The journal
Everything we have written about Dubrovnik
Neighbourhood picks, budget breakdowns, rankings and seasonal notes — the full archive.
Hotels
Hotels with pools in Dubrovnik, ranked
Nine Dubrovnik hotels with genuinely swimmable pools, ranked on water quality, view, crowd and the honest price you pay in July versus October.
Hotels
Best family hotels in Dubrovnik, ranked
Ten Dubrovnik hotels rated for families with kids aged 3-12, judged on room size, kids' pool, walkability, and whether breakfast has anything a picky eight-year-old will eat.
Hotels
Hotels with free parking in Dubrovnik
Parking inside Dubrovnik costs €30-€43 a day at commercial garages, so the eight hotels below that include free parking save a road-tripping family around €217 a week.
Hotels
Pet-friendly hotels in Dubrovnik
Seven Dubrovnik hotels that genuinely welcome dogs — with pet fees ranging from €0 to €26 a night — plus which beaches allow paws and where not to bring your dog in July.
Hotels
Adults-only boutique hotels in Dubrovnik, ranked
Eight small, quiet, grown-up hotels in Dubrovnik ranked on atmosphere, food, view and honest value, with rates from €191 to €953 a night.
Comparisons & rankings
Best viewpoints in Dubrovnik, ranked
Nine Dubrovnik viewpoints ranked from the obvious to the obscure — including which one is worth the €24 cable car and which free walk beats it.
Day trips & escapes
Best day trips from Dubrovnik, ranked
Eight day trips from Dubrovnik ranked on payoff-per-hour, with honest notes on which to skip if you only have three days and which are lighter on the climate ledger.
Area guides
Dubrovnik Old Town: an honest area guide for tourists
What the walled Old Town actually delivers, what it costs to sleep in (€243+ a night for anything decent), and why staying elsewhere and visiting is often the smarter move.
Area guides
Lapad, Dubrovnik: an honest area guide
Lapad is where a lot of first-time Dubrovnik travellers should probably stay — 3km from the Old Town, a proper beach, hotels 40% cheaper, and buses every 15 minutes.
Budget & prices
Dubrovnik on a €43 a day budget
€43 a day is tight in one of Europe's most expensive small cities, but here's a genuinely workable version — hostel bed at €19, bakery breakfast at €3, konoba dinner at €13, and a walk that costs nothing.
Seasons & events
When to visit Dubrovnik: month-by-month
The best time to visit Dubrovnik, month by month — with sea temperatures, hotel price bands, cruise-ship counts, booking lead times, and the honest answer that late September and late May are the sweet spots.
Culture & sights
Is Dubrovnik safe? An honest answer for 2026
Dubrovnik is genuinely one of the safest cities in Europe — violent crime is negligible, but here's the honest list of what actually goes wrong, from €130 taxi scams to slippery walls in November rain.
Area guides
Where to stay in Old Town Dubrovnik
The walled Old Town is Dubrovnik's most expensive bed — expect €220-450 a night in shoulder season and up to €800 in August — but the trade-offs are specific and worth naming before you book.
Area guides
Where to stay in Pile: the gate district explained
Pile is the 400-metre strip just west of the Old Town walls, and it solves one specific problem: staying near the Stradun for €150-220 a night instead of €280-450, without losing the ten-minute walk to Onofrio's Fountain.
Area guides
Where to stay in Ploče: Dubrovnik's luxury cliff strip
Ploče is the 800-metre coastline east of the Old Town where Dubrovnik's five-star hotels — Excelsior, Villa Dubrovnik, Grand Villa Argentina — cluster on cliffs above the Adriatic, and where a summer night runs €500-1,400.
Area guides
Where to stay in Lapad: the family and beach base
Lapad is Dubrovnik's residential beach peninsula three kilometres west of the Old Town, and it solves the same problem for €120-220 a night that Ploče solves for €500 — with a sandy-ish bay, real supermarkets and a 15-minute bus ride to the Stradun.
Area guides
Where to stay in Babin Kuk: the resort peninsula
Babin Kuk is the wooded peninsula beyond Lapad where Dubrovnik's package resorts cluster — Valamar, Iberostar and Tirena — with pools, private pebble coves and a 25-minute bus ride to the Old Town for €140-260 a night.
Area guides
Where to stay in Gruž: Dubrovnik's port and market district
Gruž is the working harbour two kilometres northwest of the Old Town where the cruise ships, catamarans and morning market live, and where a decent double runs €80-140 shoulder season — Dubrovnik's most honest value.
