We spent a day in Dubrovnik on our road trip round Croatia. Although Dubrovnik is very picturesque, it is also extremely expensive and incredibly crowded. The old town is peppered with more cashpoints than a Vegas casino. In my opinion, Dubrovnik is somewhat overrated and I wasn’t a huge fan. (We spent the previous day in the walled cities of Budva and Kotor, which were both nicer, cheaper and less crowded). The three main attractions in Dubrovnik; the city walls, the cable car and ferry to Lokrum will set you back a whopping €101. We decided we were happy just to wander the ancient streets and admire the view. So, here is my budget conscious itinerary for a day in Dubrovnik.
How to get to Dubrovnik
We drove to Dubrovnik as part of a Balkan road trip, arriving from Kotor in Montenegro and continuing the next day to Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina. (We then returned to Croatia a few days later to visit Split). If you arrive in Dubrovnik by car, good luck! Parking is nigh on impossible and if you do find a space, it won’t be cheap! Dubrovnik has its own airport, which is located 14 miles south west of the city. There is a regular (every 30 minutes) shuttle bus between the two, operated by Platanus. Tickets cost €10 one way. Dubrovnik does not have a rail station. There is a bus station, located 2 miles north of the old town, with buses to several destinations including Split, Zagreb, Kotor, Mostar, Zadar, Budva, Sarajevo, Tirana and Budapest.
Getting Around Dubrovnik
The main attractions are in and around the old town, which is pedestrian. All of the attractions in my itinerary are easily reached on foot, with the exception of View Dubrovnik, which is a viewpoint on the edge of town (about a mile from the old town). If you aren’t driving and want a view of the city, it might be worth forking out for a trip in the cable car.
Where to Stay in Dubrovnik
We stayed in an apartment overlooking the city. Blue Lagune offers nice apartments with balconies in a lovely garden, but the main selling point is the view…
Dubrovnik in 1 Day Itinerary
| Day 1 | Drive to Dubrovnik View Dubrovnik Accommodation – Blue Lagune Dubrovnik Old Town Pile Gate Large Onofrio Fountain Rector’s Palace City Bell Tower Sponza Palace Statue of Marin Držić Dubrovnik City Walls Old Port Porporella Beach Lokrum Island |
Dubrovnik Day 1
Drive to Dubrovnik
We only have a 57 mile drive today across the border from Montenegro to Croatia and the city of Dubrovnik. It’s a straightforward drive along the Jadranska Magistrala (Adriatic Highway), voted Croatia’s most scenic road, with some spectacular coastal scenery along the way. It’s a relief to be back in the EU where my phone works for free, we can buy petrol that doesn’t make the car sad and it’s compulsory to label allergens in food.
View Dubrovnik
Just before the outskirts of the city is View Dubrovnik; a viewpoint giving you a spectacular panorama of the city, the Adriatic and island of Lokrum. The viewpoint (and parking) is free. In my opinion, this was just as good as taking the cable car for a similar view at a cost of €27. In addition, the viewpoint is open all year round, while the cable car only operates between March and November.
We reach Dubrovnik and try and find somewhere to park. It’s the hardest place I’ve ever tried to park and I’ve lived in 3 capital cities! We do a full circuit of the one way system. All the parking we can see is for residents only. On our second circuit, we find public parking, but it’s 1000 Kuna. That’s £110! We stop by the ticket barrier while I Google if I’ve actually got the exchange rate right (I have). So, we go round a third time. We finally find a hotel on the edge of town that will let non residents park for a mere £15 a night.
Accommodation – Blue Lagune
From here, it’s a kilometre walk to our apartment at Blue Lagune. Unfortunately, it is all up steps. Hundreds of steps. In 31 degrees heat. With luggage. By the time we arrive, we are very sweaty. But the owner is there with very welcome glasses of cold orange juice. The apartment is quite small, but comfortable. It opens onto a balcony with a view across to the old town.
Dubrovnik Old Town
We sit for a while admiring Dubrovnik from above, then set forth to explore the Old Town of Dubrovnik; an ancient walled city overlooking the Adriatic.
Pile Gate
The main entrance to the old city is through the ancient Pile Gate, which dates from 1537. Once through the gate, you are in the pedestrian area of Stradun. From here, a labyrinth of streets head towards the sea. We wander aimlessly admiring the quaint, narrow streets and old buildings.
Large Onofrio Fountain
Just inside the gates, you will find the Large Onofrio Fountain, one of Dubrovnik’s most famous landmarks. The circular fountain was built in the 15th Century as part of the city’s water supply system.
Rector’s Palace
Just before you reach the sea is the Rector’s Palace. The palace also dates from the 15th century, when it was built for the rector who governed Dubrovnik. The palace now houses the Cultural History Museum.
City Bell Tower
Next to the palace is the City Bell Tower. The original tower was built in the 15th Century, although the current structure is some 500 years newer. The bell rings every hour.
Sponza Palace
The Sponza Palace was built in the 16th Century. Initially a customs house, it has also seen use as a treasury, armoury, bank and school. It now houses the state archive.
Statue of Marin Držić
In front of the palace you will find the Statue of Marin Držić, a popular Croatian writer. Rubbing the statue’s nose is supposed to bring good luck.
Dubrovnik City Walls
The Dubrovnik City Walls are 1940 meters long and incorporate six fortresses. If you are prepared to fork out €40, you can walk round aforementioned walls. (We walked round the city walls of Budva the previous day for €3, so made do with admiring this rather overpriced tourist attraction from below).
Old Port
You can walk along the edge of the Old Port. From here, you also get a great view back across the city and Mount Srd in the background.
Porporella Beach
We take a cooling walk along the seafront to Porporella Beach. It’s not quite what I would call a beach, but there are steps where you can sit and dedicated bathing areas. We stop for a while for a paddle and to admire a surfing dog.
Lokrum Island
Then it’s time to ascend the hundreds of steps to our accommodation a second time, stopping at the supermarket to purchase a healthy supper of sausage rolls and beer, which is consumed on the balcony watching the sun set over Dubrovnik and the forested island of Lokrum.
If you want to admire Lokrum from closer up, there are regular ferries to the island between April and November. Tickets (covering the ferry and entry to the island) cost €34 for a day trip – it is not possible to stay on Lokrum overnight.
- Trip taken: September 2018
- Updated: March 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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- Croatia 6 Day Road Trip (Dubrovnik, Split, Plitvice and Zagreb)
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- Split: Top 10 Things to do
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- Zagreb: Top 10 Things to do
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