One of the reasons we wanted to visit Croatia is Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik was exactly what we expected it to be: beautiful, straight out of a fairytale and packed. Even though we chose a not the busiest time, in Dubrovnik we already felt the presence of cruise ships full of tourists who, like us, want to visit The Kings Landing, with its Walk of Shame, known as “The Jesuit Stairs”, and The Red Keep or Fort Lovrijenc. Dubrovnik is exactly as you’d expect it to be, as it appears in magazines and photographs…a city of rare beauty, deserving of the title “Pearl of the Adriatic Sea”. Dubrovnik can be easily visited in one day, but if you also want to take a day trip to Montenegro or stay at the famous Banje beach, then you might want to add another day or two to your schedule. However, we spent only one day in Dubrovnik, so here are the best things you can do in one day in Dubrovnik.
One Day in Dubrovnik – where to eat & best things to do
- Stradun – At 300 metres long and famous for its white limestone paving, the street dates back to 1468, although many of the surrounding buildings were built in the 17th century after the devastating earthquake of 1667, when most of Dubrovnik was badly damaged. Here you’ll find many souvenir shops, as well as the Dubrovnik Gelateria, where we had good ice cream.
- City Walls – Dubrovnik’s ancient city walls are one of its most famous features, now more than ever thanks to its portrayal in the hit show Game of Thrones. Built in the 10th century and modified in the 13th and 14th centuries, these formidable walls – up to six metres high in places and up to six metres thick – provided a solid defence against invaders. Almost two kilometres long, Dubrovnik’s city walls are a great place for a casual stroll and offer many excellent views of the Adriatic Sea and inland over the old city centre. If you want to take a walk on the walls, you have to pay an entrance fee of 35 euros.
- Fort Lovrijenac – Situated 37 metres above the Adriatic, this fortification proved to be unassailable during the numerous attacks on the town. If you want a good spot for photos, follow the signs to Dubrovnik West Harbour, then climb the stairs on the right to the main entrance of the fortress. The ticket you bought to visit the walls includes entry to Fort Lovrijenac.
- “The Jesuit Stairs” is one of the most representative examples of Baroque architecture in Dubrovnik. When you climb the stairs, you’ll reach Boškovićeva Poljana (Bošković Square), with the impressive Jesuit church of St. Ignatius. In the world of Game of Thrones, this place is known as the Walk of Shame. Both the stairs and the church date from the period of the Republic of Ragusa. The Republic of Ragusa a maritime republic with its centre in the city of Dubrovnik.
- Minceta Tower – had a defensive role, being the highest point of the city’s defence system. In Game of Thrones it is the place where Daenerys goes to look for the stolen dragons. If you’re tired and need a break, we recommend the Bosnian restaurant, Taj Mahal. Here we had good ceavpi and refreshing yogurt soup.
- Srd Hill. At the end of the day, take the cable car to Srd Hill and enjoy the sunset and the view. A cable car ride costs €27 (return). More details…
How to get to Dubrovnik?
There are a lot lof low-cost flight to Zadar or Zagreb from almost every european country (just take a look on Skyscanner). Moreover, I would recommend you to rent a car if you want to explore some of the most beautiful places in Croatia and therefore to get to Dubrovnik form Zadar or Zagreb. The distance between Zadar and Dubrovnik takes about 4 hours, and since the Croatians built the Pelješac Bridge, tourists no longer have to transit Bosnia to reach Dubrovnik.
If you drive to Dubrovnik, avoid the parking lots near the walls (one hour of parking costs 10 euros), choose one of these two parking lots instead:
- Dubrovnik Center Parking (3 euro/hour);
- Dubrovnik City Parking (2,4 euro/hour).
Renting a car in Croatia
As usual, we recommend you to rent a car through Rental Cars and our experience with Carwiz was a positive one. But you can also check out other rental companies such as: Hertz, Sixt or Alamo.
Things you should know when renting a car from Carwiz:
- The deposit is 1800 euro, and if you get full insurance, then the deposit is 200 euro. The insurance price is calculated according to the period and category of the car. We found it a huge amount (we always remember that in the US there was no such thing as deposit), so we chose to take the full insurance package, which cost us an extra 23 euro/day.
- if you arrive in Zadar after 21:00, Carwiz also charges a fee for pick-up after hours (between 37 and 50 euro).
Accommodation in Dubrovnik
In Dubrovnik we had this apartment, fully equipped, with balcony and sea view. It’s an excellent option if you want an apartment, in which to stay 2-3 nights, near Dubrovnik, at a price of 40 euro/night in off-season.
Where to eat in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik’s Old Town is full of restaurants and cafes, and being a top tourist destination, some restaurants are simply tourist traps. However, for a single day in Dubrovnik, I recommend you to choose a restaurant with a seafood menu and try grilled squid or fish. If you want to try other dishes my number one recommendation is the Bosnian restaurant Taj Mahal.
One Day in Dubrovnik – where to eat & best things to do
If you plan to visit the most important museums in Dubrovnik, climb the city walls or use public transport, I recommend you to buy a Dubrovnik City Pass, which gives you free entrance to most of the important tourist attractions and free access to all public transport in Dubrovnik. Such a pass costs 35 euro/day or 45 euro/3 days.
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