Four Days In Dubrovnik : What To See & Do

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For my twenty-third country, I visited Dubrovnik, one of Croatia’s major coastal cities along the Adriatic Sea.

This had initially been my birthday trip in June, but I cancelled because I took my sweet time to purchase my tickets, which caused the prices to surge.

Having a birthday at the start of the Summer is always a bittersweet moment for me.

On one hand, I love the sunshine, and on the other, I’m not too fond of the crowds and prices that come with the start of Summer, so I have to be quick with my bookings.

I try to book my birthday trips at the beginning of the year to keep my mind at rest, but sometimes, life gets in the way, and I push it until the last minute.

Whatever the case, I’ve learnt my lessons and will book my trips early enough.

It goes without saying that I was super excited about this trip.

After travelling during peak European summer for a couple of years, I decided to skip travelling during July and August altogether.

It’s always too hot, crowded and expensive, making the entire experience unpleasant.

So, I just saved my Summer trip for September.

I was in Faro last year, and it was so much better.

There are fewer crowds, mild weather with adequate sunshine, and it is generally cheaper.

You might get some rain now and again, but it’s nothing that can’t be managed with an umbrella.

Without further ado, let’s get into the details of this trip.

Four Days In Dubrovnik : What To See & Do

Here’s How To Spend Fours Days In Dubrovnik

While I’ve never seen a single episode of Game of Thrones, Dubrovnik is one of those cities I have always looked forward to visiting, mainly because the Old Town is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

It was also my first time in Croatia, and I wanted to experience the country before deciding whether to explore other cities and islands.

Also, I wanted to visit two other neighbouring countries, so best believe this trip was packed.

I’ll try to do a general run down here, but you can check out the individual posts for the other countries;

I’ll also share my thoughts and impressions about the country at the end of the post, so let’s get right into it!

Flights

Cost – £167 return.

I flew into Dubrovnik Airport on a TUI evening flight, which took around 2 hours and 40 minutes.

It was my first time using the airline, and the journey was as smooth as possible.

On the other hand, I flew out with Ryanair’s Buzz on a late evening flight, which was almost delayed.

Typically, I’m not too fond of late return flights.

Still, I wanted to soak in as much sunshine as possible before returning to gloomy Manchester, and I’m so glad I did because the weather was horrendous when I landed.

Airport Transfer

Uber – €48.66/£40.53

After landing with cabin luggage at 9 p.m., I could not be bothered to drag it around with the airport shuttle, so I took an Uber instead.

This was a lot more efficient for me because Dubrovnik is an incredibly hilly city.

But if you arrive earlier and you’re on a budget, you can take the Airport Shuttle to the Bus Station, which costs €10 one way.

From there, you can take a bus to your hotel.

I must warn you: public transportation in Dubrovnik doesn’t appear on Google Maps, so you need to use the timetable on the operator’s website.

The process sounded like a chore, so I used an Uber instead.

Thankfully, I didn’t need public transportation, as my Airbnb was within walking distance of the Old Town.

Accommodation

Cost – £374/four nights

Two factors helped me decide on my accommodation: the distance to the Old Town and the beach.

I prefer not to stay too far from the centre for safety reasons.

I also prefer to walk around as much as possible.

So, if the distances were too far, that would discourage me from walking.

So I chose Argenta Rooms as it had all the facilities I needed.

It did not occur to me that it was an Airbnb hosted by an elderly Croatian couple.

Anyway, they were lovely and kept to themselves for the entire trip.

The only problem was the hike to my room.

Listen, I have never climbed so many stairs in my life before.

Unfortunately, I had to go up and down every day of the trip.

While there was an alternative route to an upper street, walking to and from The Old Town didn’t help my calves.

I could do nothing about it, so I just had to bear with it.

Aside from the need for air conditioning service, my stay was very pleasant.

Dubrovnik Public Transportation

As I mentioned, moving around with public transportation is pretty straightforward.

I noticed some queues at the bus stops, which turned me off completely.

Understandably, the buses are packed because walking around the city requires a lot of physical endurance.

If you, like me, want to avoid public transportation, ensure your accommodation is not too far from the Old Town.

Itinerary

Unlike other cities with a list of places to visit, Dubrovnik is a bit different in that you’ll get more from the city from the experiences rather than visiting places of interest.

If your trip is longer, you can cover much more outside of the Old Town, but if you have limited time, you need to be smart about it.

First, I will share my itinerary and then recommend other activities and experiences you can do.

Day 1 – Montenegro Day Trip, where you’ll visit Perast, Kotor and, if you have time, Tivat or Budva with a large group.
Day 2 – Mostar and Kravica Waterfall Day Trip in Bosnia & Herzegovina with a small group.
Day 3 – Dubrovnik Old Town Tour, including a Hop-on, hop-off tour to the outskirts of the old town.
Day 4 – Dubrovnik Beach Day

As you can already tell, I prioritised ensuring I visited all three countries on this trip to maximise my time effectively.

If my camera roll is any indication, I had a blast.

Essential Dubrovnik Experiences

Perhaps one of the essential experiences you can have in Dubrovnik is the day trips to Montenegro and Bosnia, but if you’d prefer not to, here are some activities you can do in Dubrovnik to ensure you have the time of your life;

Historical Landmarks

Aside from The Old Town, there are other historical landmarks you can check out around the city centre if you have the time, which include:

Sponza Palace: a 16th-century former palace that houses several government offices. It currently houses the Dubrovnik State Archive, which holds documents dating back to the 12th century.
Rector’s Palace: This former seat of the Rector has housed the History Department of the Museum of Dubrovnik since the 18th century.
Franciscan Monastery and Church: A 13th-century complex outside the walls of The Old Town, which comprises a friary, a church, a library, and a pharmacy.
Church of St. Blaise: An 18th-century Baroque church built honouring Dubrovnik’s patron saint.
Dubrovnik Bell Tower: This 14th-century bell town is one of the city’s iconic symbols, and it has been damaged and restored several times.