"Those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik" - I couldn't agree more with Lord Byron (famous British poet dude from the 1800's who said this). He's also famous for saying “There's no instinct like that of the heart” and “Pleasure’s a sin, and sometimes sin’s a pleasure” but enough about him, let's get on to Dubrovnik!
Dubrovnik, or the “Pearl of the Adriatic” (also coined by Lord Byron), was surreal and I’d recommend spending at least two full days here. If you're into Game of Thrones, maybe stay three full days - most of the show was filmed in Dubrovnik and there are GOT tours available.
Where to Stay?
Stay in The Old Town (area pictured above surrounded by a medieval wall) because you can walk to EVERY single Dubrovnik attraction from ANYWHERE in The Old Town (it is teeny tiny and only accessible by foot).
Logistics Tip:
The Old Town is about a 30 minute drive from the Dubrovnik airport. Make sure you're dropped off at whatever “Gate” entrance (Pile, Buza, or Ploce) your accommodation is closest to as you’ll have to walk from the Gate entrance with all of your luggage since no cars can enter the Old Town.
What to do:
1. Walk the Walls Surrounding The Old Town
Walk atop Middle Aged stone walls lining the Old Town.
Logistics: There are three ways to enter the walls, the most popular entrance is to start at Pile Gate which is what we did and it worked out just fine.
Time Allocation: 1-2 hours should be plenty of time to get those 'gram worthy shots - do it for the 'gram (the length of the walls is just over a mile)
Cost: 70 kuna or ~$12 USD per person
Tips: Get there EARLY and bring WATER - the walls open at 0800 most months and get absolutely packed with tourists. The earlier, the better. Also, it gets hot as the day goes on and water prices are a pretty penny on the walls so make sure to pack your own.
2. Gundulic Square Farmers Market
As a Cal Poly SLO alumni, I have a special place in my heart for farmers markets. Buy local produce, honey, lavender and other goods here and snag a shaded area to sit and grab a late breakfast & coffee.
Logistics: Walk here from anywhere in the Old Town, open 8-1, closed Sundays
Time Allocation: 1-2 hours to sit and enjoy a coffee after or before shopping around
Cost: Free 99
Tips: Talk to the locals and practice Croatian while sampling fresh berries
3. Dubrovnik Cable Car to Mount Srdj (Best View in Dubrovnik)
My friends and I debated skipping out on the cable car ride since we spent the prior night dancing our faces off at Club Revelin (Dubrovnik’s biggest night club which is located inside A MEDEIVAL FORTRESS - for sure check this out if you're into the party scene). It was wildly fun.
Logistics: Head to the north gate (Buza Gate) and out of the city to the cable car. You can buy tickets just outside the north gate. If you get lost just ask around and the locals will lead you there.
Time Allocation: 1-2 hours
Cost: 73 kuna, about $14 USD per person
Tips: Don’t come up here hungry. The food at the only restaurant at the top is super overpriced (you pay for the view!) It is worth it to sit down and order a coffee just to relax and see the views - I’d recommend the iced coffee (coffee poured over ice cream) it was so refreshing and didn't break the bank.
4. Kayak to Lokrum Island
Ok so we didn't actually do this BUT this is the one thing in Dubrovnik we didn’t do that I wish we would have done. Lokrum is a tiny island covered by greenery known for its lovely monastery and botanical gardens which have been around since the era of Maximilian (Austrian archduke / short-lived Emperor of Mexico) who had a holiday home on the island during his life.
Logistics: Walk just outside Pile Gate to get to the kayak rental area
Time Allocation: 3-4 hours to kayak around Lokrum, spend some time on island, snorkel and swim.
Cost: $85 kn or 18 usd per hour
Tips: Make sure you reserve this a couple days before you want to go, they book up…especially if you wanna go at sunset. I'd also highly recommend packing Croatia's most popular beer, Ožujsko, so you can enjoy a nice cerveza at sunset on the kayak :)
5. Banje Beach
This rocky sand beach is perfect for bringing a bottle of wine and a baguette with some Pag cheese (Croatia’s famous cheese…if you remember one thing from this blog, make it to be this :)) to watch the sunset. It was one of the most memorable sunsets I’ve ever seen..
Logistics: Walk outside Old Town to the south of The Old Town about 15 minutes
Time Allocation: 2-4 hours
Cost: Free entrance to sit on beach
Tips: Bring bug spray! Also bring a blanket to sit on if you want to avoid paying to reserve a beach chair. I’d also recommend packing your own wine, bottle opener, cups, and snacks from a market vs. buying anything from the overpriced restaurants near the beach.
What Airbnb should I stay in?
We (3 of my girlfriends and I) stayed at Apartments Old Town Finest which was $240/night and comfortably slept 4. There was a mini kitchen in the room and a communal laundry area. It felt like we were staying at a distant family member or friend-of-a-friend's apartment. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the smiles of the husband and wife duo who own and run the place and were immediately offered a glass of their award-winning homemade wine (the homemade Grappa was reserved for later in the evening). As we sat and enjoyed the wine, the couple gave us detailed explanations and maps of everything we should do while in Dubrovnik. We all agreed that we could have moved in and lived there for months!
I hope you enjoy beautiful Dubrovnik as much as we did :) Uživati!