There are few things to see and do in Dubrovnik, but it is clear that the Balkans are so spectacular that it is worth leaving the city to discover other corners of the area. And what better than with a one or several day excursion? Here we propose the best getaways and excursions from Dubrovnik, both in Croatia itself and in its neighboring countries such as Bosnia or Montenegro.
Our advice is that you book about 4 or 5 days in the city: two days to discover Dubrovnik and the rest to make the excursion or excursions that motivate you more than we tell you below.
But first, let us give you a couple of tips to help you find the transportation you need on each excursion:
- For move around Dubrovnik and reach its main port (3 km north) it is best to go in bus. You can see the lines and more information of urban transport in Dubrovnik here. The price of the ticket is 15 kn (€ 2), it is not cheap, so if you are going to take several buses in one day it will compensate you to buy the daily pass (30 kn).
- For excursions that do not need a ferry, one option is rent a car and move for free. Keep in mind that for the excursions that we propose you will have to cross borders with other countries, for which you must take the green card (provided by the rental company itself, for an extra) and notify that you are going to travel to other countries . Sometimes rental companies do not let out. You can compare rental prices on this website.
- To find information about ferries in Croatia, connections, schedules, company prices, etc. We recommend this website.
This city of Bosnia went down in history because of the sad bombardment of its bridge, in the middle of the Balkan War. For us it is one of the best excursions from Dubrovnik since it is relatively close and it is a beautiful town, with cobbled streets dotted with craft shops, mosques, super rich restaurants and, obvious views of the bridge. Here we tell you our visit to Mostar.
For free
You can go renting a car (calculates about 3 hours one way and as many back) or by bus: there are different companies that cover the trip. The buses take about 3 hours and a half and the ticket costs around € 30 (round trip). Remember that you will cross a border so carry a passport or ID with you. You can see schedules and bus prices here.
Our advice is that, if you go for free, spend at least one night in Mostar.
On tour
If you only have one day for this excursion, we think that the tour is the best option (and the one we did), more than anything because you will enjoy several stops (practically everyone stops on the way in the beautiful village of Počitelj). In addition you will not worry about border procedures and you will have a guide who will tell you the sad history of this Bosnian city. And a point in favor: they are usually very well priced. We recommend this tour to Mostar which also includes a visit to the beautiful kravice waterfalls.
Another of the best excursions from Dubrovnik is the one that will take you to know the bay and the city of Kotor, the most visited (and beautiful) destination in Montenegro. This walled city of incredible beauty was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site and it does not surprise us: both the village and the environment make everyone who visits it crazy, in fact it is known as “the pearl of the Balkans”. We spend several days here and are looking forward to returning!
For free
In this case you can also arrive with your own rental car or by bus, in 2 or 2.30 hours. Tickets cost about € 15-18 per way (there are several companies that cover the route). Kotor is not big, but it is also worth visiting its surroundings, especially climbing to the Fortress of San Juan, from where there are amazing views of the entire bay, and the area of Perast and the coast. A good idea is to rent a bike to travel the route that goes from Kotor to the town of Perast.
Ideally, spend at least a couple of days in the area.
On tour
For those who have the right time, there are tours to Kotor from Dubrovnik that take you and bring you on the same day. We recommend this tour with transportation, guide in Spanish, visit Kotor and other places of interest and boat through the fjord to the island of Our Lady of the Rocks.
There is also a tour that unites the visit of the Bay of Kotor with Budva. It is a beach destination where you can take a refreshing bath. If the plan convinces you, check out this tour.
Although Croatia has lots of islands, this is not an ordinary island, since it houses a National Park since November 1960. What will you find? Lush forests, lakes, cliffs and the occasional surprise. It is located in the southeast of the Dalmatia region and is one of the most typical excursions from Dubrovnik.
Curiosity: according to Homer, the nymph Calypso lived on this island, the same where Ulysses spent seven long years of his life, after being bewitched by the nymph.
For free
You will have to go to the Port of Gruz (It is about 3 km from the center of Dubrovnik and you can arrive quietly by local bus) and there take a ferry to Surplus (in the center of the island) or to Polace (a small town). Keep in mind that you will have to pay the entrance to the National Park (about € 13 approx). You can see the schedules and the ferry companies here.
On tour
There are several tours that offer to spend the day in Mljet, this for example includes transfer from / to Dubrovnik, boat ride through the salt lakes, and entrance. Although in this case, we believe it is worth going for free, to tour the island at your leisure and not be so tied to a specific timing.
Korčula is another of the islands of Croatia, one of the best known and most visited. He saw Marco Polo born during the time of Venetian domination and today welcomes thousands of tourists every year among its cobbled streets, defensive towers and churches.
For free
To get to Korčula from Dubrovnik it is best to take a ferry. They leave from the port of Dubrovnik (remember that you can arrive by bus from the center with lines 1,3,7 and 8) and arrive at the islands after a trip of a couple of hours. Tickets are around € 15-20 (each way).
The bad thing is that apparently the ferries only circulate from April to October (there are several companies that offer the trip, you can see more information about the ferry routes here.
On tour
This day trip includes a visit to the island of Korcula, wine tasting and stop in the city of Ston, to see the second longest city walls in the world.
Why choose only one island when you can have a 3 × 1? If this is your attitude, the Elafitas Islands cruise will be one of the best excursions from Dubrovnik for you. Specifically we talk about the islands of Koločep, Šipan Y Lopud (the only inhabited of the archipelago).
For free
The island of Lopud by ferry. The journey takes just under an hour. Once here you can decide whether to stay the whole day on the island or visit the other two, to do so you will have to board local boats of the Jadrolinija company (the journeys are about 20 minutes). The truth is that the tour option seems better, because doing it for free is a bit of a mess by having to fit so many combinations of schedules ...
On tour
We found this 8-hour tour that includes transfer from Dubrovnik to Puerto Gruz (round trip), boat trip with visit of the islands (there is free time in each of them) and food.
It is the closest island to Dubrovnik: only 600 meters from the sea separate them! Something curious is that its name comes from the Latin word "acrumen", which means "bitter fruit." Cast? Apparently there lived some monks who grew exotic fruits ... that should not be very rich!
For free
It is very easy to go to Lokrum from Dubrovnik: you will only have to take a ferry that leaves from the port of the old town (Old Town Port). The round trip ticket costs approximately € 20 and takes about 10 minutes to arrive.
On tour
Considered the ease in visiting the island of Lokrum for free, the truth is that we do not recommend going on a tour.
It is one of the great treasures of Croatia and a perfect alternative for those who want to enjoy a natural paradise. It is a set of lakes, waterfalls, wooden walkways and thousands of trees, which makes everyone who visits it fall in love (although be careful if you go in summer, there is sooo much rock!). Now ... is it worth going to Plitvice Lakes from Dubrovnik? For us NOT, for a very clear reason: you will have to suck about 10 hours of road between round trips.
It is best to visit from another city further north, such as Split or Zadar. Here we give you a few tips to visit the Plitvice Lakes.
Actually it will not be your turn to move from the city, but with a little imagination you will travel to a distant world. Because, in case you didn't know, Dubrovnik is King's Landing! Surely if you are a fan of Game of Thrones this is not new for you. And of course there are tours like this focused on visiting the main series locations. What? Haven't you seen Game of Thrones? Shame, shame, shame!
Did you like these getaways and excursions from Dubrovnik? We are sure that yes! If you need more info or have doubts ... here we are!
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