The Best Things to Do in Dubrovnik

Croatia, Travel Tips

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By Ryan Gargiulo

The Best Things to Do in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, is known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic” and boy does it live up to it’s nickname.

In my opinion, there are very few places in Europe that can match this place when it comes to overall beauty.

Well, maybe Bled, Slovenia could give Dubrovnik a run for its money but there’s not half as many things to see and do in Bled as there is in Dubrovnik.

After two visits to this beautiful city over the course of the last couple of years, I couldn’t help sharing some of my favorite things to see, do and experience in Dubrovnik.

Some of you may have noticed that this article originally started out as a Top 5 list of things to do in Dubrovnik, but since there’s so many awesome things to experience here, I’ve decided to continue updating and adding on to the list over time.

Walk the Ancient Walls of Dubrovnik

Walk the Ancient Walls of Old Town

Yes, you can actually walk atop the giant castle walls that surround and protect the Old Town of Dubrovnik!

The walk around the walls is about 1.2 miles long and can be done at a fast or leisurely pace.

Some parts of the castle walls reach up to an impressive 82 feet in height, and up to 20 feet wide.

My advice is to take your time and don’t forget to take advantage of some of the many amazing photo opportunities along the way!

Trust me when I say that your friends back home will be jealous when they see some of your photos from above.

Oh, and one last thing. Don’t forget to pack a portable battery charger for this one because you’re not going to want your phone/camera to run out of juice during this tour.

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Dubrovnik Game of Thrones Walking Tour

Game Of Thrones Walking Tour

ATTN: Game of Thrones fans!

If you’re planning on visiting Dubrovnik, there’s one thing you’re not going to want to miss.

Dun, dun dun…

The new, highly recommended Game of Thrones Walking Tour that all GOT fans are talking about..

This 3 hour tour takes you to many of the locations used to film the hit series. With an expert guide by your side, you’ll climb the city walls (via stairs) while reminiscing about some of those bloody battle scenes you saw on the show.

You’ll get to visit Lovrijenac Fortress to learn about the evil ways of King Joffrey and so much more.

Game of Thrones fans from around the world are raving about this tour as I write this.

Don’t believe me? Click the Learn More button below to read the reviews and find out why the Game of Thrones Walking Tour is now listed as one of the best things to do in Dubrovnik.

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Sea Kayaking in Dubrovnik

Go Kayaking In The Adriatic Sea

I highly recommend taking a half-day kayaking and snorkeling adventure on your next visit to Dubrovnik.

For those of you that have nightmares about flipping over in a kayak and getting stuck upside down, I’m here to tell you that there’s no need for you to worry!

The kayaks are top loading, therefore you basically sit in a somewhat comfortable seat on top of the kayak.

If there are two of you, you can take a two-seat kayak.

Instructors will lead the way as you struggle to keep in sync with your partners paddling.

You’ll eventually get the hang of it and like us, you’ll end up passing your instructors at light speed while attempting to see how fast you can actually make your Kayak go!

As you cruise along the beautiful Adriatic sea you circle the Island of Lokrum, explore some small caves, and make a quick pit stop into a private cave beach along the Dubrovnik coast line called Bettina.

Here, you’ll take a relaxing seat on the beach while you consume your yummy dalmatian ham & cheese sandwich which is included in the tour price.

Once your food has been digested you can take a dip in the clear blue waters with your snorkel gear for a bit before heading back to the mainland.

Note: The ticket price includes your kayak, snorkeling equipment, bottled water, snacks, waterproof barrels for personal items, guides and instructors.

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Visit Lokrum Island

Visit Lokrum

Lokrum is a small, lush, uninhabited yet beautiful island which lies about 0.4 miles off of Dubrovnik’s spectacular coastline.

With just a short 10 minute ferry ride from the port of Old town to Lokrum, this island can provide a few hours of fun in the sun and some nice hikes along Lokrum’s many sea side cliffs.

Not only can you spend a couple of hours taking in all of the photo opportunities along the cliffs, but Lokrum is also home to an old monastery, botanical gardens and a small lake called Mrtvo More or the (Dead Sea).

We had a great time exploring all that’s to been seen on the isle of Lokrum and we highly recommend this short hop across the Adriatic.

Oh, and one more thing. Be sure to watch out for the gangs of pesky peacocks that seem to be around every corner on this island!

Cost: Tickets cost approximately $7 dollars per person and includes a round-trip boat ride from Old Town Port to Lokrum

Cliff side Drinks at Buza

Seaside Drinks At Buza 1 or 2

Buza is a unique cliff side cafe on the south side of Old Town that can only be found by those who can spot an old wooden sign with an arrow that says “Cold Drinks With The Most Beautiful View“.

