If the Pearl of the Adriatic, or King’s Landing, is appealing to you, then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s talk about how to spend 72 hours (ish) in Dubrovnik… I should preface this by saying we arrived Saturday evening and left Tuesday morning. My first tip is to book an extra night if you can; we both agreed we could’ve spent longer there!
How to get to Dubrovnik
We flew to Dubrovnik from Leeds Bradford with Jet2.com. Easy breezy through the airport, time for a quick coffee, boarded the flight and just a smidge over 3 hours later touched down in Dubrovnik airport. An easy taxi to our apartment took about 30 minutes. There’s Jet2.com flights from Newcastle airport too which would’ve been closer, but the timings didn’t quite work for this (very) last minute booking. I must also shout out Jet2.com for covering our flights. I’ve worked with them before in the past, flown as a paying customer too and would highly recommend them for cheap flights. You can see my trips with Jet2.com to Barcelona, Porto and Halkidiki (at some point I’ll write a post for my trip with my Dad to Prague last Spring too!)
If you want to check out what I’ve shared on Instagram, do follow along at @tashajsteel.
Where to stay in Dubrovnik?
I researched this myself, knowing we wanted to maximise our time seeing the sights and getting a feel for the city. I’d definitely agree with a lot of what you read online and suggest the following:
Old Town: The most central you can get. If you want to be really amongst it all, book somewhere within the walls. Be aware that it’s pedestrian access only beyond the gates and there’s a lot of stairs. My best advice would be to pack light, get a taxi to the closest gate to your accommodation and be aware it might be a bit noisy. Stairs are a common theme in Dubrovnik though, your calves will certainly be aware!
Pile: This is the area outside the Pile Gate to the West of the Old Town. If you strike lucky booking somewhere within this district it’ll potentially be a little cheaper but still walking distance to all the main sights.
Ploče: This is the just East of the Old Town (and includes the steep mountainside area too). If you want to wake up with a morning coffee and views across the red rooftops and also witness some stunning sunsets from a great vantage point, book here. Depending on where you stay, you’ll only be 5-10 minutes walk (downhill) to the Old Town. This is the area we stayed in.
Lapad: This is the peninsula West of the Old Town. If you want to explore the coastline a little more and maybe take a trip to the Old Town once, or use public transport / taxis more, then this might be best for you. Some of the hotels in this area look stunning too, so if you’re the type to relax by the pool, check out this area.
What to do in Dubrovnik?
Chances are if you’re visiting the Croatian city, you’re either a big city break fan, looking for a base to explore other Balkan regions or maybe a fan of Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik is a popular destination in the summer and it’s worth knowing that a lot of cruise ships dock here, so being smart with your timings for sightseeing is a top tip! Early risers will love mooching about before the city wakes up, but you also want to experience Dubrovnik at night. The swifts swooping between the rooftops, the lights glistening on the water and the (slightly) cooler evening air, but definitely still warm enough for an ice cream. In fact, I’d insist you have one.
Visit the Old Town
You simply have to. The red rooftops, the little streets you could get lost wandering and picture perfect views round every corner. Be careful in wet conditions as the stone steps and pathways can be slippy.
Walk the Walls
We didn’t do this, but if you’re going to, I’d recommend getting the Dubrovnik Pass that gives you entry to other attractions too. Otherwise walking the walls will cost you 40 euros. A price I can only assume has skyrocketed since the city was broadcast to billions of people as the capital of Westeros…
Sunset at Mount Srd
This is a popular one but absolutely worth it. One of my favourite memories from our trip to Dubrovnik was watching the sunset from Mount Srd. It’s a stunning viewpoint to see the city from above, 412 metres above sea level (1,352 feet) The sky getting a hazy orange glow, which deepened to red as the sun disappeared behind the distant islands. Then that stunning afterglow, the lights starting to glow down around Dubronik old town, Lapad, Gruz and the surrounding regions. We took the cable car, but you could drive up if you’ve hired a car, get a taxi or walk up – the switchbacks look pretty steep though, so maybe don’t do it in jelly shoes (which of course were my shoe of choice that evening!) however it would be a decent walk if you set off with enough time. So if you’re outdoorsy and fancy it, that’s an option and much cheaper than the cable car which was 30 euros each for the return journey. That said, I’d pay it again if I went back, or maybe hike up, cable car back down. Only thing to consider is that getting back down after sunset is obviously quite busy, so be prepared for a wait, I think we were waiting maybe 20-25 minutes or so.
Take a Tour
If you want to find out the local history, or purely focus on Game of Thrones locations then book on to a tour. It’s a great way to get your bearings in a new place too and possibly pick up some local recommendations for places to eat and drink.
Visit the beach
Banje Beach is a short walk from the Plôce Gate. It’s a pebble beach but offers stunning views of Lokrum island – which is another spot you could visit. Book a boat trip over there and walk amongst the peacocks and swim in the saltwater lake if you like.
Where should I eat?
There is no shortage of places to eat in Dubrovnik! It’s worth considering (and is often the case) that within the old city walls, prices will be higher and by any tourist spots / nice views too.
Go to the local bakeries
Something I like to do when I’m visiting somewhere new is try the local food. In Croatia you should try a Burek which is a flaky filo pastry filled with meat or cheese or spinach. Quite stodgy, but decent and cheap. There’s a popular spot called Holy Burek which I think has increased footfall due to social media but a Burek there will cost you 8 euros, one at a local bakery is maybe 3? I know which I’m picking. Plus that gives you leftover euros for a sweet treat!
Konoba Maestro
Go early evening to get a table outside with views of the old city walls. This is a gorgeous spot and the food was great too. A little more expensive but worth it. We had the pistachio pasta with shrimp and the salmon pasta dishes, both were delicious. Drinks were great too and the waiter who served us brought out a local shot for us to try too, didn’t catch what it was but had a honey aftertaste.
Mea Culpa Pizzeria and Trattoria
Okay, I know… go all the way to Dubrovnik and we’re eating Italian food. However, the lasagne I had here was fantastic. I swear it was enough for two people and I did give it a good shot. Lee’s risotto looked very tasty and the pizzas we saw other people having did look great. Reasonable prices for being in the middle of the old town. Get a table outdoors and take in the ambience with a negroni (other cocktails are available too)
If you’re wanting a coffee recomendation then head to Life According to KAWA. Tasty flat white, lovely friendly staff and some great local gifts/artwork to browse too. They sell Cogito coffee which is an independent Croatian roastery (from Zagreb) and I brought back some beans to enjoy at home.
A few other spots which get top reviews are Lady Pi-Pi, Rudjer and Barka Tapas and Wine. (Might need a return trip to sample some of these…)
What else can I do?
This blog post is focused on Dubrovnik, but a day trip to one of the neighbouring countries is worth considering if you’ve got time. You could visit Bosnia and Herzegovina or Montenegro. I’d recommend booking with GetYourGuide or hiring a car and driving yourself for more flexibility. We chose to visit Bosnia, with a day trip that took us to Mostar and Kravica waterfalls. Be prepared for some waiting at the border crossings. Take a book and /or headphones with you and offline Spotify playlists unless you want to incur roaming fees.
Have you been to Dubrovnik? Is there anything I’ve missed that you’d add, let me know in the comments.
I must also shout out Lee for his photos I've used in this post, basically any of me were taken by him and some of the stunning landscape shots are his handiwork too. Thank you! Our flights were covered by Jet2.com as mentioned earlier in this post. All thoughts are my own.
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