A walled old town on the sea, with marble streets and fortresses. Walk the city walls early in the morning, before the cruise ships arrive.
For centuries Dubrovnik was the capital of the Republic of Ragusa, a small but wealthy trading state that stayed independent until 1808. The old town has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1979. After the shelling of 1991 and 1992 it was carefully restored.
July and August are busy, especially when cruise ships are in port. Come in May, June, September or October, or stay inside the old town, and you will have the lanes almost to yourself early in the morning and in the evening. Allow two to three days for the city. With day trips to the islands, a week is not too long.
Almost two kilometres of wall around the whole old town, with towers, bastions and views over the rooftops and the sea. The highest point is the Minčeta Tower. You can go up at the Pile Gate, the Ploče Gate or St John's Fort by the old harbour.
The Stradun is the marble main street from the Pile Gate to Luža Square, about 300 metres long. Narrow stepped lanes climb up on either side. Along the way you pass Onofrio's Great Fountain, the clock tower, Orlando's Column and the Sponza Palace.
A green island ten to fifteen minutes by boat from the old harbour. Lokrum is a nature reserve with a botanical garden, the ruins of a Benedictine monastery, peacocks and the Dead Sea, a small saltwater lake you can swim in. Staying overnight on the island is not allowed.
The cable car takes you to the top of Mount Srđ in a few minutes, more than 400 metres above the city. You look out over the old town, Lokrum and the Elafiti Islands. At the top is Fort Imperial, with a museum about the war of the 1990s.
A fortress on a 37-metre rock just outside the western walls. During the Dubrovnik Summer Festival it becomes an open-air theatre. Your city walls ticket also gets you into the fort.
Where the rector, the head of the republic, lived and worked. It is now a museum of the city's history. In summer there are concerts in the courtyard.
A monastery with a peaceful cloister and one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe, dating from 1317. The pharmacy is still open.
The Baroque cathedral was built after the great earthquake of 1667. Its treasury holds relics of St Blaise, the city's patron saint.
By the Ploče Gate, with a Gothic cloister and a museum full of paintings and silverwork from the days of the republic.
A gallery of war photography, from the wars in the Balkans to the present. Powerful, and a good counterweight to the pretty views outside.
The beach just outside the Ploče Gate, with views of the walls and Lokrum. Part of it is a beach club with paid sunbeds; the rest is free. Very busy in summer.
A quieter cove below the cliffs, about one and a half kilometres east of the old town. You walk down a long flight of steps. Lovely in the late afternoon, with a view of the old town.
A sheltered bay at the end of the Lapad promenade. The water is shallow, so it is good with children. There are cafés and sunbeds.
The big beach on Babin Kuk, with water sports, a beach bar and sunbeds. Easy to reach by bus.
Two little bars on the rocks on the sea side of the city walls. You swim from the rocks into deep water. Not suitable for small children.
In the middle of it all, with everything within walking distance. But lots of steps, no cars and sometimes noisy at night. The most expensive place to stay.
View places to stay ↗Just east of the old town, with views of the walls and Lokrum and close to Banje beach. Many of the luxury hotels are here. Hilly.
View places to stay ↗A green peninsula with a promenade, beaches and plenty of hotels. Good with children. The bus gets you to the old town in fifteen to twenty minutes.
View places to stay ↗By the ferry port, the bus station and the market. Practical if you travel on by boat or bus, and often cheaper.
