trip to the Elaphiti Islands and beyond to the walled city of Ston.
- Group guided Game of Thrones tour of the city, booked through Get Your Guide.
- We had also booked a kayak trip around the city walls but it was cancelled due to wind.
Where else should you visit on the Southern Dalmatian Coast?
There are many great ideas for day trips from Dubrovnik, such as:
- Taking a boat from the Old Port south to the town of Cavtat.
- Taking a more adventurous day trip to Montenegro or even Bosnia and Herzegovina both of which are counties in striking distance of Dubrovnik.
Other useful information for your Dubrovnik villa holiday
High Season
if you’re travelling to Dubrovnik in High Season then you will need to be organised and book any activities, boat trips and popular restaurants in advance so as not to miss out.
Take your swimwear with you on day trips
Wherever you go on the Dalmatian Coast in Summer (Spring and Autumn) – there’s usually a great place to take a swim which is perfect when you want to cool down in the heat.
Pack water shoes
There are very few sandy beaches in and around Dubrovnik – most are rocky and sea urchins are prevalent, so don’t forget to pack your water shoes!
Cash is king!
Whilst card payments were accepted in most tourist areas, cash was preferred in taxis and more local shops. Cash was also useful for tipping.
Final thoughts…
If you’re anything like me, you will quickly fall under the charms of Croatia and be dreaming of the azure sea, the orange rooftops, the rugged hillsides, sunsets, and the scent of pine in the air. You can make your week on the Southern Dalmatian Coast as busy or as lazy as you want, but make sure you leave time to soak it all in so that the sights and smells stay with you for as long as possible when you return home.
Thank you so much for reading my blog, I hope you found it useful?
For more stories, itineraries, and advice, check out my Related Posts and sign up to receive my blogs by email.
If you have a blog-related question, please do ask in the Comments box and I’ll try to help…
Request please – if you use my photos, then please credit Love Travel Planning on your social media or give me a shout out on Instagram @lovetravelplanning as I am growing my website. Huge thanks.
Enjoy your travels!
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.