Bucket list trip:
Where to go and what to see in Dubrovnik – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Annabelle Thorpe.
Editor note – Annabelle has not included specific recommendations of where to stay each day unless it’s necessary. Instead, see the ‘Where to stay’ section in our Dubrovnik destination guide.
Avoid the heat by walking the City Walls in the early morning; finish at the Vrata od Buze entrance, a short walk from the Mount Srdj cable car. Try the excellent pizzas at nearby Pizzeria Tabasco and spend a lazy afternoon on Banje beach before a sundowner at the Hotel Grand Villa Argentina.
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
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A 2km walk along these 13th-century walls is a feast of dazzling views over Dubrovnik’s old town rooftops and the Adriatic.
Best for ages 8+
Duration: 1 hour
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
Dubrovnik’s best-known beach, just a short walk from the Ploce Gate, Banje has spectacular views of the Old Town and is backed with a clutch of cafes and restaurants.
Browse the stalls at Gundulic Square Market before exploring the Rector’s Palace and Franciscan Monastery. Then hop a taxi to Gruz port and a ferry to Lopud, one of the Elafiti Islands. Eat lunch at the waterfront Restaurant Dubrovnik before heading back to the city for cocktails at the cliff-top Buza Bar.
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
This daily market is the place to come to mingle with locals buying fresh fruit and vegetables, olive oil and locally-produced Grappa – come early in the morning for the best produce, it closes by lunchtime.
Best for ages 18+
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
The administrative heart of the Republic of Dubrovnik in the 16th and 17th centuries, the palace is now a museum with furniture, artifacts and artworks dating back to the era of the Republic.
Adult price: £12
Best for ages 18+
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
A charming Romanesque monastery with a hidden garden of orange and palm trees, a religious museum and the world’s oldest pharmacy, still functioning today.
Best for ages 18+
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
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A pristine archipelago, just off the coast of Dubrovnik, with pine-forested hills, quiet beaches with crystal-clear water, and lovely waterfront tavernas.
Best for ages 8+
Duration: 3+ hours
Start the day on the water with a morning sea-kayaking tour around the old city walls. Spend the afternoon shopping for take-home treats; wine from Vinoteka Milicic and jewellery and accessories from Modni Kantun. Round off with dinner at 360, the city’s finest, Michelin-starred restaurant.
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
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One of the world’s great kayak tours – around Dubrovnik’s magnificent medieval walls and along beautifully unspoiled coastline, away from the crowds.
Adult price: ££30
Min age 6
Best for ages 13+
Duration: 5+ hours
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
This small wine shop in the heart of the Old Town sells wines straight from the Peljesac peninsula, plus Croatian deli items including fruit spirits, preserves and sweets.
Min age 18
Best for ages 18+
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
A tiny shop selling understated jewellery and fashion accessories by Croatian artists. Some original clothes too.
Best for ages 18+
Take a day trip to the Peljesac Peninsula, famous for its vineyards – many of which offer tastings. Eat oysters at Mali Ston, and spend a lazy hour on Prapatno Cove, an easy walk from the village. Back in the city, visit the War Photo Museum to discover Dubrovnik’s dramatic history.
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
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Sample some of Croatia’s finest red wines at the vineyards on this mountainous peninsula. A one-hour drive up the coast from Dubrovnik.
Best for ages 18+
Duration: 4
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
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A traditional Dalmatian village, famous across Croatia for oysters served in restaurants overlooking a sheltered bay. A scenic drive north of Dubrovnik.
Best for ages 18+
Duration: 4
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
If you want to understand the conflict that decimated Dubrovnik, and much of Croatia in the early 1990s, this museum of photo-journalism gives an intense insight into the Civil War.
Adult price: £5
Best for ages 18+
Take the boat taxi from the Ploce Gate across to the pretty waterfront village of Cavtat. Have lunch at the Leut restaurant – the town’s oldest – before heading back for a final afternoon of soaking up the sun on Sveti Jakov Beach, an easy walk from the harbour.
Cavtat, Dalmatia, Croatia
A tranquil, pretty waterfront village with a restaurant-lined promenade, shaded by palms and picturesque old houses. Perfect to escape the crowds.
Best for ages 18+
Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Croatia
Gorgeous secluded beach with a waterside terrace café, within walking distance of Dubrovnik’s Old Town.
