Revisiting Magical Dubrovnik
Called the Pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik has been one of our favorite cities in the world ever since our September 2018 trip. Granted, on that trip, we went all out since it was our honeymoon! Instead of that posh life, we wanted to re-discover the beautiful Old Town, coupled with some of our favorite vineyards located just outside Dubrovnik
Logistics:
Although there are many, many great hotels, AirBnBs, hostels, etc, here is where and why we stayed at certain places during our stay.
By Public Transportation
From either the airport or port, there are cheap public transportation options to reach city center.
From the Airport:
Inside the arrival terminal, a shuttle service is around 55 kuna (£6/$8.5) to city centre. Otherwise, Uber is around 250 kuna (£30/$38).
From the Port:
There is a direct bus service, 1A or 1B, for 25 kuna in total (£3/$4). While we were tempted, ultimately we went with a 40 kuna (£5/$7). Uber because we had heavy bags and it was nearly 1pm and I hate carrying luggage in this heat!
Lodging
Compared to our first trip to Dubrovnik where we stayed at the only 5 star hotel, Villa Dubrovnik, we went ultra cheap because we had already been here, we just came off a sailing trip, and spent 3 days on beautiful Hvar island. Plus, our only full day in Dubrovnik would be spent in the vineyards so we chose the cheapest option.
After minutes of research, I landed on Hostel Angelina Old Town because they had a decent double private room located in the heart of Old Town, enabling us to explore Old Town at our leisure without worrying about a shuttle or taxi there.
Compared to our expectation, we had an entire ensuite room to ourselves in an offsite building. Our beds were surprisingly comfortable and the city noise wasn’t that bad. While we may have gotten lucky, the room was really worth the money!
Travel Tip: For non-brand hotels, I usually use Hotels.com for their loyalty program unless booking directly offers a special discount. Other sites such as booking.com and expedia offer similar programs!
Food & Drinks
While restaurants in Dubrovnik may be overpriced, the quality is superb if you search in the right places! We checked out a few more on our last trip here, and tried a few more this time!
DiVino: In the whole world, including the top wine countries in the world, DiVino may be our favorite wine bar in the world. The staff are incredibly helpful when choosing drinks and food and they have a great selection of local wine! On our first day, we enjoyed a few glasses of Croatia’s finest wine with a delightful cheese and meat board paired so well with our Postup and Dingac glasses. For our final meal in Dubrovnik, we ordered the mother load.
Oliva Pizzeria: In the heart of Old Town tucked away in an alley, this pizzeria has won several awards so how could I say no?! They have many options, but I chose the salami and loved it!
Buza Bar: Famous for the almost sunset views, Buka bar has fabulous views and “reasonably” priced drinks.
Gianni: Recommended by our yacht week friends, this gelato is fantastic! Hidden by the harbor, the gelato is well worth a visit!
Click here for our Dubrovnik Google map pins for all of our hard research of the top food and drink spots!
Activities
There are loads of activities in Dubrovnik for those who love history, sea, and escaping to the countryside. In normal times, it is imperative that people escape the Old Town during the day to avoid the cruise ship hordes. Now, it is a very different story with COVID making Dubrovnik a comfortable place to visit during the day and night.
Outside the City:
- Cable Car: While this is an obvious tourist activity, it is once in a lifetime visit so you can grab the iconic photograph of Dubrovnik from the “air.”
- Wine Tour: On both trips, we have really enjoyed our wine tours by Dubrovnik Wine Tours. Click here to read about our wine tour!
- Banje Beach
- Kayak Tours
- Sunset Tours
- Diving: We heard through the scuba diving community that Dubrovnik has cool diving spots including a fun WW2 wreck.
Inside the City:
- City Walls & Forts
- Pile Gate
- Onofrio Fountain
- Sponza Palace
- Rector’s Palace
Fixed Costs:
- Lodging: €47/night
- Ferry from Hvar to Dubrovnik: €55
- Wine Tour: €150/person
- Cable Car:
Revisiting Old Favorites
After we arrived in Dubrovnik and checked into our room, we split off into two directions. I ordered a new camera that was located outside town so I begin my mile walk to pick it up while MF went to our favorite wine bar, D’Vino. I wonder who won….
