Day trips · Dubrovnik · Croatia

7 best day trips from Dubrovnik

Where to go when you want a day away from Dubrovnik, and how long it really takes.

Updated 23 October 2026By the AMZBooking editorial team

Quick answer

The classic day trip from Dubrovnik is Kotor and the Bay of Kotor (About 2–3 hours each way by road). The closest option is Elaphiti Islands, about 15 km away.

Day trips in this guide: 7
Closest: Elaphiti Islands (15 km)
Most popular: Kotor and the Bay of Kotor

Day trips compared

Day trips from Dubrovnik: distance, time and transport
Destination	Distance	Travel time	How	Best for
Kotor and the Bay of Kotor	90 km	About 2–3 hours each way by road	Bus or organised tour, crossing into Montenegro	First-timers, Culture, Couples
Mostar	140 km	About 3 hours each way	Bus or organised tour, crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina	Culture, First-timers
Cavtat	17 km	About 30 minutes by bus, 45 by boat	Libertas bus or boat from the Old Port	Quiet stays, Couples, Families
Elaphiti Islands	15 km	About 30–60 minutes by ferry	Jadrolinija ferry from Gruž or a boat tour	Beach, Quiet stays, Families
Ston and Mali Ston	55 km	About 1 hour by car	Car, bus or tour	Food lovers, Culture, Couples
Mljet National Park	60 km	About 1.5–2 hours by catamaran	Catamaran from Gruž	Quiet stays, Couples, Families
Trsteno Arboretum	15 km	About 30 minutes by bus	Regional bus towards Split	Quiet stays, Culture

The day trips

90 km · About 2–3 hours each way by road

1.Kotor and the Bay of Kotor

Kotor is a walled medieval town at the end of a fjord-like bay, with a climb of more than 1,300 steps to the fortress of San Giovanni. Tours often stop at Perast to see the islet church of Our Lady of the Rocks. Border queues can add time in summer.

Getting there: Bus or organised tour, crossing into Montenegro
Best for: First-timers, Culture, Couples

140 km · About 3 hours each way

2.Mostar

Mostar's Old Bridge (Stari Most), rebuilt in 2004 after its destruction in 1993, arches over the green Neretva river. The Ottoman old quarter has mosques, copper workshops and divers who leap from the bridge in summer.

Getting there: Bus or organised tour, crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina
Best for: Culture, First-timers

17 km · About 30 minutes by bus, 45 by boat

3.Cavtat

A small, calm harbour town with a palm-lined waterfront, the Račić family mausoleum by sculptor Ivan Meštrović and the house of the painter Vlaho Bukovac. Paths around the wooded peninsula lead to rocky swimming spots.

Getting there: Libertas bus or boat from the Old Port
Best for: Quiet stays, Couples, Families

15 km · About 30–60 minutes by ferry

4.Elaphiti Islands

Koločep, Lopud and Šipan are car-light islands with villages, chapels and olive groves. Lopud has Šunj, one of the few sandy beaches near Dubrovnik, reached by a walk across the island.

Getting there: Jadrolinija ferry from Gruž or a boat tour
Best for: Beach, Quiet stays, Families

55 km · About 1 hour by car

5.Ston and Mali Ston

The Walls of Ston run about 5.5 km over the hills between two villages, built to protect the Republic's salt pans, which still produce salt today. Mali Ston's restaurants serve oysters and mussels from the bay.

Getting there: Car, bus or tour
Best for: Food lovers, Culture, Couples

60 km · About 1.5–2 hours by catamaran

6.Mljet National Park

The western end of Mljet island is a forested national park around two saltwater lakes, with a 12th-century Benedictine monastery on an islet in the larger lake. Bikes and kayaks can be rented in the park.

Getting there: Catamaran from Gruž
Best for: Quiet stays, Couples, Families

15 km · About 30 minutes by bus

7.Trsteno Arboretum

A Renaissance garden laid out by a Dubrovnik noble family in the late 15th century, with giant plane trees, a baroque fountain and terraces above the sea, later used as a filming location for Game of Thrones.

Getting there: Regional bus towards Split
Best for: Quiet stays, Culture

Day-trip tips

Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
Buy a day ticket if you are staying in Lapad or Babin Kuk and will ride back and forth.
For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask

+What is the best day trip from Dubrovnik?

Kotor and the Bay of Kotor. Kotor is a walled medieval town at the end of a fjord-like bay, with a climb of more than 1,300 steps to the fortress of San Giovanni.

+How long does it take to get from Dubrovnik to Kotor and the Bay of Kotor?

About 2–3 hours each way by road — Bus or organised tour, crossing into Montenegro, about 90 km.

+How long does it take to get from Dubrovnik to Mostar?

About 3 hours each way — Bus or organised tour, crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina, about 140 km.