Solo travel · Dubrovnik · Croatia
Solo travel in Dubrovnik
How to enjoy Dubrovnik at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
_(30084998281).jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Dubrovnik is easy to explore alone: compact, walkable and well organised for visitors, with hostels in Lapad and Gruž and plenty of tours for meeting others. Many solo travellers base themselves in Pile.
Key facts
- Base
- Pile
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Language
- Croatian
Solo travel tips
- Stay in Lapad or Gruž for hostels and guesthouses at lower prices than the Old Town.
- Join a walking tour or kayak trip to meet other travellers.
- Sit at the bar of a wine bar in the Old Town lanes for an easy solo evening.
- Day tours to Kotor and Mostar are good value for solo travellers who would otherwise pay for a car.
- Watch your footing on the walls and rocks, especially on your own; the stone is slippery and edges are uneven.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers and solo travellers
Pile
Pile is the main entrance to the Old Town, where almost every city bus stops outside the Pile Gate. Guesthouses on the slopes above are a few minutes' walk from the Stradun but slightly cheaper than inside the walls, and Gradac Park and Fort Lovrijenac are on the doorstep.
- Good
- Easy bus and taxi access; Close to the Old Town without the steps inside it; Good for an early start on the walls
- Watch out
- Busy with tour groups during the day; Traffic around the bus stops
- Nearby
- Pile Gate, Fort Lovrijenac, Gradac Park
Great on your own
Historic site · Old Town (Stari Grad)
City Walls of Dubrovnik
Start as soon as the walls open or in the last two hours of the day; there is almost no shade, so bring water and a hat.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
- Kids
- Active
Street · Old Town (Stari Grad)
Stradun
Walk it before 9am or after 9pm to see it without cruise-day crowds; the stone is slippery after rain.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- After dark
- Photo spot
Castle · Pile
Fort Lovrijenac
Keep your City Walls ticket: it includes entry to Lovrijenac, so you can visit on the same day.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
Palace · Old Town (Stari Grad)
Rector's Palace
The Dubrovnik Pass covers the palace together with the walls and other museums; buy it if you plan to visit more than the walls.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Viewpoint · Ploče
Mount Srđ and the cable car
Go up an hour before sunset; fit walkers can hike the zig-zag path up or down in about an hour instead of taking the cable car.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- History
- Photo spot
Religious site · Old Town (Stari Grad)
Franciscan Monastery and old pharmacy
Visit right after the walls, since the entrance is at the foot of the Pile Gate stairway.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Meeting people
- Gruž market morning — Buy figs, cherries, olive oil and dried fruit at the Gruž market, with fish landed at the stalls next to it, then have coffee at a harbourside café.
- Oysters in Mali Ston — Combine a walk on the Walls of Ston with oysters and mussels at a waterfront restaurant in Mali Ston, an hour's drive north of Dubrovnik.
- Old Town lanes — Wine bars and cocktail terraces around Bunićeva Poljana square and the lanes off the Stradun.
- Fort Revelin — Culture Club Revelin, a nightclub inside the vaulted Revelin fortress by the Ploče Gate, is the city's best-known club.
Sensible precautions
Dubrovnik has low levels of street crime, but heat exhaustion on the walls, slippery polished limestone and steep rocks by the sea cause more problems for visitors. Wear water shoes on rocky beaches because of sea urchins, and keep valuables close in crowded lanes.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Staying connected
- Mobile coverage is good; EU roaming applies to European SIMs, and eSIMs work well for other visitors. Many cafés offer free Wi-Fi.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Dubrovnik good for solo travellers?
Dubrovnik is easy to explore alone: compact, walkable and well organised for visitors, with hostels in Lapad and Gruž and plenty of tours for meeting others.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Dubrovnik?
Pile: The western gate, city bus hub and Fort Lovrijenac on its rock.