Compared to our last visit, D’Vino was completely empty. While it was the mid-afternoon, I would have thought the bar is an excellent escape from the Meditterean heat. However, we were the only guests for a long time! We enjoyed our personal service coupled with a terrific meat and cheese board and our favorite Croatian wine!
Ghost Town
Once the sun started to disappear behind the city walls, we ventured into Old Town. Apparently, we were one of the few people left here! Our D’Vino waitress commented that the city was empty and even the locals had noticed it! We enjoyed the empty Old Town while strolling the streets. More importantly, our walk “surprisingly” ended at a terrific gelato spot, Giani!
Dreamy Dubrovnik
Sunset on the Rocks
Sunset in Dubrovnik
After dropping MF at the hotel, I ventured to an old favorite, Buza Bar, located outside and on the old city walls. I had a tasty local beer and enjoyed the orange and pink glow hit the walls and beautiful teal and dark blue waters.
Travel Tip: Head to Buza Bar at least an hour before sunset to catch the beautiful rays before they disappear behind the city and mountains. You might even want to head there even earlier to grab a prime seat especially in normal times!
A New Favorite
Rather than revisit all of our old favorites, I went for a new restaurant recommended by either a travel blog or Lonely Planet called Oliva Pizzeria.
Sadly, the restaurant was very empty and were offering a COVID special of 15% off your bill. I ordered a tasty salami pizza and read a book and people watched in the square. I loved it!
While COVID causes an unfortunate event, I will say it is a terrific time to travel especially in Dubrovnik where normally, there would be hordes of people either from cruise ships, day trips, or overnight visitors (like us!). Instead, at 8:30pm, usually one of the busiest times, I had one of the main streets to myself. While it was magical, I was crushed for the local businesses.
Dead Dubrovnik
Dazzling Day in Croatian Wine Country
On our only full day in Dubrovnik, we ventured outside the city to visit one of our favorite wine regions! Click here to read about it!
Before our trip, I explored Dubrovnik with my shiny new camera. Similar to the previous evening, I had the city to myself and took terrific shots of Old Town. Compared to other destinations, Dubrovnik has to be one of my favorite cities to photograph!
After our wine trip, I continued my photo session at sunset and after dark. This city is so beautiful and I am so happy we are here!!
One Last Time
On our last morning in Dubrovnik, we hit the tourist trail in the morning while returning to an old classic for our final Croatian meal.
Photo Mission
Sunrise in Croatia
Sadly, I only had one last morning in Dubrovnik to take pictures. While I wasn’t as successful as the previous morning due to clouds and lack of sleep, I was exhausted and desperately needed to catch up on my sleep!
It’s the Ride!
After checking out of our hotel, we went on the very touristy cable car. Instead of long lines and crowds, we were one of two groups on the top. The view of the city as we ascended is great so be sure to grab a front row seat!
At the top, we had amazing views of Dubrovnik. Now I know why this is a must-do whilst in the city! Even though it was nearly noon, we stayed at the top gazing at this beautiful sight! We also know why it is called the “Pearl of the Adriatic” as the Old Town sits on a little peninsula!
Can’t Go Wrong at D’vino
At one of our favorite wine bars in the world, we were at peace and spent the rest of our 2-3 hours in Dubrovnik. For our meal, we had another tasty local meat and cheese plate, a tasty hummus and local bread, and a bruschetta. Everything was extremely tasty! Rather than try different wines, we split a bottle of our favorite variety, Dingac and ended our trip in Dubrovnik with a bang!
The UnChartered Summary
Although this was our second trip to Dubrovnik, we thoroughly enjoyed every second here. Between the magical Old Town to the dazzling vineyards and ocean views, Dubrovnik has to be on your bucket list!
- Unless you’re on a budget and enjoy hostel private rooms, I would stay in one of the many excellent hotels. In normal times, I still believe that you need to explore outside Old Town during the day and venture the city during the evening.
- Again, D’Vino is one of the best wine bars! From extremely good service to tasty food and wine, the shop has to be visited!
- Explore Dubrovnik either at sunrise or sunset at least once. The town is amazing and my pictures prove it better than I can ever describe!