Your Ultimate Guide to the Best Things to Do in Dubrovnik, Croatia

If you’re thinking of visiting Dubrovnik, Croatia, then you’re in luck, here’s the ultimate guide to the best things to do in Dubrovnik.

Whether you’re a history buff, a wine lover, a Game of Thrones superfan, or just looking for some Adriatic sunshine, Dubrovnik has it all. Read on for my curated guide to the 12 best things to do in Dubrovnik.

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Buy a Dubrovnik City Pass

Unlike many city passes, the Dubrovnik City Pass is great value. The one-day pass costs 40 euros, the same as entry to the city walls, and gives free access to a host of museums and galleries. It also included free transport around town.

The 3-day pass costs 50 euros, but this is still excellent value as you have more time to use it. A 7-day pass is available for 60 euros.

You can only enter each attraction once per pass, so you can’t go to the city walls every day of your pass. Also, the pass excludes the privately run cable car.

Walk the City Wall

The number one thing to do in Dubrovnik is to walk the city walls. Accessible from three points. (Pro tip: avoid the Pile Gate, it’s where all the crowds are), the walls give a spectacular view of the Old Town of Dubrovnik.

For the best experience, go later in the day, when the cruise ship hordes have left, and the sunset gives the city a golden hue.

 Explore the Old Town and Stradun

Enter Dubrovnik’s old town via the main Pile Gate, and the first thing you’ll see is the wide Stradun. As you stroll along it, fill your water bottle at the Large Onofrio Fountain, built in 1438 and still providing fresh drinking water today.

On the hour, you’ll hear the bells of the clock tower chime. Maro and Baro, two bronze figures with hammers called the Zelenci, strike the hours at the clock tower at the far end of the Stradun. The originals (you can see them in the Rector’s Palace) were in place in 1444, 15 years before their counterparts in Venice. Unfortunately, earthquake damage required the tower to be demolished in 1928. The rebuild the following year replicated the original to the last detail.

Many visitors to Dubrovnik’s old town don’t stray far from the Stadum, which is a real shame. Don’t make the same mistake. Exploring the narrow streets and discovering the hidden gems of Dubrovnik is part of the joy.

Follow the Game of Thrones Trail

It would be an absolute “SHAME, SHAME” for Game of Thrones fans to miss out on seeing Dubrovnik, which doubled for King’s Landing from series two until the end.

Join the fun and a Game of Thrones themed walking tour. See where Cersei Lannister took the walk of shame, hear the inside stories of what the stars got up to during filming, and sit on the iron throne itself.

Note: Lokrum Island, which doubled for Dorn (and has the Iron Throne on it) is usually offered as an optional extra on GoT tours as the cost for the ferry and entrance to the island is 30 euros. The 3 day Dubrovnik pass gives a 20% discount. You may find some internet chat quoting 7 euros, but this is for the ferry only and doesn’t give access to the island.

There are many Game of Thrones themed walks around Dubrovnik. I recommend this one.

Visit the Fortress of St Lawrence (Lovrijenac)

A short climb will bring you to the Fortress of St. Lawrence, which stands on a 100-foot sea cliff outside the walls of the Old Town. The fortress, which doubled as the Red Keep in Game of Thrones, has defended Dubrovnik since at least 1301 and probably long before.

St. Lawrence fortress is a symbol of Dubrovnik’s independence and covers the city’s western Pile gate. The words “NON BENE PRO TOTO LIBERTAS VENDITUR AURO” carved above the fort entrance, translate to “Freedom cannot be sold for all the gold of the world.”

During the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, the fortress becomes a big outdoor theater, so you might catch a show if you visit then.

Take the cable car to Mount Srd

The cable car whisks you on a four-minute journey to the summit of Mount Srd, which looms over Dubrovnik. At the upper station, a pleasant restaurant serves excellent coffee while you take in the stunning view of the old town and the Adriatic Sea. The cable car runs until midnight during the season, so it’s an excellent spot for a dinner overlooking Dubrovnik. After dinner, descend back to the old town, a few minutes’ walk from the lower station, for a nightcap.

