Is this Dubrovnik or Disneyland? I admit that I am not (yet) a ‘Game of Thrones’ fan, but do plan to watch the popular series filmed within the distinctive, 16th century walls of Dubrovnik’s old town. I will also preface this post by assuring you that I fully expected Dubrovnik to be a tourist town. It has been Croatia’s most visited tourist destination for years, long before Game of Thrones existed; however, I wasn’t prepared for the intensity of tourism in Dubrovnik… especially the cruise-goers. I didn’t expect hordes of costume wearing, Game of Thrones fans marching the ancient, marble streets at all times of day in a Disney-esque production.
I understand why Dubrovnik remains a popular point for cruise ships making their way across the Adriatic, and why it has gained even more popularity in the past few years – Dubrovnik is drop dead gorgeous. It’s worth a visit, whether you want to live out your favorite medieval fantasy (there are ample guided tours to choose from) or find less-popular ways to enjoy the city (our MO!).
We enjoyed a few days exploring every crevice of the famous walls. We found that most of the cruisers come early in the morning and leave late in the afternoon, making the evenings a better bet for walking the streets without feeling crowded. We also found a few unique spots just outside of the walls, where you can enjoy a cliff-side beverage on a sunny day.
Our personal favorite was Buza Bar, which is known as a “hole-in-the-wall” in Dubrovnik. Quite literally, ‘buza’ means ‘hole’, and in order to access this unique bar you have to go through a hole in the ancient city walls, leading to a relaxing spot for drinking, sunbathing and swimming. If you’re feeling frisky, I recommend climbing up the nearby cliffs for a refreshing jump off the ledge!
Want to experience a more unique, less commercial side of Dubrovnik?
My advice for a trip to Dubrovnik is to roam outside the walls! Here are five suggestions for enjoying a unique experience around Dubrovnik…
Sail the Adriatic Sea.
There are dozens of large motor and sail boats that swarm the port next to Gruz Market, promoting tours to the neighboring islands; however, I recommend booking a reasonably priced, private sail through Dubrovnik Daily Sailing.
This makes for an ideal escape from the tourism of the old city. We relaxed, we swam, and we visited beautiful beaches on the nearby Elafiti Islands.
Scooter to Ston for oysters.
It’s a gorgeous, hour long drive along the coast to the small towns of Ston and Mali Ston, known for salt-works and oysters. I can say, without a doubt, that I had the best oysters of my life in a small restaurant by the water, watching fisherman bring in the daily catch.
To all the oyster connoisseurs out there… you’re welcome. To those who aren’t fans… give Ston Oysters a try and fall in love. Trust me on this. They even won over my oyster-hating husband.
Walk the walls between Ston & Mali Ston.
Mali Ston literally means ‘little Ston’. It lies 20 minutes northeast of its sister village, and is linked by the ‘Walls of Ston’.
I actually recommend skipping the popular walk along the walls of Dubrovnik, and experiencing the beauty of these 15th century stone walls instead. You’ll avoid crowds, and have time to thoroughly enjoy phenomenal views every step of the way.
Roam the winelands.
The road from Dubrovnik to Ston and beyond, leads you through beautiful vineyards with dozens of family owned wineries along the way.
It’s easy to stop at your leisure and sample some of the regions best Plavac Mali.
Take the ferry to Lokrum.
Lokrum is a 15 minute ferry ride from the Old Town Port. This tiny island is known for having exotic gardens, beautiful swimming spots, and breathtaking views of Dubrovnik (especially from the top of the old ‘Fort Royal’).
Lokrum is also crawling with wildlife! We saw cute bunnies hopping along the dirt paths on our visit, as well as dozens of colorful peacocks.
As you can see, my Dubrovnik highlights all involve exploring outside of (or jumping off) the ancient walls, and avoiding the famous Old Town as much as possible…
Your Dubrovnik highlights may be quite different from mine, and I’ve spoken with dozens of people who loved every minute of exploring the Old Town. Either way, I know we share a similar respect for the city’s fascinating history and matchless beauty.
“Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle.”
– George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
Never heard of Dubrovnik but now I’d love to go ?
You’re making me want to get back to Dubrovnik! We were there for a day but it stormed the entire time so we didn’t see much. I’ll keep in mind the tip about walking the 15th century stone walls.
