Dubrovniktravelady

Our Cruise ship will not dock at Dubrovnik until 2pm, therefore my plan is not to hire a tour guide and visit the City wall including most of the major sights within plus taking the cable car up Mount Srd. I would like to know if the most of these sights are within walking distance of the port and can be done without assistance of tour guide within 4 to 5 hrs. I figure I will not be able arrive the port until 3pm and would like to head back to ship by 7pm latest?

If your ship is docking in our Gruz harbor, it is not within walking distance to the old part of town. You can take a taxi to the entrance, which is normally called Pile gate area for 75 Croatian Kuna or 10 Euros. Driver will accept Euros but do NOT expect vendors, city wall or cable car to do the same. You can use credit card for the wall and cable car, shops are hit or miss. Depending on how quickly you can walk the wall, I strongly suggest doing the sea side and going down at the Ploce exit. This would put you closest to the cable car, which is just out the gate and up the hill. You do need a map of the old town and surrounding areas...please do try something better than Rick Steves!

Great advise! My daughter and I are excited to see, at least a little of Croatia! I know you can't recommend places to eat, but as our tie is limited, are there many places to grab some good local food for a quick lunch? Thanks for sharing your knowledge of your retirement home. BTW, we will be visiting from California where the beach water is cold, but I do not enjoy it, especially if the air temp is not very hot. Thanks

Maria

Last summer was the hottest on record and we expect the same or hotter this coming summer. Water temperature normally is at its warmest in August, but this year could be different. Our Adriatic is one of the cleanest and clearest bodies of water and it's worth it just to be nearby. Many places to grab some good local food, just hit the side streets and stay off the main promenade. Smaller konabas with no sea views are usually your best choices. I do remember the Pacific, since I have lived in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas before retiring here. It is the same here, warm air and cold water. Enjoy your time here, you will arrive on my birthday...three quarters of a century. Carol

Our ship's itinerary changed which takes us to your wonderful port of call, Dubrovnik, Croatia. I have been reading all of your great many pages of info. I will be traveling with my Daughter (20), and we wanted to explore the town, maybe walk wall, possible cable car if you think it is a must. On our cc roll call, we have been sharing rides and tours. Can cabs be shared? are there mini vans that accommodate 8 pax, for ride into town and can we just catch at port, or do we need to reserve? I was even thinking of utilizing the public buses mentioned in http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/lang/en/get/kako_doci_do_dubrovnika/2112/arrival_by_boat.html

Are buses an ok way to travel?

Also, Swimming activities, I know weather unpredictable, but your thoughts? Is there such a place as a safe cliff jumping? I read all about the Australian, and not looking for anything crazy.

Thanks in advance for all your help, we so appreciate your input.

Maria

Thank you for reading my postings. Do keep in mind that many are outdated with certain particulars such as prices. Everyone claims walking the wall is a must, the views are really spectacular. Do as you wish on the wall, personally having done it so many times I am not a big promoter these days. I much prefer the cable car, the views from the top of Mt Srd (surge) are beyond words.

It is a crap shoot as far as a van for 8 waiting at the pier. It is best to reserve in advance or just take several cabs. Waiting for our local bus can often take far too much time, you must have Croatian Kuna for the fare and it stops every few blocks for passengers. Most often during the season (June-September) the bus is so crowded that several will not stop. Your time is limited, use it wisely.

Our Adriatic is not a warm body of water, you may find the sea temperatures slightly chilly in June. As for jumping off the cliffs, read about the young Australian again. Yes there are safer spots than buza bar to get into the sea. Try taking the small boat to the island of Lokrum, lovely place to swim and explore.

Enjoy!

Hello Dubrovnik Travel Lady,

 

I have been reading your posts and find them to be so helpful. Thank you! Previously you posted a link to the Port Information. I can't get the port harbor link to work. Are there other ships in port on Sun. Aug. 28, 2016 ? We arrive on the Celebrity Equinox at 7 AM and depart at 7 PM. Thank you!

