How to Spend 3 Days in Dubrovnik: The Land of Golden Rooftops

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A surreal fantasy land, the old town of Dubrovnik could have been created precisely for the television show for which it is now so famous. For Game of Thrones fans, a pilgrimage to the site of Kings Landing and the Red Keep is unmissable.

The distinctive limestone walls and terracotta rooftops huddled above the glimmering Adriatic Sea are captivating enough never mind the pop culture allure.

On street corners signs reel off attractions like you’re in a theme park. There is the sense of being on a film set, rather than a real place. However, venture deeper and you will discover people do in fact live and work in this picture perfect town the outside world has claimed for its own.

Disclaimer: My honest opinion on Dubrovnik is that it’s a mixed bag: incredibly beautiful but much too touristy. I still recommend seeing it but be prepared for it to feel totally surreal.

Bearing this in mind, two days in Dubrovnik is probably enough to enjoy its treasures so it’s worth exploring deeper into Croatia and its neighbouring countries.

Day 1: Montenegro – Kotor & Budva

Let Dubrovnik simmer and tease you awhile and head straight across the border into Montenegro. There are lots of companies offering day trips so make sure to shop around. We chose the Adriatic Explore, mostly because they would pick us up right outside our hotel.

(Disclaimer No2: My mum tagged along on this trip in case you’re wondering who ‘we’ is. So it’s not a solo trip but I still had to tell you all about it!)

Most companies offer roughly the same itinerary. Unless you hire a car, booking a tour is probably the easiest way of doing a day trip like this.

Top tip: Remember your euros and passport!

This is a great chance to get a flavour for a country most people aren’t so familiar with – I certainly wasn’t! The tour guide will provide the regular history spiel on the coach, which you can easily let wash over you but it’s nice to pick up tidbits, especially when it’s an unfamiliar history! You will probably know that Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro…etc all used to be one country: Yugoslavia. But for some reason I didn’t join the dots and realise that they all speak the same language, just with different accents! A little bit like England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

Budva

Anyone who knows me knows I’m always hungry so when the guide suggested a restaurant before exploring I was the first in line. Restaurant Jadran Kod Krsta was an excellent choice with tasty food plus a great location. We were quickly overran with local wildlife – cats everywhere! Yes cat lovers Montenegro is the place for you!

The modern town of Budva is not beautiful but once you find the Old Town you’re back in charming postcard territory. Relaxing over lunch didn’t leave us long to explore so I would recommend picking up a sandwich in the Old Town instead! The perils of coach tours! And indeed the perils (or wisdom) of travelling with your mum who cannot bear to be late back to the coach and drags you away from taking yet another picture! Anyway the joke was on her, or actually everyone, as we discovered the coach had broken down. And because we all had to stay together it was coffees in the unattractive new town while we waited. It was just one of those travel disasters where you can do nothing but laugh about it and wait.

Kotor

Finally we were on the road again. The coach driver bought us all a beer as an apology.. which was unfortunate for me as i don’t like beer! Just time for a quick stop for photos of the beautiful Bay of Kotor and then on to the town itself.

Like Dubrovnik Kotor is an old walled town with lots of beautiful architecture. The town is surrounded by a moat of turquoise water full of black fishes.

Cat Crazy

You might see cats in Dubrovnik and Budva but nowhere is more cat-obsessed than Kotor. Game of Thrones fans go to Dubrovnik, Kotor should be a pilgrimage for crazy cat ladies! (Including me). They are a huge part of the culture and are a symbol of good luck – there’s even a cat museum! The shops are filled with cat paraphernalia and I couldn’t resist buying a cat shaped fridge magnet! One square was full of cats tumbling and playing, a child sat on a bench had a pile of cats on her lap – heaven! Make sure to seek it out!

Crumbling stone walls and brightly painted shutters make Kotor a treat for the eyes. It’s less golden, less pristine than Dubrovnik and that’s all part of the charm! It’s the centre of tourism in Montenegro but compared with other tourist hubs it’s still relatively unknown. Go now before its fame grows!

