Dubrovnik Travel Guide
Day Trips from Dubrovnik
How to choose between Lokrum, the Elaphiti, a kayak day, Ston and Pelješac, Cavtat, Mostar and Montenegro — distances, borders, seasons, tour versus independent travel, and which trip suits which traveller.
Dubrovnik is a small city with a big backyard. Within half an hour by boat are wooded islands with almost no cars; within an hour by road are medieval walls, oyster beds and vineyards; within a couple of hours are two other countries and two more UNESCO towns. Choosing the right trips for your days and your season is the key to a great stay. Here is how they compare.
Lokrum (half day, by ferry). The closest escape, fifteen minutes from the old port, Lokrum is a protected forest reserve with a ruined Benedictine monastery, botanical gardens, free-roaming peacocks, a saltwater lake and rock swimming. It is perfect for a hot afternoon or a family half-day. The official ferry runs a seasonal schedule and includes the reserve fee; the island effectively closes in deep winter, and no overnight stays are allowed. Choose it if you have only a few hours, or as a calm counterweight to a crowded morning in town.
The Elaphiti islands (full day, by boat). Koločep, Šipan and Lopud are the inhabited islands of Dubrovnik's own small archipelago, strung along the coast to the northwest. The classic way to see them is a full-day cruise from the Gruž harbour, with swimming and snorkelling stops and a long break on Lopud, home to the sandy bay of Šunj. In season you can book a guided island-hopping cruise; year-round, public ferries from Gruž let you visit one island independently and stay as long as you like. Choose the cruise for an easy social day, the ferry for a slow beach day, and a private boat for coves and caves the big boats cannot reach.
Sea kayaking (half day or full day). A guided paddle under the sea walls and around Lokrum is the most active way to see the city's sights, with a swim and snorkel stop in a cove. City tours last about three hours and suit beginners; full-day kayak and bike trips in the Elaphiti suit active travellers. Kayaking is seasonal and wind-dependent, so keep a flexible day.
Ston and Pelješac (half or full day, by road). An hour up the coast, Ston offers the Republic's second great fortification, a long line of medieval walls between Ston and Mali Ston, plus ancient salt pans still worked by hand and the oysters of Mali Ston bay. It is the easiest out-of-town trip, with no border to cross. Extend it into a full day by continuing onto the Pelješac peninsula for winery visits among the Plavac Mali vineyards, and return over the Pelješac Bridge. Choose Ston for food, history and a relaxed pace.
Cavtat and Konavle (half or full day, south). Cavtat, a pretty harbour town about twenty kilometres south, can be reached by boat from the old port in season or by bus. Walk its waterfront, see the Račić Mausoleum and the house of the painter Vlaho Bukovac, and swim off the peninsula paths. Inland, the Konavle valley offers rural restaurants, vineyards growing the local Malvasija white, and traditional villages. Choose Cavtat for a gentle day with a seaside lunch.
Mostar (full day, Bosnia and Herzegovina). The most rewarding long trip: about 140 kilometres inland, roughly two and a half hours each way, to the rebuilt Ottoman Old Bridge over the Neretva, a UNESCO site whose divers still leap twenty-four metres into the river. Most tours add the hillside village of Počitelj and the Kravica waterfalls. You cross an external Schengen border, so bring your passport and expect EES biometric registration on first crossing for non-EU travellers, plus long summer queues. The local currency is the convertible mark, though euros are widely accepted. Choose Mostar if you have at least three days and want to understand the region beyond the coast.
The Bay of Kotor (full day, Montenegro). South across the border, the fjord-like Bay of Kotor is the most dramatic landscape within reach: Perast with the island church of Our Lady of the Rocks, and the walled town of Kotor beneath its mountain fortress. Montenegro uses the euro, but it is outside the EU and Schengen, so passports and border queues apply, especially in July and August. Choose Kotor for scenery and Venetian towns; leave early.
Further afield. With extra days, three more trips are worth knowing. The island of Mljet, reached by catamaran from Gruž in season, has a national park of saltwater lakes and a monastery on an islet, and is the green, quiet counterpart to Dubrovnik. Korčula, further up the coast, is a miniature walled town on its own peninsula, often combined with Pelješac wineries. And the Trsteno Arboretum, a Renaissance garden north of the city, makes an easy half day, sometimes combined with Lokrum on a single boat trip. These are better as overnight stays or long days, so plan them only after the essentials.
Tours or independent? For Lokrum, Ston, Cavtat and the Elaphiti by ferry, independent travel is easy and cheaper. For Mostar and Kotor, a small-group tour or private driver removes the stress of borders, parking and long drives, and a good guide adds context, especially in Mostar. Car hire makes sense if you plan several day trips and stay outside the Old Town, where parking is easier.
Matching trips to travellers. Families: Lokrum, the Elaphiti with Šunj beach, and Ston. Couples: a sunset kayak, Lopud by ferry, and a long oyster lunch at Mali Ston. History lovers: Mostar and Kotor. Food lovers: Ston, Pelješac and Konavle. Short on time: Lokrum and one sea day. And remember the season: boat trips, kayaking and the Lokrum ferry are spring-to-autumn affairs, while Ston, Cavtat, Mostar and Kotor are possible all year, with quieter borders in winter.