View places to stay ↗| Month | Temp. | Sea | Sun | Rain | Crowds | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9° | 14° cold | 4 h | 12 | Quiet | Low |
| February | 10° | 14° cold | 5 h | 11 | Quiet | Low |
| March | 12° | 14° cold | 6 h | 11 | Quiet | Low |
| April | 15° | 16° cold | 7 h | 11 | Moderate | Medium |
| May | 19° | 19° fresh | 9 h | 10 | Moderate | Medium |
| June | 23° | 23° lovely | 10 h | 7 | Busy | High |
| July | 25° | 26° lovely | 11 h | 4 | Busy | High |
| August | 25° | 25° lovely | 11 h | 5 | Busy | High |
| September | 22° | 24° lovely | 8 h | 7 | Busy | High |
| October | 18° | 21° good | 7 h | 10 | Moderate | Medium |
| November | 14° | 18° cold | 4 h | 13 | Quiet | Low |
| December | 11° | 16° cold | 4 h | 13 | Quiet | Low |
Averages from the Dubrovnik weather station. Bold months are our recommendations. Temperature is the average over day and night; during the day it is a few degrees warmer. Crowds and prices are an estimate.
Local festivals and traditions worth planning your trip around.
Every year on 3 February, opening on 2 February
Next: Wednesday, 3 February 2027
The feast of Dubrovnik's patron saint, celebrated, according to tradition, since 972. On Candlemas, 2 February, white doves are released in front of St Blaise's Church and the saint's flag is raised. On 3 February a procession carries the relics of St Blaise along the Stradun, joined by banner bearers in folk costume from across the region.
Every year from 10 July to 25 August
Next: Saturday, 10 July 2027
More than six weeks of theatre, classical music, opera and dance at open-air venues in the old town, such as Fort Lovrijenac and the Rector's Palace. The festival has run since 1950 and always opens with the raising of the Libertas flag in front of St Blaise's Church.
Dates and programmes can change from year to year. Check the official website shortly before you travel.
Literally 'dirty macaroni': pasta with a slow-cooked beef ragù. An old festive dish from Dubrovnik.
Risotto with cuttlefish, black from the ink. You will find it all along the Dalmatian coast.
From the bay of Mali Ston, an hour's drive away. They have an EU protected designation of origin and are at their best in spring.
The city's best-known dessert: a caramel custard flavoured with rose liqueur.
Candied orange peel, often sold at the market and in small shops.
Red Dingač and Postup from the Pelješac peninsula, and white Malvasija Dubrovačka from Konavle.
Koločep, Lopud and Šipan are car-free islands with small villages. Lopud has Šunj, one of the few sandy beaches in the area. Ferries leave from Gruž.
Book via GetYourGuide ↗A relaxed little town south of Dubrovnik, with a harbour promenade and the Račić family mausoleum, designed by Ivan Meštrović. In season a boat also runs from the old harbour.
Book via GetYourGuide ↗Ston has more than five kilometres of fortified walls, among the longest in Europe, and salt pans that are still in use. Eat oysters in the neighbouring village of Mali Ston.
Book via GetYourGuide ↗The west of Mljet is a national park, with two saltwater lakes and a monastery on an islet in the larger lake. Hire a bike or a kayak. Sail to Polače, the port closest to the park.
Book via GetYourGuide ↗A walled town deep in the Bay of Kotor, also a World Heritage Site. Bring your passport and leave early, as the border can be busy.
Book via GetYourGuide ↗Excursions, boat trips and tickets, with free cancellation at most providers.
From tolls and ferries to shops closed on Sundays and water shoes: what to know before you go.
From King's Landing in Dubrovnik to Meereen near Split and Braavos in Šibenik: how to visit the best-known locations from the series.
From malvazija in Istria to plavac mali on Pelješac and graševina in Slavonia: wineries worth the detour.
Pick a region and your favourite wineries. The planner puts them in a smart order and spreads them over days.
Catamarans are faster, car ferries more flexible. A five-day route from Split to Dubrovnik.
Empty streets, mild days and lower prices: why autumn pays off.
From Ston to Orebić via plavac mali, oysters and salt pans.
A medieval town laid out like a fishbone, surrounded by vineyards of grk and pošip. Local tradition claims it as Marco Polo's birthplace.
The sunniest island in the Adriatic, with lavender fields and a lively harbour. For quiet, head to Stari Grad and Jelsa.
A city that lives inside Emperor Diocletian's palace. The ideal base for ferries to Brač, Hvar and Vis.