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2 Days in Dubrovnik, Croatia: What to See, Do and Eat

2 Days in Dubrovnik, Croatia: What to See, Do and Eat

Our first stop on our Croatian adventure: Dubrovnik. Way down in the Southern tip of the Croatian coast along the stunning turquoise waters of the Adriatic sea, this ancient walled city is one of the most beautifully preserved medieval cities in all of Europe.

Dubrovnik has become an increasingly popular tourist destination in the past decade (thanks in no small part to its portrayal as Kings Landing on HBO’s Game of Thrones), and it certainly has the crowds to prove it. But don’t write off this city as an over-crowded tourist trap; it is truly a spectacular place that everyone should see at least once in their life. There’s a reason it’s called the Pearl of the Adriatic!

Harbor at dusk, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik is charming in the same way that Venice is charming, despite the hoards of tourists. Maybe it is the fact that the old town itself is completely car free (not that it has a choice, other than the main promenade none of the streets are wide enough for cars anyway!) Still, I really wish more cities (in the US especially!) would go car free; it just makes them that much more enjoyable for tourists and locals alike.

Most people who have issues with Dubrovnik cite the crowds as the main reason they dislike it; and they’re probably the same people that dislike Venice for the same reason.

Considering how crowded it was when we were there during the shoulder season, I can only imagine what it’s like during the peak summer months. It’s a popular European cruise ship stop, so the crowd volume can vary wildly depending on how many ships are in port. (It’s a bit hard to navigate, but this site has information about how many cruise ships will be in port each day. Try to plan around the highest traffic days if you can!)

That said, even with the crowds it’s not impossible to escape them, despited being walled in (literally). Most of the people cluster on the main promenade and walk around the city walls. Head a few blocks on either side, or venture outside of the walls, and any anxiety you may have felt will slowly fade away.

Dubrovnik a small town, so unless you plan to take day trips to islands or other attractions nearby, two days is the perfect amount of time to get to know this ancient city.

(If you’re interested in seeing on overview of our entire 2 week itinerary in Croatia, I’ve written up a summary of our trip here. I’ll be posting more detailed accounts of each location in the coming months!)

Stairs leading town to vibrant turquoise water in Dubrovnik, Croatia Gorgeous turquoise door in Dubrovnik, Croatia Portico with Tourist and Pigeons, Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia Looking up in Dubrovnik, Croatia Calico cat sitting in front of a turquoise door, Dubrovnik, Croatia Little girls running through an archway in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Meowmeow!

True story: as we were wandering the cobbled streets cooing at the cute street cats that seemed to be everywhere, two young girls ran by carrying a plastic bag full of raw fish.

They dashed up and down alleyways and peered around corners, calling out “Meowmeow!” as they searched for any cat they could find.

Once they found one, they threw down a whole fish (yes, an entire fish) in front of the creature, who promptly picked the whole thing up in its mouth and bounded off to a dark corner to enjoy its meal, as the girls bounded off looking for another lucky feline.

Needless to say, the cats of Dubrovnik are very well fed.

Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia Old town Dubrovnik, Croatia at dusk Narrow alleyway in Dubrovnik, Croatia at dusk. Main promenade in Dubrovnik, Croatia at night. Squid Ink Risotto in Dubrovnik, Croatia Passionflower growing up a chain link fence, Dubrovnik, Croatia

The Bitter and the Sweet

There are beautiful orange trees everywhere in Dubvrovnik, their fruit I’m sure tempting many a weary traveler. I would have loved to see someone try to sneak a bite, as all these beautiful trees are in fact bitter oranges, which aren’t exactly pleasant for eating (to put it lightly).

Bitter oranges are an integral part of Dubvrovnik’s long culinary tradition, and you’ll definitely see proof of this as you explore the city and its many shops, selling everything from bitter orange-infused sea salts to bitter orange gelato to more traditional bitter orange jam and candied orange peels.

Speaking of gelato… the Italian influence is front and center in Dubrovnik, and the ice cream is no exception. We found a few really excellent gelato shops during our short time there, and certainly made the most of it.

Overall we found Croatian gelato to be noticeably lighter than its Italian counterpart, more dairy-forward without the rich custardy feel of the Northern Italian stuff. From what I’ve read, it’s probably more like Southern Italian gelato (which I don’t have much experience with), which is thickened with starch as opposed to eggs.

But lighter gelato doesn’t mean less delicious gelato; in fact I’d argue it’s better, as you can eat more of it!

Our favorite shops were Peppino’s (pictured above, and a dangerously close location to our apartment) as well as Dolce Vita and their famous Dubrovnik bitter orange gelato (YUM!)

Looking down on the main promenade from the medieval wall, Dubrovnik, Croatia Looking across the red tiled roofs in Dubrovnik, Croatia Looking down on a cliffside bar outside the walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia Looking down on the street below from high on the medieval wall Dubrovnik, Croatia Walking the medieval wall, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Here on the Wall

If you do decide to walk the city walls (and this is what Dubrovnik is known for, so I’d highly recommend it!) definitely go first thing in the morning. You’ll beat the cruise ship crowds as well as the weather (there is little to no shelter on the wall, so you are completely susceptible to the elements. In the summer I imagine it can get quite hot, however on the day we did it it was windy and cold).

