5 Days in Dubrovnik
- Tasnia Mozammel
- Nov 13, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 13, 2020
Regardless of how many times you visit Dubrovnik, the city will never fail to leave you in awe. Dubrovnik, A.K.A. King's Landing, had been on my bucket list ever since my obsession with Game of Thrones (exclusion of the final season). The beautifully preserved walled city sits right on the sparkling blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. Dubrovnik is a must-make trip and should be on everyone's top travel lists!
Things to Pack:
1. Bathing suits. Although the city is encircled by defensive stone walls, there is a multitude of locations to get into the beautiful Adriatic waters, never mind the number of nearby beaches!
2. Sunscreen. Whether you are hiking on top of Dubrovnik Walls, taking a GoT tour, or are savouring beaches, don't forget to apply sunscreen to avoid sunburn.
3. Hat & Sunglasses. For protection from the sun whilst capturing those instagrammable shots.
4. Comfortable Footwear. You will require a pair of sandals and slippers/water shoes (beaches) if visiting during the summer. And you will need a pair of comfortable sneakers for walking (a must if you choose to climb the city wall).
5. Instagrammable Outfits. Like most European cities, Dubrovnik offers photo-worthy spots around every corner, however, it is unique in its baroque limestone architecture! Depending on the palette of your Insta Feeds, I either solid bold colours (red, orange, blue, yellow) or whites against Croatia's delightful orange, brown, and blue tones.
Day 1:
I arrived in Dubrovnik around 2:30 pm from Zagreb via FlixBus (8hrs 30min; CAD 30.08). Dubrovnik was a perfect destination to conclude my 5-week stay in Europe. I was fortunate to have my father join me (from Bahrain), who landed around 6 pm for our GoT tour! Both our transfers were pre-booked from GetTransfer (highly recommended). The drivers were very accommodating. NOTE: Unlike most Central European cities, Croatia does not have the best appetite for tourists, unless specifically pursuing to sell something. Don't let this get you down. GoT has disrupted Croatian peace with tourism.
We were then greeted by the owners of Hortenzia House, located just 5 minutes from Pile Gate. I highly recommend this guesthouse. It is in the center of Dubrovnik Old Town (excellent location), which includes a beautiful terrace garden, and a magnificent view. The hosts were exceptionally friendly.
During our first day, my father and I strolled the marble paths of Old Town. The city is stunning during both day and night time with baroque architecture and streets within the 16th Century walls paved with limestone; filled with lively shops and restaurants.
Day 2:
For the second day of our trip, we were booked for two tours. The first was a Panoramic Tour of Dubrovnik (which included multiple sites outside of Old Town). We found this tour from one of the shops in Old Town the evening prior (I would suggest pre-booking all tours via GetYourGuide or TripAdvisor). A mini-Mercedes tour van picked us up outside Pile Gate around 10 am.
Before the tour, we enjoyed breakfast at Dubravska Cafe (10 euro platter including two drinks, eggs, and a choice of toasts or croissants). Dubravska Cafe is located just outside of Pile Gate and possesses a stunning view of the Adriatic. We enjoyed both breakfast and dinner there multiple times during our stay. Excellent food, decently priced, and exceptional view!
The Game of Thrones Tour with Karaka Cruise was our second event for the day which started around 6:30 pm at Port Gruz. I highly recommend this tour, and cannot elaborate on how much we enjoyed enough! If you are a GoT fan, this is a MUST TAKE tour.
The tour may be booked via Viator or Trip Advisor and costs roughly CAD 72 (prices may vary). The tour starts on the Karaka ship (famous Croatian ship replicated in GoT (Battle of Black Water)). The Captain of the ship hand-stitched replica costumes of all the major GoT characters and is very pleased for everyone to try them! The guided tour then sails from Port Gruz around Lokrum Island and to Dubrovnik Old Town. The guided tour on the ship offers both Croatian/Mediterranean history and insights of GoT.
After reaching the port of Old Town, the tour then continues through the city and in and out of Pile Gate. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes!
The Captain of the ship had my dad model as an Unsullied, Jon Snow, and the Night King!
Day 3:
Since the day prior was eventful with two tours, our third day in Dubrovnik was more relaxing. Initially, I had planned to take the Elaphiti Islands or a blue caves tour, both of which I shall return to Dubrovnik for in the future. However, both tours would have taken up the entire day. Thus, my father and I decided to visit Lokrum Island via the Skala boat.
The boat trips to and from the islands can be purchased at the dock in Old Town (it's a swift-moving queue and a spectacular view). If visiting any of the islands, I highly recommend taking a swimsuit and a bag for the day. There is not much to do on the islands, but they consist of beautiful beaches!
Lokrum Island is also where the official Game of Thrones Iron Throne is located (1/6 on the globe). The location of the Iron Throne on Lokrum is where a multitude of scenes were shot! It's spectacular to walk through the Benedictine Monastery of St. Mary and recognize settings of the popular series.
NOTE: There is a replica Iron Throne in Old Town, however, if you are as big a fan as we are, I suggest visiting Lokrum to see the official throne. We sat on both, BIG DIFFERENCE.
Day 4:
For our fourth day, we took a day trip to Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina. I highly recommend seeing neighbouring cities during your time in Dubrovnik. Old Town, although so beautiful, can be explored within three days. Thus, if you're getting bored, a day trip to the outskirts is an exceptional plan.
We booked our tour tickets on GetYourGuide to Mostar before arrival (CAD 65 (costs may vary)). The tour began around 7 am just outside of Pile Gate, near the Hilton Hotel and included a short stop in Neum, a visit to Kravice Waterfalls (take bathing suit), and finally, a walking tour of Mostar. The walking tour concluded with an optional tour of the Turkish House (2 euros per person).
The trip was exceptional. Our tour guide displayed impeccable knowledge of the history and politics of present Yugoslavia. The coastal drive was also absolutely stunning and comfortable. If visiting Mostar, I recommend this company and highly suggest you wear comfortable shoes (closed-toed) as the cobblestones of Mostar do not compare to any of the European cities I have ever visited. Feet will hurt.
Other popular day trips in neighbouring destinations include: Montenegro (Kotor), Cavtat, Mostar, Korcula, and Elaphiti Islands.
Day 5:
Farewell to Dubrovnik and return to Toronto. We headed to the airport around 5 am and caught Dubrovnik's sunrise during our drive. Somehow five days were seemingly not enough, and thus, I seek to return to the beautiful coastal walled city again shortly.
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