10 things you MUST DO in Dubrovnik

I was totally blown away by Dubrovnik. Friends had told me it was amazing but I hadn’t realised just how amazing!

A World Heritage site on the gorgeous Adriatic Coast, Dubrovnik is the perfect mix of culture and beach. It’s known as the Pearl of the Adriatic. The Old Town is is picturesque with it’s City Walls and baroque era palaces, monasteries and building. Of course the popularity of Game of Thrones has drawn even more attention to this 15th century city! 

The problem is everyone knows it’s amazing and it’s not a cheap place to visit. Be prepared for London prices. 

The main tourism season is April though November. Summer can get very hot and crowded, with lots of cruise ships stopping for city tours. The best time to visit is “shoulder season”, so either April/May or September/October. At these times you miss the crowds, but can get some fabulous weather. We went for October half term and had 22 – 24C full sun all week!.  

Going to Dubrovnik? Don’t miss these 10 things to do

1. Walk the City Walls

Walking the City Walls is the Number 1 activity in Dubrovnik. Bring your camera and a good degree of fitness for this mile and a quarter walk/hike on the City Walls around Dubrovnik. You’ll be amazed at the ever changing views over the blue-green Adriatic sea and terracotta roofs (many relatively new after being damaged in the 1991 siege) . It takes about an hour if you speed through, longer if you stop for a fresh-squeezed orange juice or visit art gallery.

2. Stroll through the Old Town

The Old Town is the picturesque bit of Dubrovnik you don’t want to miss. It’s completely pedestrianed and you enter by foot through one of the Gates – Pile or Ploče. Once inside it’s like a fairytale – shiny streets, tempting bakeries, artisan shops and restaurant after restaurant. There are several museums, Orlando’s Column (where town crier made announcements), St Savior Square has a fountain – and you can drink the water and refill water bottles here. Stradun, the main promenade, is shopping and cafes by day, and at night turns into one big cocktail party. There’s so much to see here you’ll want to spend a lot of time here.

3. Relax on a beach

Because I live in the UK, I take advantage of any opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and spend time at the beach. I like nothing better than sitting on a lounge chair with a good book and a waiter that will bring me drinks. Banjee Beach in just outside the Old Town, about a 10-minute walk. It’s connected to a restaurant and has very comfy (albiet a little pricey) lounge chairs available for rent. Needles to say I spend a lot of time here.

Head to the Lapad Peninsula for more beaches. Uvala Lapad Beach/ Sunset Beach is nice, and if you head take the footpath you will run into lots of little beaches, some with cement platforms, where you can dive into the sea.

Other beaches to explore include: Koločep Island (Elaphiti Islands), Copacabana (Lapad), Danče Beach (west of Pile Gate), Pasjača (Konavle), Plat Beaches (Zupa Dubrovacka), Sulic Beach (thth), Bellevue Beach (20 minutes from Old Town), St Jakov’s Beach (walk from Old Town),and Sunj Beach (Lopud Island).

4. … and swim in the sea!

The water is cold but refreshing. Of course you can swim from the beaches. But also all around Dubrovnik where you can scramble over rocks and take a dip into the sea. Many areas have stairs leading into the water. I saw many (young) people jumping from the rocks. But I don’t recommend that. 😳

Top Tip: Bring water shoes – the beaches are rocky and there lots of slippery areas and sea anemones. Your feet will thank you. We also brought our own blow up ring (from Decathalon!) which we used pretty much every day.

5. Take the Cable Car up Srdj Hill

The view is totally worth the price tag. Once up top, you have sweeping views over Old Town, Lokum Island, Lapad Peninsula, and Elephite Islands.  Another option is to take the cable car up and walk down. Or walk both ways! Many people head up Srdj Hill for sunset. There’s the very pricey Restaurant Panaoramic which is the type of place you’ll witness a birthday celebration or marriage proposal. We heard the food wasn’t as memorable (and we wanted to eat in the Old Town) so we had drink here.  Don’t miss the Homeland War Museum, which chronicles the 1991 /1991 siege. The main exhibition has English explanations and there is a room that shows sobering ITV coverage of the 1991 attack.

6. Ride the ferry to Lokrum Island

Ignore the private tours and take the public boat from the Old Port to Lokrum Island. The ferry price includes entry to the Nature Reserve (Dubrovnik Pass gets you a discount).  Once there admire the peacocks, swim in the deep blue waters of the “Dead Sea”, a lake bordered by high cliffs, visit the monastery and botanical gardens. There’s a restaurant and a few food kiosks, but many people bring their own picnic.

7. Climb up to Fort Lovrijenac

Fort Lovrijenac (Fort Lawrence) – made famous by King of Thrones, has fantastic views of the Old Town and Adriatic Sea. Don’t be out off by the steps (apparently there are 200). The steepest part is a few at the end. I’m not the most fittest of people and I easily made it. Go for it, the views are totally worth it (included in Dubrovnik Pass or pay the nominal fee)

8. Visit the Museums

Dubrovnik is full of museums that cover it’s history, culture, art and more. There’s even a “Selfie Museum”. As mentioned, the Homeland War Museum at the top of Srdj Hill is worth a visit. There’s also:

• Ethnographic museum – key to Dubrovnik’s wealth was it’s invest in grain trade. Museum is in old granary where you can peer down 15 holes (rupe) and see where grains were stored in the perfect temperature. My favourite were the displays of folk dress, brightly couloirs outfits I would happily wear today!
• Rector’s Palace – in Middle Ages ruled by rectors (appointed by nobility), and only in power for 1 month. Not a lot here but worth a visit if you have museum pass if only to get a sense of the grandeurs
• Franciscan Monastery Museum – century old working pharmacy. Beautiful cloister (some damaged in 1991 siege). View original medieval pharmacy which opened in 1317!

9. Have a drink at the Buza Bar

Buza means hole which is what you have to walk through to get to this bar which is perched in the cliff /sea wall in the Old Town. Go up the Jesuit Steps, turn left at Saint Ignatius Church, and follow the signs for “the best cold drinks with a view”. Great place for sunset. Fills up fast. Small cement “beach” where you can jump in the sea. Over priced drinks, but of course they are this place is fantastic.

10. Watch the sunset from the Cave Bar

Head over to the Lapad Peninsula and find the Cave Bar, a unique natural cave and beach area. The deck area is a wonderful spot to watch the sunset over the Adriatic.

The Dubrovnik Pass

Note – We bought a 3-day Dubrovnik Pass pass which cost just slightly more than the City Walls entry and included several other attractions. If you are walking the City Wall – which I highly recommend – then it’s a no-brainer. We went to many of the museums at our leisure and used to accompanying 3-day bus pass to go to back and forth to Lapad Bay (#6 Babin Kuk) where many beaches are.

Read my post: Where to eat in Dubrovnik

Coming soon.

Read my post: Where to stay in Dubrovnik

Coming soon.