How to spend two days in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Characterised by its smooth marbled pedestrian walkways, pretty alleyways, and terracotta rooftops, the UNESCO city of Dubrovnik is full of history and energy.

We stayed in Dubrovnik for 5 nights, but with travelling and other excursions including these cool day trips from Dubrovnik, we had two full days in the historic city (which we filled to the brim!). We spent the other evenings wandering the streets; the best way to experienc Dubrovnik life! The city also hosts some amazing sunsets! A good place is from the ‘Old Town and Lokrum Viewpoint’!

Top Tip-The Dubrovnik Day Pass

An absolute must-do (in my opinion) is walking the city walls circuit. The cost to do this is €35. HOWEVER, you can purchase a ‘Dubrovnik Day Pass’ which includes entry to the City Walls, as well as many other attractions and museums, and free bus travel, also for €35, so it’s definitely a winner!

Purchasing the day pass can be done by scanning the QR codes on the large posters dotted around the city, online here: www.dubrovnikpass.com, or in the tourist information centres. Once purchased you will get a QR code sent to your email. You can then show at the entrance point to each place. Your 24 hours starts upon first scanned entry.

To use on buses, you must go to a bus ticket office (the main old town bus station is located just outside Pile Gate). They will scan your Dubrovnik day pass QR code and issue you a paper day ticket. which you can then press against the contactless payment screen when stepping onto the bus. We were almost caught out with this as it says no where on the pass about needing to do this extra step! Also ensure you check the most recent timetable, which are usually printed and stuck up near the ticket office. The online schedule was outdated, and we ended up waiting for an hour for our bus.

What exactly does the Dubrovnik day pass include? Click here to find out!

• City Walls*, Lovrjenac Fort*, Western Outer Wall*, Rector’s Palace and Cultural History Museum*, Maritime Museum* (closed Wednesdays), Fort St. John, Ethnographic Museum (closed Tuesdays), Bukovac House, House of Marin Držić (closed Mondays), Dulčić Masle Pulitika Gallery (closed Mondays), The Pulitika Studio (closed Mondays), Friars Minor Franciscan Monastery and Museum*, Dubrovnik National History Museum (closed Sundays), Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik (closed Mondays), Fort Revelin and Archaeological exhibitions (closed Wednesdays), Archaeological Museum, Fort St. John
• Free bus travel for 24hours

Here’s how we spent our two days in Dubrovnik!

Day 1:

We got to the City walls for just before 9am, (a friend smartly advised to go early-ish morning or in the evening to avoid the crowds and heat of the day) and embarked on the 2km/1.25mile walk, with spectacular views of the terracotta rooftops of the Old Town, the Adriatic Sea and beyond. We took our time and spent about two hours, taking in everything we could.

After stopping in Pile park for an early picnic lunch surrounded by pigeons, we then set off on a quest to find the Western Outer Walls. This was frustrating as we could see people on them but could not find access! There was information online, but nothing about the starting point, and the person working in the tourist information office was also unsure and had to ask a few colleagues. Although we wasted half an hour trying to get there, it was well worth it. The entrance is in Minčeta Tower and you finish up by coming out of a secret door just inside Pile gate which was pretty cool. You can not only walk on the outer walls, but also inside the walls! These were like underground corridors with Stalactites and preserved archaeological sites.

We then headed to Rector’s Palace (which is 15€ entry on its own, so definitely worth getting the Dubrovnik pass), which looks stunning from the outside, and contained some interesting information and artefacts, most noticeable for me was the war photography exhibition which held a stark reminder of the conflicts only 30 years previously.

After a quick ice cream stop (note: cash only), we then headed to Fort Lovrijenac or ‘St Lawrence Fort’. There was not much inside, and I would not have paid the €15 entry if not for the ‘free’ entry with the Dubrovnik pass, however it offered spectacular views of the Old City and City walls from a unique perspective, so well worth a visit!

After, we headed to the Franciscan monastery, which noted charitable work, an old pharmacy/apothecary, shrapnel holes/marks in walls, and preserved arms and legs encased in armour (gross). We headed to the harbour which is beautiful place to chill and people watch. It is also home to the Martine Museum which we thought was interesting and worth the visit as a part of the Dubrovnik day pass.

Our accommodation was right at the top of Dubrovnik, meaning a 25 minute walk up many many steps- it never did get any easier or less sweaty, no matter the time of day! In an attempt to make the most of our Dubrovnik day pass, we committed to getting the bus, so brought lots of food and water supplies including a huge watermelon. Although the bus ended up taking an hour to come (some bus numbers seem to be fairly infrequent) and we thought about giving up and just walking, I was not willing to do that with all the extra weight.

Day 2:

While doing our research for our travels, and as people who walk everywhere, we decided that we would save money and hike up Mount Srd. We enjoyed watching the cable cars, but realised the journey takes less than 5 minutes and it’s €15 for one way, or €27 return per person.

Our views quickly changed when we were a week into the Mediterranean heatwave and could barely walk for 5 minutes without dripping with sweat. So, we decided to catch a cable car up and walk back down, it is all a part of the experience after all, right? 😀 And to be honest, although short, it was very enjoyable and exciting.

We very much enjoyed the views of the city in the cool breeze at the top. There are a couple of fancy restaurants at the top, a gift shops, toilets, and the Homeland War Museum.

We walked the zigzag path back down, enjoying the amazing views, which was hard enough as it was with the loose Stoney ground, and saw 7 brave adventurers hiking up. You can buy tickets online here (link), or at the ticket office/using their touchscreens when you get to the cable cars.

We headed back to our air BnB for a much-needed quick shower and siesta and headed back into Dubrovnik old town. After, we visited the Cathedral and the Church of Ignatius, Church of the All Saints, and St. Blaise’s Church, and generally had a wander around. We went to an excellent restaurant called Soul Kitchen and was my favourite vegetarian meal in Dubrovnik.

After dinner we walked to Banje beach, the main touristy beach, for a paddle and chill at dusk. Drenched in bug spray after receiving many bites from the previous evenings, we started the long walk back to our air b n b. This turned very adventurous when the skies opened with torrential rainfall and the biggest thunder and lightening storm I have ever seen filled the skies. We continued to watch the lightning veins from the safety of our little accommodation, before sorting things out for our excursion the next day to Croatia’s neighbouring countries! You can read more about these two amazing day trips from Dubrovnik here.

Quick Tips for visiting Dubrovnik:

• Bring Cash/change- lots of places don’t advertise that they are cash only! There are ATMs in the city (which unfortunately charge to withdraw, even if using a card like Monzo). Also, many public toilets charge €1 so keep the change!
• Wear comfortable shoes- there are A LOT of steps in Dubrovnik… calves of steel in no time
• Wear insect repellent in the evenings- take it from someone who was eaten alive by mosquitos…
• Top up your sun cream- we did travel during a Mediterranean heatwave, but the temperature was 35°C+ and the UV was ‘extreme’
• Bring a reusable bottle-You can drink water from the stone fountains, the main one being Onofrio’s fountain just inside the Old Town as you enter the Pile entrance 
• Bring shoes you can wear in the water. The beaches have uneven and sometimes sharp stones which are quite painful on the feet.
• If you plan on walking the city walls (would highly recommend), then buy a Dubrovnik day pass. It is the same price (€35) and it gets you entry to lots of other places, and free bus travel.

Happy Croatian travels! 😊

B