For sure… the Walls of Ston aren’t far from Dubrovnik’s old town and well worth the trip! Hope you make it back soon!
The walls of Ston look like a beautiful and quiet place to take in such a gorgeous country. Thanks for the tip!
They are indeed! We were so happy to discover such beauty without the crowd!
I’ve heard such great buzz about Dubrovnik lately. I may need to make a trip there for myself.
Croatia is making a lot of waves in travel at the moment. Good to see a list of things to do outside Dubrovnik though.
I’m planning on checking out Dubrovnik and much of the Balkans next fall.
Awesome! You are going to love it!
Nice photos.
I think you basically came to the same conclusion about Dubrovnik as we did – that while beautiful it’s just way too touristy…we’re glad we saw it but after 3 days just had to get out.
Split on the other hand we stayed in for 2 months and it felt much more like a real city with locals (and tourists) interacting.
Hope you made it to Kotor?
Frank (bbqboy)
Wow! 2 months in Split… we should revisit one day. We really loved Split but stayed for a short time and right in the palace… was quite touristy there as well but nothing compares to Dubrovnik. We were also there during high season. Such a unique place though and we enjoyed every minute. We did make it to Kotor… we stayed in the old town for 2 weeks after Dubrovnik, but our favorite part was exploring northern Montenegro on a little road trip. Such a beautiful country!
Yeah, Split was our favorite base last year. And there are tourists (especially after Mid-May on) but an easy place to live for a while.
We’d like to see more of Montenegro and we’ll make it down to Albania sometime next summer when the rest of Europe gets too packed.
Frank
Fab list of Dubrovnik highlihts – I was there only breifly way back in 2007 – we passed through on a Contiki tour. But I agree that the city is absolutely gorgeous and I would love to go back. We did manage to stumble across a bar outside of the walls which was built into a cliff face – one of the most memorable experiences from Europe ever. Perhaps this was Buza Bar – looks similar!
Thanks, Meg! I definitely think it’s worth going back and digging deeper just outside of the old town. Such an incredibly beautiful place!
You have me totally convinced with your amazing photos and text, to visit Dubrovnik if only briefly and then to discover some lesser known areas.
Awesome! So happy to hear that!
We were surprised by the intensity of tourism in Dubrovnik! Maybe we shouldn’t have been given all the attention that city has been receiving lately, but wow! We could hardly handle the crowded streets. We did manage to get a wonderful spot at Buza Bar though and spent most of an afternoon there soaking up the sun and enjoying the view!
Same here, Alana! I was totally shocked… I expected a lot of tourism but my expectations still weren’t set properly. Glad you found Buza Bar! Such a gem.
Having never been I’d like to see Dubrovnik, but I also would like to “scooter to Ston” (love how that rolls off the tongue!) and take in the scenery from the wall.
Ston was such a nice surprise. The walls were incredible, and we were one of a few people there exploring!
For me Dubrovnik was amazing from very inside, but also outside 😉 However, I probably belong to ones who fell in love with the old town 🙂
It’s hard not to.. I totally understand!
I’ve never been, but I know it’s a very popular and busy place. Game of Thrones costumes on the streets? Oh no..
Good tip on waiting for the cruise boats to leave in the afternoon to have a bit more freedom!
Yep.. lots of costumes and lots of people, but still worth a visit, especially at the right times 😉
Been to Croatia but not in dubrovnik its a good excuse for me to go back coz im GoT fans
If you’re a fan of the show you definitely need to plan a trip!
Awesome! I had never actually seen the photos of inside the city walls, the place looks picturesque to say the least. You can understand its popularity. But people dressed in game of thrones costumes? wow that is a step too far haha
My thoughts exactly 🙂
I’ll have to try Ston Oysters when I go, I really can’t stand them but I’m curious to see if I’d become a fan! Dubrovnik looks beautiful, I’m not a Game of Thrones fan so I had never even considered it! Now I will 😉
My husband claims that the texture was different than any he had tried before, and he actually enjoyed them! Dubrovnik is SO beautiful and definitely a great spot, even for those who aren’t Game of Thrones fans 🙂
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RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide
RT @bestworldyet: Guide to unique #Dubrovnik experiences – beyond the ancient walls of the old city! https://t.co/tSjmUTgpj0 #travevlguide