Dubrovnik. Who has been ?

[TheDogsMother]

We're going in May, it's our first visit and we're really looking forward to it. We are there for four nights so any tips, places to visit, restaurants/bars would all be welcome.

Also is it only the local currency that is used or is the Euro fairly widely accepted too. What combination of cash/cards did you find most useful ?

Thanks in advance !

Thanks JonSnow, we have just arrived. Staying in Lapad, just outside Dubrovnik. Did you do the cable car? Any other top tips? Wondering if I should book Konoba Veranda. Is it child friendly (mine are 12 and 10, and one is a bit fussy). Was the old town swamped with cruise ship visitors?

It’s very busy and quite small so be prepared for that. Dubrovnik is a place to wander- there’s not actually much “to do”. If you like GoT you can take a tour.

Walk walls in morning to avoid sunstroke!

You don’t say if you have kids, the aquarium is great for little ones and nice n cool.

There are two swimming cliff bars - not for little ones or buggies. Very lovely if sea not too rough “Buza bar” accessible by a hole in the wall!

Yes we did cable car, there is a nice restaurant at the top but we just had drinks as it was early on in the day! Menu is quite varied, it won't let me attach pics for some reason, there's a lot of fish but I had pasta and lamb, they emailed me a copy of the menu when we booked if that helps?

Thanks again everyone, we went and had a great time. Taxi from the airport with a really helpful and informative driver. Took the airport bus back though and it was easy and cheap. Walked the walls, did the cable car, went to Lokrum, Konoba Veranda, visited little tucked away bars and photographic exhibitions. All superb. If anyone is reading this and planning a trip see a previous posters very helpful advice about the days the cruise ships dock and which are busiest. It can get a bit oppressive getting mowed down by walking tours of people wanting to 'do' Dubrovnik in a morning. It calms down in the evening though and if it is a bit busy it's always a good excuse to visit the islands. If anyone needs a recommendation for fab apartments with a roof top pool and right by the city walls/Ploce gate then message me and I can pass on contact info. To sum up, ''twas fab !

We are staying on Kolocep. Any advice?

I just got back from Dubrovnik and had a fantastic time. Nishta the vegan restaurant was delicious, I highly recommend, and we also liked Azure (Asian fusion), Oliva pizzeria and Spaghetteria Toni has great very reasonably priced pastas. The Old Town was very busy at times but mostly manageable, and Lokrum was much quieter as an easy escape. Mljet was gorgeous, and I had a fantastic time swimming in the lakes. Ship time/prices can be found here

We Kayaked in the evening and that was great fun, as was our evening 2.5hr horse riding trek in the area around Popovici in the Konavle region with wonderful views.

City Walls are a must, as is Lokrum and a good wander around and a spot of people watching while sitting and having a refreshing drink. I enjoyed the Rector's Palace museum and looking around the many wonderful churches but most of the rest of the museums are skippable unless you have a definite interest in whatever their subject. Aquarium is lovely and cool inside though! The Iron Throne in the GoT display on Lokrum island is free to sit in and take photos if you're so inclined.

I can also give a recommendation if anyone is looking for an apartment - it is a 20 minute walk to the Old Town (half way between Port Gruz and the Old Town), but the advantage of that is that it is very quiet and peaceful in the evenings on the terrace - except when Croatia have just won a World Cup match, when I suspect the noise can be heard in Italy . Incredible hosts who were exceptionally friendly, attentive but not intrusive, gave us a free lift to the main bus station and back, gave us some very yummy homemade cheesecake, bowls of nuts/candied orange peel, cherries, stocked our fridge for the first few breakfasts, made very nice homemade sherries and limoncello, and had plenty of tips on restaurants and things to do. Also put several loads of my washing on for me and hung it out while I went out to explore which was very sweet.

Thanks for all the tips on this thread.

We are really interested in the sunset kayaking and the War Tour. Is it better to book them before we go or when we are there?

Oldowl We went in mid June, didn't go on a tour but had no problem booking kayaking on the day. I would book on the day, we found the weather quite changeable while we were there so we waited until the afternoon to judge whether kayaking that evening was worth it or not.

@MaximilianNero What's the apartment you stayed in please?

Looking at the cruise ship schedule there seem to be cruise ships there almost every day (often several per day) even well into October and beginning of November... Dubrovnik, Croatia Cruise Ship Schedule 2018: crew-center.com/dubrovnik-croatia-cruise-ship-schedule-2018

@buttermilkwaffles It was Apartments Gaura

We had a fantastic holiday.

We stayed here:

www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/13889606?location=Kolo%C4%8Dep%2C%20Croatia&s=4EM1qHt8

We loved Croatia but found Dubrovnik very overwhelmed with cruise ship tours after 11am. It is very splendid but didn't have any sense of being a lived in place. We did a harbor tour and the cable car.
While in Croatia we went on a day trip to Bosnia, best macaroni cheese we have ever eaten and Kotor, Montenegro, also impressive although has cruise ships as well.

May is a good time. We went in August last year and during the day it was hot and bursting at the seams.

Go off the beaten path and take the steps up...you will find the proper Dubrovnik. Sadly you will still find bombed out streets too.

The walls are good. Go first thing. By lunchtime it will be too crowded and hot.

I recommend going up Mount Srd and visiting the war museum up there. Again, turn up early for the cable car.

There is a bakery outside the city walls near one of the gates (I forget which one, the closest to the beach) which does epic pastries. Cheaper than within the walls too.

Go on a replica 19th century sail boat for an island hop along the coast. Lapad was our favourite though seeing the Iron Throne and walking around Lokrum (little bears!!) was special too.

It’s all hideously expensive though. We will go back to Croatia, but somewhere less draining on the pocket.

Been to Croatia twice and this time we avoided Dubrovnik specifically due to the overcrowding. And as wood fires says, it does not seem to be genuinely lived in anymore, I felt it has become a museum piece for tourists. Impossibly overcrowded, firmly on the cruise ship map and trading on the game of thrones association. Prices same as in London if not more.
This time we got off the plane and directly onto the ferry to Mljet.

Yes, it is difficult to have a meal for under £25 a head. We cooked at our air bnb and sat out on the terrace overlooking the bay. We felt we had the best table in town!

The city walls are £20 each to walk.

We took the cable car up (£10 each) the hillside but walked down. We went up at 4pm, did the war museum (£3 each) and walked down taking in the sunset over Dubrovnik. It was spectacular.

Wow, amazed to read all this. €20 to walk the walls?!? It used to cost nothing at all, or so little it didn't register.

I'd love to go back but so would everyone else and I just can't face it....

May be best to hang on to those memories ohno.