When you see it first, in person, you’ll recognize that skyline immediately. Maybe it’s from a Mediterranean dream, or perhaps an episode of “Game of Thrones.” Either way, it’s one of those seaside cities that evokes a strong response. You’ll do more than simply recognize its beauty. Yes, the view is breathtaking and jaw-dropping. These well-worn clichés remain entirely fitting. But it goes beyond that.
Dubrovnik is fascinating. It’s surprisingly small, with a city population of a little more than 40,000 people. But it has an Old City—often called the “Pearl of the Adriatic”—so important it’s been preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s the kind of place where, by simply wandering—turning left, turning right—you’ll discover empires and battles and secret places and hidden corners, and so much more.
Arrival
Dubrovnik’s Ruder Boskovic Airport (DBV) isn’t the biggest or the busiest in Croatia. But it is home to a new terminal building and the longest runway in the country. Here, many seasonal flights from across Europe land, carrying sun-seekers from Ireland, Scandinavia, France, Frankfurt, and more. A handful of flights also fly nonstop from other destinations, including Dubai, Seoul, Istanbul, and Newark.With the terminal sitting about 10 miles outside the Old Town, it won’t take you long to get from DBV to the middle of things. Ride-sharing services such as Uber, as well as taxis, service the airport.
Your easiest and cheapest option might be the Platanus shuttle bus. Clean and dependable, it departs 30 minutes after each flight lands and costs 10 euros per person, one-way. If you know you’ll be flying back out of DBV, buy a return ticket, which will save you five euros for the trip back.
Morning
In a historical place such as Dubrovnik, start your visit right in the heart of it all. Visit the main sights before things get too hot, or busy. Many cruise ships call at the port, and shore excursions can add thousands to the crowds.
The city’s history dates back to the seventh century. Over the many intervening years since then, it has served as home to a series of great powers. All of them left their mark: the Byzantines, the Republic of Venice, the Habsburg Empire, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Major earthquakes rocked the city, and wars arrived at its walls. Recently, during the Croatian War of Independence in the 1990s, troops besieged Dubrovnik for months. You wouldn’t know it—workers have since repaired the extensive damage and restored the city to its historical glory.
Perhaps the most influential period in Dubrovnik’s history was when it enjoyed status as a free state, from the 15th century to the 19th century. Maritime trade was good to the merchants here, and you can still feel that wealth all through the Old Town.
This is a place where it’s probably worth hiring a guide. Consider one from the website Viator, or Get Your Guide. They can give a fuller understanding of the area’s history and cultural context. Or they can point out the many filming locations from “Game of Thrones.” Dubrovnik served as a stand-in for the imperial city of King’s Landing, from the Jesuit Staircase to the Pile Gate.
Whether you tour or wander, appreciate all the sights, packed into a tight grid of lanes and streets, easily navigable on foot. Gothic and Baroque and Renaissance churches, fabulous flowing fountains, ancient monasteries, and picture-perfect clock towers abound. Snap your photos, yes, but also try to imagine each one in the past, when long-ago generations of Dubrovcani lived, traded, and worshiped in these spaces.
Make sure to get a little lost in the labyrinth of back lanes, where every turn of the corner can bring a surprise. Spend a little time at a couple of the main attractions. Those definitely include the Rector’s Palace, the seat of power during the long-running Republic of Ragusa, as well as the Dubrovnik Cathedral, which has been destroyed and rebuilt in many styles over the centuries.
Afternoon
It’s time to stride down Stradun, the limestone walk that forms Old Town’s primary walking street, and make a hard decision: where to eat lunch.Because this city offers so many options.
Choose wisely. When you have only one day in town, it’s totally worth being a little selective.
With Dubrovnik’s position right on the Dalmatian Coast, you can’t go wrong with seafood, which fishermen often deliver to markets and restaurants fresh each morning. Beyond the catch of the day (which is always a good option), a few favorites stand out.
These include mussels alla buzara, with white wine, parsley, and garlic, as well as cuttlefish risotto. Pick a place where you can dine al fresco, perhaps the Michelin-recommended Proto, which has been serving up steaming bream, clams, and crabs since 1886.
The temptation now: to take a nap. That’s understandable after an early flight, busy morning, and big lunch. Perhaps paired with a very good local wine such as Posip, made from a Croatian grape that produces a crisp, delicate, citrusy sip.
But on days like this, it’s imperative to keep going. Make your way to the city walls. Dubrovnik’s fortifications are some of its most distinctive and impressive sights. With construction beginning in the 12th or 13th century, they stand as a testament to the historical prosperity and power here.
For your purposes today, they’re the perfect place to work off at least a few of those lunchtime calories. Rising as much as 80 feet and 20 feet thick in places, these city walls repelled armies and navies from around the known world, from Saracens to Russians to Austrians. Enter and pay at the Pile Gate. The full circuit can take up to two hours. And hot tip: The Adriatic summer sun can be unrelenting, so make sure to pack a hat and a bottle of water.
Now, with the heat and crowds rising into the afternoon hours in Old Town, it’s a good chance to ride above it all. Dubrovnik’s cable car was built in 1969, the first in the Adriatic. The glassy gondolas will spirit you up the side of Mount Srd, more than 2,500 feet in less than four minutes.
The best part? Yes, the view, which stretches out over all the absolute grandeur, red roofs, stone walls, and the sea, stretching all the way to Africa. In summer, the amphitheater and other facilities at the top host a number of included activities, such as concerts and even film screenings.
Evening
Undeniably beautiful from above, Dubrovnik is even better from below. Make your way back into Old Town and board a boat at the port. You can choose a sunset sail on an old wooden galleon, or select one that serves wine tastings, or even charter a private little vessel.Whichever you choose, you won’t soon forget this golden hour—that waning sun, splashing amber and orange across those walls, the sea, and, of course, the sky.
Return to port as the heat of the day cools into the gloaming of the evening. With the waves still rocking you just a bit, the lure of bed will be strong. But, again, resist. Because Dubrovnik is even better at night, with most of the cruise guests back on their ships and some of the locals now mixing with the visitors.
Go freestyle. Choose a spot with live music that looks most charming to you. Pasta is ubiquitous and very good on this stretch of the Dalmatian Coast.
If you’ve still got some energy, continue the night at one of the city’s jazz bars. Those strings and songs provide a perfect serenade as you slowly say goodbye to an absolutely sublime day, one for the ages, in Dubrovnik.
