Don’t Miss These 5 Top Day Trips From Dubrovnik This Summer

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There is only one fitting word which can be used to describe Dubrovnik: indescribable. The very notion of being able to pull yourself away from the UNESCO-listed old town to set out on day trips from Dubrovnik is questionable. When your gaze first rests upon the honey-red baroque rooftops, the glistening Adriatic deflecting beams towards them, you will be awestruck beyond words.

In between touring the old town, marching atop the 2km of medieval city walls and sipping coffee on the Stradun, Dubrovnik’s museums will ignite your flame for history. From the 15th century Rector’s Palace, take a journey through time to the Red History Museum.

In my opinion, no amount of time is too long in Dubrovnik. Best of all, Croatia’s unusual shape makes Dubrovnik the ideal base for exploring beyond the city walls. Not only are you within easy reach of some of the country’s finest gems, our top day trips from Dubrovnik provide the chance to add two more stamps to your passport.

1. Mljet Island

The first of our favorite day trips from Dubrovnik takes you just 23 miles to the north. Mljet Island may not be far from the city, but it’s another world entirely. Covering 62 square miles, a third of the island is designated a national park.

Upon disembarking the ferry, head straight to the national park. There’s a small entrance fee payable upon arrival which includes the cost of the boat to St Mary’s Islet. The islet is home to a former Benedictine monastery, built in the 12th century which now houses a café (who doesn’t love some innovation?).

Take some time to hike the trails around the salt lake before returning to Polace for lunch. Konoba Antika is the place to go for traditional Croatian foods with stunning sea views thrown in for good measure. Whenever you’re on an island, you can be sure of delicious seafood and Pljet is no exception. Antika’s signatures are octopus, mussels and grilled fish.

Pay a visit to the Roman ruins of Rimska Palace before parting ways with Polace to head back towards Sobra. Along the way, make a stop at Odysseus’ Cave. In Homer’s epic, Calypso held Odysseus captive in this limestone cavern for seven years.

Getting to Mljet Island

The easiest way to see as much of Mljet as possible on day trips from Dubrovnik is to join a group tour. This full day tour includes travel on a high-speed catamaran and entrance to the national park. If you don’t fancy sharing, luxurious private tours are also available.

For those who prefer to go it alone, passenger catamarans sail daily from Dubrovnik to Polace and Sobra. During the summer months, additional sailings operate to Sobra and Pomena. If sailing to Polace, it’s possible to walk or rent a bike to reach the national park. If you’re arriving in Sobra or Pomena, you’ll need to take a bus.

2. Split

Founded by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC, Croatia’s largest coastal city, Split’s baroque architecture isn’t dissimilar to Dubrovnik. Its vibe, on the other hand, couldn’t be more different. If Dubrovnik were to have a fault, and we’re really clutching at straws here, it’s that it is a victim of its own success. Summer, in particular, draws tourists in their thousands. Split, whilst deservedly popular, is quieter, calmer and a whole lot more relaxed.

Kick off the second of our top day trips from Dubrovnik with a walking tour of the old town. The highlight has to be the Diocletian Palace. Named after the Roman Emperor who ordered its building in the 3rd century, the palace is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Game of Thrones fans won’t want to miss a locations tour with exclusive access to the palace’s cellars. Stop by the Game of Thrones Museum before pausing for lunch at Palacio Restaurant.

Start your afternoon with something a little unusual. As great as history and art museums are, there’s something to be said about quirky one-of-a-kind museums. With a collection of 507 stuffed frogs, Froggyland certainly fits that category.

Returning to the slightly more mundane, take a stroll past the Venetian Tower on your way to Split Ethnographic Museum. Founded by a former school inspector in 1910, the museum has an unparalleled collection of traditional Dalmatian clothing and crafts. Before heading back to Dubrovnik, round off your day in Split with an Aperol Spritz in the sun at Cocktails Split.

Getting to Split

As two of Croatia’s main economic and tourism hubs, Dubrovnik and Split are very well connected. If you haven’t rented a car, the cheapest way to reach Split is to take an intercity bus. There are several daily departures, with the journey taking around four hours. A relaxing alternative option is to take one of five daily high-speed ferries along the coast. It makes for a long day trip from Dubrovnik, but if you consider the views along the way, I think it’s worth the journey.

If you prefer to sit back and not worry about travel arrangements, joining a tour is the easiest way to take a day trip to Split. This full day tour allows plenty of free time to explore the city, with a guided tour of the Diocletian Palace included.

