Dubrovnik is the best known and one of the most visited destinations in Croatia. The town is beautiful, well-preserved, full of history and culture, good restaurants, lovely bars, and offers a load of things to do.
When you are done with exploring the town, you’ll find below eight interesting day tours from Dubrovnik worth your time and money.The town is small and all major sights can be visited within a day or two.
But this UNESCO’s World Heritage Site is also the most expensive town to visit in Croatia, and also often too crowded. We’ve written our farewell to Dubrovnik a couple of years ago, but we still keep coming back to Dubrovnik every year. It’s a popular stop for many visitors to Croatia, and we like to see it for ourselves in order to share first-hand experiences here at our blog.
Recommended 12 day trips from Dubrovnik
Montenegro
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Montenegro
Dubrovnik is a good base to visit Montenegro. In my honest opinion, Montenegro is only worth a day trip (and no longer!). The nicest part for us is Boka Kotorska, a wonderful fjord-like bay in southwest part of Montenegro, with pretty medieval towns of Kotor and Perast.
You can visit Montenegro on a self-drive trip, or you can book a small group day trip to Montenegro. If given a chance, have a lunch at the restaurant Catovica Mlini in Morinj.
Peljesac peninsula
The second largest peninsula in Croatia, Peljesac is our favorite part of the country. The peninsula is famed for its rugged coast, pebbly beaches, salt pans, wine growing hills, sleepy villages, fortification walls, red wine, fresh oysters, and other seafood.
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Peljesac Peninsula
It takes an hour drive to reach Peljesac from Dubrovnik. And another hour to reach Orebic, a town located at the southwest part of the peninsula, just across Korcula town.
We highly recommend a day trip to Peljesac whether you like to taste some of the best Croatian red wines, to swim at some of the nicest beaches in Croatia, or to indulge in the freshest seafood.
You can visit the peninsula on a self-drive trip. And if you decide to do so, check our post on Peljesac wine tasting, and things to do in Peljesac. Otherwise, look into this small-group tour.
Elafiti Islands
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Elafiti Islands
We’ve visited the Elafiti islands for the first time a couple of years ago. This archipelago of dozen islands located northwest of Dubrovnik is well-worth a visit, and a great getaway from town’s hustle and bustle. Only three islands, Kolocep, Lopud, and Sipan, are inhabited. All islands but Sipan are car-free.
Islands are tiny with just one or two settlements, beautiful unspoiled nature, gorgeous sandy and pebble beaches, and a slow pace of life. People come here to relax, to swim or kayak in a crystal blue sea, and to indulge in small pleasures of life.
Ferry boats depart four times a day (June through September) from Dubrovnik port. From June through September many small pleasure boats offer day tours to the islands. You can also book a sea kayaking tour to the islands.
Mostar
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina
A town set on the river Neretva in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mostar is famed for its old bridge, UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Present time town was established in the 15-century and it still boasts interesting Turkish-style architecture.
Explore the old town, enjoy its architecture, mosques, cobblestone streets, oriental shops, watch the world go buy at one of many river cafes, taste a typical Bosnian meal of savoury pastry, diary products, and cevapi at the restaurant Kuluk.
Mostar is less than three hour drive from Dubrovnik, and a small group tour to Mostar (with stops in Pocitelj and Medugorje) is the best way to visit it.
Korcula Island
If you are dreaming of crystal clear seas, pebbly beaches, historical towns, and wonderful nature, the island of Korcula is a place to be.
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Korcula Island
Stroll historical town of Korcula, presumably a birth place of Marco Polo, explore seaside towns, and hidden bays, have a picnic at small islands of Badija, and Proizd.
It’s just two hours away from Dubrovnik by boat or by car. In July and August a catamaran departs at 8 am from Dubrovnik, arrives to Korcula Town at 10.45, and departs again from Korcula to Dubrovnik at 4 pm. More info at G&V website.
Otherwise we recommend you to rent a car, and reach Korcula via Peljesac peninsula.
