Well hello to you my reader chums! Dubrovnik has to be one of my new favourite cities. Visiting Croatia has been on my list for a very long time now and I can confidently say it lived up to every expectation and was even better than I imagined. The city had the most gorgeous, traditional architecture, a mind-blowing coastline and a delicious food scene. There was so much to see and do - and I'd happily go back in a heartbeat.

If you're planning a trip to Dubrovnik and don't know where to begin, here is everything you need to know before you visit.

It's a walkable city (if you're well and fit)

One thing I was taken aback about was how steep the city of Dubrovnik is, especially the old city. Hills and steps are everywhere so I would say to be aware of the level of exercise which comes with exploring this city. It's not the most accessible city because of that as a lot of the old town mainly offers many steep steps and thin walkways.  

The currency is Croatian Kuna (can use Euro too)

It's always important to be aware of the currency when visiting a new place, and Dubrovnik uses Croatian Kuna mainly. However, in some places, the Euro is accepted, you'll just need to be wary of the exchange rate.

Cash is widely accepted

I'm an advocate for using my Post Office money card when travelling because it's an easy way to load on different currencies, without worrying about losing any cash. However, what I didn't realise is that in Dubrovnik, a lot of places prefer cash, even paying for the apartment I stayed in. Shops and restaurants were okay with cards, it was more when booking excursions with locals and certain ice cream shops. With that in mind, always have cash on you or use one of the ATMs at the bank so you're not charged.

Some of the beaches aren't obvious to find

One of the things I was most excited about when visiting Dubrovnik was the stunning coastline and its various beaches, and I wasn't disappointed. But, what I did find is many of the beaches are hidden down residential paths or quiet walkways that unless you Google them or are staying in a resort area, can be hard to find. I certainly recommend doing some beach research before you go as there are plenty of off-the-beaten-track ones to experience.

They mainly have pebbly beaches

This leads me to this point: if you're a sandy beach kind of person, be aware that most beaches in and around Dubrovnik are pebbled. Or, they're very rocky! It's good to be mindful of this as I would suggest buying appropriate swimming shoes because it makes it easier to walk along with the pebbles and into the sea.

No cars on the Old City Walls

Being within the Old City Walls was one of my favourite things because it had such a charm about it with the hidden walkways, cobbled streets and old-school houses. I adored walking around every day and never got tired of admiring the beauty. Within the city walls, it's not actually that big and it's all for pedestrians, which means there are no cars at all. To me, that was really refreshing to see as it's a pedestrian-friendly zone which I love.

The bus shuttle is the best way to get to the airport 

There are two main ways to get to Dubrovnik city centre from the airport, either the shuttle bus or a taxi. If you want to have a direct and quick option, a taxi is always there but I would highly recommend the shuttle bus. Tickets are around £8 return and you can pick the bus up straight from the airport and get off at the Pile Gate bus stop, which is very close to the outside of the city walls. Getting the bus back, you'll need to head to where the cable car ticket office is and you can see the bus stop in front of it.

The summer season is from May to October

Dubrovnik is in Europe so it naturally has warmer days in the spring but the start of May is when the busy summer season begins for the locals and lasts until the end of October. May and September/October are generally the quietest months within peak time. So, if you want nice weather without too many tourists, I'd recommend exploring the city then.

There's more to Dubrovnik than the old town

100% there is! Don't get me wrong, I adored the old town to pieces and really enjoyed exploring it every day. However, once you leave the Old City Wall gates, you can head one way to visit more secluded beaches and the other way towards Lapad to see more of the local beaches and experience a different vibe. Dubrovnik is mainly known for its coastline so once you've seen the old town joy, head beyond that with water activities, its beach scene and excursions.

You can eat on a budget

Visiting Dubrovnik doesn't have to be overly expensive. Although compared to Croatia's other islands, it can come out as one of the pricier ones, you can easily eat on a budget. Shop around, eat at fresh takeaway places, grab ice cream on the go and look at the restaurant prices before dining. When I was there, I only ate pretty fancy one night and yet, wherever I went, even the cheapest food was of top quality. It's certainly a place for foodies!

There are endless things to see and do

I don't think I could ever get bored of Dubrovnik! Despite seeing the Old Town every day on my trip, I always found new walkways and quaint streets to see, the harbour is gorgeous, the coastline is one of the best I've seen and it's a hub for excursions. You can never really run out of things to do, especially with a lot of history to learn!

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you have any other travel tips?

Thank you for reading <3