Dubrovnik had been on my travel bucket list ever since I first laid eyes on it during Game of Thrones. So when my family decided we were going to Croatia, we saved Dubrovnik (the best) for last. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. What did surprise me, however, was how small Dubrovnik is! The main city center is so tiny that you can cover every nook and corner of it in a day. However, going for just a day to Dubrovnik would be far too short as the city offers an otherworldly kind of charm. Here are my tips:
What to Know Before Going
- since the city center is so small, hotels are located outside of it – there is only one hotel within the city walls
- to get to and from the city, you will need to take either an Uber, cab, or bus (neither of which are very pricey)
- the beaches in Dubrovnik are stunning – the water is SUPER clear, you’ll definitely want to bring swimming gear
Where To Stay
My family and I stayed at Hotel Kompas, which was absolutely stunning. The interior is clean, sleek, and basically a dream. The rooms are so spacious and the staff are lovely. Aside from this, however, the hotel is located right by the beach. And the best part is that there’s a little walkway that you can take when you’re exiting the hotel, where the beach feels super private. Don’t bother going to the public area of the beach, instead take the walkway (towards Hotel More), and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
The bar/lounge is located on the same floor as the lobby, and that was probably my favourite part. There’s a huge wraparound balcony where you can sit and enjoy the view of the beach. I loved having my coffee here every morning.
Hotel Kompas is part of the Adriatic Luxury Collection, which is basically a luxury hotel group with stunning design hotels all over Croatia. I highly recommend this hotel.
Where To Eat
The food scene in Dubrovnik was very strong. My god everything I put into my mouth was phenomenal. Here are my top recommendations:
- Restaurant More: we went here for lunch and sat on the patio. The view is stunning, and the food is great.
- Taj Mahal: this is a restaurant that serves Bosnian food, and was my favourite meal in Croatia. I never realized how delicious Bosnian food was, but after my meal here, I know I need to plan a visit to Bosnia immediately! They have two locations, we went to the one in town and I booked a week in advance. I recommend you do the same.
- Peppino: the ice cream here is PHENOMENAL.
- City Cafe: go here for coffee, cake, and people watching
- Prora: go here for dinner at sunset. It’s a short walk from the city walls, located right on the water. The steak is terrible, but everything else on the menu is delish.
What To Do
- I find doing a walking tour on the first day super helpful to get your bearings right. We went with this really lovely guide called Marijeta, she was super fun and knowledgeable and the tour was about 1.5 hours
- A walk around the city walls is an absolute must. You cannot miss this view of Dubrovnik
- Instead of taking the cable cars, drive to the highest point outside the city and check out the view from there
- Spend one day just swimming and hanging out in the beautiful water
PS – if you enjoyed this post, check out my 4 day guide to Milan and a blogger’s guide to Hvar.