Area guides
Where to stay in Boninovo: the underrated cliff district
Boninovo is the small hillside between Pile and Lapad where a handful of hotels and guesthouses sit on cliffs 40 metres above the Adriatic, at €120-200 a night with a ten-minute walk to the Old Town.
Area guides
Where to stay in Montovjerna: the residential value pick
Montovjerna is the quiet residential ridge above Gruž and Lapad where apartments run €60-110 shoulder season and locals actually live — Dubrovnik's most honest neighbourhood for travellers on longer stays.
Area guides
Where to stay in Kono, Dubrovnik
Kono sits 15 minutes on foot above Gruž harbour and rents for roughly 30 percent less than Lapad — here's who should book it and who shouldn’t.
Area guides
Where to stay in Mokošica: the honest area guide
Mokošica is 8km north of the Old Town on the Ombla river and rents for roughly half what Lapad charges — but only three types of traveller should actually book it.
Area guides
Cavtat or Dubrovnik: which town to actually book
Cavtat is 18km south of the Old Town, closer to the airport than Dubrovnik itself, and roughly 25 percent cheaper — here's when it's the smarter base and when it isn’t.
Area guides
Where to stay in Mlini: is the quiet worth it?
Mlini is a village of 300 people 10km south of Dubrovnik with one hotel, three restaurants and prices roughly 35 percent below Lapad — a great base for exactly the right traveller.
Area guides
Where to stay in Srebreno: hotel deals versus atmosphere
Srebreno is where you book if you want a big four-star pool hotel on the southern coast for €120-180 a night — but the trade-off is a resort strip with almost no village soul.
Area guides
Slano area guide: quiet bay 35km north of Dubrovnik
Slano is a deep sheltered bay 35km north of Dubrovnik with one big hotel, a scattering of stone villages and a very specific traveller profile it actually serves well.
Area guides
Where to stay in Ston: oysters, walls and a very different holiday
Ston is a walled salt-and-oyster town on the Pelješac peninsula, 55km north of Dubrovnik, with a specific charm that makes it a great two-night stop but a strange week-long base.
Area guides
Where to stay in Orebić: the Pelješac town nobody rushes to leave
Orebić is 100km from Dubrovnik at the tip of the Pelješac peninsula, faces Korčula across a 2km channel, and works as either a two-day stop or an entire holiday — here's the honest breakdown.
Area guides
Where to stay in Trsteno: honest area guide
Trsteno is a 20-minute drive up the coast from Dubrovnik, and roughly 90% of visitors come only for the Arboretum before leaving again by 4pm.
Area guides
Where to stay in Zaton (Dubrovnik): area guide
Zaton splits into two villages 1.5 km apart, and picking the wrong one adds 20 minutes to every dinner in the Old Town.
Area guides
Where to stay in Lopud: the car-free Elafiti guide
Lopud has no cars, one main promenade, roughly 220 permanent residents, and about a 55-minute ferry from Gruž.
Area guides
Where to stay in Koločep: the quiet Elafiti option
Koločep is the closest Elafiti island to Dubrovnik at 25 minutes by ferry, has two tiny villages, and roughly 160 permanent residents.
Area guides
Where to stay in Šipan: Šipanska Luka or Sudurad
Šipan is the largest Elafiti island at 16 square kilometres, has two harbours 5 km apart, and takes cars — a rare combination in this archipelago.
Area guides
Where to stay on Mljet: Pomena, Polače or Saplunara
Mljet is 37 km long, has three plausible bases, and choosing the wrong one adds 40 minutes of driving to every day in the national park.
Area guides
Where to stay in Korčula Town: honest area guide
Korčula Town is 118 km from Dubrovnik by road and ferry, sits on a walled peninsula the size of a small football pitch, and rewards two to four nights.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With Sea View Balconies, Ranked
The 9 hotels where a private balcony over the Adriatic is guaranteed, not a €120 upgrade lottery.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With Airport Shuttle Included
The 8 hotels that actually include a free airport transfer, plus what the €40 taxi ride really costs you.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With Rooftop Bars, Ranked
The 8 hotel rooftops where the sunset drink is worth the €18 cocktail, and the two that aren’t.