If you can’t make it first thing in the morning, wait until after 3pm or so when, again, the cruise ship crowds start to diminish. Just make note of the closing time, as the full circle does take a solid 2 hours to complete, and you don’t want to get stuck in the middle when the wall closes for the night.

You can also buy tickets online ahead of time – helpful if you want to skip the ticket line entirely! You have to pick a date ahead of time, but there is no fixed time for advanced tickets, so you can head up any time you want.

Dubrovnik was heavily bombed in the 1990s, and from the vantage point of the city walls you can definitely see the aftermath. While the majority of the city rebuilt (you can tell the new roofs which contrast starkly to the old ones), there are still visible reminders of this violent period in Croatian history.

Bell tower, Dubrovnik, Croatia Pink flowers growing out of an old stone wall, Dubrovnik, Croatia Turquoise door, Dubrovnik, Croatia Light streaming through archways inside Fort Lovrijenac in Dubrovnik, Croatia View of Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia from Fort Lovrijenac Rocky beach and turquoise waters, Dubrovnik, Croatia Beautiful turquoise sea in Dubrovnik, Croatia The guys casting long shadows, Dubrovnik, Croatia Beautiful turquoise waters along a rocky coastline, Dubrovnik, Croatia View of the coastline from the top of Mount Srd, Dubrovnik, Croatia Thistle flower growing out of a rock wall, Dubrovnik, Croatia Dinner at the top of Mount Srd, Dubrovnik, Croatia Sunset from the top of Mount Srd, Dubrovnik, Croatia Cone of gelato at night in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Planning your own trip to Croatia? I’ve compiled some of our favorite eats and activities for your convenience! I know trusted recommendations are critical when I’m planning our travels, so I hope you find this useful!

Where to Eat:

Peppino’s – Our favorite gelato in Dubrovnik. The gelato in Croatia has a much lighter texture than Italy, which makes it different but no less enjoyable (and the fact that it is less rich just means you can have more, right?) We wandered in here after their display stopped us in our tracks. And the ice cream itself didn’t disappoint!

Dolce Vita – Our second favorite gelato in the city. Their signature flavor is a Dubrovnik bitter orange that is utterly fabulous! It also serves a full menu of crepes, pastries and beverages.

Poklisar – Great seafood right on the harbor. The squid ink risotto was amazing!

Panorama restaurant – Located at the top of Mount Srd, this restaurant boasts absolutely amazing views of the city and the whole coastline. Worth the splurge for the view alone, but definitely make a reservation! Also, it’s windy up there, so bring layers (they do have headers and blankets, which was much appreciated).

Beach Bar Dodo – fun bar right on the water, between fort Lovrijenac and Gradac park. Take a seat in one of the bar swings if you dare!

Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia

What do Do:

City Walls – A must when visiting Dubrovnik. I recommend buying your tickets ahead of time and starting first thing in the morning as the walls can get very crowded with day trippers from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

Fort Lovrijenac – Outside of the walls, this fort sits up on a hill and boasts one of the best views of the old town center. Entrance to the fort is included with your city walls ticket.

Gradac Park – Keep walking past Fort Lovrijenac and you’ll find yourself in Gradac Park. The park itself is wooded and not terribly interesting, however from the edge of the cliffs you’ll find some of the best views of the gorgeous turquoise waters (some of my favorite photos came from this spot!)

Mount Srd – Take the cable car up to the top of Mount Srd for incredible views of the city and the entire coastline.

Where to Stay:

We opted to stay in an AirBnB within the old town walls. It turned out to be a perfect central (yet quiet!) location and was very reasonably priced for two couples.

***

From Dubrovnik we hopped a high-speed ferry and made our way 4 hours North to Split, where we spent 3 days eating and exploring and island hopping.

More on that soon! ;)

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8 Comments

  1. Thank you for your blog on Dubrovnik. So informative and clear. And I loved your pictures! I feel much more comfortable / confident in my 3 days here. Kate 

  2. Amazing photos! Dubrovnik has been on my bucket list for ages so hopefully one day I will get there :)

  3. Great info, our family will be there later this year so this has been a great help.

  4. thank you for all of this Dubrovnik info, it’s definitely at the top my list since I’ve been near (Venice) but not quite there, good to know about walking the walls before the cruise ship crowds too and your dining recommendations

  5. What a great site!  Thank you for publishing!

    We will be in Dubrovnik at the end of October.  When I went to the site that lists cruise ships’ dates of arrival I could only see the beginning of the month.  How do I see the number of ships in port at the end of the month?

    Thank you

  6. Yesssss! I’m ready to go back. What a fun trip!

  7. Thank you so much. We have reservations to be there in October after a wedding in Italy and this was very helpful. My son recommended it and we are staying in his recommended Boutique Hotel and no the cruise ships at this time. Hoping it will not be too cool but very excited to see a new area. We want to see Montenegro also. Thanks for the restaurant in gelato tips.

  8. Beyond gorgeous photos. What an amazing adventure! 

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