Attraction
City Walls of Dubrovnik
Almost two kilometres of medieval ramparts wrapped around Dubrovnik's Old Town, walkable in a full circuit with views over terracotta roofs and the open Adriatic.
Most of the things to do in Dubrovnik are packed into or around its walled Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on a rocky stretch of the southern Croatian coast. Walking the city walls, exploring the Rector's Palace, the Franciscan Monastery and the cathedral, and strolling the polished limestone of Stradun fill a first day. Beyond the walls, Ploče has the city beach at Banje and the cable car to Mount Srđ, Lapad and Babin Kuk hold most of the larger hotels and swimming spots, and Gruž is the working harbour for ferries to the islands.
Food here leans on the Adriatic: grilled fish, octopus, oysters from nearby Ston and local wines, alongside a Michelin-starred restaurant on the walls and good-value Balkan grill houses. Two or three days covers the Old Town and Lokrum; four or five lets you add boat trips to the Elaphiti Islands or Cavtat. The city is highly seasonal, so many restaurants, bars and boat services close or shorten their hours between November and March.
Attraction
Almost two kilometres of medieval ramparts wrapped around Dubrovnik's Old Town, walkable in a full circuit with views over terracotta roofs and the open Adriatic.
Attraction
The Gothic and Renaissance seat of the Ragusan Republic's rector, now the Cultural History Museum with period rooms, a courtroom, prison cells and a celebrated atrium.
Attraction
A clifftop fortress just outside the Pile Gate, 37 metres above the sea, famed for its liberty motto, its views of the walls and its summer…
Attraction
The polished limestone main street of Dubrovnik's Old Town, running about 300 metres from the Pile Gate to the Bell Tower between uniform post-earthquake houses.
Attraction
A friary by the Pile Gate with a Romanesque-Gothic cloister, a museum of treasures and manuscripts, and a pharmacy that has operated since 1317.
Attraction
Dubrovnik's Baroque cathedral, rebuilt after the 1667 earthquake, with a Titian altarpiece and a treasury holding the gold reliquaries of St Blaise.
Café
Dubrovnik's historic city café, established in 1895 beside Luža Square, with a terrace for coffee and a restaurant overlooking the old harbour.
Café
A small specialty coffee shop in an arched Old Town passageway near the Maritime Museum, serving carefully made espresso and cold brew from Croatian roasters.
Café
A colourful little dessert shop just off Stradun, known for its ice cream, cakes and muffins and for staying open until late in the evening.
Café
An artisan gelato maker with two Old Town shops, the Gelato Factory on Od Puča and the Gelato Garden on Svetog Dominika, known for creative weekly…
Café
A long-established coffee house and bistro on Stradun, popular with locals for coffee and an affordable midday meal and with visitors for its terrace.
Café
A café-bar at the eastern end of Stradun, first opened in 1932, serving all-day breakfasts and brunch by day and drinks in the evening.
Hotel
A five-star seafront hotel in Ploče, a five-minute walk from the Old Town walls, with a private beach, spa and indoor pool and a guest list…
Hotel
A luxury cliffside hotel east of the Old Town, built in the 1960s as a modernist residence, with views across the sea to the walls and…
Hotel
An adults-only five-star hotel on Lapad Bay, with a beach and pools, three restaurants and a bar inside a natural limestone cave.
Hotel
A five-star boutique hotel carved into the cliffs west of the Old Town, with a lift down to its own pebble beach and the Michelin-listed Vapor…
Hotel
A luxury boutique hotel in a Baroque palace at the heart of the Old Town, with rooms named after famous citizens of Dubrovnik and a rooftop…
Hotel
A small boutique hotel steps from Stradun with eleven rooms and three suites, a lobby bar and the Above 5 rooftop restaurant.
Bar
The better known of the bars clinging to the rocks outside Dubrovnik's southern walls, reached through a gap in the walls and famous for sunset views.