Hotels
Wheelchair Accessible Hotels in Dubrovnik, Ranked
The 8 hotels with genuinely accessible rooms in a city built on steps, ranked by what actually works.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With Heated Pools for Winter Stays, Ranked
The 7 hotels that keep a heated pool open November through March, with actual water temperatures.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With EV Charging, Ranked
The 8 hotels with actual working chargers, what they charge, and where to plug in if yours doesn’t.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With Tennis Courts, Ranked
The 6 hotels where you can actually get a court, plus the €30 public option nobody tells you about.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With 24-Hour Reception for Late Arrivals, Ranked
The 8 hotels that will actually let you in at 1am, plus what happens at the ones that lock the door.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With Private Beach Access, Ranked
Eight hotels where you actually get sand or a jetty of your own — and three where the "private beach" is a shared pebble scrap.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With Serious Spas, Ranked
Eight hotels where the spa is a real facility with steam, sauna and treatment rooms — not a massage bed in a converted storeroom.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Aparthotels With Real Kitchenettes, Ranked
Nine apartment-hotels where you can actually cook — including which ones give you a full stove and which just a kettle.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With Tennis Courts and Serious Fitness, Ranked
Eight hotels for active travellers — courts, running routes, and gyms that go beyond a treadmill in a broom cupboard.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels for Solo Female Travellers, Ranked
Eight hotels chosen for the walk from the front door at 22:00 — well-lit, well-located, and staffed by people who care.
Hotels
Dubrovnik Hotels With Boat Shuttles to the Old Town, Ranked
Seven hotels that skip the traffic entirely — arrival at the Old Port by water is the best commute in the city.
Culture & sights
Top 10 Things to Do in the Dubrovnik Region, Ranked
A committed 1-to-10 order of what's actually worth your time around Dubrovnik, from the walls down to the last oyster in Ston.
Food & drink
The 7 Best Konoba Restaurants Around Dubrovnik, Ranked
Seven traditional Dalmatian taverns worth the drive, the walk or the ferry, ranked by what actually arrives on the plate.
Culture & sights
The 6 Best Museums in Dubrovnik, Ranked
Six museums that repay the ticket price, from Republic-era palaces to the sobering rooms of the 1991-92 siege.
Seasons & events
The 8 Best Swimming Spots in the Dubrovnik Area, Ranked
Eight places to actually get in the Adriatic around Dubrovnik, ranked by water quality, atmosphere and how far you’ll walk with a wet towel.
Culture & sights
The 7 Best Walks in and Around Dubrovnik, Ranked
Seven walks that show you the region on foot, from a 90-minute wall circuit to a full-day peninsula traverse.
Comparisons & rankings
The 6 Best Boat Tours from Dubrovnik, Ranked
Six boat trips worth the money, ranked honestly by what you actually see, eat and swim in.
Culture & sights
The 6 Best Old Town Viewpoints Inside the Walls, Ranked
Six spots inside or just above the Old Town where the view earns the climb, ranked by what you actually see when you get there.
Day trips & escapes
The 5 Best Cross-Border Day Trips from Dubrovnik, Ranked
Five day trips that leave Croatia entirely, ranked by what you get for the border-crossing hassle.
Culture & sights
Top 10 Things to Do in Dubrovnik, Ranked
A committed ranking of the 10 experiences worth your time in Dubrovnik, with the honest catch for each.
Food & drink
The 7 Best Konobas in and around Dubrovnik, Ranked
Seven traditional konobas that still cook the Dalmatian way, ranked by whether I’d send a friend there tomorrow.
Comparisons & rankings
The 7 Best Beaches Near Dubrovnik, Ranked
Seven beaches within an hour of Dubrovnik, ranked by water quality, access and how packed they get in July.
Day trips & escapes
The 6 Best Islands from Dubrovnik, Ranked
Six islands reachable from Dubrovnik, ranked by what you actually get for the ferry ticket.
Food & drink
The 6 Best Wine Experiences Around Dubrovnik, Ranked
Six wine experiences within an hour or two of Dubrovnik, ranked by what you’ll actually remember about the wine.
Culture & sights
Dubrovnik in 72 Hours: A Culture-First Itinerary
Three days built around 8 museums, 2 monasteries and 1 opera-quality string quartet on the Rector's Palace atrium.
Culture & sights
A Rainy Day in Dubrovnik: The Indoor Plan That Actually Works
Nine indoor stops within a 400-metre radius, plus the two things everybody tries to do in the rain and shouldn’t.
Day trips & escapes
Dubrovnik With Kids: A Three-Day Plan That Doesn’t Break Anyone
A parent-tested itinerary with 6 swim stops, 2 fortresses that reward climbing, and the one museum that holds a nine-year-old.
Transport
A Week in Dubrovnik Without a Car: The Ferries, Buses and Boats That Cover Everything
Seven days, six islands, and 0 rental car days — with the exact bus numbers, ferry lines and departure times that make it work.
Day trips & escapes
The Pelješac Wine Route in Two Days: Dingač, Postup and Where to Sleep
Ten wineries across a 65-km peninsula, ranked and routed — with the two you should book ahead and the four you can walk into.
