Croatia, Europe

2 days in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik is a historic coastal city in Croatia – it is famous for its well-preserved medieval walls, picturesque Old Town, and stunning views of the Adriatic Sea. It is becoming more famous in the recent years being a filming location for “Game of Thrones”.

We travelled by bus for four hours from Split to Dubrovnik and stayed two nights here.

Our biggest impression of Dubrovnik is that it is much more touristy compared to Zagreb and Split! Also, there are many stairs throughout the city so it might not be suitable for elderly… But it is no doubt a very beautiful city that is worth a visit.

Our stay at Rixos Premium Dubrovnik

Rixos Premium Dubrovnik

Usually, we would choose to stay in the city centre when travelling, but Dubrovnik is an exception. Firstly, it is for the stunning ocean view. Secondly, it is a 5-star luxurious hotel at an affordable price. It takes about 20 minutes to walk to the city centre so it is manageable.

Inside our hotel room

Breakfast at Turquoise Restaurant at the hotel

Seeing the sunrise from our hotel room

The deck area at the hotel

The hotel amenities are good. They include a gym room and a sports bar. We found ourselves spending quite a bit of time at the hotel, especially after long walks on the stairs in the old town when we really needed some rest!

However, in the middle of one night in Dubrovnik, we were awakened by an earthquake. Fortunately, it wasn’t major – but it brought back memories of the terrifying experiences we had in New Zealand.

Exploring the Old Town

We joined a free walking tour, only to find out that it was just the two of us on the tour. It felt a bit awkward initially, but our guide was very enthusiastic and didn’t stop talking for a moment (even though I secretly wished for a brief pause to gather my thoughts). Ben was impressed by him.

He claimed that “Game of Thrones” only marginally boosted Dubrovnik’s popularity, similar to how “Lord of the Rings” impacted New Zealand – though I am not sure if it was true. When I look up information about Dubrovnik, a lot of them are about the show. We did not appreciate it as we have never watched the show.

Dubrovnik Harbour

We were very tempted to take the boat tour, but didn’t due to limited time since most attractions closed by 3pm during the low season. The boat tour costs 15 euros per person for a 50-minute ride which seemed reasonable.

Walking around the old town at night

Aroma Ice cream – coconut flavour is very yummy 😋

Cevapi at Fast Food Presa – so so only – but at least we get to try Pipi which is an iconic Dalmatian drink in Croatia

After visiting Zagreb and Split, we felt the food in Dubrovnik was average at best – maybe because we had fallen into the tourist traps in Dubrovnik since it was so touristy.

The best meal that we had in Dubrovnik is the club sandwich and truffle fries from Jack’s Food & Beer, just a few minutes from our hotel.

Dubrovnik City Walls

Breathtaking view from the city wall 👍🏻

The City Wall is a must-visit for anyone visiting Dubrovnik! It is one of the most iconic attractions in Dubrovnik. The walls encircle the old town and stretch for about two kilometres, offering breathtaking views of the Adriatic Sea and the city. They are very well-preserved and are a UNESCO world heritage site.

Nice to meditate at the top of the world

This used to be a place of war

Ben so cute 🥰 he said he wanted to hide inside here if he was in the war

City view from the wall

A long walk – luckily the weather was good

There are a lot of stairs in the city walls

The best way to visit the city wall is to purchase a Dubrovnik pass for 35 euro, which included multiple attractions in Dubrovnik. During our visit in March, most attractions only opens from 9am to 3pm due to low season. Note: each attractions can only be visited once.

We reached the city wall around 9 am right as it opened, a good choice as there were fewer people. It took us about 2 hours to leisurely walk along the wall and take in the views, which also served as a good workout. Despite visiting in March, we still felt quite warm and couldn’t help but imagine how hot it would be in the summer with a big crowd.

Lovrjenac Fortress

Lovrijenac Fortress is a historic fort dating back to the 11th century and served as a defensive stronghold for the city. It is known for its dramatic location on a rock overlooking the Adriatic Sea and its role in the Dubrovnik Summer Festival.

We visited Lovrijenac Fortress because it was included in the Dubrovnik pass. We arrived at 2.15pm just before its 3pm closing time. The short visit was enough as there was not much to explore besides the spectacular view.

Dubrovnik Cable Car

A scenic cable car ride in Dubrovnik

Inside the cable car

What was Ben looking for?

We took a scenic cable car ride to the mountaintop, which fortunately runs from 1st March despite being closed in the off-season.

The cable car ride is very overpriced at 27 euro per person, but we paid it anyway. Actually, our tour guide recommended that we should do the hiking (about 2-3 hours) instead of taking the cable car for an even better view, but we were too exhausted after climbing the city walls. So we took the lazy way… 🥵

At the top, we had coffee and fries at Panaroma cafe. We also visited the Fort Imperial for additional 5 euro per person.

Dubrovnik is beautiful

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that even the transportation offers stunning views! The bus and flight to/from Dubrovnik are particularly scenic, although I experienced some motion sickness on the bus due to the winding roads.