National park Mljet
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Mljet Island | Photo Credit: TomaB via Flickr
The greenest Croatian island, half of Mljet is protected national park since 1960. It’s only an hour drive to Prapratno, a small ferry port on Peljesac peninsula, where you take a ferry to cross over to Sobra on the Mljet Island. Crossing takes another 45 minutes.
Go hiking or cycling at the national park, visit St.Mary’s Island, explore hinterland villages, go diving, swim at the Odysseus cave, or sandy beach Saplunara, have lunch or dinner at the rural inn Franka.
If you don’t like to drive yourself to the island, you can also book a small group tour to Mljet Island.
Vjetrenica Cave
Vjetrenica Cave is located in the neighboring Bosnia & Herzegovina, and it’s the largest cave found in this area.
The length of the cave isn’t yet known, but once an interesting experiment was conducted within the cave with a colored substance that was later found on the island of Sipan, off the coast of Dubrovnik.
The extensive cave system has over 6.000 m of passages. The cave is just an hour drive from Dubrovnik. More info …
Konavle
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Konavle
Konavle has always been the “belly of Dubrovnik”, a rich agricultural landscape just twenty minute drive from Dubrovnik.
Today Konavle is a great getaway from Dubrovnik whether you enjoy hiking, cycling, horse-back riding, ATV safari, olive oil and wine tasting, historical sights, or exploring small coastal towns. Kojan Coral, offers some great horse-back riding and ATV tours. We used to work together with Pero, an owner of Kojan Coral, on a cruise ship awhile back.
You can easily reach Konavle from Dubrovnik by car, or as a part of organized cycling tour.
Kravica Waterfalls
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Kravica Waterfalls
These low-key waterfalls, located near the village of Studenci in Bosnia & Herzegovina, are mostly visited by locals.
Kravica Waterfalls are two hours drive from Dubrovnik. This part of Bosnia & Herzegovina, along the Trebizat river, abounds in underground waters, streams, rapids and waterfalls.
We recommend you take a self-drive trip to Kravica Waterfalls. Hike, chill out and swim in fresh water, relax in nearby cafe with a terrace overlooking the water and the waterfalls, and then head to Ceveljusa for a lunch at the Mandica Jaz restaurant. They serve mostly meat, and trouts, but benefit from an awesome location. The food here is super cheap.
Neretva River Safari
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Neretva River Safari
A wonderful valley located only 70 km north of Dubrovnik offers loads of things to do. From kite and windsurfing, wine tasting, hiking, harvesting mandarins to river safaris, and indulging in local specialties like frog and eel stew.
A couple of restaurants offer river safari on a traditional wooden boats called ladja (larger boat) or trupa (smaller boat).
You can arrange a safari directly with a restaurant (we recommend Djudja & Mate in the village of Vid). Neretva delta is just an 1.5 hour drive from Dubrovnik.
Lokrum Island
Even if you stay in Dubrovnik for just a couple of days, we recommend you to make time to visit the island of Lokrum.
This tiny island is just 15-minute boat ride from Dubrovnik’s old harbor. During the summer season boats depart every 30 minutes. A return boat ticket costs 80 Kn (approx. 11€).
Swim in a salt-water lake, visit the Benedictine abbey and monastery, explore island’s exotic gardens containing over 500 different plants from all over the world, cliff jump into the blue Adriatic just like locals do, rent a sea kayak
Trsteno Arboretum
12 Great Day Trips From Dubrovnik | Trsteno | Photo Credit: Jac Mac via Flickr
Trsteno is a small village just 20 km north of Dubrovnik. The village is a home of a beautiful Trsteno Arboretum. Established in a 15th century, it’s the oldest monument of garden architecture in Croatia.
Since the place was used as a set for a popular HBO series – The Game of Thrones, more and more tourist (particularly GoT fans) visit the sight. Many tour agencies offer a combo tour of city walks and arboretum for GoT fans.
However, the place is also very easy to visit from Dubrovnik by car, or even by public bus (the cheapest option). If you are a sucker for nice views, hike, mountain bike, or just drive in the hills above Trsteno toward north. Views from the top are spectacular.
On the way back stop for at a romantic (yet pricey) lunch at the restaurants Ankora or Gverovic Orsan.