Dubrovnik is a city in southern Croatia known for its city wall overlooking the Adriatic Sea. This city wasn’t on the top of my list to visit but my husband was raving about how beautiful it is so we chose Croatia/Italy as our honeymoon destination. He was so right! It is like no other city I’ve been to before. The second I walk into Old Town, I feel like I am transported back in time. This is probably why Game of Thrones chose this as one of their filming locations.
There are a lot of Game of Thrones tours but here are some other things you should check out:
City Walls
The city wall built in the 13th century was the defensive stone wall surrounding the city of Dubrovnik. This is a MUST do. It’s a good 1 to 2-hour walk with views of Old town from every angle, Lovrijenac fortress, Adriatic Sea, and much more. The entrance is on the left side of the St. Saviour Church which is near the Pilate Gate.
Rating: 8.8/10.0
What Have I Learned: Get the Dubrovnik card if you plan to do the City Wall and check out the museums. There are also discounts for restaurants and a 24-hour bus ride card which we used to go to Old Town, our Airbnb, and bus station to buy tickets to the next city.
Cost: $200 HRK ($31.50 USD)
Hour: Fri to Wed: 8 AM to 7:30 PM, Thurs: 8 AM to 7 PM
Fort Lovrijenac
It is situated 37 meters on top of a cliff. This fortress is located outside the city wall as the prime defense of the western part of Dubrovnik against attack from land and sea.
Rating: 7.0/10.0
What Have I Learned: The City Wall ticket includes entrance to Lovrijenac so make sure you don’t throw out the ticket.
Cost: $200 HRK ($31.50 USD)
Hour: Mon to Sun: 8 AM to 7 PM
Cable Car
It’s a 4-minute ride with a perfect bird’s eye view of the old town and the Adriatic Sea. There’s a restaurant (Panorama Restaurant) on top that you should make a reservation for ahead of time if you plan to eat there. It does get chilly here for dinner. They have blankets available but I would bring a jacket if you plan to eat here at night in October.
Rating: 7.5/10.0
What Have I Learned: If you don’t plan to eat at the restaurant, you can still take amazing pictures in the area next to the restaurant.
Cost: $160 HRK ($25.20 USD) for an adult round trip ticket
Hour: Mon to Sun: 9 AM to 12 AM
Franciscan Monastery
It has the oldest functioning pharmacy in Europe and the third oldest in the world. It was built back in 1317.
Rating: 7.0/10.0
What Have I Learned: The entrance to the museum is to the right of Franciscan Monastery. You’ll walk down a hallway and there should be a sign on the top.
Cost: The church is free to visit. The courtyard, museum, and pharmacy cost 30 HRK (4.70 USD).
Hour: Mon to Sun: 9 AM to 6 PM
FOOD RECOMMENDATION
Buza Bar
It is on a cliff outside the city wall. It’s the perfect place for a drink while you watch the sunset.
Rating: 7.4/10.0
What Have I Learned: Go here early to get a seat unless you prefer to stand.
Cost: 47 HRK (7 USD) for a beer
Hour: Wed to Mon: 8 AM to 2 AM, Tues: 12 PM to 5 PM
All that walking around Old Town means I built up an appetite to eat. Check out what you have to try:
Mlinar
Burek is a thin flaky pastry that can be filled with sweet or savory fillings. I probably had one of these every day I was in Croatia. We tried a few different ones including chocolate, cheese, and beef at Mlinar but my favorite is burek with beef meat. I love the crispy layers of the pastry and it had the perfect amount of filling inside.
Rating: 8.2/10.0
What Have I Learned: Mlinar is a bakery chain that started in 1903. They make 170 million products for the domestic and world market per year.
Cost: 18 HRK (2.70 USD)
Hour: Mon to Sun: 6:30 AM to 12 AM
Taj Mahal
Cevapi is a grilled dish with small sausages served with chopped raw onions on a flatbread. This is a national dish in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We had this at Taj Mahal. The smokey meat was good but it needed some sauce to complement it. If you go to this restaurant, make sure to order “Taj Mahal” Special. It’s veal, chicken, mushrooms, and cheese in a puff pastry.
Rating: 8.3/10.0
What Have I Learned: This restaurant had 10% off on the Dubrovnik card when I went back in Oct 2019.
Cost: Taj Mahal Special was 170 HRK (26 USD)
Hour: Mon to Sun: 10 AM to 12 AM
Barba
Octopus Burger at Barba is very different from the other burgers I had including beef, elk, crocodile, and even vegetarian. This burger had a much softer texture like a fish patty. If you do go, also get the calamari. It’s super fresh and crispy.
Rating: 7.8/10.0
What Have I Learned: While you wait for your food, you can also decorate one of the wooden forks and add it to the wall of forks. Do you see mine?
Cost: Octopus Burger was 76 HRK (11.30 USD). Calamari was also 76 HRK (11.30 USD).
Hour: Mon to Sun: 11 AM to 11 PM
Dolce Vita
Crepes are very thin pancakes served with a variety of fillings. It can be sweet or savory. This isn’t a Croatian dessert but we love the crepes at Dolce Vita.
Rating: 9.0/10.0
What Have I Learned: There’s no such thing as having too many crepes. We had this every night for dessert.
Cost: Crepes were 22 HRK (3.40 USD) to 34 HRK (5.30 USD)
Hour: Fri to Wed: 11 AM to 12 AM, Fri: 11 AM to 5 PM
Gradska Kavana Arsenal
Check out Gradska Kavana Arsenal if you want seafood with a view. We got seated right by the water with views of the marina and Porat. They had this creamy pasta with salmon that I still think about. I didn’t see it in the Summer 2020 menu but it’s worth checking out their other dishes. This restaurant also had 10% off on the Dubrovnik card when I went back in Oct 2019.
Rating: 8.5/10.0
What Have I Learned: This restaurant is part of the Nautrika Collection restaurant. It’s part of the chain that owns Nautrika Restuarant, Panorama Restaurant and Bar (restaurant at the top of the cable car), and Dubraka 1836 Restaurant and Cafe.
Cost: Main dishes were 94 HRK (14.60 USD) to 176 HRK (26 USD)
Hour: Mon to Sun: 8 AM to 12 AM
Tips:
- There’s a free walking tour that you have to book in advance. It’s 1 hour and 30 minutes of the history of Dubrovnik as well as seeing some of the famous attractions. Remember to tip the tour guide at the end.
Overall, Dubrovnik is stunning with its medieval architecture, distinctive terracotta rooftops, and views of the Adriatic Sea. It was a little bit expensive but that made sense since Old town was full of tourists. It was worth it!
FAQ
How many days do you need in Dubrovnik? 2-3 days
What is your main transportation in Dubrovnik? Walking
How long did it take to get to Dubrovnik? We flew into Dubrovnik Airport, also referred to as Čilipi Airport. It’s a 1 hour and 20-minute flight from Rome, Italy.
Where did you stay? We stayed at an Airbnb that was a 15-minute walk to Old Town. It’s right across Blue Star Apartment.
Is Dubrovnik expensive? $$$ Average cost for dinner for two was around 40 to 50 USD with no drinks.
When did you go to Dubrovnik? October 2019. I was able to wear a dress during the day but I did need a cardigan for the morning and night.
Where to Eat & Travel with Mabe 
Croatia is definitely on my list!
LikeLiked by 1 person