Culture & sights
The Half-Day Walking Route Through Dubrovnik That Sees the Real City
A 4.2-km loop with 340 metres of elevation gain, 11 waypoints, and the three streets tourists never turn onto.
Day trips & escapes
The Dubrovnik Coast Driving Route: 120 km, Two Days, Every Worthwhile Stop
The D8 south to the Montenegro border and north to the Neretva delta — 8 stops, 4 swim breaks, and where to sleep in between.
Day trips & escapes
Dubrovnik driving route: Pelješac and Ston in one day
A 180 km loop north of Dubrovnik that trades the Old Town crush for oysters, wine cellars and the second-longest defensive wall in Europe, all doable in 10 hours behind the wheel.
Culture & sights
Dubrovnik walking route: Old Town in a half day, stop by stop
A five-hour walking spine that covers the walls, the two monasteries, three churches worth entering and the two viewpoints most people miss, with 14 named stops and no doubling back.
Culture & sights
Dubrovnik Game of Thrones route: a themed day that doesn’t feel cheap
Twelve real filming locations in the city and on Lokrum, walked in the right order over one day, with the honest answer to which scenes were shot where and which spots aren’t worth the entry fee.
Day trips & escapes
Dubrovnik with kids: a two-day plan that keeps everyone speaking
A honest two-day itinerary with children aged 4-12, built around 3 swim stops, 2 boat trips, 1 short cable car ride and zero attempts to walk the entire wall circuit at midday.
Transport
Dubrovnik without a car: a four-day plan using only buses and boats
A complete four-day itinerary reaching the Old Town, three islands, Cavtat and the wine peninsula using only the number 1A bus, Jadrolinija ferries and one long-distance coach, saving 250 euros in car rental and parking.
Seasons & events
Dubrovnik in January: What Is Actually Open
The quietest month of the year, when a sea-view room drops to 55 euros and half the Old Town shuts by 8pm.
Seasons & events
Dubrovnik at Easter: What to Expect in Holy Week
The city's real season-opener, when 60% of hotels reopen in a single fortnight and Old Town restaurants unshutter overnight.
Seasons & events
Dubrovnik Cruise Ship Calendar: How to Avoid the Crush
On peak days 8,000 day-trippers pour through Pile Gate between 9am and 4pm — here is how to time your visit around them.
Seasons & events
The Dubrovnik Summer Festival: A Practical Guide to July and August
For 45 nights straight, the city becomes an open-air stage — with 80+ performances and tickets from 15 euros, this is what actually shifts hotel demand in summer.
Seasons & events
Is November Worth Visiting Dubrovnik? An Honest Answer
The month locals actually enjoy their own city, with 60% of hotels still open and rooms half the September price.
Seasons & events
Dubrovnik Shoulder Season: May vs October, Which Is Better?
Both months hit 22°C by day and rooms at 60% of peak, but the differences change which one you should book — here is how they actually compare.
Seasons & events
Dubrovnik shoulder season: what April, May and October actually deliver
Room rates run roughly 40-55% below July, the walls open at 08:00, and every restaurant in the Old Town is trading — here is what each of the three shoulder months really looks like.
Seasons & events
Dubrovnik in winter: what actually opens November through March
Rooms drop to €45-90 a night, roughly 60% of Old Town restaurants stay open, and the walls trade every day of the year — here is what you can and cannot do between November and March.
Seasons & events
Dubrovnik Summer Festival: how to plan July and August around it
For 45 days from July 10th, roughly 80 performances take over Fort Lovrijenac, the Rector's Palace and eight other historic sites — here is how the festival reshapes what you should book and pay.
Seasons & events
June vs September in Dubrovnik: which shoulder-peak month wins
Both months average 27°C days, 22°C+ sea, full ferry schedules and rooms 20-30% below August — here is which one wins for weather, crowds, price and food.
Seasons & events
Easter in Dubrovnik: what Holy Week actually looks like
Easter typically brings 40-50% higher prices than the surrounding weeks, most seasonal hotels open for it, and the city's Catholic calendar delivers processions worth planning around — here is what to expect.
Seasons & events
Dubrovnik's cruise ship calendar: when day-trippers actually swamp the Old Town
The city caps cruise arrivals at two ships per day (roughly 8,000 passengers) and 4,000 daily disembarkations, but seasonality and timing within the day still shape what your visit looks like — here is the practical calendar.
Transport
Getting Around Dubrovnik Without a Car: What Actually Works
You do not need a car in Dubrovnik — the Libertas city buses, your feet, and about 3 taxi rides across a week cover everything most visitors do.