3. Cavtat

If Split is a relaxed take on Dubrovnik, Cavtat is Dubrovnik if it had been asleep for 100 years. Just 9 miles away, in the shadow of Dubrovnik Airport, Cavtat is the easiest of all our favorite day trips from Dubrovnik.

Pronounced tsav-tat, Cavtat was founded by the Ancient Greeks before falling under Roman control and later Byzantine occupation. Start your day with a visit to Bukovac House Museum. Croatian painter Vlaho Bukovac was born here in 1855; despite his work taking him as far afield as the United States, Bukovac often returned home. Upon his death in Prague in 1922, much of his work was returned to Cavtat and remains on display at his birthplace.

After lunch on Restaurant Zino’s terrace, take an afternoon stroll around Kari’s Path to Kamen Mali Beach. Little Star beach bar is the ideal spot for a refreshing cocktail before ambling back into town past the Racic family’s private mausoleum.

Round off one of the best day trips from Dubrovnik with a visit to the Shell Museum. If you fancy sticking around for the evening, hop aboard a pleasure boat to watch the sun set over the Adriatic with a drink in hand.

Getting to Cavtat

The best way to reach Cavtat is to take one of five daily passenger ferries (additional sailings operate in July and August). The sailing from Dubrovnik’s Old Town Port takes just 45 minutes. All ferries on this route accommodate foot passengers only, so if you want to take a vehicle, you’ll need to drive around the bay instead. For a cheaper alternative, bus line 10 runs hourly between Dubrovnik and Cavtat, taking around 40 minutes.

4. Mostar

The great thing about taking day trips from Dubrovnik is the ability to cross an international border and be back in time for dinner. The first of our cross-border day trips from Dubrovnik takes you to Croatia’s neighbor to the north, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A country divided by war as recently as 1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina is longing to be explored. Mostar, once capital of Herzegovina, is the perfect introduction to it. Small, but brimming with things to do, start your day in Mostar by admiring Stari Most. Built during Mostar’s time under the Ottoman Empire, the bridge was destroyed during the war and rebuilt between 2001 and 2004. Looking at the completed reconstruction, you would never know.

Learn a little about its history on a guided walking tour of Mostar’s old town with a traditional Bosnian coffee tasting included (an option with a wine tasting is also available). Once you’ve crossed into the new town, make a stop at the Museum of War and Genocide Victims to uncover the darker side of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s history.

Sample some Bosnian delicacies at Vrata Orijenta before delving deeper into the history books at the Herzegovina Museum. Round off your day in Mostar at Biscevic House, a classic Turkish style mansion complete with ornate Ottoman rugs and silverware.

Getting to Mostar

The only public transport option for day tripping from Dubrovnik to Mostar is to take the bus. There are two departures every day, taking between three and four hours. The best way to experience Mostar as one of our top day trips from Dubrovnik is to join a guided tour. A slightly longer option, with a stop at the beautiful Kravice Falls, is also available.

5. Kotor

The last, but by no means least, of our day trips from Dubrovnik crosses yet another border, this time, to Montenegro. Kotor, the town which lent its name to the magnificent Bay of Kotor, should be on every traveler’s bucket list.

Once ranked the top city to visit in the whole world, a day trip to Kotor will leave you longing to stay for more. Start your day with a stroll around the city walls. Built to protect the now UNESCO-listed old town, the medieval walls rise to 260m above sea level.

Next up, explore the old town itself. The cobbled streets are a maze in which its only too easy to get lost. This is no bad place to be lost, but joining a local guide on a walking tour will help you get the most out of your day.

Take a break from sightseeing for an alfresco lunch of Montenegrin classics at Konoba Akustic, just outside the city walls overlooking the port. This afternoon, hop on a speedboat for a trip along the bay to Perast and the islet shrine of Our Lady of the Rocks. Legend has it that local fisherman would lay a rock in the bay whenever they returned from a successful voyage, eventually creating the islet you see today.

Getting to Kotor

The best way to reach Kotor from Dubrovnik is to drive yourself and make stops along the coast road on the way. If you don’t have a vehicle, it is possible to join a tour instead. This option includes a boat trip to Our Lady of the Rocks.

Alternatively, taking one of the daily buses between Dubrovnik and Kotor allows you to explore the city at your own pace. There are six departures every day, taking two to two-and-a-half hours.

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