Be sure to keep an eye out for this little sign, because it can easily be missed.

When you arrive at a hole in the castle walls that leads out to the sea, you know you’ve arrived!

Most people pass right by this place without ever knowing it existed. That’s what makes it special though, right?

Tip: There’s actually two Cafe Buza’s (Buza 1, and Buza 2) along the edge of Old Town. How you’ll know the difference between Buza 1 and 2 is that Buza one is much larger and has little chairs and tables on different levels of the rock below. Buza 2 is smaller yet has a steep set of stairs leading down to the sea. Both are accessed by holes in the castle walls, and both serve the same menu; drinks only!

Cliff Jumping at Buza

Cliff Jumping and Sunbathing at Buza 2

Buza’s not only a great spot for beautiful views and seaside drinks.

It’s also great for swimming, sunbathing and even cliff jumping for some of you adrenaline seekers out there.

Both Buza 1 and 2 have areas where you can swim at but we prefer hanging down by the sea at Buza 2.

There’s a small place to lay your towel and there’s a ladder connected to the main rock so you can hop in and out of the sea with ease.

Note: The sea in front of Buza can get pretty choppy from time to time due to high winds and boats. If you notice it getting too choppy, be very cautious when swimming.

Explore Dubrovnik at Night

Explore Old Town

Old Town Dubrovnik at night is as beautiful as it is during the day.

From the immaculate white cobblestone streets to the maze of stair-filled alleyways that make up Old Town, there are endless routes to explore and you can do so feeling completely safe at all hours of the night.

You’ll find that there’s usually a lot going on in Old Town by night.

The streets are filled with the young and the old and most seem to enjoy taking an evening stroll while admiring all of Old Town’s beauty.

If an evening stroll isn’t your cup of tea, you can head to one of the many restaurants and bars in the area, or you can even make a delicious decision to stop into one of the few gelato shops in town.

Dubrovnik Cable Car

Ride the Dubrovnik Cable Car

Experiencing this beautiful old city by strolling it’s streets and alleyways is one thing. Seeing it in all of its glory from high atop Srd Hill is another.

Do yourself a favor and take the short cable car ride up to see Dubrovnik from the above.

The views from Srd. hill are breathtaking and the panoramic views of the Adriatic Sea below are nothing short of incredible.

If you do it independently, an adult round-trip ticket will cost you 100 kuna ($17 USD).

If you want to experience the views from atop Srd. Hill both in the morning and the evening, the Night and Day Package would suit you best at 150 kuna ($26 USD)

If you’re interested in a package deal that includes both your cable car ticket and a guided walking tour of Old Town Dubrovnik all-in-one, I recommend that you take a look at the Dubrovnik Cable Car and Old Town Walking Tour Experience.

Banje Beach

Catch Some Rays at Banje Beach

If you’re looking for a bit of a change after swimming beneath the cliffs of Buza, head on over to Banje Beach, Dubrovnik’s main public beach.

The beach itself isn’t the best beach in the world by any means but it’s suitable for a nice day of sunbathing.

There are beds available but my advice is to just toss your towel down on the side closest to Old Town and enjoy the views of the harbor in the distance.

One of the problems I have with this beach is that a good chunk of it is covered with large stones that tumble around in the water and get tossed up from the sea floor as the waves come crashing in.

The reason I know this is beacuse I had a fairly large stone crack me directly in the forehead while swimming there one time.

Also, walking around in the shallow water can prove to be quite difficult due to the stones on the sea floor.

Banje beach isn’t the most incredible beach in the world but it’s definitely one of the top things to do in Dubrovnik. 

Even if you’re not too much of a beach person, a visit to Banje Beach should definitely be on your list.

Bay of Kotor Montenegro

Take a Day Trip to Montenegro

Okay, so it’s not exactly a thing to do in Dubrovnik, but it sure is something that is very accessible when you’re using Dubrovnik as a home base!

Believe it or not, Montenegro, a country which delcared its independence from Serbia back in 2006 is only a one-hour drive from Dubrovnik.

While the country is still on a list of lesser known destinations to visit, the word is spreading fast.

We took a day trip to Kotor and Budva, Montenegro and one of the highlights of the tour was a visit to the Bay of Kotor, a picturesque 17 mile long bay which is surrounded by rolling hills and massive mountains (Mount Orjen in the west and Mount Lovcen in the east).

I can’t say enough about how beautiful the landscape of this country is.

If you’re looking for a fun and interesting day trip from Dubrovnik and you’re wanting to add another cool stamp in your passport, I highly recommend you take a day trip to Montenegro.

