In short
Dubrovnik is a fortified city on the Adriatic, the former Republic of Ragusa — an independent maritime power for several centuries, a rival of Venice. Its old town, World Heritage listed, is entirely enclosed by walls and entirely pedestrian.
The whole is small: you cross it in ten minutes along the Stradun, the polished limestone artery. Lapad and Ploče, outside, are the districts for accommodation and beaches.
Arriving and getting around
The airport is some twenty kilometres south, linked by shuttle.
The old town is closed to cars and built in staircases: arriving with heavy luggage is hard work, and accommodation up the hill has to be earned.
The walls walk is paid, runs about two kilometres and goes one way only. There is almost no shade: go at opening or late in the afternoon.
What it really costs
Dubrovnik is the most expensive city in Croatia, well above Split or Zagreb. Accommodation inside the walls costs several times that in Lapad.
Croatia adopted the euro in 2023; old prices in kuna are no longer current.
When to come
May–June and September–October. July–August combine heat, crowds and peak prices.
Crowding depends on cruise calls: the city has introduced measures limiting the number of passengers landed at once, following UNESCO warnings. Consulting the schedule of calls, published by the port, lets you choose your days.
What nobody tells you
Dubrovnik served as King's Landing in Game of Thrones, which considerably increased its visitor numbers and changed its economy. Part of the population has left the old town, largely converted to short-term letting.
The Mount Srđ cable car climbs in a few minutes and gives the overall view of the roofs and islands. The summit also holds a museum about the siege of the city in 1991–1992, during the war of independence — the new red roofs in the aerial photographs are the ones rebuilt after the shelling.
Lokrum, an island ten minutes away by boat, is a nature park with a former monastery and free-roaming peacocks. You do not sleep there: the last boat leaves at the end of the day.
The Elaphiti Islands offer quiet beaches an hour away by boat.
