Business trips commonly don’t leave much room for leisure, but in the event that you find yourself on a business trip to Dubrovnik, you no doubt will be yearning to squeeze in a bit of time for a tour of the Old Town and its many historic buildings and structures. Croatia has a long and deep history, and structures dating back several hundred years still exist to this day. The Old Town has great charm, with its fantastic walls, amazing views of the Adriatic Sea, and of course a plethora of delicious restaurants and shopping options. What a pity it would be to pass through town without finding time for a brief tour if not more. To help you get around smoothly and make the most of your precious time, we strongly recommend taking a private guided tour for a more personal view of the city.
Just a few hours
The main business district of Dubrovnik is located a couple of kilometers to the northwest of the Old Town. That means that even if you are staying in a hotel in that area, the classic Old Town sightseeing spots are only a short distance away. A private guide may be able to pick you up or recommend the most practical and efficient mode of transport to get you to the Old Town. The great thing is that it is located within a really compact area, so even with only a few hours to spare, you can take in many of the sights. Recommended are some of Dubrovnik’s classic historical structures such as the baroque St. Blaise Church, the Renaissance Sponza Palace, and the gothic Rector’s Palace - now a history museum. There are the domed structures of Dubrovnik Cathedral and the Bell Tower, the latter of these being constructed in 1444 as a symbol of the Free State of Ragusa, as Dubrovnik was formerly known. There’s also Onofrio’s Fountain, built in 1438 at the completion of the city’s aqueducts.
For a truly impressive memory of Dubrovnik, a private guided tour of the famous walls would be just the thing. The walls surround the city and stand atop limestone cliffs. The views from the walls are akin to classic fantasy scenes, and in fact several locations around town were used for the filming of the smash hit TV series, Game of Thrones. From the walls you’ll have a grand view over the Old Town, the Lovrijenac Fortress, and the Adriatic Sea, the walls themselves dropping down to the cliffs and waves below like curtains of stone.
With so much to see and relatively little time, it’s a good idea to figure out what you’d like to do prior to your visit. This way you won’t be scrambling about with a map in hand trying to see as much as possible at the last minute. Don’t forget that your GoWithGuide personal guide can help you plan your trip and fill you in on as much history as you care to hear about.
Your day off
If you’re fortunate enough to have a whole day off, you’ll be able to enjoy much more of the city than you could with just a few hours. With a whole day off, you can take your time to see all the sightseeing spots mentioned above at a much more leisurely pace. Take time to visit the Rector’s Palace museum, do some shopping on the limestone-paved Stradum, and enjoy a leisurely tour of the city walls with more time to walk around and take in the sights. Sunset is a great time to be on the walls as the low sunlight makes the town glow, the sun gradually disappearing beyond the sea.
If you aren’t worried about your evening running late, you might also wish to ride the cable car up Mount Srd from where you will have a spectacular view of the city and sea below. At Panorama Restaurant you can relax with a meal as the sun sets and the city lights come on. To make sure everything on your day off runs smoothly, a private guide can organize the itinerary of your choosing, and not only see to it that you get everywhere you want to, but can also take care of ticket purchases or reservations in advance. Make your leisure time count!
A week or more
Let’s say Dubrovnik is a place you’d really like to have time to enjoy, and you are able to arrange to have several days off during your business trip. Now things really open up for you. First of all, if you desire to take your time learning about the history of the city and spend a relaxing time touring the Old Town, then a full two days just for that should leave you quite satisfied. Don’t forget to include that cable car ride up the Srd! As mentioned above, several Game of Thrones filming locations can also be found dotted around town, so if that’s of special interest to you, your guide can see to it that you get around to all of the settings.
On one of your days, you should head over to Lokrum Island. You can join a boat tour or, for the more adventurous, a kayaking tour. Paddle your way below the cliffs and walls of the Old Town, then head over to the island. Some tours will take you to caves around the coast for a stopover where you can enjoy snorkeling and cliff diving. There’s also an old monastery on the island, a visitor center, and a botanical garden! You can surely enjoy a whole day just visiting Lokrum Island.
With a couple of days still open for discovery and adventure, how about a trip down the coast to marvel at the gorgeous scenery of Montenegro? See the classic view of the Montenegro stone bridge or the island churches of Sveti Dorde with their mountainous backdrop. A visit to Montenegro makes for an incredible day trip or overnight stay.
At last, two more classic sightseeing spots near Dubrovnik are the Dervish Monastery of Bragaj Tekke, located near the historic town of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Kravice Waterfalls. The monastery sits below a vertical cliff with a river flowing out from a cave. The multiple waterfalls of Kravice are around 25 metres (80 ft) tall and surrounded by lush forest, the water cascading majestically down into wide pools below. Both these locations require a couple of hours of travel, but if you have enough time, they will surely be worth the effort. The town of Mostar itself also features plenty of beautiful and historic scenery.
Seasoned business travelers
For those looking to do something a little different than the usual sightseeing, we haven’t yet said much about the boat cruises available around Dubrovnik. There are a variety of options, such as the Elafiti Island tours (with lunch) or the Montenegro boat tours. For that extra touch of the spectacular, why not set sail aboard a 16th century wooden ship? The Karaka will make you feel like a nobel seafarer of ages past while you enjoy a feast of Dalmatian cuisine, taking in the views of Dubrovnik and Lokrum Island from the Adriatic Sea. There are also dinner/sunset cruises with champagne - truly a marvelous way to wrap up your stay in Dubrovnik!
Conclusion
One of the reasons Dubrovnik is a wonderful place to visit is because it’s very easy to enjoy the city and surroundings during both short and long stays. Even if you only have a casual interest in its history - the charm of the city’s unique architecture, its impressive walls, the idyllic sea, and picturesque mountains gives any traveler more than enough to do. Don’t forget to try the local cuisine!
The more time you have, the more of this fantastic region you can take in. Why not take the first step toward turning that dream into reality today? Your personal guide is waiting to hear from you!
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