Best Things to Do in Dubrovnik

You may know Dubrovnik as one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones or simply as a spectacular medieval walled city. Either way, it’s one of Croatia’s most iconic destinations. From walking the ancient city walls and exploring the Old Town to island hopping, sea kayaking and dining beside the Adriatic, here’s our pick of the best things to do in Dubrovnik.

TL;DR: Dubrovnik’s Highlights

• The Old Town, Stradun & City Walls
• Mount Srđ & the Cable Car
• Game of Thrones filming locations
• Beaches, sea kayaking & Lokrum Island
• Seafood, oysters & cliffside bars
• The Elaphiti Islands & Mostar day trips

The Old Town: Stradun and the City Walls

The best place to begin exploring is Dubrovnik’s UNESCO-listed Old Town. Enter through Pile Gate, the city’s main western entrance, and you’ll find yourself on the Stradun. This wide, limestone road runs through the heart of the city and is lined with cafés, restaurants and elegant Renaissance buildings.

Many of Dubrovnik’s main sights sit along or just off the Stradun, including the Franciscan Monastery, Sponza Palace, the Church of St Blaise, Rector’s Palace and the Cathedral. But don’t spend all your time on the main drag. Some of the city’s most charming bits are tucked away down the narrow side streets and steep stone staircases, where you’ll stumble across tiny wine bars, family-run restaurants and quiet corners away from the crowds.

If there’s one thing you absolutely shouldn’t miss, it’s walking the city walls. Built and strengthened between the 13th and 17th centuries, they completely encircle the Old Town and offer incredible views in every direction. It takes a couple of hours to complete the circuit, but go early, especially in summer, to avoid the crowds and heat. The views over the terracotta rooftops, the Adriatic and nearby Lokrum Island are simply stunning.

The best views: The Cable Car & Mount Srđ

For the best views in Dubrovnik, head up Mount Srđ. The cable car whisks you more than 400 metres above the city, with a panorama that stretches from the Old Town and Adriatic islands to the mountains beyond.

It’s particularly magical around sunset, when the city takes on a golden glow beneath you and the sea shimmers in the evening light. At the top, you’ll also find the 19th-century Imperial Fortress, home to a small but fascinating museum dedicated to the 1991-92 Siege of Dubrovnik, when Yugoslav and Montenegrin forces bombarded the city, targeting its historic centre.

Game of Thrones: King’s Landing & the Jesuit Stairs

It’s impossible to ignore the popular TV series Game of Thrones’ connection to Dubrovnik. The city was the primary filming location for King’s Landing, and its most iconic landmarks featured heavily throughout the series. Even if you’ve never watched an episode, these are places you’d want to visit anyway.

The Jesuit Staircase was the setting for Cersei’s infamous Walk of Shame, and the Pile Gate and Old Port stood in for King’s Landing’s harbour. The Lovrijenac Fortress, perched on a dramatic hill just outside the city walls, doubled as the Red Keep and offers excellent views back across the Old Town.

If you are a fan, the guided walking tours are excellent. They weave the filming locations into the city’s real medieval history, which is every bit as dramatic as the show.

Beaches & Bays: Banje, Sveti Jakov & Sea Kayaking

Dubrovnik offers the best of the Adriatic experience, with centuries of history on one side and clear turquoise waters on the other, meaning you can easily switch from sightseeing to swimming if the mood takes you. Banje Beach is the easiest option. It’s just outside the Old Town walls and offers lovely views back towards the city. For something a little quieter, head to Sveti Jakov Beach, which is tucked away in a sheltered bay to the east. It takes a little bit more effort to get there, but the setting is well worth it. Further west, the Lapad Peninsula has a more relaxed, local feel, with pebble beaches, waterfront cafés and lovely walking paths along the coast.

For a completely different perspective of Dubrovnik, head out on a sea kayaking tour. Paddling beneath the city walls is a fabulous experience, and many tours continue out towards Lokrum Island, where you can swim and snorkel along the way. Ideal for those days when sightseeing on land feels a bit too much.

Food & Drink: Black Risotto & Fresh Oysters

As you’d expect from a city perched on the Adriatic, seafood features heavily on most menus, including grilled fish, octopus, prawns and black risotto made with squid ink. Another regional speciality is oysters from Mali Ston, a small town on the nearby Pelješac Peninsula. They’re considered some of the best in Croatia and a must-try.

The restaurants around the Stradun and Gundulić Square are popular with tourists. But if you’re after somewhere with a slightly more local atmosphere, Lapad often offers excellent food without quite the same level of tourism.

When it comes to drinks, a glass of local Pošip white wine is hard to beat. Ideally, enjoy it at one of Dubrovnik’s famous cliffside bars, carved into the rocks just outside the southern city walls. Watching the sun sink into the Adriatic from a terrace above the sea is about as perfect as evenings get.

Day Trips: Lokrum, the Elaphiti Islands & Mostar

If you fancy escaping the city for a few hours, Lokrum Island is the easiest option. Just a short boat ride from the Old Port, it’s a peaceful, car-free nature reserve where you’ll find peacocks wandering freely, the ruins of a Benedictine monastery, secret swimming spots and the famous Dead Sea saltwater lake where you can effortlessly float in the warm, still water.

For a full day out, the Elaphiti Islands are another great option. This small archipelago has three main inhabited islands: Lopud, Šipan and Koločep and offers some of the prettiest scenery in the region. Lopud is home to Šunj Beach, one of the rare sandy beaches in this part of Croatia. Šipan is wonderfully peaceful, with olive groves and sleepy stone villages. While Koločep is famous for its Blue Cave, where sunlight transforms the water into an extraordinary shade of electric blue. The only way into the cave is by boat, and you’ll need to swim the last stretch inside, which is about 20 metres, but it’s a truly magical experience.

A very popular day trip from Dubrovnik, but a little further afield, involves crossing the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina, where most tours combine the city of Mostar with the Kravice Waterfalls. In Mostar, the iconic Ottoman bridge, Stari Most spans the Neretva River connecting the two parts of the city, and is an absolute must-see. While the Kravice Waterfalls provide the perfect contrast. Here you’ll find a series of beautiful cascades that tumble into clear blue-green pools, where you can take a dip and cool off in the summer months.

Make it a Multi Centre Holiday

Dubrovnik works brilliantly as part of a Croatia multi centre holiday, whether combined with Split and Hvar, the islands of the Adriatic, or a wider journey through the Balkans. From a simple twin centre escape to a tailor made itinerary covering several destinations, we can help create the perfect holiday for you.