5 Days in Dubrovnik Itinerary [2024 Update]

If you have five days to spend in Dubrovnik, follow my recommended itinerary to get the most out of your every moment spent in the Pearl of the Adriatic.

While more days would give you more time to truly enjoy what this popular Croatian destination has to offer, 5 days in Dubrovnik are not that bad either. But let’s see what you should do during this time!

Five Days in Dubrovnik: Complete Itinerary

Dubrovnik has been one of Croatia’s best known tourist destinations for decades. Since the city walls, gates and tower were used as background in Game of Thrones, its popularity has incredibly increased.

You have a lot of things to see and do here, and I’ll help you with today’s Dubrovnik 5 days itinerary so that you’re 100% certain you’ll tick all the important things on the “to do” list.

Dubrovnik Itinerary: Day 1

The first two days of your five days in Dubrovnik should be dedicated to the inner part of the old town.

After you check in your hotel, no matter where it is located (cheapest hotels are in Lapad, a residential suburb, only 3 Km from the Old City), catch the bus or walk to the Pile Gate (the main entrance to the Old Town).

On the way, jump to the tourist board, just across the Hilton Imperial hotel, and get a map of Dubrovnik’s Old Town, before you enter through the Pile Gate that will take you at the beginning of Placa or Stradun street, the main street artery of the Old Town.

My advice is to avoid strolling this street in killing time between 12.00 AM and 04.00 PM, during the high summer season. The weather is insanely hot and you’d better spend this time inside or relaxing.

During these hours, it’s better to visit some of the many churches or museums around, which you will encounter in the area. Stop for lunch in one of the many Dubrovnik old city restaurants.

Alternatively, I recommend going to the Porporela beach, a small pier with the Red Feral (warning light), while waiting for the sun to get lower on the sky.

It is an ideal place for a quick refreshment in the hot Dubrovnik summers, located under St. John Fort. Be warned that it gets really crowded during the main season!

After 5.30 PM it’s time to visit the Dubrovnik city walls, your ultimate Dubrovnik experience, and the first must-do activity on our itinerary.

The city walls offer some breathtaking views

Grab a big bottle of water and head back to Pile Gate where is the entrance to the city walls. You will need the water to be hydrated during a relatively long, but easy walk.

This 2 Km long walls will take you about two hours of slow paced walking. If you prefer guided tours with Game of Thrones story and historical background of the walls, it’s best to take an organized tour (it’s more convenient than just only the entrance ticket).

After this amazing walk on the Dubrovnik walls, it’s time to go back to Stradun or Placa street, where you can best feel the ‘pulse of the city’, the favorite promenade walk of all Dubrovnik citizens, young and old, as well as of all tourists coming from all over the world.

There are many charming cafes there where you can enjoy a refreshing drink, and people watch and be amazed at how beautiful Dubrovnik really is. The prices in the area are a bit higher since it’s touristy, but you deserve it!

If you want a less expensive experience, you can do the same by resting on the steps of the St. Vlaho Church (make sure to visit it) or in front of Orlando’s Column (my favorite place).

After resting for a while or just idling around that area, you can explore some Dubrovnik nightlife venues, nested within the city walls.

When it’s time to go back to your hotel, take a bus back from Pile gate, or get into a taxi and head home. Your first day is over.

Dubrovnik Itinerary: Day 2

Today, we’re going to get back to the amazing Old Town area, this time focusing on the streets that intersect famous Stradun street.

And the best way to start the day is by heading to the renowned Skola buffet on Antuninska street #1 (Google Maps link here) and grabbing one of their sandwiches with homemade bread, ham and cheese – or whatever you prefer.

The prices are still good for such a touristy area, and if you get there early in the morning when the hot bread is just removed from the oven, it will be perfectly clear why these sandwiches enjoy a cult status among the people of Dubrovnik and their guests.

Later on, when you need a need a delicious, refreshing ice cream (or one of the best crepes in the city), visit Dolce Vita, a pastry shop on Naljeskoviceva street 1a (click here for Google Maps link).

Now that we’ve got the important snacks of the day covered, let’s move on with our 5 day itinerary for Dubrovnik. This is the day to ‘do’ the churches, museums, and palaces in the Old Town.

The architecture is amazing, make sure to pay attention to all details!

Also, make sure to enjoy the spectacular scenery in the city. The best way is to take a cable car from Kralja Petra Kresimira IV street (check the map).