Guided Walking Tour

A guided walking tour was included in our trip and I definitely recommend it! Interesting and pleasantly brief. My favourite tidbit was the history surrounding the Karampana well which serves as the water cooler for all the gossip of Kotor. Every February the town holds a festival for locals rather than tourists. For one of the events everyone writes down a piece of gossip without including the persons name. They then have to guess who it is. According to our guide if your name came up you would know you were truly part of Kotor.

Castel St John

Sadly due to the earlier coach breakdown we had less time in Kotor and we didn’t have time to walk up to Castel St John for a stunning view over the town. It was on my list of must do’s so it was disappointing but Kotor was wonderful even without it. If you do have time (and energy!) it’s a must do! It does cost 8 euros so you do need the time to do the whole walk to make it worthwhile.

The trip with Adriatic Explore cost 390 kuna each, roughly €55 each. This includes the bus tour, guide and guided tour in Kotor. Make sure to bring your passport and euros (not Kuna!)

Day 2: Intro to Dubrovnik

If you’re staying outside Dubrovnik there are regular buses running to the Old Town. We took the number 6 bus which runs every ten minutes and costs 15 kuna per person each way. It takes you right outside the Pile Gate entrance.

Even in October the small square in front of the gate was heaving. But the sun was finally shining and today was my birthday so nothing could dampen my spirits! Time to wander the streets of Dubrovnik.

The main street (Stradun) is a wide, busy street, chocca with tourists so you might want to come back later when it’s quieter to admire the sights here. As always I found the quieter, narrow streets more soothing and soulful.

Buza Bar and Chill

The first thing to do in Dubrovnik is wander, get a bit lost and see where you end up! Happily we almost immediately discovered one of the much lauded Buza Bars. I was stoked to search for the “cold drinks and beautiful views” sign but found it without even looking!

I was surprised to see that rather than being a big travel blogger secret as other blogs had suggested the bars are actually listed on maps of Dubrovnik! Not a secret at all then!

If you do need help locating it – follow the simple sign for ‘cold drinks‘ along the outer walls until you come to a small hole in the walls with sunlight peeking through. Step out into sunshine and see the Adriatic stretched out before you, bliss!

No matter how you find them the Buza Bars are the perfect antidote to the crowded and shady Dubrovnik streets. We discovered Buza 2 first and it was my favourite! Smaller, more intimate and featuring a palm fringed ‘shack’ appearance that gives you tropical island vibes!

In October the bars weren’t too busy and had the perfect chilled out atmosphere with upbeat music playing at just the right noise level. The drinks menu at Buza 2 is limited (juice, wine or beer) which suits the simple, relaxed vibe it offers.

Restaurant Tip: Avoid the lower, pricier streets for lunch – but bear in mind that it’s all very touristy!

Fort Lovrijenac

Head back outside the Pile Gate (the Old Town is small so you can double back and forth easily) and visit Fort Lovrijenac – the Red Keep in Game of Thrones!

It’s a very doable walk and offers great views of the Old Town. Save money and do both Fort Lovrijenac and walk the Old Town walls as the fort is included in the price for the walls. It doesn’t matter which you do first as long as you see both attractions within three days.

It’s hard to miss the Fort but somehow the actual path you need to take eluded us – we did find another more long winded direction! So don’t worry if you miss the closest path you will find a way!

There’s not so much to see inside the Fort aside from the views so it’s only worth paying if you’re also walking the walls, (in which case you’ve basically already paid), or if you’re a die-hard Game of Thrones fan!

Walk the Walls

Round the day off with a walk around the town walls as the sun sets. Again it was still busy in late October! But nothing I imagine compared to the height of summer! Walking the walls is the perfect way to admire those deep orange rooftops and see the Old Town from every possible angle and light!