 

Pat

A good day, NCL is the only other large ship scheduled. The old town will still be busy with the normal land guests in August. Enjoy your limited time here, it is a lovely town.

Hi all! I would like to know about the restaurant that is on the side of the rock face. I think it would be a neat place for lunch if the food is good. I forgot the name of it, but I think it is just one short word that I probably couldn't spell anyway, so any help appreciated!! Will be arriving May 3rd on Vista, so wondering also what the weather would be like. I'm from UK originally so I gather it would be similar -- like spring time, maybe a few warm days, but just as likely to rain???

I am sure that you are thinking about Buza Bar, it is the located on the rocks outside of our city wall. However you are misinformed, it is a bar which serves only beverages and no food at all.

In May our weather can be perfect spring weather or thunder storms also. That being said, last year we were still wearing winter clothing until the first part of June. Weather is totally unpredictable these days.

Question(s) for Dubrovniktravellady:

 

First of all, Happy New Year! DH and I will be on a port intensive Mediterrean cruise with HAL this spring. Picked this itinerary because of the stop in Dubrovnik and a must see given all we have heard about this beautiful city along with the fact that we are unlikely to ever return to the Mediterrean. Not seeing anything in the ship's excursions that would suit so are considering a DIY. DH has fibromyalgia and I've got artifical knees and a fused ankle (both use canes). We are aware that it is highly unlikely we can walk the wall given the number of steps. Have tried looking at Google Earth to get a sense of things but the image is too pixalated. Here are my questions:

 

1. Can one access just part of the wall or is there another vantage point for one to overlook the city?

2. Are taxis readily available for getting around?

3. Do taxi drivers have enough English for one to communicate with?

4. We are mobile but prefer not to walk long distances or stand in one spot for extensive periods of time.

 

We often surprise ourselves and manage to do more than we expected to but better to have that attitude than to plan to do everything and find we can't.

 

Do you have any suggestions? Thanks a bunch for your kindness.

 

Sandy :)

Happy New Year! You will be unable to access any part of the wall, there are just far too many steps leading up there. However, that being said, it is my strong recommendation that you opt for a panorama drive tour. You can use any of the taxis waiting at the docks and yes they do speak English. However if you are really interested in learning about our history and our culture, I know that hiring a licensed car and driver would be the best. This will permit you to be driven to the top of Mt. Srd where the views are breathtaking. If time permits, you can also include a trip to our Konavle region, perhaps with a lunch break overlooking the sea. Lots of options, you just need to do research. Unfortunately I am not permitted by cruise critic to recommend anyone on this board. Good luck.

Merry Christmas to the many who have posted questions about my retirement home. My warmest wishes for love, health and peace for the new year.

Dubrovniktravelady,

 

I just wanted to stop by and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Are you posting a blog for this year's activities?

Just open the blog, I did begin to write again. As you know last year was very tough, but my spirit is back and so is essence of dubrovnik.com

Just noticed your post and read back through this thread. We are again returning to your lovely city on April 13. If you still want to meet for coffee (tea for my wife) we are buying :).

 

Hank

Yes, yes, yes...I already marked my calendar. Email me details please.

I just wish you Americans would retain your tipping culture in North America. Tipping is not a European Practice and we would prefer to keep it from our culture.

 

We Europeans pride ourselves in giving great service and don't ever feel that we will only get it on the 'promise' or 'expectation' of a tip! Unlike in USA we value our workers are therefore protected by laws that govern wages like 'minimum wage' or 'living wages' - so tipping is not necessary.

 

What you do by 'tipping' is fuel inflation! So when in Rome ...........!!!

 

That is why in the US, we find the practice difficult to understand and actually quite stressful and personally have been harassed by staff because I did not tip sufficiently. Which tells me that all the sweetness and niceness that we witnessed during the meal was not natural but contrived in the expectation of a tip. Because if a person is genuinely nice these feeling would not come so easily to the surface!

 

We believe that tipping does not ensure good service. What ensures good service is quality training, valued workers etc.

