5-day guide to Dubrovnik

 Well hello to you my reader chums! Dubrovnik has to be up there with one of my new favourite cities. With its charming Old Town, impeccable beaches, crystal clear waters and endless activities to see, Dubrovnik offers something for everyone.

Whether you're planning a relaxing trip or looking for an activity-based holiday, here is my 5-day guide to Dubrovnik.

5 day guide to Dubrovnik

Day 1: Get your bearings and see the top sights

Mooch around the cobbled streets in the Old Town

The Old Town has to be the most quaint and authentic spot to experience. It's not actually an overly large area to walk around, however, it holds a charm about it like no other. Despite the small size, there are plenty of cute little cobbled streets to walk through and stairs to climb. I loved the endearing and homely feel to the Old Town and it's truly worth a little mooch to get your bearings - especially if you're not staying in that part of the city.

Old City Walls

Dubrovnik is renowned for its Old Town and from afar, you can see the Old City Walls surrounding it - and that's why you can't visit the city without walking around them. The entrance fee to the walls is around the £16 mark and takes about 1-2 hours to walk around, depending on your pace and how long you'd like to spend exploring. It took me about that time, and what I loved about this walk was how I got to experience views from every corner of the Old Town. It's such a gorgeous place!

old city walls  Dubrovnik

Jesuit Staircase and market

Dubrovnik has gained its popular name in recent years for being a location of the Game of Thrones series. During my trip, I saw tours for it advertised but, to be honest, it wasn't a bit of me to go on one of the tours. However, the Jesuit Staircase is one of the locations known for the 'walk of shame' scene. I came across this unexpectantly and even though it's what it's known for, the area is stunning to mooch around. At the bottom of the staircase, the locals have their own market, selling homemade goods too.

The Stradun 

The main street in the Old Town, The Stradun is the central point of everything in this part of the city. It's probably one of the prettiest streets I've seen with a collection of shops, restaurants, bars and many tiny side streets, leading to accommodation options and food spots. 

The Old Port 

One of my favourite spots in Dubrovnik was the Old Port. Located minutes from the Stradun, it's a gorgeous little port where many of the boats depart for day trips and excursions. I liked this area as it had a thrill about it like no other and the most stunning views of the rest of the city. Plus, the ice cream stall here was amazing.

Day 2: Fort exploring, Lokrum Island and Cable Car

Fort Lovrijenac

The city has a couple of forts in it and this one is definitely worth the visit. Included in the price of the City Walls admission ticket, it's a unique experience for the views of Lokrum Island. I have to say, it is a lot of steps to the top so be wary of that before you head up there. The fort is right next to the west harbour which to date, has to be one of the most beautiful areas I've seen with transparent waters. When you enter the top of the fort, the view is insanely good across the entire Old Town and beyond.

Lokrum Island

Lokrum Island is a must-visit for everyone. Located a 15-minute boat ride from the old port, with boats running every 30 minutes, it's an essential excursion to make. This island is not only packed with heavenly sights and natural beauty but there are plenty of things to see and do. Renowned for its Dead Sea, you're able to have a swim and float naturally in this spot which I absolutely adored. There are many hikes, a botanical garden, lovely architecture, parks for children, swimming spots and the famous Path of Paradise, which once you reach the top, overlooks the whole of Dubrovnik. It's an island you can spend a couple of hours on or even the whole day if you'd like to make the most of it!

Lokrum Island

Cable Car at sunset

Every guide I read prior to my trip said about taking the cable car up Mount Stn and honestly, it had to be one of my favourite experiences in the city. The cable car takes around four minutes to reach the top and is the smoothest ride as I was able to watch the city go from big to small. I'd highly recommend heading up as the sun is setting because you can see the city in the sun, at sunset and at dark. The view of Dubrovnik is out of this world, as are the mountains too. Tickets are around £18 for a return. If you fancy it, you can even hike up or down for this view.

