Where should you stay in Dubrovnik?

Quick pick by traveler type

• First visit, short stay: the Old Town, or Pile just outside the western gate.

• Views and a romantic stay: Ploče, on the slope east of the walls, looking back at the Old Town and Lokrum.

• Nightlife: the Old Town, where the bars and late restaurants are.

• Families and beaches: Lapad or Babin Kuk, with swimming bays and a seafront promenade.

• Budget and transit: Gruž, beside the bus station, the ferry port and the morning market.

• Arriving by car: anywhere but the Old Town. Choose a place with confirmed parking in Lapad, Gruž or above Ploče.

Inside the Old Town walls

The walled Old Town is car-free, built of polished limestone and laid out around the Stradun, the main street running from the Pile Gate to the old port. Staying inside means you can walk the Stradun at 7am when it is nearly empty and be first on the city walls, which are exposed to full sun and best early.

It suits first-timers on a short visit and anyone who wants the atmosphere after dark. Restaurants, bars and the main sights are all within a few minutes.

The downside: price, crowds and stairs. Most rooms are apartments in old houses, many reached by the steep stepped lanes that climb off the Stradun, and a top-floor room can mean a hundred steps with luggage. Ask for the exact address and the number of steps; the area near the Pile Gate is the flattest. Daytime crowds, especially on cruise days, pass right under the windows.

Ploče: views back over the walls

Ploče is the hillside district just east of the Ploče Gate, above Banje beach. Rooms here look back across the old port to the walls and the island of Lokrum, and the gate is a short walk downhill.

It suits couples and anyone who wants the postcard view from a terrace with the Old Town still on foot. It is quieter at night than inside the walls.

The downside: it is steep, and the higher the room the better the view and the harder the walk back up. It is also one of the more expensive areas outside the walls.

Pile: the gateway and bus hub

Pile is the area around the western Pile Gate, where city buses stop, taxis wait and Lovrijenac Fortress stands on its cliff. The approach to the gate is fairly level, and buses run from here to Lapad, Gruž and Babin Kuk.

It suits travelers who want to walk straight into the Old Town but also use buses for beaches and the port, and those wary of the Old Town's stairs.

The downside: the area right by the gate is busy from morning to evening with tour groups and buses, and the streets above it climb quickly.

Lapad and Babin Kuk: beaches and families

Lapad is the green peninsula west of the centre, with a pedestrian seafront promenade, pebble bays, hotels and apartments. Babin Kuk, at the tip, is the larger resort-hotel zone. Local buses connect both to the Pile Gate, running from early morning until late in the evening.

It suits families, beach-first holidays and stays of four nights or more, and it costs less than the Old Town for more space.

The downside: you depend on the bus for every Old Town visit, and summer buses get full. Buy tickets in advance at a kiosk: it is cheaper than paying the driver.

Gruž: the port, the market and lower prices

Gruž is the harbour district about 3 km north-west of the Old Town. The main bus station, the ferry port for the islands and the cruise terminal are here, along with a morning produce market.

It suits budget travelers, people arriving or leaving by bus or ferry and anyone planning day trips from Dubrovnik to the islands or into Montenegro. Buses into the Old Town take around 10 minutes.

The downside: it is a working port, not a pretty one, and cruise mornings bring crowds and traffic through the district.

Booking advice: cruise days, parking, season and nights

Cruise days: the Old Town is most crowded when ships are in. Check the port schedule for your dates and plan the walls and the Stradun for early morning or evening.

Parking: cars cannot enter the Old Town, and parking near it is limited and expensive. If you are on a road trip, book a room with confirmed parking.

Season: July and August are hot, crowded and the most expensive; we were there in the second half of August. May, June, September and October give warm sea and fewer people. Many apartments set minimum stays in summer.

Onward travel: Dubrovnik sits close to the Montenegrin border. We went on to Kotor; our Kotor to Dubrovnik bus guide covers the border crossing in either direction.

How many nights: two full days covers the walls, the Old Town, Mount Srđ and Lokrum; three allows a day trip. See how many days in Dubrovnik, what to eat in Dubrovnik and our Croatia itinerary for the route that ends here.

Frequently asked questions