What To See In Dubrovnik: The Perfect 1 Day Itinerary
Dubrovnik in recent years has become one of Europe’s top tourist destinations, so it’s vital you have the perfect itinerary when planning what to see in Dubrovnik, especially if only for 1 day.
Based in the south of Croatia on the Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik is a truly wonderful place to explore, full of historical sites within and around its medieval Old Town.
Whether you want to learn more about its fascinating history, enjoy the breath-taking sea views, enjoy a Game of Thrones tour or simply just relax on one of the city’s many beaches, there are so many options when it comes to things to do.
Having visited the tourist capital of Croatia recently, I have curated the perfect 1 day itinerary to help you navigate this beautiful location and show you what to see in Dubrovnik to make the most of your time here.
What To See In Dubrovnik – 1 Day Itinerary
Is it possible to enjoy all that Dubrovnik has to offer in just 1 day? Surprisingly, yes – with so many of the top attractions located fairly close to each in the centre, you can see and visit many of the city’s best spots in a relatively short amount of time.
So without further ado, let’s go through my perfect 1 day itinerary for what to see in Dubrovnik:
Explore The Medieval Old Town
Dubrovnik’s Old Town is the central heart of the city and where you’ll spend most (if not, all) of your time when visiting for 24 hours. It is truly one of the most stunningly gorgeous areas to go to when visiting Dubrovnik, and is no surprise that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When considering what to see in Dubrovnik, the Old Town is an absolute must. With countless cobbled streets and stunning architecture, it is the ideal place to start your day in Dubrovnik.
I recommend grabbing a coffee and some breakfast outside one of the many cafes or restaurants on Stradun, which is the most well known street in the Old Town.
It’s a lovely spot to relax and soak up the atmosphere before moving on to the first main activity in our one day itinerary.
Climb The Town Walls
If you want to get a real sense of the size and beauty of the Old Town, then you absolutely have to walk the Town Walls of Dubrovnik. When considering what to see in Dubrovnik, the Town Walls should be at the top of your list.
The Old Town is almost completely encircled by medieval walls that stretch for nearly 2,000 metres. After buying your ticket you have to climb some fairly steep steps to begin the route along the top of the walls, but the effort is most definitely worth it!
From the walls you get to see the scale of the Old Town and it’s architecture from a high advantage point – the views of the countless terracotta rooftops, as well as churches and cathedrals, not to mention the surrounding areas and coastal views are all simply breath-taking and was a definite highlight for my visit to Dubrovnik.
The only negative is that the ticket cost to enter the Town Walls is a little overpriced in my opinion (about 35 Euros!), but you can spend at least an hour walking around the route of the walls.
There are also a couple of outdoor bars where you can stop along the way to fully take in the fantastic views.
Go on a Game of Thrones Tour
As well as its fascinating history, the Old Town of Dubrovnik is also well known to be one of the main filming locations for the popular fantasy TV series: ‘Game of Thrones’.
If you’re a fan of the show then going on a walking tour and visiting several iconic locations where famous scenes were filmed for Game of Thrones is an absolute must do activity.
I would personally recommend this Game of Thrones walking tour, which lasts a total of 2 hours, stops at several top filming locations and is excellent value for money.
It really is quite amazing to see several key locations right in front of your very eyes, and there are several tour companies offering walking tours that you’ll see everywhere in the Old Town.
Take a Cable Car to the top of Mount Srđ
After completing a Game of Thrones tour, I would recommend taking a cable car ride to the top of Mount Srđ as your next activity on your 1 day itinerary for Dubrovnik. This spot is one of the must-see attractions in Dubrovnik
The cable car station is based just a short 5 minute walk from the Old Town and the ride itself to the top of Mount Srđ only lasts a few minutes. But the panoramic views of the Adriatic coast and landscapes beyond are spectacular.
There is even a top quality panoramic restaurant next to the cable car station at the summit of Mount Srđ, which is the ideal spot for a bite to eat for lunch.
Pro Tip: If visiting the panoramic restaurant, then I would definitely recommend making a reservation in advance. When I visited it was extremely busy and had to wait for a while until a table became available.