Culture & sights
Tipping and Etiquette in Dubrovnik: The Honest Rules
Tipping in Dubrovnik is genuinely optional, but 5-10 percent in restaurants is the local norm and 15 percent marks you as an American who did not read this.
Culture & sights
What's Overrated in Dubrovnik: 7 Things to Skip or Downgrade
The city walls, the cable car and Buža Bar are all worth doing once — but at least half of Dubrovnik's top-ten list is a tax on tourists, and you can drop 200 euros and a full day without missing anything real.
Budget & prices
Money and Cards in Dubrovnik: What to Know Before You Land
Dubrovnik runs on the euro, cards work in 95 percent of places, and you can happily spend 10 days here carrying only about 50 euros in cash — but the 5 percent that is cash-only matters.
Culture & sights
Accessibility in Dubrovnik: An Honest Look at a Very Steep City
Dubrovnik is genuinely difficult for wheelchair users and anyone with mobility limits — the Old Town has around 4,000 steps, but there are three neighbourhoods and a handful of hotels where a good visit is entirely possible.
Culture & sights
First-Timer Mistakes in Dubrovnik: 8 Things Not to Do
The average first-timer wastes about 4 hours and 80 euros on avoidable mistakes — booking the wrong neighbourhood, walking the walls at noon, and eating dinner on Stradun tops the list.
Culture & sights
Tipping and Etiquette in Dubrovnik: What Locals Actually Expect
Tipping in Dubrovnik is real but modest — 10% at restaurants, a euro or two for taxis and porters, and nothing at all in half the situations tourists overtip in.
Culture & sights
First-Timer Mistakes in Dubrovnik: 12 Things I Wish I’d Known
Most first-time Dubrovnik regrets cluster around the same 12 avoidable mistakes — from walking the walls at noon to booking an Old Town apartment on the fourth floor without an elevator.
Culture & sights
Is Dubrovnik Accessible? An Honest Guide for Reduced Mobility
Dubrovnik is one of the least wheelchair-friendly Old Towns in the Mediterranean, but roughly 60% of a trip is genuinely doable with planning — here is what works and what does not.
Culture & sights
What is Overrated in Dubrovnik: 8 Things Not Worth Your Money
After 15 trips to Dubrovnik I can name the eight experiences that consistently disappoint — from 45-euro Game of Thrones tours to the Buža cliff bars in peak season.
Day trips & escapes
3 days in Zadar: an itinerary that actually works
A tested three-day plan for Zadar — one day on the old-town peninsula, one on the water, one for a day trip — with real opening times, ferry prices and where to eat, plus how it fits a Dubrovnik trip.
Culture & sights
Walking the walls of Dubrovnik: entrances, cost and timing
The full circuit of Dubrovnik's city walls runs about 1,940 metres and rises to 25 metres above the Old Town. Here is which of the three entrances to use, what the ticket really includes, the towers worth stopping for, and the exact hours to go to dodge the heat and the cruise crush.
Area guides
Babin Kuk holidays: the honest guide to a Dubrovnik resort week
Babin Kuk is the pine-covered peninsula five kilometres northwest of Dubrovnik's Old Town where the package resorts, the waterslides and the calmest family swimming all sit together. Here is what a week actually looks like, which cove to pick, where to base yourself for €130-625 a night, and the months worth booking.
Neighbourhood picks
Where to Stay in Dubrovnik: The Best Areas Compared
A practical, honest comparison of Dubrovnik's best areas to stay — Old Town, Ploče, Pile, Lapad, Babin Kuk and Gruž — with who each suits and how far it is to the walls.
Culture & sights
Dubrovnik Market Days & Opening Times
When and where to find Dubrovnik's markets — the daily Old Town market on Gundulićeva Poljana and the bigger Gruž green and fish market — plus what to buy and when to go.
Culture & sights
Best Beaches Walkable from Dubrovnik Old Town
The swimming spots you can reach on foot from Dubrovnik's Old Town — Banje, Sveti Jakov, Danče and the little coves by Pile — with the character and catch of each.
Transport
Dubrovnik Airport to the Old Town & Lapad
How to get from Dubrovnik Airport to the Old Town, Lapad and Gruž — the airport shuttle bus, taxis and private transfers, with journey times and honest advice.
Budget & prices
Do You Need Cash in Dubrovnik? Cards, Euro & ATMs
Croatia uses the euro and cards are widely accepted in Dubrovnik — here is when you still need cash, how to dodge ATM and card surcharges, and what to know about tipping.
Neighbourhood picks
Where Is the Centre of Dubrovnik?
Confused by Dubrovnik's layout? A simple orientation to the Old Town, its gates, and the districts around it — so you know where the 'centre' is before you book.
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