Dubrovnik in 2 Days: Walls, Old Town and Islands

Two days is the right amount of time for Dubrovnik if you accept one simple idea: the old town is small, so the real planning is about timing and about which extras you add around it. Day one covers everything inside the stone walls, and day two lifts you above the city on Mount Srđ and out to sea around Lokrum, finishing with a drink on the cliffs.

Before you start: how Dubrovnik actually works

The walled old town is a pedestrian zone of polished limestone, steep side stairs and very little shade at midday. The main street, Stradun, runs from Pile Gate in the west to the Old Port in the east, and nearly every sight sits within a few minutes of it. Because the lanes fill up when cruise passengers arrive, the best strategy is to do the walls and the busiest streets early in the morning, and to move to museums, lunch and shade in the middle of the day.

Wear shoes with grip, because the stone is slippery when worn smooth, and carry water in summer. Opening hours, ticket bundles and boat timetables change by season, so check each official website shortly before you travel. If you like this slow, neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood logic, the same approach works in the capital of another coastal country, as you can see in our Athens guide to the best things to do.

Day 1 morning: Pile Gate, the fountain and the walls

Enter through Pile Gate

Start at Pile Gate, the western entrance, a sixteenth-century gate approached over a stone bridge and watched over by a statue of the city's patron saint. Just inside, Onofrio's Great Fountain is the first stop: a round fountain with sixteen carved faces that tells you how seriously the old republic took its water supply. Fill a bottle here before the heat begins.

Walk the city walls first

The City Walls Walk is a circuit of roughly two kilometres along the top of the fortifications, and it is the single best way to understand the layout of the town. From the wall you see orange roofs, the harbour, the small island of Lokrum and the open Adriatic. Go as early as the gates allow, take it slowly with a few photo stops, and expect it to take around ninety minutes to two hours. In high summer it is worth entering as soon as it opens rather than after breakfast.

From the walls you can also spot Lovrijenac Fortress, a fortress on its own rock outside the western wall, sometimes called the Gibraltar of Dubrovnik. It is also used as an open-air stage in summer, so look at the programme if you like theatre.

Day 1 afternoon: Stradun, palaces and monasteries

Come down from the walls hungry. Between the Old Port and Gundulić Square you will find simple lunches: a quick sandwich at Buffet Škola on Antuninska Street, a plate of cold cuts at Kantun Paulina, or seafood at Lokanda Peskarija on the old fish-market site. For a longer sit-down meal with sea views, Nautika below the walls near Pile Gate is the elegant option, so book ahead if you prefer dinner there.

Franciscan Monastery and Stradun

Walk back along Stradun to the Franciscan Monastery Museum and Pharmacy. It holds one of Europe's oldest pharmacies, working since 1317, as well as a quiet cloister that is a pleasant escape from the street. Continue east to Sponza Palace, the former customs house, which hosts exhibitions and the state archives.

Luža Square and the Rector's Palace

The east end of Stradun opens into Luža Square. Here are the Church of St Blaise, dedicated to the patron saint, and Orlando's Column, a knight figure that symbolises freedom. Next door, the Rector's Palace is a Gothic-Renaissance building, now the Cultural History Museum, that shows how the rulers of the republic lived. Behind it stands Dubrovnik Cathedral, a Baroque church whose treasury is known for relics of St Blaise.

If you still have energy, Dubrovnik Synagogue is a short walk away. It dates from 1652, is one of the oldest Sephardic synagogues in Europe, and has a small museum. For a different mood, the powerful photographs at War Photo Limited deserve a place on a rainy afternoon.

Day 1 evening: Old Port and a slow dinner

Finish at the Old Port, where the harbour wall catches the evening light and the arsenal houses Gradska Kavana Arsenal, a historic cafe good for coffee or dessert. Try the local dish crni rižot, black risotto cooked with cuttlefish and its ink, and look for ice cream from Dolce Vita on Nalješkovićeva Street. For a deeper look at the cuisine of a very different Mediterranean city, see our Istanbul food guide.

Day 2 morning: Mount Srđ and the view from above

Begin day two above the town. Mount Srđ rises directly behind the old town and can be reached by the cable car or by the stony Mount Srđ Zigzag Trail, which is a steady uphill walk with Adriatic views as the reward. Take the trail only in cool hours, with water and proper shoes.

At the top, Fort Imperial houses the Museum of the Homeland War, which explains the 1991-92 siege of Dubrovnik. It is a sobering counterpoint to the postcard views, and it helps visitors understand why the roofs you saw yesterday are a mix of old and newer tiles. Allow time for the museum and then a coffee on the terrace before heading back down.

Day 2 afternoon: Lokrum island

From the Old Port, boats cross to Lokrum Island in about fifteen minutes. The island is protected, with pine woods, gardens and a former monastery, and there is no hotel and no traffic. Pick a rocky spot for a swim, walk the shaded paths, and keep an eye on the time of the last boat back. Bring your own snacks and water, because choices are limited.

If you prefer more action, the same afternoon can be spent on a guided sea kayak tour from Banje beach beneath the walls towards Lokrum, or on the speedboat tour to the Elaphiti islands. If you prefer a quieter alternative, take the boat to the car-free island of Koločep and walk through olive groves.

Day 2 sunset: Buža Bar

Return before dusk for a drink at Buža Bar, on the cliffs outside the walls, facing the open sea. Arrive early, because seating fills up, and expect to share the view with other travellers. Then you can have a late dinner in the old town, at one of the places mentioned above, or walk once more along an almost empty Stradun.

What to do if you have more or less time

• With only one day, keep the walls, Stradun, the Rector's Palace and the Old Port, and skip Srđ and Lokrum.
• With a third day, add the Trsteno Arboretum, a sixteenth-century garden of the Ragusan nobility, or the Walls of Ston.
• If it rains, switch to the Maritime Museum, the Dominican Monastery Museum and the Ethnographic Museum Rupe.
• If you love walking, add the flat Lapad Promenade for a sea-side evening stroll.

If you are building a longer trip across Europe, compare this compact walled town with a big capital in our Paris itinerary for three days. The contrast between a car-free fortress and a sprawling metropolis helps you decide how much each stop deserves.

You can also browse the food guide for Dubrovnik and the museum guide, or build a personal two-day schedule with the Dubrovnik plan builder. Croatia has much more beyond the coast, so explore the Croatia page for the next stop.