Called the pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik holds a beauty difficult to compare to any other city. Its uniqueness and history attracts a massive amount of tourism from all over the world. Its popularity has made this city by far the most expensive in all Croatia. Everything in Dubrovnik will cost you more, from accommodations to your taxi (or Uber) to your morning espresso. So I decided to focus my blog about Dubrovnik on how we have been able to visit this city multiple times and survived on a budget instead of focusing on reasons why you should visit because I think pictures alone do that. If you’re a budget traveler this article is for you.
Reduce your time
An easy way we have been able to enjoy Dubrovnik without breaking the bank is by not staying the majority of our time here. For example in 2018 we had Wednesday to Monday free for ourselves before arriving to Bosnia. That would have been 5 nights in Dubrovnik which accommodations alone would have been a lot. So instead of staying all the 5 nights there we stayed 1 and the other 4 we took a ferry to Mljet (read here for Mljet) and spend the majority of our time in a place where everything was a fraction of what we would have spent in Dubrovnik.
Don‘t stay in the old town
There’s a lot more to Dubrovnik then just the old town. Lapad is where the port and bus station is at. It is a very convenient location if you’re arriving to Dubrovnik by bus or ferry. Lapad is considerably cheaper because it doesn’t have that many tourists yet it’s only a few dollars to take the bus to the old town and it’s actually walking distance. In 2018 we walked back and forth from the old to Lapad and it was a very nice and easy walk.
Free Activities When you research “things to do in Dubrovnik” you will find many beautiful and interesting things! Most of these activities will be between 30-50 euros per person, maybe more depending on what you choose. If you’re on a budget like us that can add up. So we like to fill our time with things that are free to do. ⁃ Walk the old town: Free, Photogenic & Historic. You can easily spend several hours getting lost in the little streets of the old town in Dubrovnik. ⁃ Watch the sunset: In the old town there are many places where you can watch the sunset. One of my favorite places is by the port where all the excursions such as Lokrum leaves. Buza Bar is also an amazing area just climb down to where the water is and sit and relax while nature put on a free show for you. Absolutely amazing. ⁃ Go to the Beach: I’ll admit we rarely go to the beach while in Dubrovnik. That being said I think if you don’t have time to make it to an island or any other part of Croatia such as Makarska then I think going to the beach is a must. Banje Beach is amazing and you’ll have a great view of the city walls.
Think outside the box
Sometimes it’s possible to achieve the same result that paid activities offer without having to pay, you just have to use your imagination (and be willing to workout a bit). For example:
The cart that takes you up to mountain Srđ offers a beautiful view of the entire city from above. What a lot of people don’t realize is that’s not the only way to go up the mountain. You can actually drive if you have a rental, or hike it if you have a few hours available. That is how we did it in 2016 the first time we visited Dubrovnik. Funny thing is we didn’t know of the existence of the cart. We simply went up the mountain and then found out most people took the cart. Needless to say I was glad I saved the money. If driving or hiking isn’t a choice for you take the stairs up from the old town to the main highway, turn around and you will be looking at a 360 degree view of Dubrovnik.
Paid Attractions Everything you just read doesn’t mean that the activities you pay for aren’t worth it. But sometimes you just can’t pay for everything. Every time we visit Dubrovnik we budget for 1 paid activity. Over time we’ve been able to do a lot of them. If you can only pay for one attraction I strongly recommend to start off with the Dubrovnik Walls. You will not regret spending that money. It’s one of those “once in a lifetime” thing. You’ll be walking a historic place, and the views are phenomenal. That being said, it’s not cheap, if it’s worth it or not depends on you, so here is how you can get the most out of it: ⁃ Start Early. I have no words to explain the amount of people that walk the walls every single second of every single day. It is unbelievable. We have only been in Dubrovnik in off season. I have seen online that during summer it’s even worse. If you go on YouTube you’ll see that during peak season some people can’t even move because there are so many. START EARLY!!! Most people won’t make the sacrifice to wake up early during vacation. If you’re willing you’ll be all by yourself to really take it all in and enjoy it. In conclusion, traveling with a budget doesn’t need to mean sacrificing yourself. It’s all about you picking and choosing what is more important, and being creative. Ultimately enjoy yourself! If you’re reading this article its because you have an airplane ticket to Croatia or are in the stages of purchasing one so CONGRATULATIONS you’re about to step foot to one of the most beautiful countries ever. Be creative so your budget stretches but also enjoy your trip. If you can’t do everything in your trip, it’s okay you can always go back. Allow Croatia to captivate you, and you’ll fall in love.
article edited by Jesse Dias
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