Dubrovnik, situated on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, is a picturesque city known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and stunning coastal views. The UNESCO-listed Old City of Dubrovnik, surrounded by impressive walls and featuring iconic landmarks, reflects the city's rich history as a major maritime and cultural center.

We visited Croatia in the 14th week of our Europe trip. It is the 3rd Balken country we’ve visited, after Bulgaria and Albania. We flew in Dubrovnik from Marseille, and spent 11 days there. It wasn’t our plan, but Dubrovnik turned out to be the longest stay in a single place for us since the beginning of my Europe trip with two kids.

Photo Statistics:

I took a total of 2624 photos in Dubrovnik, Croatia, among which:

• 2013 was taken by Canon R5

• 611 was taken by Sony A7IV (sometimes used by my 8 yo)

Among the 2013 photos taken by Canon R5:

• 1451 was taken by Canon RF24-70mm f2.8

• 562 were taken by Canon RF70-200mm f2.8

If you’d like to know which mirrorless camera is right for you, please watch my free video guide Mirrorless Camera Ultimate Buying Guide.

If you’d like to know which lens is worth your investment, check out my lens portfolio.

Here are our memorable experiences and, as usual, my top picks for the best photo spots in this stunning coastal city by the Adriatic Sea:

1️⃣ Mt Srđ hikes

Mount Srđ (also spelled Srdj) is a prominent hill overlooking the historic city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. It offers stunning panoramic views of Dubrovnik, the Adriatic Sea, and the surrounding area.

We did two hikes in one day. 

From the upper station of Mt Srd Cable Car to Utvrda Strinčjera.  This off the beaten path, a dirt road trail, took us almost one hour out and back (with many stops). It passed through a flat hill ridge with scenic coastal views, a small wooded area, and arrived at a ruin castle. It was an easy hike.

Not sure why, my kids and I were the only hikers on the entire trail. There was a group of ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) passing through us, stirring up the dust on the dirt road on our way back. Other than that, it was a quiet hike, with layers of serene island views.

If you’d like to stay away from the tourist crowd but still enjoy stunning views, this would be my recommendation.

We continued our hike down the hill from Mt Srđ Cable Car station. It took another one hour.

If I have to recommend only one thing to do in Dubrovnik, this is it, provided that you are moderately fit and do not have knee issues walking downhill.

This hike has offered the best view of Dubrovnik among all that I’ve seen.  Make sure to do it during sunset and take in all the magic colors.

2️⃣ Dubrovnik City Walls

The red-tiled rooftops and the shimmering Adriatic Sea seen from Dubrovnik City Walls during the golden hour was breathtaking, and for sure unforgettable.

There are three gates to enter the Dubrovnik City Walls. We picked the less crowded gate next to the Maritime Museum (the aquarium). There are many tickets online. It was a bit confusing what to choose, so we simply bought ours on the spot.

To my pleasant surprise, the ticket to the City Walls was valid for three days, and covered the visit to Fort Lovrijenac (mentioned below) as well. So if you want to capture the best colors during the golden hour, you can split the visits to these two places over two days.

On a scale of 1 to 5 for the difficulty level, the walk on the Dubrovnik City Walls was 1 for my boys. It was probably too easy. I had to slow them down so we could get better light in my favorite golden hours.

You were required to leave the Walls by 6pm. Sunset was around 6:30pm. We went up around 4pm, and the total loop without any stops could take just about 20 minutes. You do the math.... we had to "really" slow down.

We eventually came down from the Walls just after 6pm. No one was around. It was the perfect time to take in the view and enjoy the peace.

3️⃣ Lapad

Lapad is a picturesque seaside district in Dubrovnik, known for its beautiful beaches, promenades, and a variety of restaurants and cafes, making it a popular area for both tourists and locals to relax and enjoy the Adriatic coastline.

We stayed in an airbnb here for a week, followed by 4-day hotel stay (mentioned below), so we have visited many beaches here.

Our favorite beaches include:

👉 Mandrac Beach

A great beach for family with young kids. This was definitely my kids’ favorite. There were beach toys and playground with simple slide and swing.

There is a pedestrian-only path on the water front. We walked on the path almost everyday. It was nice and quiet, a big contrast from the heavy crowd in the old town. We saw all kinds of cruise ships, something we haven’t tried and have no intention to try in the near future.

👉 Copacabana Beach

Very similar to Mandrac Beach but without kids facilities. With its easy access to the nearby hotels, this might be more popular to hotel guests. But even we stayed at the Valamar hotel next to this beach in the second half of our Dubrovnik stay, we didn’t go to Capacaana Beach, as there was far better choices (I’ll explain below).

