48 Hours in Dubrovnik, Croatia

I have been looking forward to this trip for a few months now. I had a great time when I visited Plitvice and have been dying to return to Croatia. This time, I am traveling south to the beautiful coastal city of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is known for its deep blue sea and of course, the location in which Game of Thrones was filmed. 

Getting to Dubrovnik:

Dubrovnik is a seasonal location and traveling there off-season can be quite difficult. From the United States, the only airline that flew there was Turkish Airlines by way of Istanbul. During the summer months, there are more options, making it easier to travel to Dubrovnik. 

When to Visit Dubrovnik:

In terms of weather and operations, the best time to travel is during the Summer months, June to August. July is their prime month. However, if you are traveling during off season, there are some pros. One of the major pros is that there are fewer crowds and no lines to anything. On the contrary, that meant things were closed earlier or not even open at all. During our travel, we discovered that many shops do not operate on Sundays, which includes markets, restaurants, and retail. In addition to that, we were also told to call restaurants during our stay to ensure that they were open. We never did, and never had problems outside of Sunday. 

We traveled in March and it rained for a good period of time. The sun eventually shined and it felt like it never rained. 

Another bonus is that we did not have to wait to eat or make any sort of reservations. We were able to have conversations with our servers and asked about their life in Dubrovnik. We were told that during the summer months, it gets so busy that people are standing around waiting for people to get up and leave. They talked about how crowded the alleyways get and how unbearable the weather can be. For this reason, I am so thankful that I went during off-season. 

But traveling off-season is not for everyone. We missed out on spending time at sea as the waves were powerful and the water was cold. With that, we missed out on any water sport activity but to me, there’s enough to see without dipping into the water. 

Getting Around:

Dubrovnik is extremely hilly. We often walked to the old town and took an Uber back to our accommodation. Uber is affordable. We spent about €5 per ride from our accommodations to the old city. Dubrovnik also offers public transportation but I did not take advantage of that due to the rain. However, with the Dubrovnik Pass, city buses were free. The validity of the bus pass is dependent on which pass is purchased. For example, 1 day pass will provide 24 hours of free transit. The bus pass becomes valid the moment it is first activated on the bus. 

Dubrovnik Pass:

The Dubrovnik Pass allows travelers to visit top attractions for free with just this one purchase. This includes sights like city walls, Rector’s Palace, and several museums. Daily Pass is €35/pp, 3-day pass is €45/pp, and a 7-day pass is €55/pp. This is a great steal. To put it in perspective. Tickets to the city wall are €35 by itself (March 1-October 31). Tickets can be purchased online and used immediately. 

Where to Stay:

Since there were three of us traveling together, we opted for a spacious AirBnB that overlooked the water. There are so many great properties to reserve. We stayed at Sunset Apartment. It was a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom property. Our host was beyond amazing. He offered to pick us up at the airport for an additional €35. This worked out perfectly as we did not have to locate the apartment on our own. Sunset Apartment was $87/night including cleaning and service fees. 

Day 1: March 10, 2024

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Destination:

Explore Old City

We went down to explore the Old City with no set plans other than to roam. 

Where to Eat:

Lunch: Fast Food Farma

→ Trogirska ul. 2A, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia

It was Sunday so it meant that a lot of places were closed. We decided to stop at the first place that was open. That happened to be Fast Food Farma. Farma sold pizzas, burgers, salads, and sandwiches. The downside was that they did not serve any beverages. They were kind enough and brought out tap water for us. We ordered a large margherita pizza for €8,90. The food was mediocre but it did the job. 

Dinner: Mlinar Bakery

→ Čubranovićeva ul. 1, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia

We were getting tired and decided to head back, but not without a little bit of food. We found the nearest bakery and decided to get our hands on a little bit of everything. We ordered a ham, pepperoni, and cheese cazone, spinach and cheese croissant, and a little dessert pastry. Everything was pretty delicious. 

Day 2: March 11, 2024

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Destination:

1. Franciscan Church and Monastery

This church is located by the Pile Gate which includes some incredible artifacts. The church also holds the third oldest pharmacy in the world, dating back to 1317. The pharmacy is still operating today. To visit, it is €15 but free with the Dubrovnik Pass. 

2. City Wall

The City Wall was the highlight of my Dubrovnik trip. The City Wall is a series of defensive stone walls stretching throughout the old city with incredible views. I cannot imagine coming here during the summer though. The wall can be so narrow. The speed of the walk around the wall depends on the people in front. We had the entire wall practically to ourselves. We often stopped and enjoyed the view. We spent about 2 hours here. The entry fee to the City Wall was €35. 

FYI: It had rained earlier that day, that the pathway was slippery. So be cautious of that. We held tightly to the handrails as we trekked downward.  

3. Jesuit Steps

Jesuit steps were made famous in the walk of shame scene in the Game of Thrones. Generally, the steps are filled with tourists but come off-season and you’ll have the steps to yourself. 

4. Saint Ignatius Church 

On the top of the Jesuit Steps lies the Saint Ignatius Church. The painting here is quite impressive. 

5. Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum is located to the right of the entrance of the City Wall. The museum has nautical shipbuilding artifacts throughout Dubrovnik’s heritage. The room is small and we spent about 20 minutes there. It is €10E to visit the museum or free with the Dubrovnik Pass. 

Where to Eat:

Breakfast: Coffee Break

→ Ul. branitelja Dubrovnika 41, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia

It was downpouring when we decided to get out of our AirBnB. We saw wonderful reviews of Coffee Break so we decided to wait out the rain here. Coffee Break is located at the University of Dubrovnik. It is quaint and has a variety of beverage and food options. We ordered the toast ham and cheese (€3,80), green detox smoothie (€6,80), morning break (hot beverage, croissant, and orange juice combo €6,90), and a chocolate croissant. 

Lunch in Old City: Stradoon

→ Stradun 6, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia

For lunch, we stopped by Stradoon. We knew that we were anticipating a big dinner so we wanted a light bite. Stradoon is located on the main strip. Here, we ordered Red wine (€8), hummus (€8), and papas bravas (v9). This was just the perfect amount of food for her at the time. 

Dinner in Old City: Taj Mahal

→ Ul. Nikole Gučetića 2, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Taj Mahal made the 2023 Michelin guide list. But do not let the name fool you. This place serves delicious Bosnian cuisine. Our server was phenomenal. We sat down and she gave us some recommendations. She told us that we should check out the Traditional Experience. This allows us to sample and share 2 or 3 dishes. We ordered the 3 dish option. We opted for Hadzijski cevap, klepe, cuftice bosnian meatballs for €39. In additional to our “appetizer”, we ordered the marinated chicken (€21) and mushrooms and kajmak (€18). For dessert, we ordered the Hurmasica (traditional sweet pastry in sugar syrup €8) and baklava and ice cream (€10). This place surpasses my expectations! The only downside I had of this place was the food restrictions. There were a few dishes with a time clock next to it. These items require a 24-hour notice. I wish we had known this ahead of time. Other than that, this place was still fantastic and I would absolutely return.