The PERFECT way to spend a day in Dubrovnik – 1 day Dubrovnik itinerary

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We recently came back from spending 5 days in Dubrovnik, and while it is a relatively small area, there is so much that you can pack into an itinerary for your trip to Croatia.

We first visited Dubrovnik almost 15 years ago just as it was joining the Eurozone so we were really excited to go back recently to see how much it had changed and reminisce on our first visit.

In the time since, Dubrovnik’s popularity has exploded. Partly because of the popularity of the Game of Thrones franchise and partly because it is a great strategic base for day trips to Montenegro, Bosnia and other parts of Croatia.

The great thing about it is whether you only have a day in Dubrovnik (it is a very popular cruise stop) or a week, you can easily customise your itinerary to suit your needs.

One thing we will say is that we were overwhelmed at times by just how crowded popular areas like the Old Town could be so we would advise bearing that in mind when deciding a) when to visit Dubrovnik and b) when to do certain activities (Old Town walls for example) while you are in Dubrovnik.

Where to stay in Dubrovnik – at a glance

Where you choose to stay in Dubrovnik will largely come down to the type of trip you would like to have and budget.

For more detailed advice, you can read our guide on where to stay, with a breakdown of the best areas and hotel recommendations for each one.

If you only have a day in Dubrovnik, we would always recommend booking a hotel as central as possible to avoid losing time getting to and from key attractions.

• Old Town – This is where you will find most of the cities best attractions like Rector’s Palace, The Jesuit Steps & West Harbour. A central base with lots to do. Our favourite hotel in the Old Town is Dominus Little Palace
• Lapad – This area probably has the perfect balance overall. Easy access to the Old Town with a more relaxed feel, great for families.. We would recommend staying at Hotel Dubrovnik Palace
• Babin Kuk – This is where we chose to stay on our most recent visit to Dubrovnik. It is a little bit further out but still very accessible, less expensive than the Old Town and great for family stays. We would recommend Valamar Tirena

Our top picks for things to do in Dubrovnik

There are so many great things to do in Dubrovnik and the great thing is that most of our favourites are completely free.

If you only have a day in Dubrovnik we would always recommend doing something that allows you to see as much of the area as possible with minimal stress.

For a great sunset activity we would highly recommend taking this kayak tour, which gives you the chance to get unique views of Dubrovnik Old Town and Lokrum island at sunset, as well as enjoying some time to swim.

If you are spending more than a day in Dubrovnik, we would highly recommend taking a day trip. There are several great options but the ones we would recommend most are a trip to Kotor in Montenegro or else Mostar and Kravica Waterfalls in Bosnia.

Do remember that if you take either of these trips that you will cross an international border, so you will need to bring your passport with you for border control.

1 day Dubrovnik Itinerary

Morning – Ploče

If you only have one day available, then we would recommend spending the majority of it in and around the Old Town, to get as much out of your day as possible.

Luckily, Dubrovnik Old Town is quite compact so you will be able to see quite a lot during the day, without feeling like you are in too much of a rush.

As parents of young kids with a very questionable sleeping pattern, almost all days for us start off in search of a good coffee spot.

The best option we found by a distance in Dubrovnik was called Kawa and we would recommend going there for the views alone even if you aren’t a fan of coffee.

Kawa is set in the Ploče area, a couple of minutes walk East of the Old Town and it is here where you will find some of the nicest views of Dubrovnik, perfect for both early morning and sunset.

After coffee, we would recommend taking a short walk to Banje beach, a small picturesque beach with beautiful views looking back towards the Old Town.

After spending some time at the beach, make your way back towards the Old Town, stopping off to take in some of the views we mentioned earlier along the way.

Our favourite views along this walk are at Ploče Gate itself, overlooking the harbour, as well as Ul. Iza Grada.

Afternoon – Dubrovnik Old Town

Start your afternoon off with some lunch in the Old Town before exploring the area from the lower level.

For lunch, we really liked Franco Romano for a casual option. This place is right in the centre of the Old Town and does great focaccia sandwiches, perfect for a quick lunch on the go if you are short on time.

After lunch, we would recommend spending the afternoon exploring the Old Town. There are lots of great locations dotted around the Old Town, particularly if you are a fan of things like Game of Thrones.

This Game of Thrones tour is also a great option, as it will enable you to see all of the main sites and filming locations of the show, which also just so happen to be the best photo spots in Dubrovnik, so it is a real win win.

If you would prefer to go it alone then there are a number of places we would suggest visiting around Old Town Dubrovnik.

First up, the Jesuit Steps, one of the Game of Thrones filming locations mentioned earlier and a beautiful place to grab a photo both from below and above.

Next up we would suggest making your way towards the main square in Stradun, not before spending some time just wandering the side streets to take in everything the Old Town has to offer.

When you get to the main square in Stradun, you will find Rector’s Palace and Saint Blaise’s Church, and this is where you will find many of the visitors congregating during the evening.

To get the most of the Old Town, we would recommend taking a guided tour to help you along the way. We found this one to be the best value because the tour included getting to the cable car summit despite costing less than a cable car ticket on its own.

Exit the Old Town via Pile Gate where you will find a beautiful view of the West Harbour on your left hand side. Relax here with a drink or snack for a little while before preparing for your evening.

As an alternative option, you can also rent kayaks along the West Harbour, which is another great way to get a unique perspective of the area.

Evening – Old Town Walls & Sunset Views

One of the mistakes we often see people make is trying to do the Dubrovnik Old Town walls in the middle of the day.

This is a definite mistake, it can get very crowded here during peak times and with the temperatures up, it can become more of a chore than an enjoyable afternoon.

The second mistake related to this is buying standalone tickets for the Old Town Walls. These tickets cost €40 alone, whereas a Dubrovnik day pass costs €40 as well and includes access to multiple other locations throughout Dubrovnik.

After exploring the Old Town Walls, there are a couple of places we would recommend going for sunset.

As mentioned earlier, Ploče Gate is a beautiful place to watch the sunset, with nice terraced seating overlooking the harbour.

Alternatively, Buza Bar is very popular for that time of the day and is a great place to sit with a drink while watching divers jump into the water from the cliffs.

We also really liked La Finestra for a drink. This is a Florence style wine window, where you ring a bell to receive a glass of wine through a small wooden window – a bit of a novelty if you wanted to try somewhere different.

Truthfully, we found the restaurants in Dubrovnik to be a bit hit and miss in Dubrovnik Old Town and they do tend to be more on the expensive side as well.

One restaurant we did really like was Bura Bistro, a relaxed Italian restaurant with. a nice outdoor seating area and great nearby views of the Cathedral. The bolognese and pizza options here were great, and they also have a goo cocktail menu as well if you wanted to stay for a drink after your meal.

After dinner, if you want a sweet treat like we often do then we would recommend going to Peppino’s for some gelato. There is no better way to close out a day in Dubrovnik.