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Kupari Abandoned Hotel

Explore Abandoned Hotels in Kupari

First things first, let me tell you that it’s highly unlikely that you’ll find this recommendation on any other website.

In my opinion, this is one of the most unique places to explore in the area and it’s located only a few miles down the road from Old Town Dubrovnik.

You’re probably wondering why most tourists don’t know about this place, right?

Especially, considering it’s so close to town.

Well, I don’t know for sure but my best guess is that very few tourists visit Kupari due to the following:

  1. The tourism board would never mention it as a tourist destination due to liability.
  2. You need to be a certain type of person to want to explore abandoned buildings.
  3. You have to take a public bus to get there or you could hitchhike there, like I did.
  4. Exploring the hotels can be dangerous due to fragile floors, ceilings and walls.
  5. It’s a pretty creepy place to say the least. Especially if you go alone.

So what is Kupari?

Well, it started out as a luxury resort area for the Yugoslav army and their families back in the 1960’s.

Once the 1980’s hit, Kupari started to allow foreigners to visit and it wasn’t until 1991 that the entire place was blown to pieces by the Yugoslav army as part of the Croatian War of Independence.

More than twenty years later and Kupari still stands as it did just moments after it was first hit by Yugoslav warships.

Over the years, these abandoned hotels were looted for everything of value including copper pipes, toilets, sinks, and more.

Now a days all that is left is some war torn buildings and some killer photo opportunities.

How to get to Kupari

Take the public bus (any bus heading south) and tell the driver you want to get off at Kupari.

Once you hop off the bus, you’ll be on the right hand side of the road facing south.

Turn around 180 degrees and head north until you see the first little road on your left.

Walk all the way down the road until you find yourself in amongst the abandoned hotels of Kupari.

Note: I wrote an entire article about my adventures in Kupari. Read the full story HERE.

The Best Things to Do in Dubrovnik

What are your favorite things to do in Dubrovnik? Feel free to leave a comment below!

22 thoughts on “The Best Things to Do in Dubrovnik”

    • Thanks for the feedback! I would hope that anybody that is fortunate enough to travel to such a beautiful place ends up experiencing ALL of my Top 5! I'll be sure to check out your site when I get the chance. Safe Travels!

      Reply
  1. i read many blogs but i must say your writing style is top notch.you make other bloggers look like kids.keep up your original writing style.

    Reply
  2. Pingback: Pause The Moment | Interview With Travel Blogger Ryan
  3. I always take my camera with me…. so when i went to the isle of Lokrum i used 3 memory card to capture the scenery…one of my best holidays ever….

    Reply
  4. Hi There, loved your blog post very informative. My boyfriend and I are visiting Dubrovnik in three weeks so looking up for things to do there. Did you rent a car when you visited Dubrovnik? we will spend 5 days there so I am not sure if we need to rent a car.
    :) x Flavia

    Reply
    • Hi Flavia, we did not rent a car when we were there. We stayed in an apartment up on the hillside and walked down into the Old Town. We found that everything we wanted/needed to do was within walking distance. Lots and lots of walking! ;-) ENJOY! Dubrovnik is amazing.

      Reply
  5. Hey Ryan!
    My family is coming to Dubrovnik on a cruise, so we have limited time there. My brother and I are going sea kayaking from 9:15 to around 12, but I would LOVE to work in cliff jumping! We depart at around 2 pm, would there be enough time? And what additional information can you provide about it?

    Reply
  6. Great list! Planning a trip to Dubrovnik in the fall of 2014 and I’m going to check off all the points on your list! :) Great writing – thanks for sharing your experience.

    Reply
  7. Good post. We too loved Dubrovnik when we went there in 2000. I remember coming out of the cinema and the sky was a dazzling shade of blue. The shimmer of the marble streets. Amazing!
    Saw your travel blogging tip on hostelbookers and visited your site for inspiration.

    Reply
  8. Hello,

    Your still is awesome! Saving your article :)

    I will be visiting Dubrovnik Mid August. I was wondering which area is the best to pick for staying in a hotel/ hostel? Something affordable that is centrally located to all the main attractions?

    Reply
    • Hi Pasant. The best area to stay in Dubrovnik would be in Old Town. If you cannot seem to find anything within your budget, you could always take a look on Airbnb for apartments in the hills above Old Town. Just know that you’ll be walking up and down a lot of stairs if you do book outside of the Old Town.

      Reply
  9. Great post! I also went to Dubrovnik this past July and can’t wait to return already! It was lovely having your blog to reminisce over and compare to my experiences. If you have a moment I’d love to get your opinion on my Croatia posts on my blog at thisisyugen.blogspot.com.

    Keep up the good work,
    Elle

    Reply

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