Dubrovnik Activities: Walls, Lokrum and Sea
Dubrovnik Activities, From Ramparts to Open Water
One lap of the City Walls covers 1.94 km of limestone rampart and gives you the red roofs, the Adriatic and the island of Lokrum in a single loop. It is the activity most visitors plan around, and it sets the rhythm for everything else: walk early, swim at midday, climb or sail in the evening.
On the stone
The adult ticket for the City Walls is about €40 in the main season, with a lower winter rate. Check the shop for the current figure. The ticket is valid for one tour with no re-entry, and Fort Lovrijenac is included, so there is no reason to buy a separate fort ticket. The walls are open every day except 25 December.
Go at opening or in the late afternoon. Cruise passengers fill the ramparts in the middle of the day, even though the city caps calls at two ships and about 5,000 passengers a day.
On the water
Lokrum is the easy escape. The official ticket is €30 for adults and includes the return boat from the Old Port. The island has botanical gardens, peacocks, a small saltwater lake nicknamed the Dead Sea and a rocky shore, so bring water shoes. Boats are sold from the office at Luža, and the Lokrum reserve site lists the season, which closes from mid-December to February.
Sea kayaking round the walls and across to Lokrum usually costs €35 to €55 depending on the operator, and some routes include snorkelling at Betina Cave. Compare kayak tours before choosing, since durations differ.
For a quieter day, the Jadrolinija local ferry runs from Gruž to the Elaphiti islands of Koločep and Lopud. Lopud has no cars and a sandy beach at Šunj.
Up the hill
The cable car to Mount Srđ takes four minutes. A return ticket is €30 for adults and a one-way is €17, with details on the cable car timetable page . It closes from January to March and in December, and it stops in high wind or lightning. In October it opens at 09:00 and closes at 21:00 until the 20th, then at 20:00.
If you hike up instead, stay on the marked trail. Unexploded mines remain in parts of the hinterland outside the resort areas, so never take shortcuts through scrub.
Cooling off
Danče and the rocks below the Buža bars are free places to swim off the stone. Enter by the ladders and steps, and swim in calm sea only. Banje has a free zone plus paid sunbeds at roughly €40 to €60 a day.
Rules worth knowing
Walking through the Old Town shirtless or in swimwear brings an on-the-spot fine. Wheeled bags are strongly discouraged on the cobbles, so travel light between your lodging and the gate.
Verdict
If you only have one full day, walk the Walls at opening, take the Lokrum boat after lunch and finish with the cable car at dusk. Buy the Walls ticket first and shape the rest around the weather. For longer stays, the day trips page and the 3-day itinerary build on this list.