Dubrovnik is full of beautiful things to see and do, if you don’t mind walking up a few stairs to get there. Dubrovnik is known for it’s huge city walls, but there’s also lots to do outside of Old Town. Plus there are plenty of fun boat tours and day trips from Dubrovnik.
These are my favorite viewpoints, beaches, sunset spots, and other things to do in Dubrovnik. Including 7 Dubrovnik attractions you can see for free.
Free Things to Do in Dubrovnik
1. Walk through Old Town.
Dubrovnik’s Old Town is surrounded by massive city walls. One tour guide told me the ancient concrete recipe included eggs, horse hair, and human urine.
To get inside Old Town, you’ll have to go through 1 of 3 gates. Inside you’ll see beautiful stone buildings, churches, and a clocktower. It’s even prettier to walk around at night.
There are several bars tucked inside the walls that have a great view of the coast and sunset. These tend to be pricey, but could be worth it for the view.
You can also pay to walk on top of the walls. If you want to do this, it’s a better deal to get the Dubrovnik city card, which is about the same price and includes other attractions.
2. See the view from Mount Srdj.
Take a taxi or cable car to the highest point in Dubrovnik, Mount Srdj. Or hike it if you’re adventurous (aka cheap) like me. You’ll be rewarded with a view of Dubrovnik Old Town and Lokrum.
The hike was more challenging than I expected and did not have a lot of shade. So bring plenty of water and wear sunscreen.
3. Swim in the Adriatic Sea.
Dubrovnik has a lot of great beaches and swimming areas, but most of them are located at the bottom of a huge flight of stairs.
Uvala Lapad Beach was my favorite. It was the only beach I found that did not have large crowds or a lot of stairs. If you walk to either side of the main beach area, there are more secluded areas where you can sunbathe on large rocks or concrete. There are usually ladders along the rocks to help you climb out.
The water is crystal clear and full of colorful fish. Bring goggles, or buy some there, to see them better.
Many of Dubrovnik’s beaches have bars on the water or nearby. One of my favorites was Beach Bar Ponat in Lapad.
4. Watch a water polo game.
I played water polo in high school, so I was thrilled to learn that water polo is the most popular sport in Dubrovnik.
There were water polo goals set up on almost every beach I saw, some more casual than others. There was also a tournament when I visited. Games were played right in the old port.
5. Walk the Lapad Promenad.
Lapad is the peninsula on the western side of Dubrovnik. It’s a bit far from Old Town but I actually liked it better there. It was a little less crowded and more relaxed than Old Town.
The promenade goes through a park with restaurants, ice cream shops, and souvenir stores. It continues along the coastline, where you’ll see the Adriatic Sea with Velike Petke Hill in the background.
6. See the view from Utsikts Promenad.
You’ll probably walk by this area if you walk to Old Town from somewhere outside of the city. This observation deck has a sprawling view of the cliffs on the coast and a large water arena.
7. Hike Velike Petke Hill.
Velike Petke Hill is the second largest peak in Dubrovnik and located in Lapad. This hike is mostly shady and through a forest. Most of the trail is paved, but some parts are very steep. It has a few nice viewpoints.
Dubrovnik Food and Drinks
1. Drink Croatian wine.
Croatia has a perfect climate for growing grapes. There are a lot of great local wines that aren’t expensive. Look for graševina, a dry white wine.
2. Try the black risotto.
If you only go out to eat for one meal in Dubrovnik, get the black risotto. It’s made with cuttlefish ink and will dye your mouth black. And it’s so delicious.
Another Dalmatian food to try in Dubrovnik is the octopus salad.
3. Drink inside a cave at Cave Bar.
One of my favorite spots in Lapad is Cave Bar. It is what it sounds like, a bar inside a cave.
It also has a nice patio with a sunset view. Inside the cave, the seating areas are spread out on different levels, with only a few chairs in each spot. So it feels very private and secluded.
4. Watch the sunset from Love Bar.
Love Bar is in the Gruz area of Dubrovnik and has a perfect view to watch the sunset over the ferry port and Lapad. They also had a great local wine selection when I was there.
Boat Tours and Day Trips from Dubrovnik
1. Take a free walking tour.
Dubrovnik was one of my favorite walking tours. I learned so much history about the city walls and how important Dubrovnik was for trade. Our guide also showed us filming locations from Game of Thrones and Star Wars.
Remember with any free tour, you’re supposed to leave a tip.
2. Kayak at sunset.
After walking up stairs all week, I wanted to give my arms a workout too. So I signed up for a sunset kayaking tour around Lokrum Island.
The tour was more challenging than I expected, but still beginner-friendly. We were split into small groups, and each group had their own guide who stayed close with us the whole time. We took a lot of breaks where the guide would tell us stories about the history of Dubrovnik. He also told us if anyone gets too tired he can pull you back himself.
The tour included well-needed sandwiches and water. They also gave us dry bags, and a container to put our sandwich and phone in so they would stay dry. When we got back, they gave us a small bottle of wine to celebrate.
3. Swim through caves.
The most adventurous activity I did in Dubrovnik was a cave, snorkeling, and swimming tour. A guide led us through several caves with different levels of difficulty. Some of the caves were very narrow or required us to swim underwater in the dark. I felt safe the whole time because the guide stayed close to us and gave us clear and easy-to-follow instructions.
Like all of the boat tours I took in Croatia, wine was included.
4. Take the ferry to Lokrum Island.
Lokrum is the small island off Dubrovnik’s coast. You’ll see it from most of the viewpoints in the city. The island is a nature reserve with a botanical garden and franciscan monastery. You can take a short ferry ride to get there.
5. Take a day trip to Kotor.
Kotor, Montenegro sits in between the mountains along Kotor Bay. It has an Old Town with city walls similar to Dubrovnik. If you want to see more cats and gorgeous sunsets, you should visit Kotor.
6. Take a day trip to Mostar.
Visit Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina to see stunning views of rivers, mountains, and Ottoman architecture. In my completely unbiased view, you should spend more time in Mostar so you have time to eat all the delicious food. But if you only have time for a day trip, you’ll still be able to see the main sites.
Other Things to Know About Dubrovnik
1. Get ready for lots of stairs.
If I had to describe Dubrovnik in one word it would be stairs. I’ve never climbed so many stairs in my life. It seemed like no matter where I went, I had to walk up stairs in both directions.
The first time I visited Dubrovnik, I stayed in the Gruz neighborhood. On the map, it’s right by the ferry station. But I did not realize the short walk to my apartment would be straight up a very steep staircase. I definitely got a good workout when I stayed there.
If you have trouble with stairs, I honestly would not recommend visiting Dubrovnik. Even if you take a taxi to get around town, there are still stairs everywhere in the places you’ll want to see.
2. How to get to Dubrovnik.
If you’re coming from Split, I recommend taking the ferry to Dubrovnik. You can also take a bus if you’re coming from another nearby Balkan city.
From the airport, you can take a taxi or a shuttle bus. I don’t recommend renting a car because there was a lot of traffic and parking can be difficult.
3. Dubrovnik can be expensive.
The restaurant prices in Dubrovnik seemed to be more expensive than anywhere else in Croatia. If you’re staying more than a few days, it’s worth paying for an airbnb with a kitchen to save money on food.
4. There are cats everywhere.
If you’ve read my other posts you’ll know I love the cats in the Balkans. Dubrovnik is no exception. One night some neighborhood cats watched the sunset with me, and it really made my night.
