The Game of Thrones fervor may have cooled over the years since the series wrapped up, but tourism in Dubrovnik (a filming site for the fictional Kings Landing) remains red hot. There are days when this small, medieval-walled city is just teeming with tourists, making it even hotter and more stifling to navigate the narrow side streets. And while I typically avoid over-touristed destinations, I loved our three days in Dubrovnik and I’m very glad we didn’t skip over this small Dalmatian city.
So whether you go for the GOT fandom, the sun and sea, the food and wine, or the history, Dubrovnik is well worth spending at least three nights, and longer if you want to take day trips (more on that later.) Before I dig into our detailed 3-day Dubrovnik itinerary, let me share some tips on avoiding crowds:
- Visit in the shoulder seasons and get the double benefit of it not being as crowded or as hot and humid. We went in the last week of August and while it was very hot and still crowded, it wasn’t as bad as I’ve heard others report. I know others who were in Dubrovnik just a couple of weeks later in September and the crowds seemed much more manageable.
- Check the cruise line schedule. Dubrovnik is the Mediterranean’s 10th largest cruise port, servicing over 600 ships and 900,000 passengers each year. There can be two to six ships in port on any given day. Use a website such as CruiseMapper to see how many ships/passengers will be in port during your visit. Plan your tours in the city on days or times when there are fewer cruise ships in port.
- Stay outside of the walled city. While staying in the historic walled city is appealing, there are several drawbacks. First, you will have to fight the crowds constantly and not have access to a pool or easy access to the sea for a cooling dip. Next, you will often need to cart your bags up a series of steep stairs to reach your accommodations. To avoid the crowds, you can stay in the nearby town of Cavtat and take a water taxi to Dubrovnik. There are also some boutique hotels on the hillside surrounding Dubrovnik. To make access to the historic city easier, we decided to stay within walking distance but far enough out that we could enjoy pool and relaxation time during our summer visit.
3 Days in Dubrovnik Itinerary
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Some things to know about Dubrovnik:
- Dubrovnik, often called the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” was founded in the 7th century and fortified in the 12th century with walls that still stand today, making it one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe.
- The city’s historic center, with its limestone-paved streets, baroque churches, and Gothic-Renaissance architecture, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, drawing visitors from around the world.
- Throughout its history, Dubrovnik has been home to a blend of cultures, from Byzantine and Venetian influences to Austro-Hungarian rule, shaping its unique architecture, cuisine, and art.
- Dubrovnik is a pricey place to visit, the most expensive of the five places we visited in Croatia. Be sure to create your budget and research how much a trip to Croatia costs.
- Unless you want to jam-pack your days, plan to spend at least three nights in Dubrovnik and longer if you want to take day trips.
Day 1 – Arrival
Whether you are visiting Dubrovnik for a weekend getaway or part of a broader Croatia itinerary, this itinerary will provide you with detailed ideas for what to do, where to stay, and where to eat during your stay. Dubrovnik has its own airport, so getting there is easy from anywhere within Europe and from a few cities in the United States.
If you arrive on a cruise ship embarkation or disembarkation day, expect the airport to be especially busy and traffic backups are common. The cabs in Croatia can be a LOT more expensive than Uber, so I would recommend either taking an Uber (you just might have to wait a while on those busy days) or pre-arranging a transfer. I used Welcome Pickups and I’ve used them now in at least five cities. The drivers have always been very professional, with nice, clean, and spacious cars. They meet you after you have picked up your bag and off you go, no waiting in lines.
For those visiting from Europe, you may be ready to hit the ground running, but if you are traveling from the U.S. on an overnight flight, I’d suggest taking it easy on your first afternoon and not planning any organized activities or tours until the evening. You never know when your flight is going to be delayed and you don’t want to be stuck paying a cancellation fee.
In the afternoon, you can either spend some time relaxing and refreshing or take the opportunity to get acquainted with the walled city.
There are two things you must experience while in Dubrovnik…a sunset and seeing the city from the water. So why not kick off your trip by experiencing both? There are many types of group boat cruises available, from a pirate ship to small sailboats, but for a special experience, I’d suggest booking a private sunset boat cruise. We booked with Rewind Dubrovnik and it was the perfect kickoff to our Croatian vacation.
After the sun sets, Dubrovnik becomes even more magical. You will immediately notice how clean and safe the city is (Croatia is one of the safest countries to visit). The side streets are lined with restaurants, whose tables spill out onto the sidewalks and on the steps.
I’d suggest making reservations in advance, unless you want to eat early, because in season the restaurants get packed and you might get hangry trying to find an open table. We started off our trip with one of the best seafood restaurants in Dubrovnik, Proto, where the service was excellent and the food was delicious.
Where to stay in Dubrovnik: Dubrovnik is one of the most expensive places in Croatia so finding a nice hotel that is good for couples at a reasonable price is challenging. We also wanted to stay at a hotel with a pool or near a beach so we decided to stay at the Rixos Premium, which is a 20-minute walk from Old Town. This is a rather sizable luxury hotel, which has a large pool area and access to the sea. We booked through American Express Travel and as a Fine Hotel & Resort, I used my Platinum card to get an early check-in, free breakfast, and a $100 resort credit. I have a friend who loved her stay at the Sun Gardens Dubrovnik, which is a similar-style resort. Hotel Kazbek is a great boutique hotel option, about a 10-minute drive from Old Town.
Day 2 – Tour the City
Start early with a walk along the city walls, offering views of the city’s historic old town and the shimmering Adriatic Sea. Built primarily between the 12th and 17th centuries to protect the city, these impressive stone walls wrap around the Old Town for about two kilometers, with a series of forts and towers along the way. The walk typically takes one to two hours, so wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a hat and bring along water (you can refill your bottle at fountains in town.) You will need to enter at one of two gates, and you can either walk the full route or just partway.
