With kids · Dubrovnik · Croatia
Dubrovnik with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Dubrovnik suits families who enjoy forts, boats and swimming, but the Old Town's steps make strollers hard work. Older children enjoy the walls and the cable car, while younger ones are happiest on Lapad's gentle beaches and on Lokrum with its peacocks. Top picks: City Walls of Dubrovnik, Lokrum Island and Mount Srđ and the cable car. Families usually base themselves in Lapad.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Lapad
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- June–September
Best things to do with kids
Historic site · Old Town (Stari Grad)
1.City Walls of Dubrovnik
The walls run for about 2 kilometres around the Old Town, up to 25 metres high, with towers, bastions and the round Minčeta Tower at the highest point. The circuit takes in views over the Stradun's rooftops, the Old Port and the open sea. Entrances are by the Pile Gate, the Ploče Gate and St John's Fortress, and the ticket also covers Fort Lovrijenac.
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
Island · Lokrum
2.Lokrum Island
A wooded nature reserve about 600 metres off the Old Town, reached by boat from the Old Port in roughly 15 minutes. Paths lead past a ruined Benedictine monastery, a botanical garden, roaming peacocks, a small saltwater lake called the Dead Sea and the hilltop Fort Royal. Visitors must leave on the last boat; overnight stays are not allowed.
Bring a picnic and water shoes; the rocks are the main swimming spots and island café prices are high.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
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Viewpoint · Ploče
3.Mount Srđ and the cable car
The cable car climbs to the 412-metre summit of Mount Srđ in a few minutes, giving a bird's-eye view of the walled city, Lokrum and the Elaphiti Islands. The Napoleonic Fort Imperial at the top houses an exhibition on the defence of Dubrovnik during the 1991–92 siege.
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
Waterfront · Old Town (Stari Grad)
4.Old Port
The small harbour on the eastern side of the walls is where boats leave for Lokrum and Cavtat and glass-bottomed boats run short coastal trips. St John's Fortress guards the harbour mouth and houses the Maritime Museum.
Sit on the breakwater in the late afternoon for views of the walls and boats coming in from Lokrum.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Views
Park · Pile
5.Gradac Park
A pine-shaded park on the cliffs just west of the Pile Gate, with benches looking across a small bay to Fort Lovrijenac and the western walls. It is a quiet place for a picnic away from the Old Town crowds.
Come in the early evening for soft light on the walls and Lovrijenac.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Where families should stay
$$ · 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
Family travel tips
- Use a baby carrier instead of a stroller inside the walls; many lanes are long stairways.
- Walk the walls first thing in the morning before the heat and crowds build.
- Lapad Bay and Copacabana Beach shelve gently and are easier for small children than rocky spots.
- Pack water shoes: sea urchins are common on rocky shores.
- Stay in Lapad or Babin Kuk for hotel pools, playgrounds and easy beach access.
Day trips for families
- Cavtat (About 30 minutes by bus, 45 by boat) — 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.
- Elaphiti Islands (About 30–60 minutes by ferry) — Koločep, Lopud and Šipan are car-light islands with villages, chapels and olive groves.
- Mljet National Park (About 1.5–2 hours by catamaran) — 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.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–June and September–October. June–September are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Dubrovnik good for kids?
Dubrovnik suits families who enjoy forts, boats and swimming, but the Old Town's steps make strollers hard work. Older children enjoy the walls and the cable car, while younger ones are happiest on Lapad's gentle beaches and on Lokrum with its peacocks.
+What can kids do in Dubrovnik?
City Walls of Dubrovnik, Lokrum Island, Mount Srđ and the cable car, Old Port and Gradac Park.
+Where should families stay in Dubrovnik?
Lapad: Green peninsula with a pedestrian promenade, family hotels and a sandy-pebble bay.