Top tip: There are various ice cream and drink vendors along the way so take some water if you want to be thrifty!

Day 3: Lokrum and Dubrovnik Farewells

The Pile Gate will now be a familiar sight and the second morning in the Old Town is a great chance to wander around any sights you missed before. Relax, wander, talk to the cats and admire strange paintings of insects on the walls.

We took a second look at the Gundulic Square market, round the corner from the main streets and St Blaise church, which we breezed past yesterday. Unlike some of those naff, novelty t-shirt markets you get in some touristy places this is a delightful market with pretty trinkets, lavender everywhere and lots of fruit and veg stalls.

Lokrum Island

Catch the ferry from the Old Town Harbour to Lokrum Island. Ferries leave every half an hour and cost 150 kuna for a return trip. It’s only a ten minute journey.

(Note: trips to the Elaphiti Islands leave from the Gruz Port, the Old Town Harbour is for Lokrum, Cavtat and scenic boat rides around Dubrovnik’s walls.)

Lokrum is another Game of Thrones filming location and a great place to escape the crowds and enjoy natural surroundings. The UNESCO protected island is uninhabited, home only to peacocks and rabbits that run wild all over the island.

Top Attractions:

• The ‘Dead Sea‘ Lake: a real sun trap but also a homing beacon for every other tourist on the island!
• Benedictine Monastery: As well as admiring the architecture, Game of Thrones fans can sit on an actual Iron Throne for the ultimate geeky photo shoot.
• Fort Royal: Make sure you have comfy shoes on for this short hike uphill. Many of the paths are strewn with loose stones and very unkind to the feet!! The Path of Paradise is the easiest route.

There’s also a nudist sunbathing spot if you like that sort of thing -if you don’t it is a lovely spot, until an actual naked person arrives!

Three or four hours is enough time to see all the main attractions unless you wander off down the many paths and get lost! Just make sure you don’t miss the last ferry back to Dubrovnik! It’s forbidden to stay on the island overnight because of a curse laid upon it by the monks of the monastery!

The Other Buza

Back in Dubrovnik it’s time to relax after all that exploring! A great time to check out the other Buza – Buza 1. This time we were too tired to wander so we just used the map and found the bar quickly. Buza 1 has more space, a wider variety of drinks and equally lovely views. We could have snoozed there all afternoon!

In high summer the Buza Bars are also great places to go for a dip in the sea. (We decided October wasn’t the time!)

Cable Car to Mount Srd

For one last view of Dubrovnik take the cable car up to Mount Srd. One way to find it is to exit via the Ploce Gate (for a change of gate), follow the outer walls and you’ll come to a sign pointing up a set of steps.

I have a conflicted relationship with cable cars. The views are incredible, but it’s expensive (150 kuna for a round trip) and the experience is over in a flash.

I might just be old school – I love a good hike, it makes the view so much more rewarding. However if you are short on time, cable cars are the way to go! They do also save your tired, wandered out legs!

You could stretch out the experience by eating at the Panorama restaurant at the top. Of course you pay for the views – but what views!

Top tip: It might be sunny and warm down in Dubrovnik but don’t forget it won’t be warm at the top of a mountain so take a jumper!

Top tip no2: The snack shop outside the Pile Gate has 10% discount vouchers for the Panorama restaurant.

So that’s it, three days in this special and unique place. Sadly it is one of those places you wish you could have seen many years ago before tourism hit its peak there. However, its beauty is of the sort that pulls at me and I couldn’t resist seeing it for myself! So go, suspend your disbelief and imagine yourself in Kings Landing, or at least imagine it without the tourist sheen.

Top Tips for Visiting Dubrovnik

• Go out of season
• Stay in the new town or outside Dubrovnik.
• Avoid the midday crowds if you can
• Imagine it in years past
• Catch up on Game of Thrones before you go so you can really pick out the details

What was your favourite thing to do in Dubrovnik? What did you make of the stunning town?

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