Dubrovnik City Walls – An advanced guide for visiting the world famous sight

Today we’re talking about Croatia’s Adriatic pearl: Dubrovnik – especially Dubrovnik’s City Walls. This ancient city has gotten quite some attention after many scenes of Game of Thrones have been filmed here – but today’s post isn’t about Game of Thrones (yet, hehe). Instead, this article will give you a complete guide on walking the Dubrovnik City Walls.

The Walls of Dubrovnik are – by far – the most famous sight of Dubrovnik. So let me give you some more information about visiting this true gem without getting stuck in the crowds or dehydrating in the sun. After reading this, you’ll come well prepared! I mean, we always thrive on making the most out of our travels, right?

Let’s walk Dubrovnik’s city walls!

The history of Dubrovnik’s City Walls goes way back. The first constructions started in the 8th century, yet most wall parts were mainly built and reinforced between the 12th and the 17th century. With the help of many different constructors, they made a robust defense system, being Europe’s best-preserved fortification nowadays. The main wall is up to 25m high, 4-6 m wide on the mainland side, and around 1.5-3 m wide on the ocean side. Besides the monumental tower of Minceta, the walls include three circular and 14 quadrangular towers as well. In addition, the large Sveti Ivan fortress, two more fortifications, and five bastions are also reinforcing the walls.

Since 1979, the city walls are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

1. The City Walls have opening hours that differ from season to season.

2. The Dubrovnik City wall’s entrance can be found at Sveti Spas (located at the Pile Gate), Sveti Ivan and Sveti Luca. These three spots act as entrances and exits to the walls, and you can also purchase your tickets there.

3. The walls are around 2km long, and walking is allowed only in a one-way direction.

4. There is barely any shadow along your way, and it can get incredibly hot. There are some very narrow spots, and some steps are pretty steep. There are a few vendors along the way where you can purchase water or snacks. Besides that, you can also find a few cafés and souvenir shops/sellers on your way.

5. You can walk the walls on your own or book a guided tour.

The ticket price for the Dubrovnik City Wall is 200kn/adult. They offer some student discounts as well. You can check the requirements and more pricing information on the official website. Tickets are available online or in the city.

There are two main ticket offices: one on Stradun and one outside the Pile gate. Otherwise, you’ll still be able to purchase them at the entry gates for the wall.

Another side note: Don’t lose your ticket until you leave the walls. They occasionally check them along your way once you reach another entry gate. With the ticket, you’re only allowed up once, so don’t take the wrong turn at one of those other checkpoints 😉

I’d highly recommend going there early. Why? It’s still somehow bearable concerning the heat (we reached 31°C at 08:50 already), and it’s less crowded. In the afternoon, you will have many tours and travel groups visiting the wall. Since the walls close before sunset, the light conditions (especially for taking pictures) are better in the morning.

I’d also recommend planning at least one hour for your visit, if not more. We spent around 2 hours on the walls since we took our time taking pictures and sitting down for iced coffee once.

Another thing to keep in mind would be the cruise ship tourists. When we went up there, we were joined by tons of cruise ship groups after one hour. Needless to say, the walls were flooded with people. One of the vendors told us they usually stay in the old town from 10 am to 3 pm. Many people (especially locals) avoid the old city part during these times because it’ll be too crowded. (We also used the time for taking a nap because the mass of people drove us nuts tbh 😂)

There is a website where you can check the arrivals and departures for the cruise ships and – if so – plan your itinerary accordingly.

→ https://cruisedig.com/ports/dubrovnik-croatia

Here’s a quick assembly of my favorite shots with the google coordinates. I know you’ll find those once you walk, but I got all you organization maniacs covered out there. 😉 I hope that gives you some inspiration for your own pictures. 🙂

The coordinates are not 100% exact, since google maps will only allow you to set them to the streets underneath or next to the wall. Nevertheless, they’ll show you at which exact parts along the wall those spots will be 🙂 hope that helps!

I’ve marked cafés along the wall just as well as the photo spots I mentioned previously. You can see all of the other google marks on there as well and simply save this map for your trip 🙂

Yes, yes, and YES. The city walls are by far one of the most spectacular sights I’ve visited in Europe. It’s unique, and the views are fantastic. We also loved seeing the life of the locals – once you walk the walls, you’ll get a glimpse into some backyards and people enjoying life in their city. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience, and you really haven’t been to Dubrovnik if you didn’t visit the city walls.

That’s it for today’s blog post. I hope you’ll have a fun time in Dubrovnik or if you don’t have your trip planned yet, enough inspiration for a future visit. Dubrovnik is such a beautiful city, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay as much as we did. So, let’s connect on Instagram to share even more travel stories and tips!

As always, stay happy and healthy!

Much love,