You don’t have to worry about the time, as cable cars run from June to August up to midnight. The entrance fee is around 20 Euros (make sure to double check as the prices can change without warning).

Dubrovnik Itinerary: Day 3

When planning five days in Dubrovnik, at least two of them should be devoted to Dubrovnik’s surroundings. The choice where to start from can be rather complicated.

Dubrovnik is part of the Southern Dalmatia region that stretches from Ploce harbor all the way to the Montenegro border.

The only concern will be whether to start visiting the Dubrovnik archipelago known as Elafiti (three islands, Kolocep, Lopud, and Sipan) or to choose to spend a day on one of bigger islands, Korcula and Mljet (check out my guide to this island here).

Another choice is to spend a whole day in North Western part of the Dubrovnik region, visiting the Peljesac peninsula and Veli and Mali (Big and Small) Ston towns exploring the Ston walls (called Croatia’s China walls), sampling the best food in Croatia (oysters and mussels).

This will be one of the most exciting days among your 5 days in Dubrovnik, no matter what choices you make.

I really can’t recommend one or another, as there’s awesomeness no matter what you choose. Sometimes, it’s best to have more options and take a decision yourself.

Dubrovnik Itinerary: Day 4

For day four of your five days in Dubrovnik, I suggest to take in consideration a day trip to Korcula island from Dubrovnik.

This memorable day tour is one of the most popular day excursions, spending the day exploring Korcula, a medieval walled town on an island of the same name, also known as ‘the small Dubrovnik’.

This small town will offer you a much-deserved break to recharge your batteries, soak in the sun at one of the many beaches available in the area and sample some more local cuisine inside the town itself.

Dubrovnik Itinerary: Day 5

The last of your five days in Dubrovnik will be ideal to summarize all impressions of Dubrovnik and its peculiarities.

The best place for this will be to spend half day on Banje beach, the most popular Dubrovnik beach.

It is located in front of the eastern entrance (Ploce Gate) to Dubrovnik Old Town bellow luxurious Dubrovnik hotels Excelsior and Argentina.

The beach has its own reception, restaurant and café bar on the water front, but expect very high prices here to accompany the high quality services and food.

The beach offers a unique experience of sunbathing on the gravel base and a bath with a view of the old town, the city walls and Lokrum island. Perhaps it is best place to relax and to reload your empty batteries.

How much to budget for 5 days in Dubrovnik?

The daily budget for spending 5 days in Dubrovnik will depend first of all on the time of your visit. Prices are higher during the high season and lower otherwise.

However, visiting Dubrovnik during the winter won’t be just as fun… so you might have to pay the premium to experience all the goodies it has to offer.

For two people following the recommended itinerary, you should expect pay as low as 65 Euros per day (with accommodation in a dorm bed in hostel, eating in local taverns and riding the bus or walking) to 200 Euros or more per day if you want to stay at a better hotel, ride taxis and eat at more expensive restaurants.

Alternately, the mid-range budget that should be best for most travelers (3-star hotel, reasonable restaurants, paying for some attractions and having a bit more money to spend), would be around 120 Euros per day.

I wrote a more in-depth guide to travel prices in Croatia, make sure to check it out as they apply to the popular Dubrovnik too.

This means that, on average, without going too crazy with your expenses, but still enjoying some luxury and nice treats, you would have to spend around 600 – 650 Euros for two for 5 days in Dubrovnik.

There are few places out there where you can do it for such a low budget and even though prices in Croatia’s most popular destination are increasing on a yearly basis, they are still much cheaper than most parts of the world.

So make sure to rush here and enjoy it while it lasts!

Conclusion

In my opinion, this is the best itinerary for Dubrovnik, if you only have 5 days to spend here. It’s going to be a bit busy, but it’s worth doing all the activities that I have recommended, as well as visiting all the places above.

But if you feel that there should be other “must see” things included in the itinerary, let us all know by sharing your thoughts in the comments section below.

Thanks for sharing this article!

1 thought on “5 Days in Dubrovnik Itinerary [2024 Update]”

  1. I was in Debrovnick in the old city last year and purchase some earrings that are hand made and would like to purchase more. They are from a small store and hand made with femo. Can you please forward me the name of the shops within the old city as I may remember it if I see It. Is was owned by a young man and lady with a small child.

    Reply

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