You need to purchase a ticket to walk the walls, and it is a little pricey (35€ each), but if you are planning to also visit any museums or architectural sites, you may want to purchase the Dubrovnik Pass for the same price.
After walking the city walls, I’d suggest taking the cable car to the top of Mount Srd. At the top, you can visit Fort Imperial, a fortress built during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century which now houses a museum that explains the history of the Croatian War of Independence and the Siege of Dubrovnik in the 1990s. There are also ziplines, a sky bike ride, ATV tours, and hiking trails.
Even if you aren’t up for an adventure, book a table for lunch at the Panorama restaurant, where you can enjoy truly spectacular views of the coastline, Old Town, and Lokrum Island. If you don’t want to go up there for lunch, this is also a stunning spot to watch a sunset!
During the hottest part of the day, it is nice to head back to the hotel and relax, take a swim, and soak up the sun for a bit. When I was researching city tours, we decided to take a Game of Thrones tour since my husband and I are both huge GOT fans. I was surprised that some tours started at noon! That would just be brutal. I’d suggest looking for a tour (either a historic walking tour or a Game of Thrones tour) that starts later in the day.
Just make sure you either spring for a private tour or that you book a small-group tour. You want to avoid those large tours where you are following an umbrella with a listening device in your ear.
If you need to cool off throughout the day, I loved the gelato flavors at Peppino, although a lot of locals prefer Gianni’s. We tried both and like Peppino better.
For dinner, if you want a special fine dining experience in a romantic setting, I’d suggest booking a table at Nautika. It is outside the walls but has great views of the Fort from the outdoor patio.
Day 3 – Lokrum Island
If you are visiting Dubrovnik with your family or significant other, consider booking an early morning photo shoot with Flytographer. We had a one-hour session with Valentina and she did an amazing job capturing so many different poses and locations in a short amount of time. It is really special to have professional photos as a souvenir!
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Later, one of the most popular things to do in Dubrovnik is to take a short 10-15 minute ferry to Lokrum Island. You can buy tickets near the Old Port and the ferry runs every half hour during the day. It is a great way to escape the crowds in Dubrovnik and enjoy the lush botanical gardens, observe the free-roaming peacocks, or find one of the beautiful swimming spots, including rocky coves with crystal-clear waters (wear your bathing suit, bring snorkel gear if you have it, and don’t forget your water shoes…Croatian beaches are rocky!)
There is a cafe restaurant on the island, as well as picnic grounds, and there is even a Game of Thrones exhibit located in the former Benedictine monastery, which includes an Iron Throne replica (the island was used as a stand-in for Qarth, which is where Daenerys seeks refuge after crossing the Red Waste with her dragons.)
The island is only two miles long and a third of a mile wide, so it is easy to set off on its walking paths to explore hidden coves, swim into caves, or jump off cliffs.
In the evening, it is time to dive into the Dubrovnik food scene with either a food tour or by dining with locals. We took a food tour with Dubrovnik Food Tours. I loved our guide Goran, but I’ll be honest that it wasn’t the best food tour that I’ve taken because it had two sit-down stops and each felt really long. At the first stop, we were served wine and a charcuterie board of local meats and cheeses.
At the next restaurant, we dined on salad, followed by black risotto (made with cuttlefish, a local specialty) and pasta with wild boar bolognese. Next, we went to a wine shop to sample Croatian wines and we finished up with gelato from Gianni’s (what locals claim is the best in the city.) We certainly had plenty of food, I just would have preferred moving around and sampling more. I wish we had chosen to do the Dubrovnik Eat with Locals experience instead.
If neither of those are your cup of tea, a few other restaurants to consider are: Restaurant Orsan, Konobo Rozario, Posat, and Sesame. Another popular spot for cocktails is Buza Bar, which is built into the outside of the city walls and offer great sunset and water views.
If You Have More Time
If you have more time in Dubrovnik, there are some fantastic day trips that you can take depending on your interests. Some popular options include:
- Peljašac Peninsula: If you enjoy wine and oysters, this is the perfect day trip from Dubrovnik! We booked a private tour with Touch Croatia. Our entertaining driver picked us up at our hotel at 9:00 a.m. to start our adventure. We started in the small town of Ston, which is known for its impressive medieval walls and ancient salt flats. The Walls of Ston were built in the 14th and 15th centuries and are the longest defensive walls in Europe. We also met with a local oyster farmer and headed out on his boat to learn all about oyster farming and taste freshly shucked oysters. While on the water, we were served wine and also a full lunch of Mussels Buzzara. The trip finished with a wine tasting at Miloš Winery.
- Elaphiti Islands: If you aren’t visiting any of the islands that dot the Dalmatian Coast (like Hvar or Korcula), definitely make time to take a day trip via boat to the Elaphiti Islands from Dubrovnik. There are plenty of options but make sure you pay attention to the pick up and drop off points, as not all are the same and not all are from the Old Port in the walled city.
- See another country: It is a short drive to either Montenegro or Mostar, Bosnia. Just keep in mind that you will need to go through a border crossing for both and it can be a very long wait in the summer so unless you want to spend four hours of your day trip at a border crossing, you may want to save this for shoulder season visits.
Tamara Gruber is an award-winning travel writer and the founder of Your Time to Fly. With more than a decade of professional writing experience across two travel publications and hundreds of destination guides, she specializes in crafting practical, detailed itineraries that help travelers explore the world with confidence. Her work reflects years of on-the-ground research across the globe. Tamara is a member of SATW and serves on the Board of Directors of the Family Travel Association.