Bar
An Old Town wine bar with more than 60 wines by the glass from all over Croatia, served in glasses, bottles and tasting servings with Mediterranean…
Bar
A nightclub inside the 15th-century Revelin Fortress by the Ploče Gate, hosting guest DJs into the early hours.
Bar
A bar set in a natural cave beneath Hotel More in Lapad, spread over three levels with a seafront terrace for coffee by day and cocktails…
Bar
A live jazz bar on the small square beside the cathedral, founded in 1978 by a Dubrovnik musician and still run by his family.
Bar
A craft brewery and taproom in the harbour district of Gruž, serving its own IPA, lager, pale ale and stout among the brewing vats.
Restaurant
Dubrovnik's Michelin-starred restaurant, set on the city walls above the old harbour, where chef Marijo Curić blends Mediterranean produce with Asian and French technique.
Restaurant
A classic fine-dining restaurant in a former maritime school by the Pile Gate, with sea-edge terraces facing the Lovrijenac and Bokar fortresses; closed for the 2026…
Restaurant
A refined Old Town restaurant with an intimate terrace above the lanes, serving contemporary Mediterranean cooking from local produce and five- or nine-course tasting menus.
Restaurant
A seafood restaurant founded in 1886 just off Stradun, known for Adriatic fish, charcoal-grilled octopus and a first-floor terrace.
Restaurant
A Bib Gourmand Old Town restaurant serving Bosnian and Balkan cooking, from grilled meats out of its own butcher's to homemade plum baklava.
Restaurant
A small, casual Old Town restaurant on a narrow lane, serving Croatian tapas followed by contemporary Mediterranean fish, meat and vegetarian mains.
Thing to do
A four-minute cable car ride from just above the Old Town to the 412-metre summit of Mount Srđ, with panoramic terraces, a restaurant and a war…
Thing to do
A small morning market on an Old Town square below the Jesuit staircase, selling fruit, vegetables, candied orange peel, dried figs, lavender and local liqueurs.
Thing to do
Dubrovnik's best-known city beach, a pebbly bay in Ploče just east of the Old Town, with a public stretch and a beach club renting loungers by…
Thing to do
The second largest of the Elaphiti Islands, a short boat ride from Dubrovnik, known for the sandy bay of Šunj, a 15th-century Franciscan monastery and a…
Thing to do
A small seaside town about 15 kilometres south of Dubrovnik, linked to the city by boat, with an award-winning promenade, the Račić Mausoleum and links to…
Tour operator
A local tour company running Old Town, city walls and Game of Thrones walking tours plus daytime and sunset sea kayaking, meeting by the Pile bus…
Tour operator
Cruises from Dubrovnik on a replica of a 16th-century Dubrovnik merchant ship, including Elaphiti island hopping, sunset and night cruises.
Tour operator
Small-group and private wine tours from Dubrovnik led by a WSET-qualified sommelier, visiting Konavle, Ston and further afield, plus Old Town tastings.
Tour operator
A private boat tour and charter company based at the ACI Marina since 2006, offering Elaphiti Islands trips of two to eight hours and boat rental.
Tour operator
A sea kayaking company running since 2005, with a kayak centre on Lopud and full-day and multi-day paddling trips around the Dubrovnik islands.
Two or three days covers the Old Town, the city walls, the cable car and Lokrum; four or five days allows boat trips to the Elaphiti Islands or Cavtat
The Old Town puts you among the sights, Ploče is close to the walls and Banje Beach, and Lapad offers seafront hotels and beaches with a short bus ride into the centre
Airport shuttle buses and taxis connect Dubrovnik Airport with the city, stopping near the Pile Gate and the main bus station in Gruž
It is one of the more expensive destinations in Croatia, especially inside the walls in summer, but bakeries, markets and grill houses help keep costs down
Yes. Crime levels are low; the main hazards are summer heat, slippery stone streets and steep steps, so wear good shoes and carry water