I can describe my first impression of Dubrovnik in 3 words “so many people!” After other places in Croatia I was not prepared for the sheer number of people. I understand the city is considering limiting the number of tourists allowed in to the city and I can see why.
I was glad that Dubrovnik was the last place in Croatia I visited as by then I had already fallen well in love with the country, not so sure I would have felt the same if I’d landed first in Dubrovnik. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an absolutely amazing city with beautiful architecture and fabulous beaches, but I would recommend if you can starting in Zagreb and working your way down to Dubrovnik from there.
Getting around
Atlas runs a bus from the airport to the main bus station near the port with a stop at the old town along the way. Buses leaving the airport are timed to meet incoming flights and from the city to meet all outgoing flights. The timetable is posted online a few days in advance. You can buy tickets online up to 24 hours beforehand (40KN) or from the main bus station (45KN). The trip takes about 35 minutes. If you are arriving by ferry the port is around 500 metres from the bus station where you can get a bus into the old town or other part of the city.
Most of the sites you’ll want to see are centred around the old city, a fairly compact area. Buses run very regularly into here from other places around the city from very early in the morning until late at night so I’d probably recommend staying somewhere a little quieter and getting a bus into the old town for sightseeing and dinner. Single bus tickets are 15KN if you buy them from the driver or 12KN if you buy them from a kiosk before boarding.
If you are going to use buses more than a few times and you intend to walk the city walls it is probably worth getting a 1 Day Dubrovnik Card. This gives you access to a number of museums in the city, the city walls and unlimited use of public transport for 24 hours. These can be purchased online for 180KN. You then take the email to the tourist office near the Pile gate (the main entrance to the old town) and they will give you the tickets. They can be purchased directly at the tourist office, although they will strongly suggest that you use the free wifi to purchase online while you are there.
Old city
City Walls
If you do only one thing in Dubrovnik I’d suggest walking the city walls (cost 120KN if you haven’t purchased a Dubrovnik card). The gates open at 8am. Most of the guide books recommend doing the walk early in the morning or late in the afternoon as there is little or no shade on the walls and it can get very hot. This is sensible advice but means that there is a big queue of people by the gates open.
I’d suggest waiting until around 8.15am as then you’ll miss that first influx of people as the walls are quite narrow and it can get quite congested. Allow about 1 ½ hours to do the walk allowing for photo stops. You’ll want to take plenty as the views over the city and the water are amazing.
Other things to see in the old city
If you are interesting in photography and / or the conflict in Croatia, it’s worth visiting the Rector’s Palace which has a number of photographs showing the destruction in the early 1990s. It’s pretty shocking as most of the photos are taken around the old town and to see what the buildings looked like that you’ve just seen on the street really brings home how much work they’ve done to restore them.
Leave plenty of time to wander around the streets looking at some of the amazing architecture.
Eating out in the old city
Most of the restaurants in the old town cater squarely for tourists and all have similar menus so it probably doesn’t matter a lot which one you choose. If you feel like sampling some local wines I’d suggest a wine flight at D’vino. The wines I tried here were definitely the best I’d tried in Croatia, the prices pretty reasonable and the staff are very knowledgeable about the wines. If you feel like staying for dinner they do platters of cheeses and local meats.
It’s a pretty small venue and it does get crowded so I’d suggest going there early in the evening (although they will do their best to find you a space, particularly if you are happy to share a table with others). The place is run by a Queenslander and so has that relaxed Aussie vibe.
Sunset
If you are near the old town around sunset I’d recommend heading along the main street up the hill away from the old town, then take the first street you come to on the left. At the end of the street you’ll come to some stairs leading up to a park. Cross the park for the most amazing views of the sunset.
Outside the old city
If you want to escape the crowds in the city for a few hours a boat trip to Lokrum is worthwhile. Ferry boats leave every half an hour during high season from the old port and the trip takes about 15 minutes. Tickets are 150KN return and can be purchased from the dock (they only take cash).
The boat can be quite crowded but once you get to the island every one seems to disburse. There are a number of cafes on the island. I ate at the one at the back of the monastery. The menu was pretty limited (think pizzas and burgers) but the setting more than made up for it.
There are a number of spots across the island easy walking distance from the dock for swimming. There is even a nudist beach if you feel like trying something different. The beaches are described in the tourist guides as rocky. This doesn’t mean the pebbles that you see elsewhere on the beaches instead of sand, it means the rock ledges effectively go right the way to the water. Like most of the other beaches in Croatia, it’s worth having reef shoes to protect your feet.
Beaches
Like everywhere else in Croatia, the water around Dubrovnik is crystal clear and lovely for swimming. The closes beach to town (just near the old port) is Banje beach. It tends to get very crowded but can still be a pleasant way to spend a few hours once you’ve had your fill of scenery.
I also went to Bellevue beach based on a recommendation from Lonely Planet. I had the place to myself which was absolutely lovely but you need to be somewhat determined to get there as the street the stairs runs off (Kotorska) doesn’t appear on any of the local maps. Also worth knowing that if you take the Kotorska street stairs as suggested by Lonely Planet it takes you to a roped off swimming area not a beach as such so there isn’t anywhere to lay down your towel.
If you do want to go I’d suggest getting to the Bellevue Hotel which is relatively easy to find and then asking the guard who is there to ensure no public access to the private hotel beach for directions.
Other places in Croatia
If you’d like to read about other places in Croatia or some general tips on travelling there see the following links: