Get High! Your Guide to Walking the Dubrovnik City Walls

“The best time to enjoy the Dubrovnik wall walk is just before the sun sets,” they say.

True.

The last time we visited, our Croatia itinerary stretched out to a leisurely three weeks. And we did stroll atop the massive Dubrovnik city walls at sunset – when the setting sun bathed everything in a vivid golden glow.

And it was lovely…

But on a couple of previous visits to Croatia, we’ve also enjoyed walking the walls of Dubrovnik in the morning, especially when we were able to beat the crowds!

So really, any time is a great time for walking the Dubrovnik city walls.

Here, then, are tips for walking the epic walls that surround the Old City – including what to expect and how to have the best experience possible. Read on!

“Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik,” raved playwright George Bernard Shaw upon visiting the city in 1929.

Shaw was right on.

One of Croatia’s most beautiful coastal cities, Dubrovnik is known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic.”

When you walk on top of the walls, strolling from tower to tower, you get breathtaking views of both the entire Old Town below and the Adriatic Sea.

Gazing down at the fortified city – designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site – you see a treasure trove of Gothic and Renaissance churches, monasteries, Venetian palaces and ornately carved fountains.

They’re all crammed together with shuttered apartments, hole-in-the-wall boutiques and outdoor restaurants and cafés.

It’s a kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes – and a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the people who reside within the famous walls.

On the other side of the medieval stone wall (the sea-facing side), you’ll likely see laughing youths dive off the rocks at the wall’s base into the cobalt-blue sea.

About the ancient city walls of Dubrovnik

The stone walls you see today were built mainly during the 12th to the 17th centuries to protect the city from attack.

The whole length is about 1¼ miles (encircling most of the Old City). Some parts are as high as 83 feet above the ground!

These high walls are super thick too. In some places on the landward side, the walls are almost 20 feet thick. On the seaward side, they’re about 5 to 10 feet thick.

Located along the north side of the walls, the circular Minceta Tower is the highest point of the walls.

Another fort built into the ancient walls is St. John’s Fortress (in the southeast corner). Often called Mulo Tower, its purpose was to prevent pirates and enemy ships from accessing the city’s harbor.

As you walk on top of the wall, you’ll note it isn’t flat – it’s a bit of “up and down.”

In fact, the city walls have a total of 1,080 steps (including those at three entrances). We didn’t count them, but a team of young international students apparently has!

Pile Gate, Dubrovnik: Main entrance

There are three different entrances to the Dubrovnik walls.

One is at Pile Gate, one is at Ploce Gate (near the Dominican Monastery) and one is close to the Maritime Museum at Fort St. John.

Most visitors enter the fortified Old City through the drawbridge over the 15th-century Pile Gate (or Vrata od Pila). 

The Pile Gate entrance to the walls is thus a convenient one. (We’ve always started at this entrance.)

You have to climb a steep flight of stairs to reach the top of the wall to start your walk.

How long does it take to walk the city walls in Dubrovnik?

Allow two hours to walk the wall if it’s your first time.

While you can do it in an hour, you’ll likely be so blown away by the views that you’ll be stopping to take photos every few feet.

You really want time to soak it all up.

If it’s not too busy (and you’re not too pokey), you may find it will only take you 1½ hours to walk around.

Dubrovnik city walls tickets

Dubrovnik walls price

Entrance tickets aren’t cheap. The cost went up again in 2022.

Tickets for the Dubrovnik city walls walk are now 250 Croatian Kunas (about 33 Euros or $36 USD) per adult.

You can only pay cash (in Kuna) or use a credit card.

If you’d like to buy tickets online in advance, here’s the official City Walls Dubrovnik website.

Entry to Fort Lovrijenac

Your single use wall ticket also includes the entrance fee for Fort Lovrijenac (the Fort of St. Lawrence).

It’s valid for 72 hours, so you can visit the fortress, for example, the following day.

If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you’ll be jazzed to know the fort features as the Red Keep in the hit TV series. (Here’s more information on the Game of Thrones’ sites.)

Dubrovnik Card

Alternatively, you can buy the Dubrovnik Card from the City of Dubrovnik.

You can purchase a 1-day card, 3-day card or 7-day card.

The 1-day card costs 250 Kunas (about $36 USD), the same as a single ticket for the walls. But the beauty of this card is that it also includes admission to several other Dubrovnik attractions, museums and public transportation – as well as entry to the walls.

Pro tips for your Dubrovnik wall walk

Get there early (or late)

Our top tip is to start your walk early to avoid the crowds.

If you’re visiting any time from June to September 15 (peak season), the walls open at 8:00 am. Be there by 8:00 am for the most enjoyable experience.

If you go later in the morning or mid-day, you run the risk of being stuck in a slow-shuffling conga line of visitors, with no way of passing anyone.

Also, there’s very little shade on the walls, and the sun is hot in the summer months. Going first thing in the morning means you beat the heat, and your walk will be more comfortable.

Another good time to walk the walls is late afternoon, as the crowds usually thin out by then.

Avoid cruise ship days

Try to time your visit for a day when there are no cruise ships in port.

Walking the Dubrovnik walls is a top excursion. If you can help it, you don’t really want to be doing your wall walk at the same time as hundreds of cruise passengers.

Check this CruiseDig website for Dubrovnik – it’s one site that shows the Dubrovnik cruise ship schedule. You can also ask your hotel, as they will likely know too.

If you can’t arrange your visit for when there are no cruise ships in port, going early or at the end of the day should still mean you’ll avoid bumping elbows with cruise passengers.

Most cruise excursions don’t get going until 9:00 am or later, and they usually take passengers back to the ship by 4:30 or 5:00 pm.

Take a break

Several cafés along the way offer the opportunity to sit in the shade with a coffee or cold drink. (But if you can wait until you finish your walk, so much the better, as you’ll have more choice of pretty cafés in the town, and the costs are less.)

There are also toilets along the walls.

What to bring

If visiting in summer, take a bottle of water with you – it can get hot up there on the wall! Wear a hat too.

And your feet will thank you if you wear comfy shoes or travel sandals.

Dubrovnik Old Town

Okay, so you’ve finished your walk on top of the walls – and you’re keen to get an up-close look at some of the attractions in the town itself.

The Old Town of Dubrovnik is compact enough that you won’t get lost.

It’s easy to simply stroll about on your own. And because vehicles aren’t allowed inside, you can walk the marble-paved streets and alleyways without fear of being mowed down by a scooter or car.

Franciscan Monastery

Among the many historic buildings you can tour is the Franciscan Monastery.

In the gardened cloister, a pharmacy dating back to 1317 – the third oldest in Europe – still operates.

It’s also a museum. On display are the ceramic bowls, metal instruments, and mortar and pestle sets that the monks used to prepare medicines.

Dubrovnik Cathedral

Another beautiful sight is the present-day cathedral from the 18th century. (An earlier one, destroyed by an earthquake, was said to have been financed by King Richard the Lionheart.)

Inside the cathedral, you can see gold and silver reliquaries, along with a priceless 16th-century painting (“Assumption of the Virgin”) by the Venetian artist, Titian.

War Photo Limited

Throughout the city, occasional pockmarks on houses and patched roofs remind you of the bombing the city received in the early 1990’s by the Yugoslavian army.

The Croatian war ended in 1995, and today the city has been virtually restored.

Dubrovnik city walls tours

All three times that we’ve walked the walls of Old Town Dubrovnik, we’ve gone without a tour guide.

Walking the wall in Dubrovnik: Let’s do it again!

When deciding what to do in Dubrovnik, you won’t lack for options.

In the city, you can enjoy everything from riding the Dubrovnik cable car up Mount Srd to swimming at a Dubrovnik beach.

As for the best day trips from Dubrovnik, you can swim and kayak in the beautiful Elaphiti Islands or take the ferry to Korcula.

Whatever your plans, just be sure you put the Dubrovnik city walls walk high on your list of things to do in Dubrovnik!

For sure, we’ll plonk ourselves down at an outdoor café for more cappuccinos (maybe more cake too!).

But we’ll also walk the walls of Dubrovnik again. 

Where to stay in Dubrovnik

You won’t lack for accommodation choices in this beautiful city.

On our last visit, we stayed at the Hotel Excelsior, about a 10-minute walk from the Old Town.

If you want a deluxe room with a sea-view balcony, an outdoor terrace (where you get up from your beach lounger and dive right into the sea) and a gorgeous indoor swimming pool, this is your place.

For more Dubrovnik tourist information

See the Dubrovnik Tourist Office website.

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Photo credits: 2, 4, 6, 8, 11 to 13, 15 to 17, 19 to 22 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase

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