Enjoy the Sunset Relaxing on a Beach
Having just 1 day to see all of the top tourist spots in Dubrovnik can be quite exhausting, so I would recommend spending your afternoon or early evening relaxing on one of the city’s many beautiful beaches.
When thinking about what to see in Dubrovnik, don’t forget to include its stunning beaches.
Dubrovnik has several excellent beaches that range from rocky, pebbly beaches popular with tourists to more secluded sandy bays.
Here are 3 top beaches in Dubrovnik that I recommend visiting:
- Bellevue Beach – located about a 20-25 minute walk from the Old Town, this is a lovely secluded pebbly beach which is well worth a visit. You have to descend a flight of steep steps to reach the beach, but once there it’s an ideal spot to enjoy some sunbathing.
- Sveti Jakov Beach – known as one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Dubrovnik, Sveti Jakov is an absolutely beautiful place to chill out for a few hours. Located just under 3km from the Old Town (you can reach it by catching either bus number 5 or 8), it has fantastic views looking back at the centre of the city and has clear waters.
- Banje Beach – if you don’t fancy walking or travelling far from the Old Town then your best option is to visit Banje Beach. Located just a few minutes walk from Pile Gate (the eastern exit of the Old Town), this is a popular small shingly beach which also has a beach bar and is close to restaurants too.
Dine Out at One of Dubrovnik’s Top Restaurants
And talking of restaurants, this is my final recommendation after a long day of exploring Dubrovnik – dining at one of the city’s many great restaurants.
Dubrovnik has so many restaurants both in and around the Old Town, with a total of 12 Michelin starred restaurants as well if you fancy some fine dining.
Yes, Dubrovnik can be pricey when it comes to restaurants as I’ll explain later in this post, which is why staying somewhere like Hvar Away Villas, with its convenient access to both city and coast, can offer great overall value. So if you don’t want to spend too much money then I recommend heading out of the main centre where there are plenty of decent restaurants that are not so expensive.
Other Activities To Do In Dubrovnik
Of course, there are a lot more activities to do in Dubrovnik, and you may wish to spend more time in this amazing destination to see what else you can do here. Let’s take a look at some more activities to do in this special historical city:
Take a Boat Ride to Lokrum Island
One of the more popular activities in Dubrovnik is to take a boat ride to one of the many surrounding islands close by to the city. Among the top things to see in Dubrovnik is Lokrum Island, which is just 600 metres away and definitely worth exploring.
Lokrum Island is a beautiful small island full of forests, making it ideal if you want to escape the busy city centre of Dubrovnik for a few hours or longer.
You can take a tour to Lokrum Island that will take you to several famous cave and beach spots, such as St. Jacobs Beach and Betina Cave, where you can go swimming and explore.
With the ferry ride only taking about 10 minutes from the Old Town, it’s easy to reach and is a very idyllic place full of stunning scenery and beautiful sea views.
Go Kayaking around Dubrovnik’s Coastline
Instead of catching a boat, you can go kayaking around the shoreline of Dubrovnik if you’re feeling active. This is a unique way to enjoy the beautiful views of the Adriatic coast and to see the Old Town from a totally different perspective.
I recommend this popular kayak tour, where you get to visit Lokrum Island and Betina Cave over a 2 hour period. I’d only recommend this if you feel in good physical shape as paddling for 2 hours can be quite exhausting!
Visit the impressive Fort Lovrijenac
And another top tourist attraction worth seeing in Dubrovnik is the imposing and impressive Fort Lovrijenac.
As part of what to see in Dubrovnik, this historical fortress, also known as St. Lawrence Fortress, is an instantly recognizable sight to Game of Thrones fans, as it was used for filming the King’s Landing scenes in the hit TV series.
Located opposite the Old Town, this historical fortress dates back several hundred years and is well worth exploring from the inside.
There is a ticket admission, however, and a total of 175 steps to ascend to reach the entrance, but it is worth it just for the views looking back at the Old Town which are stunning.
