We caught the high speed catamaran from Hvar to Dubrovnik (the ferries are easy to use and relatively affordable, just make sure to book tickets in advance in the summer) and arrived to our final destination around noon. Fortunately, our Airbnb hosts here allowed us to check into our apartment early, so we ate a quick lunch and headed to the apartment, which was only a half a block back from the Stradun, or main street of Old Town Dubrovnik.
Our first destination was Mount Srd, reached by a long, very hot hike, or by cable car! We bought the ticket that included the fortress museum at the top of the mountain as well as a return cable car trip. The views from the top are epic, and the museum is interesting as well. It covers the war that took place in the 1990s and more specifically, the attacks on Dubrovnik itself. It’s different to other war museums I’ve visited because the war was so recent, and the scars are still visible inside the city and on the outskirts.
In the evening, we walked around the city walls. They are probably the main attraction of Dubrovnik, and the views did not disappoint. There are bars and rest areas along the way, I imagine it gets quite warm and crowded during the day when the sun is at it’s hottest and all of the cruise passengers are in port.
We went to the Buza cliff bar for refreshment afterward. They’re slightly tricky to find, but you can see them from the top of the wall to figure out how to get there. It’s a great place to watch the sun set, and to watch the kayakers returning from their trips around Lokrum Island.
The next day, we headed to Cavtat via water taxi. The fares vary based on which water taxi (or bus) you get, but are generally pretty reasonable. We wandered to the famous mosoleum and had a great lunch on the water. We rented beach chairs (that actually came with towels!) for a few hours afterward and took our last dip in the gorgeous Adriatic. It was fun to get away from the crowds of Dubrovnik for a few hours.
Then it was time for the Game of Thrones portion of the trip. We booked a boat tour from the Cruise boat harbor to the Old Town harbor on the boat that’s used to film the scenes with Daenerys in the show. We learned that about 1 in 5 residents was cast as an extra and that they aren’t allowed to shave for 6 weeks before the show! We didn’t carry on with the film locations walking tour, but the boat cruise was a lot of fun! We then waited for a table at Lady Pi Pi (why is it called Lady Pi Pi you ask? Better do a google image search… the statue outside the restaurant is a bit NSFW!)
After dinner, we prepared for our final adventure of the trip, a day trip to Montenegro.
What a great adventure!
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Thanks! Definitely a cool place!
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Reblogged this on Travel Inspire Connect and commented:
Looking forward to Dubrovnik… will it be fabulous or overrun with tourists? Glad you guys had a wonderful time, Amanda!
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Both! It is beautiful but when the cruise ships roll in it can be overwhelming. It’s worth waiting until the ships aren’t there to walk the walls and take the cable car to avoid the worst of the crowds.
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According to the cruise schedule, I’ll have one day with no ships, one Green Day and two yellow days. But, I think I need more suggestions to fill my 3.5 days in Dubrovnik. Besides a day trip to Kotor, what other excursions could we consider if we want to, say, find a beautiful beach, swim in clear turquoise waters, visit an island. Cavtat sounds wonderful. Is there anything else you came across or wanted to visit that you didn’t have a chance to?
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That’s not too bad. My biggest regret is not doing a day trip to Mostar, but I think eventually we’ll do a longer trip to Sarajevo and Mostar, so that’s an option. Lokrum Island and Elafiti islands are easily accessible. The Peljesac peninsula has a lot of wineries, and I wish we’d been able to make it there as well. There’s almost too much to choose from!
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I am planning to do Mostar as a day trip from Split and Kotor as a day trip from Dubrovnik. I was just reading more about Peljesac. As a foodie, that sounds right up my alley!
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Do a day dive? I can recommend BluePlanet Diving in Dubrovnik – offer an introductory dive and will pick you up!
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Awesome! Thanks Erin! That is something I probably would not have tried. Did you dive with them in Dubrovnik? Had you dived before? I have a friend who dives, but I’ve never tried it. I just might get hooked! 😛
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My husband and I are certified, but the kids weren’t … Blue Planet offers beginning courses for people with no experience – we really liked them!
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Beautiful! I have always wanted to visit Dubrovnik and Hvar for that matter! I would totally take that GoT tour too, love that show! #farawayfiles
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It was so much fun, and it’s cool to see all the Game of Thrones filming locations throughout the city!
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lovely post!
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Love Dubrovnik, but would like to go back during off season as July was soooo crowded and hot it almost made it unbearable! #FarawayFiles
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Ooh I can imagine it would be hot and crowded then! Good thing the water is so nice!
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Looks cozy 🙂
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It was really beautiful!
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This is nice! I like when you are allowed to check in early ;0) Is Cavtat an island? Seems like you made the most out of your time on the city! #farawayfiles
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Me too! Cavtat is a town down the coast from Dubrovnik, about halfway to Montenegro. But it’s just as easy to reach by boat as by bus!
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Oh, I see. Thanks for the clarification.
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So glad you had a good time! I will admit Dubrovnik was my least favorite bit of our Croatia trip – too many tourists for my liking. It is beautiful, just wished for more Croatia and less cruise traffic. Thanks for sharing with #FarawayFiles, Erin
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It was definitely the most touristy part of our trip, the cruise boats just overwhelm the city. It was beautiful though, especially in the evening when it was less crowded and cooler which made it hard not to love.
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What a great way to travel from Hvar to Dubrovnik! I’d really love to visit Dubrovnik. Just trying to work out when best to go so we miss all the crowds… Thanks so much for sharing on #FarawayFiles
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Yes… the crowds really take away from the atmosphere. I think they peak in the summer, so spring or fall won’t be as bad. It was still manageable when we visited.
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hi Amanda, that’s a fantastic account of your trip. Isn’t Dubrovnik simply amazing?! I hope you’ll check out my posts about our road-trip through Croatia 🙂
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Thanks, I’ll definitely be reading them, it’s a beautiful city, I wouldn’t mind going back!
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Dubrovnik was totally not on my radar until Game of Thrones haa but your pictures are amazing!
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I know, it’s gorgeous! I think it’s on everyone’s radar now!
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Dubrovnik has been on my list for such a long time. Gorgeous pictures of a stunning place!
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I hope you get a chance to visit, such a beautiful city and it’s so much fun to get lost in the tiny streets.
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