Different from other beaches mentioned below, both Mandrac and Copacabana beaches had only a simple beach cafe offering basic food and drinks.

👉 Uvala Beach

Uvala Beach is a charming pebble beach located in the Uvala Lapad Bay area of Dubrovnik, offering crystal-clear waters and a tranquil atmosphere for visitors from local or afar. There were many beach chairs and umbrellas during our visit, offering more “resort vibe” than the other beaches mentioned.

👉 Vis Beach

Next to Uvala Beach, but a bit further away from the restaurant street in Lapad, therefore a bit quieter than Uvala Beach. Yet it offers the same crystal-clear water.

Between Uvala and Vis Beach, we chose the latter for less crowd. But between Uvala/Vis and Mandrac/Capacabana, we definitely preferred the latter.

4️⃣ Maro World

Skip if you don’t have young kids.

This is a modern kids club we found by accident. Entrance was free, but it was exclusively offered to the guests of five nearby Valamar hotels.  Located in Lapad, Maro World offers you and family the perk on top of beach access, hotel pools, and outdoor play areas during your stay. This might be especially attractive to families enjoying resort stay.

We originally only planned to stay in Dubrovnik for one week, but was so attracted to this kid’s club that we decided to extend our trip by 4 days. Even we were not typical resort travelers, we completely enjoyed our hotel stay. Our time was almost 100% dedicated to Maro World.

I wouldn’t say this was a unique photo spot. But it sure is a great place to easily capture the smiles of your kids.

If you’d like to learn more about how I capture candid shots during any trips, take this free video training.

5️⃣ Fort Lovrijenac

Fort Lovrijenac, perched dramatically on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Adriatic Sea, is a formidable fortress in Dubrovnik known for its historical significance and stunning views of the city walls and coastline.

If you haven’t got enough sunset views from 1 and 2 above, climb to the top of this fortress, and enjoy the sea view during the magic golden hour.  It won’t disappoint.

6️⃣ Historic Old Town & Stradun

Dubrovnik's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a beautifully preserved medieval walled city, featuring narrow cobblestone streets, historic architecture, and a wealth of cultural and historical attractions.

Stradun is the main street in the Old Town, a picturesque and bustling limestone-paved promenade that runs through the heart of the city and is lined with shops, restaurants, and historic buildings.

I’m sure every visitor to Dubrovnik for the first time will come to this street.

It’s undoubtedly the most crowded and challenging place to take quality photos with a clean background. If you wait around, or sacrifice some composition, perhaps you might be able to get a relatively clean shot (see below).

I’ve tried. No matter during the day, sunset or at night, this place seemed to be always crowded, even we were here in early October, off the peak season. But you just can’t bypass the beauty of this place, especially if you are a Game of Throne fan. Ironically, I’m not a TV person and have watched zero episode.

We ran into a local wedding on the weekend. Orion almost blocked the wedding crowd. I had to ask him to run. It turned out his “staying away” photo was among my top favorites.

In my opinion, the real treasure of Stradun was hidden in the narrow side streets, some with steep steps lined with restaurants and shops. They were charming, especially in the evening when the lights were on.

We have only dined here once and can’t comment on the restaurant quality. It would be hard not to overhear conversations from your neighboring tables, as very likely, you and other diners will sit close together.

7️⃣ Porat Dubrovnik

A coastal haven where crystal-clear water meets rustic charm. This is a bustling area of the old town. During the day, we saw travel agencies lining up at the harbor promoting their boat tours. There were boats coming and going.

At the least, you’ll get some cool shots without big crowd behind your subject if facing the water.

We tried Gradska Kavana Arsenal Restaurant, a charming and historic dining establishment you can access from your stroll in the old town or directly from the harbor. It offered a unique blend of Mediterranean cuisine and more importantly, a captivating, waterfront setting. Be sure to come early, or you’ll end up an indoor table without view.

8️⃣ Sponza Palace

A beautifully preserved Gothic and Renaissance building in the Old Town, serving as a museum and a testament to the city's rich history.

These are just a few examples of Instagram-worthy spots in Dubrovnik.  The city's charm and beauty await around every corner, and we truly enjoyed it.

Last but not least, the boys had their second haircut in Europe this summer. The last one was in Italy, before and after our charter sail around the Amalfi Coast.

So long Dubrovnik, as much as I enjoyed your beauty, I was eager to move on to our next destination - Montenegro.

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