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As soon as we entered Dubrovnik‘s city gates, we knew we were in a special place.  This castle-like city sparked so much intrigue and awe within us so quickly that we both fell in love with the city at first sight. This is why Dubrovnik is one of the most popular destinations in Croatia.  It is so stunning that it will leave you standing in the streets in amazement.

If you want to see our raw first impressions of Dubrovnik, watch the video below! 

So in this article, I will share 20 best things to do in Dubrovnik, so you can be sure to take in the best views and to make the most out of your time in this amazing city.

How to Get to Dubrovnik Croatia

 

#1 Walk the City Walls

The very first thing that you should do when you come to Dubrovnik is to walk the city walls.  Here, you will see the best views of the city. The city walls consist of a 5 km or 3-mile loop so give yourself at least 2-3 hours to make this walk at leisure. We found ourselves stopping quite a bit for pictures and for drinks at one of the two bars on the wall.  There is so much beauty to take in as you walk the walls. 

If you happen to be there around sunset, you will love watching the golden light hit the city in so many unexpected but beautiful ways. 

Click here for the latest city wall prices and entry fees! 

When you buy tickets though, we would advise you to get the full Dubrovnik Card because it includes admission into the city wall, several museums, and gives you a bus pass so you can explore outside of old town as well.  The Dubrovnik card comes in 1, 3, and 7-day passes and is worth it if you are interested into taking a deep dive into Dubrovnik. 

Your city wall ticket also includes entrance into the St. Lawrence Fort, our second suggestion on this list.  

#2 St. Lawrence Fort

Included in your city wall ticket is the entry into St. Lawrence Fort which is located just outside the city walls of Dubrovnik. You will not want to miss this site.  While the views from the city walls are amazing, the views from St. Lawrence Fort might be even better. You can really see the city well from here.

#3 Pile Gate

As you enter the old town of Dubrovnik you will see Pile Gate. It is a stunning sight. It is very impressive. Seeing this gate at night for the first time seemed almost magical to me.

#4 Onofrio’s Fountain

Just inside of Pile Gate, you will find Onofrio’s Fountain. This fountain was built in the 15th century and was the first source of running water in Dubrovnik. Onofrio’s fountain has 16 unique water spouts that supplied locals with much need water at the time.  It’s nice to walk around the fountain to admire each unique water spout.  This is also a great spot for people-watching as there are usually a street performer or two here.     

#5 Franciscan Monastery

Just across the street from the Onofrios’ fountain is the Franciscan Monastery. Inside you will see an amazing church and cloister. It is included with the Dubrovnik card and it is definitely worth visiting.

#6 Classical Music Concert: Church of Salvation

While in the area stop by the Church of Salvation to check their classical concert schedule. They have classical concerts 3 times per week. We enjoyed a lovely evening of live music here. This was a great way to spend one of our evenings in Dubrovnik.

#7 Walk Through Old Town Dubrovnik at Night

Walking through the old town at night is amazing. I felt as if I was taken back in time. The lovely stone glistens at night and gives a surreal feeling. The white-colored stone buildings really stand out against the night sky. It leaves you with an amazing ambiance. Plus, it is nice to see everyone wandering around. You will hear music in the background and see people going to restaurants, drinking at local bars, and shopping. 

#8 Enjoy the Nightlife

Have a few drinks and invite a friend along. Just be careful in the old town they charge a bit more than other places in the city. We learned this when ventured outside of the old town. Some will say 3 drinks for 190 Kuna or $29 USD is a bit much. We had 4 more drinks in the old town and they were 400 Kuna or $60 USD. The drinks we had outside of the old town were ⅓ of the cost. 

We also went Salsa dancing in Dubrovnik and had an amazing time at Bar Solitudo. If you are in the area find out when they are dancing, visit them and tell them we said hello. The salsa dancing was amazing. Croatia actually is home to one of the largest Salsa dance festivals in the world. We did not catch the festival but we had a lot of fun dancing with the locals.

#9 Free Walking Tour

We always like to take a “free” walking tour when we are in a new city. These tours are tip-based, and you can really learn a lot of history while taking in a lot of the wonderful sights at the same time. Generally, the tour guide will also offer suggestions of some places you might overlook and want to see as well.

#10 St. Blaise Church

This church honors the patron saint of Dubrovnik St. Blaise, who is known for protecting the city from invaders and from natural disasters.  This church is small, but lovely and worth a quick peak inside when you are in Dubrovnik. 