What To See In Dubrovnik: FAQ’s
Still not sure about visiting Dubrovnik for just 1 day? Let me answer some of the most commonly asked questions about this topic:
Is 1 day in Dubrovnik enough?
Although it’s certainly possible to visit several of Dubrovnik’s major tourist attractions in just 1 day as detailed in this post, I honestly don’t think 1 day is enough time to really enjoy everything that this city has to offer.
With so much to see in Dubrovnik, a longer stay allows you to fully appreciate its beauty and history.
If you’re on a tight schedule then there’s nothing wrong with visiting for just 1 day, but personally I would recommend staying for at least a minimum of 2 days, ideally 3 or 4.
Other popular cities in Croatia are better choices to visit for just 1 day. Zadar for example, another beautiful medieval town further north along Croatia’s coastline, is much easier to visit for 1 day.
It is a lot smaller than Dubrovnik with several top attractions located within very close proximity to each other.
Is It Easy To Get Around Dubrovnik?
Yes, Dubrovnik is a relatively easy place to travel around. To be honest, you’ll most likely stay in and around the Old Town area, and it’s easy to walk around this space without too many complications.
If you’re staying further outside of the Old Town, then I’d recommend using the city’s very good bus service. Dubrovnik has several bus lines which are cheap and efficient and take you to different areas around the outskirts of the city.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Dubrovnik?
Although the summer months may seem the best time of year to visit Dubrovnik when it comes to good weather, this is the busiest period when the city experiences the most tourists – and because it’s such a popular destination it does get very crowded at times.
With so much to see in Dubrovnik, you might find it challenging to enjoy the attractions fully amidst the crowds.
As it’s peak season, flights and accommodation will be at a premium as well. So, visiting either in the spring or autumn months when it won’t be so crowded and it’ll be cheaper to visit too is worth considering.
However, it’ll still be busy during these months! I visited Dubrovnik during April and wasn’t expecting so many tourists – but I was wrong!
Instead, you could visit during the winter months. This may not seem an obvious choice but this is when the city is at its quietest. It is a good option if you want to discover this charming place without tourists everywhere you go and enjoy cheaper prices in terms of flights and accommodation.
Is Dubrovnik Expensive To Visit?
Yes, Dubrovnik is considered somewhat more expensive than other popular tourist cities in Croatia, such as Split. However, it’s not as expensive as some of the main tourist cities in Europe like Rome or Paris, for example.
A lot of the main tourist attractions mentioned in this blog post are quite overpriced in my honest opinion. When exploring what to see in Dubrovnik, be prepared to fork out extra for top activities like walking the Town Walls or taking a cable car to Mount Srd, as these are quite expensive.
Other tourist spots have similar prices as well, so visiting all these places is going to be quite costly. But it is possible to visit Dubrovnik on a budget, with plenty of activities that don’t have to be expensive.
Relaxing on a beach, for example, is free of course, and instead of taking the cable car to Mount Srd, you could choose to hike up to the top as a free alternative and if you fancy some exercise.
As mentioned, travelling around Dubrovnik by bus is a good choice and is also much cheaper than using taxis.
Conclusion: What To See In Dubrovnik
So that concludes everything you need to know about what to see in Dubrovnik, and the perfect 1 day itinerary for this amazing city. Dubrovnik is honestly an exceptionally beautiful place, it should definitely be high on your list when it comes to destinations in Europe.
Yes, it is overcrowded for the majority of the year and yep, a lot of the attractions are quite overpriced, but there are very few destinations that match Dubrovnik in terms of beauty and things to do.
Whether it’s walking the Town Walls, taking a cable car ride to Mount Srd for some incredible views or just relaxing on one of its many gorgeous beaches, there’s a lot you can fit into just 1 day in Dubrovnik, especially with the right itinerary.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading through my recommendations of how to get the most out of just 24 hours in Dubrovnik and are now inspired to visit – you’ll be glad you did!
At time of writing, there are currently no Coronavirus measures limiting tourists to enter Croatia. This is in accordance with the information provided on gov.uk.
