Overview
A European city that's genuinely enjoyable to explore, with that medieval atmosphere intact. The Old Town is really small, you can turn it inside out in 1 or 2 days max. If you're visiting without a beach holiday component, there's absolutely no need to allocate more than 2 days. Better to combine with other destinations in the region. We went for 3 nights during the off-season and struggled to find things to do on the last day.
Getting There
The flight from Istanbul is only 1 hour 20 minutes. Closer than Gaziantep. The airport has no automated passport gates, EU or not, everyone waits in line. It wasn't busy when we went, but we'd exited the plane from the front. If you're near the back and 2-3 planes land simultaneously, expect problems. Luggage was quite slow despite our quick exit.
Uber works actively here. In fact, often a regular taxi shows up instead of a car. Airport to Old Town is 25 euros by Uber versus 45 euros by taxi, so definitely use Uber. Early mornings are harder though. At 6 AM, we couldn't find an Uber at the 25-euro rate. Prices climbed significantly and drivers still wouldn't accept. We had to shell out 45 euros for a taxi to avoid missing our flight. Book a transfer in advance to be safe.
What to See
- The City Walls tour was excellent. Even with a 1.5-year-old child and a pregnant companion, we finished the tour comfortably with rest stops. Nothing to fear. Probably the most enjoyable part of Dubrovnik. The views are magnificent. Absolutely go.
- Instead of the famous Buza Bar for sunset, the cafes inside the City Walls offer the same panoramas. Much smarter to start the walls tour late and watch the sunset there rather than fighting crowds at Buza with no toilets.
- The City Walls ticket includes free entry to Fort Lovrijenac. Not much inside the fort itself, but the Old Town view from there alone makes it worth the visit.
- Get lost in the Old Town streets, every one is gorgeous. Don't be afraid of stairs.
- The famous "Shame" steps from Game of Thrones are surprisingly small. The TV scene had made me remember much longer stairs.
- Prijeko, one street above the famous Stradun, is a lovely street for hanging out.
- If taking a taxi/Uber to the airport, there's a viewpoint on the right just as you exit the city that makes the cable car completely unnecessary. Ask your driver to stop there, they'll know the spot. Don't leave Dubrovnik without that view.
Food & Drink
- Barba is superb for seafood. Excellent value and the staff are very warm. When they hear you're Turkish, they show extra attention. The mixed seafood platter is more than enough for two.
- Gianni is a superb dessert spot. Great ice cream, and their "Black Lotus" dessert is an orgasmic experience for chocolate lovers.
- Breakfast places aren't great overall, so give Holy Burek a try. Even though the borek is made by East Asian staff, getting hand-rolled borek from East Asian hands in Croatia isn't something that happens every day.
- Stara Loza is mainly a seafood restaurant but they also serve breakfast. It was the only breakfast we were genuinely satisfied with.
- If you're into wine, the Wine Museum is superbly informative. They offer tastings at the exit with a rich menu.
- D'Vino Wine Bar is a superb tasting bar. Huge variety of wines by the glass, with plenty of opportunities to discover local Croatian grape varieties.
- M'Arden wine bar is worth visiting even without a wine interest. Their menu has every type of drink. It's an open-air spot surrounded by greenery with city views. A wonderful place to spend time.
- If you want to dine at the panoramic restaurant at the top of the cable car, book at least a month in advance. When we went, the next 3 weeks were fully booked.
- There's a general tourist-trap quality to the food. Despite every place being rated 4+ stars, many didn't meet expectations. Choose your dining spots carefully and lower your expectations a bit. We were particularly underwhelmed by breakfasts.
- They're very strict about meal times. They turned away people arriving at 10:55 because breakfast ends at 11. Unbelievable.
Budget
- Everything inside the Old Town is overpriced. If you want Croatian specialty products, take a 3-4 euro Uber to Dubrovnik's city center and shop at the supermarkets there.
- For alcohol, don't buy in the Old Town. A champagne that costs 48 euros at the free shop was being sold for 105 euros at an Old Town market. The Wine Museum's wines are reasonably priced.
- Game of Thrones merchandise is disappointing, lots of souvenir shops but the quality across the board is mediocre.
Tips & Advice
- The city is genuinely expensive. One of the priciest European cities I've been to. Iceland-level pricing.
- It was 20 degrees but we got badly sunburned. Felt equivalent to Izmir at 25 degrees. We'd packed warm clothes thinking the weather looked cool, ended up with heat rash. Add 3-4 degrees to the forecast compared to Turkey when packing.
- Visiting in summer must be absolute torture. The Old Town is entirely stone, it would roast you. Add the tourist crowds and I can't imagine it.
- The city is not stroller-friendly. If bringing a child, leave the stroller at home.
- If staying in the Old Town, bring 2 small suitcases instead of 1 medium-large one, much easier to carry.
- During the day when cruise ships dock, the city gets very crowded. But evenings are quite empty. For this reason alone, staying at least one night rather than doing a day trip is worth it, to experience the tranquility and the historic city at night.
- The entire city was destroyed and restored. This makes it look sharp and clean rather than ancient, which can feel a bit artificial when you know the backstory. Makes you wish the originals had never been destroyed.