14 Incredible Day Trips From Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, the southernmost Croatian town, provides endless possibilities for day trips including day tours of neighboring countries: Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Dubrovnik is a great base for your tour of Croatia.

Famed for its medieval old town surrounded by 2 km long defensive walls and full of historical and cultural attractions, good restaurants, lively bars, amazing beaches, and loads of things to do, Dubrovnik is the best-known and one of the most visited destinations in Croatia. 

Many people visit Dubrovnik for a day or two, having just enough time to see Dubrovnik’s main attractions. However, Dubrovnik’s location on the Adriatic Sea makes it one of the major ferry boat hubs on the Croatian coast (along with Split and Zadar). Visiting Korcula, Mljet, or Elafiti Islands is very easy on a day trip from Dubrovnik. 

Also, Dubrovnik’s proximity to Montenegro and Bosnia makes Kotor, Budva, Mostar, Kravice Waterfalls, or Vjetrenica Cave popular daily excursions from Dubrovnik. 

Last, but not least, the Peljesac peninsula, Konavle region, and Neretva Valley offer endless wine-tasting opportunities, countryside experiences, seafood galore, and picture-perfect beaches. 

On the other hand, if you look for where to go for a day from Dubrovnik, without driving for a long time, and without spending a fortune, Lokrum Island and Trsteno Arboretum, are perfect choices.

We list below the best places to see and visit for a day from Dubrovnik!

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

A visit to Mostar is the most popular day tour from Dubrovnik. We highly recommend visiting Mostar. The town is so contrasting to Croatian coastal towns, that you feel carried thousands of kilometers away.

Set on the shores of the Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mostar is famed for its old bridge, UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. The 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, and oriental shops, watch the world go buy at one of many river cafes; taste a typical Bosnian meal of savory pastry, dairy products, and cevapi at the restaurant Sadrvan.

Mostar is less than a 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.

Kotor, Montenegro

Dubrovnik is a good base to visit Montenegro, especially the northwestern part of Montenegro. It takes just a couple of hours to reach Kotor Bay – the principal point of interest on a day trip from Dubrovnik.

Kotor Bay is a wonderful fjord-like bay with spectacular landscapes, lovely medieval towns of Kotor and Perast, and high-rising mountains. For the most spectacular views over the bay, ride up Lovcen Mountain through a series of serpentines. The road is narrow and winding, but the views are incredible and well worth a ride.

Kotor Town is a highlight of the visit to Montenegro. This fortified medieval town is Unesco’s World Heritage Site. The old town, full of small squares, stone houses, polished cobblestone streets, churches, and palaces is best explored on foot. The main highlights include the defensive walls, three town gates, Clock Tower, Arms Square (Trg od Oruzja), St. Tryphon Cathedral, Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas, Pima Palace, and St. John’s Fortress.

Well-preserved Baroque town and Unesco’s World Heritage Site, Perast is a must-visit on your trip to Montenegro. The town is small but absolutely gorgeous. Perast is famed for the Our Lady of the Rocks Church built on a small artificial island off the coast of Perast.

You can visit Montenegro on a self-drive trip, or you can book a small-group day trip to Montenegro. A popular place to have lunch while visiting Kotor Bay is the restaurant Catovica Mlini in Morinj.

Elafiti Islands

We 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, swim or kayak in a crystal blue sea and indulge in the small pleasures of life.

Ferry boats depart four times a day (June through September) from Dubrovnik port. You can find more info on the Jadrolinija website. If you look for a cheap excursion from Dubrovnik, then visiting Elafiti by ferry fits the bill.

From June through September, many small pleasure boats offer day tours from Dubrovnik to the islands. You can also book a sea kayaking tour of the islands.

Peljesac peninsula

The second-largest peninsula in Croatia, Peljesac is our favorite part of Croatia. The peninsula is famed for its rugged mountains, pebbly beaches, salt pans, wine-growing hills, sleepy villages, fortification walls, red wine, fresh oysters, and other seafood.

It takes an hour’s drive to reach Peljesac from Dubrovnik. And another hour to reach Orebic, a town located in 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, swim at some of the nicest beaches in Croatia, or 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 to the Peljesac peninsula.

Korcula Island

If you are dreaming of crystal clear seas, pebbly beaches, historic towns, and wonderful nature, the island of Korcula is a place to be.

Stroll the historic town of Korcula, presumably the birthplace of Marco Polo, explore seaside towns, and hidden bays, and have a picnic at the 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 in Korcula Town at 10.45, and departs again from Korcula to Dubrovnik at 4 pm. More info on the TP website.

Otherwise, we recommend you rent a car and reach Korcula via the Peljesac peninsula.

CHECK PRICES AND INFO ON THIS KORCULA ISLAND TOUR.

National park Mljet

Dubbed the greenest Croatian island, Mljet is a perfect place for nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts. Turquoise seas, clear waters, lakes, forests, hiking trails, and very few tourists draw to Mljet those in search of unspoiled nature and off-the-beaten-path destinations. A northwestern part of the island has been proclaimed Croatian national Park since 1960.

Go hiking or cycling at the national park, visit Veliko and Malo Jezero, take a boat to St.Mary’s Island, explore hinterland villages, go diving, swim at the Odysseus cave, or sandy beaches of Saplunara, and have lunch or dinner at the local tavern Marijina Konoba.

