Old Town Dubrovnik
Highlights
Useful information in planning a trip to the medieval Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Time of Visit: August 2025
Duration of Visit: Three Nights
Description
Dubrovnik is often referred to as the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” It is a stunning coastal city located on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. Enclosed by massive stone walls dating back to the 10th century, its Old Town is a masterpiece of medieval architecture. As if Dubrovnik is not popular enough, its prominence as an international tourist destination was elevated by the TV series “Game of Thrones” as one of the filming locations.
The Old Town of Dubrovnik has baroque churches, marble-paved streets, red-roofed houses and a medieval perimeter wall that overlooks the turquoise Adriatic Sea. The city reflects a storied past as a powerful maritime republic. Beyond its historical core, Dubrovnik also offers a mix of beauty and modern sophistication, with crystal-clear waters, nearby islands, and a thriving cultural scene.
Activities
Dubrovnik Pass
Get the Dubrovnik Pass if you plan on walking the City Walls and visiting the museums. The pass also gives free access to the public bus system. The pass is valid for 24 hours after it is first scanned.
Walking The Streets of Old Town
The most popular thing to do in Old Town Dubrovnik is to walk its streets and alleyways. Our tour guide called this activity “Giro” which is what locals normally, to walk up and down the street while stopping and chatting with people they know. There are about 500 locals that live within the city wall, so everybody knows one another.
Tourists do the “Giro” as well minus the talking part. Instead they eat at outdoor restaurants and cafes and pop in and out of souvenir shops. Some of them are even dressed to be noticed, especially in the evening. So this is the place to be seen and to watch people.
You can walk the streets of Old Town or you can join a tour group. Primarily, there are two major tours in the Old Town – a historical tour and the popular Game of Thrones (GOT) tour.
We joined a free walking historical tour where we tipped our guide for what we thought the tour was worth. Our tour stopped at several locations where our guide told us some interesting historical facts – too much to mention and remember. If you are not a fan of history, you can skip this tour as all of our stops were publicly accessible.
There are plenty of Youtube videos about GOT filming locations in Dubrovnik. Most of the filming locations are freely accessible. You can save some money by watching the videos beforehand and looking for it yourself. The Old Town is not too big and you can walk from one end to the other in less than 15 minutes.
Walking The City Walls
Besides doing the “Giro”, walking the City Walls is the next popular activity in the Old Town. There are 1,000+ steps to tackle within the city wall and takes about 1.5 to two hours to complete. It may take longer if you are a GOT fan. The walk is done in one direction to keep the traffic flow moving.
Museums
There are several museums that are in the Old Town. These would be perfect to do during the middle of the day when it is hot and the streets are crowded.
Tours and Day Trips
There are a number of companies that offer boat tours around nearby islands. You will find them near the marina.
If the town of Mostrar and Kravice Waterfalls in Bosnia and Herzegovina are on your list, there are tour companies that offer day trips from Dubrovnik to these two magical places. Compared to the cost of walking the city walls, this day trip is a bargain.
How To Get There
Dubrovnik has an airport, code DUV. It is also reachable by bus from other cities like the capital city, Zagreb, albeit it will be a long bus ride. The easiest and fastest way is flying.
The cheapest way to reach Old Town Dubrovnik from the airport is by the Platanus shuttle bus. Buses leave when there is a flight that just landed. Bus tickets can be booked on-line or, at the airport or from a kiosk at the bus stop. Signs to the bus stop are clearly visible once outside the arrival gate.
Platanus has open seating and first come – first served. So fall in line early at the bus stop to ensure getting a ride. Otherwise, it may be a long wait for the next bus. The bus has a few stops spread throughout the outskirts of the old town. The first one is just steps away from the East Gate or Ploce Gate.
Taxis and rideshare like Bolt are also available at the airport. But those would be more expensive as the Old Town Dubrovnik is about a 35-45 minute ride away.
Where To Stay
There are many accommodations to choose from in Dubrovnik, both within the Old Town and outside. It is definitely advantageous to stay within the Old Town or just minutes walk away from it. This way, you can rest during the middle of the day when it is hot and when most of the day tourists from cruise ships are roaming about. Walking in the evening is much cooler though there will still be crowds. But the atmosphere is much nicer and livelier.
We chose to stay at Brizo Apartments which is about a minute walk from the Ploce Gate. It has a wonderful balcony view of the Old Town walls and the marina.
How To Get Around
Walking is the only means of getting around the Old Town as there is no public transportation within the city walls. There are many stairs to tackle, some 5,000 + according to our guide. One thousand plus of those stairs is by going up and down the city walls.
There are public buses, taxis and rideshares that take visitors beyond the Old Town.
Expected Expenses
Costs are in Euros and per person unless noted otherwise.
Platanus airport shuttle bus – 15 round trip.
Tours – price depends on the tour. See photo for an example.
Dubrovnik Pass – 40, valid for 24 hours. The clock starts ticking when first scanned. A good value as it includes the city wall and a number of museums. The city wall alone is 40 Euros.
Summary
Dubrovnik captivates visitors with its rare blend of history, beauty, and atmosphere. Walking along its charming streets, especially in the evenings, is purely relaxing. The medieval atmosphere takes you back in time. The combination of old-world elegance and coastal splendor makes Dubrovnik one of Europe’s most enchanting and unforgettable destinations.