#11 Sponza Palace

Sponza Place is a great example of how the whole city looked in the past. It had large arched passageways and beautiful architecture in the windows but a great earthquake hit in 1667 leveling most of the city. Only 2 original buildings survived the earthquake. It had to be rebuilt. After the earthquake, they decided to rebuild the city more uniformly. They did this so that nobles would not bicker over who’s house looked fancier than the next person’s. So all of the destroyed homes on the main street were rebuilt.

Sponza Place was once the treasury where they minted their own money.

#12 Rector’s Palace

The Rector’s Palace today is an art museum but back in the day, it was the home of the Rector. They would nominate a new Rector every month and he could not leave the castle grounds. He was there to work. This was also thought to keep down corruption. The Rector’s Palace has a lot of interesting treasures to see as the original Green Men. These are the men who have the hammers and ring the bell over the city. The ones you see at the clock are duplicates but the original ones are inside the museum.

#13 Dubrovnik Cathedral

Take a quick peek into the Cathedral while you are on your trip to Dubrovnik.

Pupo Tavern

As an additional tip, enjoy a delicious meal at a lovely local restaurant like Pupo Tavern. The food is marvelous and the atmosphere is perfect for a great meal. I love eating out in the passageway. Next time you are there try it. Kendra had a seafood spaghetti and I had a tuna sandwich. The food was amazing.

#14 Game of Thrones Tour

Next up, one of my favorites was the Game of Thrones Tour. The tour guide took us all over the city and showed us all of the pictures he had taken of the area and where the different scenes were in the show. It was really cool to see. 

#15 Jesuit Stairs

You even get the see the Jesuit Stairs. This is the set where Cersei Lannister takes the walk of shame in the show. They say others go to great lengths to reproduce this scene. Some even without clothing. In the show, they had to rent out all of the apartments surrounding the area to keep it top secret and the actress was actually pregnant during the filming since they could not get a local to do it, they hired a model to fly into Dubrovnik and shoot the scene for her. If you are a fan of the show be sure to go by and take the walk of shame for yourself.

#16 Church of St. Ignatius

Located at the top of the stairs is the Church of St. Ignatius. It is quite lovely inside and you should definitely check it out.

#17 Buza Bar

Buza Bar is literally a hole in a wall. It has several terraces where you can have a drink and look out over the sea. You may catch a few people jumping off the cliffs here. Stay for sunset if you have time and you will not regret it. The views are lovely.

#18 Ploce Gate

Ploce Gate is another one of Dubrovnik’s main gates. Just outside Ploce gate, you can see a great view of the port, and if you keep walking will have access to one of Dubrovnik’s beaches.  

#19 Lokram Island

At the port, you will find the local cruise that will take you to Lokram Island.  It is only 15 minutes boat ride, but once you arrive on the island, there are  16 different attractions to see. It’s little a mini-scavenger hunt and makes for a fun way to spend the day.

In addition, they have a Game of Thrones throne replica in the abandoned monastery. It was great to see and fun to take pictures with. 

Lokrum also has an interesting history. A group of monks lived on the island for 600 years. The governor decided to sell the island and kick the monks out. The monks decided to curse the island and anyone who owned it would die suddenly. Surprisingly, that is exactly what happened each time someone bought the island. Finally, the government made the property a communal land again and people can visit it with no problem. 

The island also has rocky beaches, peacocks, and the Maximilian garden. If you have time you should go to the top of the island to visit Fort Royal the views were worth it!

#20 Three Island Tour

Kendra and I went to the port and hopped on a boat to the Elaphite Islands. We were visiting 3 of the largest islands. I got a chance to be skipper for a moment and we still survived. First up was Lopud Island. As you might imagine the water was clear and the views were to die for. It was a bit too cold to swim so we decided to walk around and explore the island. Me being me I had to get in the water. I settled for putting my feet in this time. The water was icy. The sand was grainy and perfect. Next, was Sipan Island however since we could not swim there was not much to do. The final stop was Kolocep Island. It has amazing views so we chilled and enjoyed the sights. I did jump into the water eventually. 

We were here in the low season. So we only paid $63 per night for our Airbnb. Living in Dubrovnik for a week was like living in a castle answer loved it.

Check out these Dubrovnik Day Trip options below!

 

Next, learn more about these great Croatian destinations.

• How to See Pula in a Day
• 15 Things to Do in Rovinj
• 15 Things to Do in ZagrebHo