A walled marble city on a rock in the Adriatic, small enough to cross in ten minutes and busy enough that when you go matters more than what you do.
Dubrovnik's old town is 300 metres across and receives several cruise ships a day. Timing is everything.
The walls open at eight in the morning. Between eight and ten you'll share them with a handful of people and the light is perfect. By eleven, when the ship passengers are ashore, the circuit becomes a slow shuffle in full sun with no shade for two kilometres. It's the same walk and a completely different experience. The same logic applies to the whole old town — early morning and after six in the evening it's a functioning small city; in the middle of the day it's a queue.
The old town is the attraction. Two days covers it, and the third is best spent on the water.
Two kilometres of complete medieval circuit with the sea on one side and rooftops on the other. Open at eight — be there.
The marble main street, polished by centuries of feet. Walk it at seven in the morning and again at ten at night.
Cable car to 400m for the view over the old town and the islands. Sunset is the slot everyone wants.
Ten minutes by boat. Peacocks, a monastery, a saltwater lake and swimming spots. The escape valve when town is full.
A bar through a hole in the sea wall, with tables on the rocks and swimming below. Sunset drinks, and it's not a secret.
A day by boat to Koločep, Lopud and Šipan. Car-free, sandy in places, and where locals go at weekends.
The old town is beautiful and impractical to sleep in. Most people stay just outside.
Inside the walls. Magical at night, and you'll carry your luggage up steps. Priciest and noisiest.
East of the walls. The best hotels, Banje beach, and a five-minute walk to the gate.
A green peninsula twenty minutes by bus. Beaches, calmer, and much better value.
The working harbour. Cheapest, with the morning market and the ferries to the islands.
May, June, September and October are the best months. July and August are hot, full and expensive.
High summer brings 30°C-plus, peak cruise traffic and the highest rates of the year. Late spring and early autumn give you swimmable sea, comfortable walking weather and manageable crowds — September is our pick, with the sea at its warmest. Winter is mild but very quiet, with many restaurants closed and a reduced ferry schedule.
2h 45m to Dubrovnik (DBV), seasonal from many UK airports and year-round from London.
The airport shuttle bus takes about 30 minutes to the old town and runs with the flights.
Euro — Croatia adopted it in 2023. Cards are widely accepted.
Walk. The old town is pedestrian and the buses cover Lapad and Gruž cheaply.
We'll check the cruise schedule against your dates, book hotels in the right area, and write the payment plan out in full.
Two or three. It's small, and Dubrovnik is a city people wrongly book for a fortnight. Pair it with the islands or Split for longer.
Yes — Split is three hours by road or a catamaran up the coast, Hvar a ferry from either. A two-centre version costs little more.
It's the most expensive part of Croatia by some margin, particularly inside the walls. Lapad and Gruž bring the cost down noticeably.
Most of King's Landing was filmed in and around the old town. Walking tours run daily, and you'll spot the main sites anyway.
Flights, a central hotel and transfers as one package. We book the museum and gallery slots that sell out, and tell you which ones to book yourself.
Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, central accommodation and airport transfers. They indicate what a break of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
Ready-built itineraries with flights, transfers and internal hops booked as one package, ATOL protected. Every one can be reshaped around your dates.
10 nights · May–Jun, Sep–Oct · from £1,449pp
11 nights · May–Jun, Sep · from £1,149pp
10 nights · Mar–May, Sep–Nov · from £849pp
11 nights · Nov–Apr · from £2,199pp
15 nights · Dec–Apr · from £2,399pp
13 nights · Nov–Mar · from £2,099pp
