Dubrovnik
A walled city of limestone and red tile, with the Adriatic on three sides.
Dubrovnik's old town is a complete walled city on a rock above the sea, its marble main street, churches and palaces packed inside ramparts you can walk all the way round. Outside the walls the coast runs to beaches, islands and the mountains behind.
Why go
The walk around the walls is the reason to come: the roofs below, the sea beyond, the fort on its rock, and the whole shape of a Renaissance republic laid out at your feet. Inside, the Stradun and its side lanes are car-free and made for evening strolls.
Beyond the town are the islands — Lokrum a few minutes off the harbour, the Elaphites a boat ride up the coast, Mljet's lakes further on — and the beaches and coves along the Adriatic.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01The city walls
Two kilometres of ramparts with towers at the corners, walked in an hour or two with the roofs on one side and the sea on the other. Early morning or late afternoon for the light and the shade.
02The Stradun and the old town
The polished main street from the Pile gate to the old port, with the Franciscan monastery, the Rector's Palace, the cathedral and the lanes climbing steeply either side.
03Fort Lovrijenac
The fortress on its own rock outside the western walls, a stage for summer theatre and a viewpoint back over the city.
04The cable car and Mount Srđ
The cable car climbs from just outside the walls to the ridge above the town, with the islands laid out in the sea and the Bosnian hills behind.
05Lokrum and the islands
Lokrum, wooded and ten minutes from the old port, has a monastery, a saltwater lake and peacocks. The Elaphite islands and Mljet's national park are longer boat trips.
06Swimming from the rocks
The bars and ladders on the seaward side of the walls, the beach at Banje beside the old town, and the coves of Lapad and the Babin Kuk peninsula.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
The old town
Inside the walls: apartments and small hotels on stone lanes, everything on foot, and cruise-day crowds in the middle of the day.
Ploče
Just east of the walls, with the town's grand hotels on the cliffs and views back over the old port.
Lapad and Babin Kuk
The resort peninsula west of the town with beaches, a seaside promenade and larger hotels; a short bus ride to the walls.
When to go: Dubrovnik
- Shoulder monthsApril – June, September and October
- Warm enough to swim, cool enough to walk the walls in comfort, and the crowds lighter. The pick of the year.
- SummerJuly and August
- Hot and full, with the summer festival bringing music and theatre to the squares and forts. Early starts and island days make it work.
- WinterNovember – March
- Mild, quiet and often rainy, with many restaurants and boats resting. The walls are yours alone.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Dubrovnik. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- DBVRuđer Bošković
Distance from
- CDGParis1,390 km
- LHRLondon1,710 km
- DXBDubai3,900 km
- BOMMumbai5,730 km
- JFKNew York7,220 km
- JNBJohannesburg7,720 km
- SINSingapore9,570 km
- SYDSydney15,860 km
Getting around: Dubrovnik
The old town is entirely pedestrian and reached through its gates; buses run from the airport and around the bay to Lapad and the port. Taxis and transfers cover the rest.
Boats from the old harbour serve Lokrum and the islands, and ferries run up the coast to Korčula, Hvar and Split. A car is only worth it for the countryside towards Ston and the Pelješac peninsula.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Croatia
- Currency
- EUR · Euro
- Languages
- Croatian
- Time zone
- Central European Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +385
The atlas
Dubrovnik in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Dubrovnik, month by month
- Jan11°
- Feb11°
- Mar13°
- Apr16°
- May20°
- Jun24°
- Jul28°
- Aug28°
- Sept24°
- Oct20°
- Nov16°
- Dec12°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: May to October.
Mean highs run from 11°C in January to 28°C in August, with about 1,251 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for DubrovnikModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBDubrovnik
3,900 km
5 hrs 20 mins · Estimate
From AUHDubrovnik
3,900 km
5 hrs 20 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Dubrovnik
Plan this trip: Dubrovnik
Open the trip builder with Dubrovnik already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