Other options at the top of the mountain are a dune buggy adventure, a coin blacksmithing shop, jewellery store and a souvenir outlet.

Escape to Lokrum Island

A short boat ride from the old town takes you to Lokrum Island (which doubled for the Island of Dorn in GoT). The island is a protected nature reserve with special flora and fauna present.

Highlights on the island are a Benedictine monastery, a French fort, Emperor Maximilian’s summer residence and a lazaret or quarantine.

Visitors can also sit on the official Iron Throne donated by the makers of Game of Thrones (there is another one in Belfast, but who’s counting?).

Visit the Cathedral & Its Treasury

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin is built on the site of many others, including one built by King Richard the Lionheart to give thanks for his survival from a storm.

The current incarnation replaced the one destroyed by the 1667 earthquake and took thirty years to complete. Inside the cathedral, the Treasury holds some fascinating items. These include 132 saintly relics, a piece of the cross and the swaddling clothes of the baby Jesus.

Kayak or Boat to Hidden Coves & Beaches

Take a sea kayaking tour to get a different view of Dubrovnik’s old town and the island of Lokrum.

After a safety briefing, the guide will lead you through the channel between the city walls and St. Lawrence Fortress out into the Adriatic. From there, you paddle towards Lokrum Island before taking a break at the spectacular cave beach at Betina.

The tours last 2-3 hours, and sunset tour options are available.

Discover the Rector’s Palace and Dubrovnik’s Museums

Originally the centre of administration for the Dubrovnik republic, and twice blown up in the 15th century, the Rector’s Palace is now a museum and art gallery. The original Zelenci (greenies) who struck the hours in the bell tower until an earthquake destroyed it, are displayed here. The palace often serves as a concert venue.

Dubrovnik has many interesting museums dotted around town, including the Natural History Museum, Maritime Museum, Ethnographical Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art.

Wander the Jesuit Stairs & Hidden Alleys

Most people, particularly day trippers, stick to the main street, Stradun. Maybe they’ll go one street back, but they’re missing out. Those who brave the steep steps leading to narrow passageways and cobbled streets discover the real Dubrovnik. Fifteen hundred people still live in the ancient buildings of the old town, and you’ll find the secret spots they frequent.

If the Jesuit Stairs look familiar to you, there are two reasons. One, they were the location of the famous Walk of Shame scene in Game of Thrones, and two, they were inspired by Rome’s Spanish Steps.

Enjoy sunset drinks at a Cliff-side bar

Dubrovnik’s Buza bar is an institution. To get to it, you’ll need to brave the steep steps of the Old Town and squeeze through a gap in the city walls. Once there, you’ll find a stunning Adriatic view and a pleasant bar.

You might witness people diving from the rocks into the sea. Not for the faint-hearted!

People usually grab the best seats quickly for sunset, so make sure you arrive in plenty of time!

Buy Skincare Products one of Europe’s Oldest Pharmacies

The Franciscan monastery in Dubrovnik boasts one of the oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Europe. It opened its doors to provide remedies for the monks in 1317 and still sells items made to those original (and natural) remedies.

The monastery itself has a beautiful cloister and a museum displaying the tools of the pharmacy trade.

Final Thoughts on Dubrovnik, Pearl of the Adriatic

Whether you’re a history buff, a Game of Thrones superfan or just want some Adriatic sun in an interesting place, Dubrovnik will have just what you need.

It was a thriving tourist destination long before HBO pushed it into the world’s consciousness as the stunt city for King’s Landing.

Go in the height of summer and you may well find it too hot and too crowded, but time your visit to the shoulder seasons and you’ll find good weather and room to breathe.

Make Dubrovnik your next city break, you won’t regret it!

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