From June through September, a fast-speed passenger boat sails every morning (July, August: Mon, Fri 8 am, other days: 9.15 am; in June and September every day at 9.15 am) from Dubrovnik to Sobra and Polace. Sobra is an hour boat ride from Dubrovnik, and to Polace it takes another 40 minutes. The return is in the afternoon (from Polace at 4.45 pm in June, July, and August, and at 4 pm in September). You can find a detailed sailing schedule on the TP website.

You can also reach Sobra on Mljet Island by ferry from Prapratno on Peljesac Peninsula. It takes one hour by car from Dubrovnik to Prapratno, and the ferry crossing takes another 45 minutes. The sailing schedule is on Jadrolinija’s website.

You can also book a group tour of Mljet Island. CHECK AVAILABILITY AND PRICES HERE!

Konavle

Konavle has always been the “belly of Dubrovnik”, a rich agricultural landscape just a twenty-minute drive from Dubrovnik.

Today this region is a great getaway from Dubrovnik whether you enjoy hiking, cycling, horseback riding, ATV safari, olive oil and wine tasting, historical sights, or exploring small coastal towns.

Cavtat is the largest town and administrative center of the Konavle region. This lovely coastal town has a pretty old town, a lovely seafront promenade, pebbly beaches, and a good choice of accommodation. It also features some historical and cultural sites, like Croatian painter Vlaho Bukovac’s house and museum, Racic Mausoleum constructed in 1921 by famed Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, Rector’s Palace with a collection of historical books, coins, notes, etc on permanent display, and Our Lady of Snow Church and Monastery.

Pasjaca Beach, one of the most dramatic and most photographed beaches near Dubrovnik is located in the Konavle region.

Kojan Coral in the village of Radovcic offers some great horseback riding and ATV tours. We used to work together with Pero, the owner of Kojan Coral, on a cruise ship a while back.

A protected natural landscape of Ljuta River in Konavle features a complex of old restored olive oil and grain mills as well as weaving looms for finishing cloth used to make Konavle costumes. There are also lovely restaurants serving traditional Koanvle food with river-side terraces. Our favorite restaurant here is Konoba Vinica Monkovic.

You can easily reach Konavle from Dubrovnik by car, or by bus. Frequent local buses between Dubrovnik and villages and towns of the Konavle region, make a visit to Konavle one of the cheapest day trips from Dubrovnik. For instance, a one-way ticket from Dubrovnik to Cavtat costs only 3.7 € (4 US$, 3.3 £). You can also explore Konavle on this great cycling tour.

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 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’s drive from Dubrovnik. The entrance fee is 15 KM (8 €, 8,5 US$, 7 £).

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, Neretva Valley offers something interesting for everybody.

A couple of restaurants offer river safari on the traditional wooden boats called ladja (larger boats) or trupa (smaller boats).

You can arrange a safari directly with a restaurant (we recommend Djudja & Mate in the village of Vid). Neretva delta is just a 1.5-hour drive from Dubrovnik.

You can also check this river safari offer or this one.

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 freshwater, relax in a 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 trout, but benefit from an awesome location. The food here is super cheap.

You can also check out this group tour of Kravica Waterfalls.

Trsteno Arboretum

Trsteno is a small village just 20 km north of Dubrovnik. The village is home to a beautiful Trsteno Arboretum. Established in the 15th century, it’s the oldest monument of garden architecture in Croatia.

Since this place was used as a set for a popular HBO series – The Game of Thrones, more and more tourists (particularly GoT fans) visit the Trsteno Arboretum. 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, hiking, or mountain biking, go up the hills above Trsteno toward the village of Slano. Views from the top are spectacular.

On the way back stop for a romantic (yet pricey) lunch at the restaurants Ankora or Gverovic Orsan. For a nice homemade meal, visit the local tavern – Veranda.

Lokrum Island

Even if you stay in Dubrovnik for just a couple of days, we recommend you make time to visit the island of Lokrum.

This tiny island is just a 15-minute boat ride from Dubrovnik’s old harbor. During the summer season, boats depart every 30 minutes. A return boat ticket costs 26.5 €, 29 US$, 23.3 £).

Swim in a salt-water lake, visit the Benedictine abbey and monastery, explore the island’s exotic gardens containing over 500 different plants from all over the world, cliff jump into the blue Adriatic just like locals do, or rent a sea kayak and paddle around the island.

More Dubrovnik day trips & other tips

• The ultimate list of things to do in Dubrovnik, including more day trips from Dubrovnik. Look no further.
• Find out the best places to stay in Dubrovnik with our Dubrovnik accommodation guide.
• Start planning your travel to Dubrovnik with our Dubrovnik Travel Guide.
• Planning to go to Split from Dubrovnik? Here is our guide on how to get from Dubrovnik to Split.
• Find out the best Dubrovnik beaches here.
• Where to eat in Dubrovnik: our guide to the best restaurants in Dubrovnik
• Best time to visit Dubrovnik
• Split or Dubrovnik: Where to go first?
• Things to do in Dubrovnik beyond the city walls
• A wine-tasting tour of Dubrovnik
• Exploring Dubrovnik’s surroundings, the Sokol Grad Tower
• Elafiti islands, island hopping around Dubrovnik archipelago

We hope that we’ve helped you find some day trips from Dubrovnik that fit your style and budget. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.