Cable car Dubrovnik

Day 3: Kayak tour and beach exploring

Kayak tour of the Adriatic Coast

The sparkling waters had to be one of the biggest draws of Dubrovnik; I'm still blown away by how blue and clear the sea was. Going on a kayaking tour was a brilliant way to get a taste of the open waters around the city and learn more about its history. The waters on this coastline are incredibly calm and under the bright sun makes for a perfect place to utilise a kayak. I experienced a morning kayak tour and had a phenomenal time, seeing the waters up close, exploring the caves and learning about Dubrovnik.

Kayaking tour

Sulic Beach

This beach had to be a magnificent stretch of pebbles to relax. Tucked away, close by to the west harbour, it was the tiniest beach I saw but one I adored. The beach featured two bars, a small section of pebbles and an area to cliff jump. The waters here were bright blue and ever so calm. When I visited on an early May day, the beach was pretty quiet!

Danče Beach

Renowned mostly to locals, if you're looking for a quiet spot away from the main hub, I'd suggest heading over to Danče Beach. Although it's not got an actual stretch of sand or pebbles, the rocky formation has plenty of spots to relax on and go in for a swim in the turquoise waters. I adored this little spot as I can imagine it to be the perfect place to read my book and chill.

Dance beach

Bellevue Beach

Lapad is peninsular on the other end of Dubrovnik, around half-hour from the Old Town. It's famous for its beaches, reports and holiday-like feel. I didn't explore this area much apart from Bellevue Beach. This beach has ultra-clear waters, pebble terrain and a family-friendly feel about it.

Day 4: Day trip to the Elaphiti Islands

It wouldn't be a beach-style holiday without heading on a boat tour. Dubrovnik offered plenty of different boat tours for the day, you could even head over to Montenegro! However, I chose the most popular one, The Elaphiti Islands. This tour consisted of visits to three different islands: Kolocep, Sipan and Lopud. 

5 day guide to Dubrovnik

Kolocep is a pretty tiny island but is surrounded by impeccable waters and views that'll never leave me. Sipan is a lot bigger and has a huge focus on locals, selling their own produce including olive oil. It has many walking areas, a sweet harbour spot and more. Lopud however, had to be my favourite island of the three. It was the first time in Dubrovnik, I saw a sandy beach. The island features two sandy beaches, an exquisite harbour area lined with cafes and restaurants, plus magnificent mountain views.

Day 5: Last day at the beach

Sveti Jakov Beach

On the last day, I came across my favourite beach in the city and one I wish I discovered sooner. Sveti Jakov Beach is located around a 30-minute walk from the Old Town and one of those places I couldn't believe was real. It looked like a postcard right in front of my eyes. The beach was a combination of sand and pebbles with the clearest water to swim in. And, the backdrop of Dubrovnik was the icing on the cake.

Sveti Jakov beach

How to get around

Dubrovnik is a walkable city, especially in the Old Town. Although I would say, it's a city you need to have some level of fitness to walk around due to how steep it is and its unsteady cobbled paths. If you're staying in the Old Town, you can reach everything by foot, but if you're staying elsewhere, the public buses are easy to navigate.

Where to stay

Accommodation is endless in the city of Dubrovnik. I would recommend staying in the Old Town as it's the closest to all the attractions. However, if you're looking to save money, Lapad offers plenty of options and is only a bus ride away from the Old Town. The apartment I stayed in was located in the heart of the Old Town, only minutes from everything I wanted to see and do.

5 day guide to Dubrovnik

I hope you enjoyed this travel post. Are you planning a trip to Dubrovnik?

Thank you for reading <3

3 comments

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  2. I absolutely adored Dubrovnik when we went and loved exploring old town and Lokrum island, I'd say the GOT tour was worth it if you're interested but was also really informative generally so worth a nosey even if you're not a huge fan of the franchise

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  3. Thanks for sharing, it seems there is a lot to pack into a five day trip to Dubrovnik, it looks lovely :)

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