Where to stay · Dubrovnik · Croatia
Where to stay in Dubrovnik
6 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Old Town (Stari Grad). Car-free lanes inside the walls, stone steps, churches and terraces on the Stradun. Best alternatives — families: Lapad; budget: Lapad.
Key facts
- First visit
- Old Town (Stari Grad)
- Families
- Lapad
- Budget
- Lapad
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Old Town (Stari Grad) | Car-free lanes inside the walls, stone steps, churches and terraces on the Stradun |
| Families | Lapad | Green peninsula with a pedestrian promenade, family hotels and a sandy-pebble bay |
| Couples | Old Town (Stari Grad) | Car-free lanes inside the walls, stone steps, churches and terraces on the Stradun |
| Budget | Lapad | Green peninsula with a pedestrian promenade, family hotels and a sandy-pebble bay |
| Luxury | Ploče | Hillside hotels east of the walls with Old Town views and Banje Beach below |
| Solo travellers | Pile | The western gate, city bus hub and Fort Lovrijenac on its rock |
| Quiet stays | Babin Kuk | Resort hotels, Copacabana Beach and coastal paths on the western tip |
| Beach | Ploče | Hillside hotels east of the walls with Old Town views and Banje Beach below |
Dubrovnik neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples and culture
Old Town (Stari Grad)
Staying inside the walls puts the Stradun, the Rector's Palace and the wall entrances at your door, and the lanes are beautiful early in the morning and late at night when day visitors have gone. Accommodation is mostly in apartments and small guesthouses up steep stairways north and south of the Stradun.
- Good
- Sights on the doorstep; Magical in the quiet early hours; Swim from the rocks below the walls
- Watch out
- Hundreds of steps and no cars for luggage; Very crowded on cruise-ship days; Highest prices in the city
- Nearby
- City walls, Stradun, Rector's Palace, Old Port
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury and beach
Ploče
Just outside the Ploče Gate, this area has some of the city's best-known hotels and apartments looking back across the water to the walls and Lokrum. Banje Beach and the restored Lazareti quarantine buildings are at the bottom of the hill, and the cable car station is a short climb up.
- Good
- Classic views of the walled city; Five minutes' walk to the Old Town; Beaches close by
- Watch out
- Steep streets and stairs; Expensive sea-view rooms
- Nearby
- Banje Beach, Cable car, Ploče Gate, Lazareti
$$$ · 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
$$ · Best for families, beach and budget
Lapad
Lapad is about 4 km west of the Old Town, with a car-free promenade along Šetalište kralja Zvonimira leading to Lapad Bay and Sunset Beach. Pine-shaded paths circle the peninsula, and frequent buses reach Pile in 15–20 minutes. Prices for rooms and meals are noticeably lower than in the Old Town.
- Good
- Gentle beaches for children; Better value; Quiet evenings
- Watch out
- A bus ride to the Old Town; Large hotels can feel resort-like
- Nearby
- Lapad Bay, Sunset Beach, Gruž
$$$ · Best for families, beach and quiet stays
Babin Kuk
The northern half of the Lapad peninsula is a cluster of large resort hotels with pools, Copacabana Beach and Coral Beach, and walking paths along the rocky shore. It suits families and beach-focused stays, and the bus reaches Pile in about 20–25 minutes.
- Good
- Hotel pools and beach facilities; Calm and green; Water sports
- Watch out
- Furthest from the Old Town; Few independent restaurants
- Nearby
- Copacabana Beach, Lapad, Dubrovnik Bridge
$$ · Best for budget and solo travellers
Gruž
Gruž is Dubrovnik's port, where Jadrolinija ferries and catamarans leave for the Elaphiti Islands, Mljet and Korčula and long-distance buses arrive. The Gruž market sells fruit, vegetables and fish every morning, and guesthouses here are among the most affordable in the city.
- Good
- Convenient for ferries and buses; Local market and cafés; Lower prices
- Watch out
- No beach or old-town atmosphere; A bus ride to the walls
- Nearby
- Gruž market, Ferry terminal, Main bus station
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town (Stari Grad) | $$$$ | City walls, Stradun, Rector's Palace, Old Port |
| Ploče | $$$$ | Banje Beach, Cable car, Ploče Gate, Lazareti |
| Pile | $$$ | Pile Gate, Fort Lovrijenac, Gradac Park |
| Lapad | $$ | Lapad Bay, Sunset Beach, Gruž |
| Babin Kuk | $$$ | Copacabana Beach, Lapad, Dubrovnik Bridge |
| Gruž | $$ | Gruž market, Ferry terminal, Main bus station |
Getting to your hotel
Dubrovnik Airport is at Čilipi, about 20 km south-east of the Old Town. An airport shuttle bus timed to flights runs to the Pile Gate and the main bus station in Gruž in about 30–40 minutes, and taxis take about 25–30 minutes.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Dubrovnik for first-time visitors?
Old Town (Stari Grad). Staying inside the walls puts the Stradun, the Rector's Palace and the wall entrances at your door, and the lanes are beautiful early in the morning and late at night when day visitors have gone.
+Where should families stay in Dubrovnik?
Lapad: Gentle beaches for children.
+Which area of Dubrovnik is best for a budget stay?
Lapad ($$): Green peninsula with a pedestrian promenade, family hotels and a sandy-pebble bay.