Top Dubrovnik attractions include the city walls, Mount Srd and War Photo Limited. And great things to do in Dubrovnik include sea kayaking, taking the ferry to Lokrum and an Elafiti Islands cruise.
Things to do in Dubrovnik for first time visitors
There’s plenty to do in Croatia’s premier tourist hotspot, Dubrovnik – check out this wide range of experiences if you need more inspiration. But the eight suggestions below should be the priority for first time visitors.
Enjoy Dubrovnik’s Old Town
The hyperbole about Dubrovnik’s Old Town is entirely justified. The gleaming stone buildings, red-tiled roofs and steep, narrow passageways make it staggeringly picturesque. The further away from the main street – Stradun – you go, the more interesting the finds.
Walk the Dubrovnik City Walls
The Old Town is packaged up by the city walls. A full circuit of the ramparts clocks in at just under two kilometres. It’s all about the views, but it’s the details you notice on the way – such as rooftop basketball courts and nuns unwinding hoses inside the convent – that bring the Old Town to life.
Go to the top of Mount Srđ by cable car
The best views of Dubrovnik don’t come from inside the old town – they come from the mountain looming over it. Get the cable car up and walk down the winding rocky path to sample the majesty of the setting at its best. www.dubrovnikcablecar.com
Go sea kayaking on the Adriatic
The usually duckpond-esque and blazingly blue waters of the Adriatic Sea are perfect for paddling around. The coast somehow looks even more impressive as you navigate it at close quarters. Several Dubrovnik kayaking tours are available.
Visit the Rector’s Palace
When Dubrovnik was an independent republic, the Rector’s Palace was the seat of power. It’s now a mish-mash of grand rooms, old furniture, temporary exhibitions and former jail cells.
Learn about the dark past at War Photo Limited
Dubrovnik’s museums are pretty underwhelming, but this gallery is the exception. War Photo Limited’s permanent exhibition focuses on the Balkan wars of the 1990s, capturing striking scenes from mid-battle and the human emotion and suffering that resulted.
Take the ferry to Lokrum
A 15-minute ferry hop over the water from the Old Town’s harbour, Lokrum is the perfect escape from the crowded madhouse. It’s a chilled-out island, ideally suited to a lazy walk, a touch of monastery spotting and a swim. The latter can be done from the beach, in a picturesque saltwater lake or off the rocks at the far side of the island where the nude bathers hang out.
Go on an Elafiti Islands cruise
Island life is much slower, as becomes abundantly clear on Koločep, Lopud and Šipan. These are the three that the numerous operators offering day cruises tend to stop at, and you only need to walk 100m or so from the jetties to find hillside walking trails, old churches and semi-ruined stoned fortresses.
When the sun’s out, they’re as close to the peaceful Mediterranean dream as you’re probably ever going to find.
How many days do you need in Dubrovnik, and what’s the best time to visit?
Most first-time visitors spend two to four days in Dubrovnik to cover the essential attractions without feeling rushed. Two days allows you to walk the city walls, explore the Old Town, and take the cable car up Mount Srđ, while three to four days gives you time to add sea kayaking, a Lokrum Island visit, or an Elafiti Islands day cruise.
The best months to visit Dubrovnik are May, June, and September when temperatures average 20-25°C, the Adriatic is warm enough for swimming, and cruise ship crowds are lighter than peak July-August when the Old Town becomes extremely congested with up to 10,000 daily cruise passengers.
October offers pleasant weather (18-22°C) with significantly fewer tourists, though some boat tours reduce frequency or stop operating after mid-October. Summer visitors should start walking the city walls before 9am to avoid both the heat — temperatures can exceed 35°C with no shade on the exposed ramparts — and the midday crowds that make the narrow walkways uncomfortably packed.
Winter (December-February) brings mild temperatures around 12-15°C and the lowest accommodation prices, but many island ferries run reduced schedules and some attractions like the cable car occasionally close during bad weather.
More Dubrovnik travel
Disclosure: There are affiliate links within this article. If you buy a product after clicking through on these links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to yourself.