Tomvet, what you say is true for your some of the European countries. However there is no wage protection in Croatia. Wages here are so low I do not understand how many families make it thru the winter when there is NO work. Tips here, I speak only for my country, are not expected but very much appreciated for good hard work.

Dubrovniktravelady ~ thank you for all the valuable info & the link to the visitors website. We will be arriving on Nov. 8th on Viking Star & will be in port at 8:00 am until late night. We have a 4 hour tour booked in the a.m. 9:00-1:00, but hope to explore for the afternoon & evening, as well. Do the restaurants close down at 3:00??? I would love to try the lamb you spoke about! Is their activity at night? Are shops open? Thanks, again.

Some of the outdoor restaurants will be closed for the season, but you will find many still open with indoor seating. The lamb under the iron bell is a special order, many require more than 4 adults and often a one or two day advance. Not all restaurants offer this as it is normally an outdoor cooking procedure. Research and you may find a specific restaurant which makes our lamb daily. I do suggest you utilize our tourist bureau website to help you plan your day.

http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/eng/#.VjT3srerTrd

Yes the small tower is part of Sveti Vlaho. Only the two, Sveti Vlaho and the Cathedral. I admire the fact that your photos have captions. So often I look thru some lovely photographs and see nothing more than a caption of one word, Dubrovnik. So many visit here and never make any effort to learn about our sites.

Great Job to you!

Hope this helps. Front right is Sveti Vlaho (Saint Blaise) church, our town patron Saint. On the left front is the bell tower with Maro & Baro, not a church. In the back is the Cathedral. Great photo, love it.

Had a wonderful time in Dubrovnik a week plus ago. I've posted my pictures in two galleries on this site: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123

 

Dubrovnik lady, thanks for your help to me and other cruisers. If you look at the photos and see anything I mistated, feel free to let me know! There were also some churches/monasteries I couldn't identify - whew! SO many churches.

 

One thing I found to be great for photographers was the fact that there were tons of little details, especially if you looked up.

 

We also visited Pula - not well known to cruisers and a little hard to get there on a cruise ship, but very worthwhile. There's a gallery or two on Pula, too. Enjoyed it quite a bit.

Your photos are just fantastic and the captions were so very good, only a few corrections. I am so pleased you enjoyed your time here, it is a lovely town no better place for me to retire. Thank you for your details, loved it.

Hi, we dock in Dubrovnik at 12, we want to do the cable car and walk the walls--- what is the best way to do this? Also the cost, grateful for any tips,recommendations ,thanks.

Take a taxi from the port to the cable car, ride up and enjoy the view. Once back down at the entrance, walk to the Ploce gate which is the far eastern entrance to enter the walled part of the town. You may want to spend some time visiting a few of our historical sites as you walk down to the main entrance. That is located closer to the Pile gate town entrance and the ticket counter is just across from the large Onofio fountain. Tickets can be purchased by credit card or Croatian Kuna, NO Foreign currency. Wall fee is 100 Kuna per person, cable car is 108 Kuna. However do keep in mind that all this information depends on our weather. High winds and thunder showers can close either one or both. I suggest you have a back up plan.

After looking forward to our Dubrovnik visit last week, Oceana was defeated by Force 8 winds & couldn't dock....so disappointed!

Our north (bura) winds here can be daunting and so very cold. It is a shame your ship could not dock and you missed visiting our lovely town. Please do made sure your next cruise itinerary includes Dubrovnik and perhaps Split and Korcula. Dubrovnik has been around for a very long time, you now have something to look forward to visiting on your next cruise. Hope to see you next year.

I should have also asked - do you have information as to where our ship will dock? I understand that one docking area is within walking distance to city centre and another will require transportation.

Cole

Your ship is docking in our Gruz harbor. You will need to take a taxi to reach the old town, about a 8 minute ride. Fare is 75 Kuna or 10 Euros and yes drivers will accept Euros. That being said, please do not assume you can use Euros as payment. You will find your best exchange rate at any of our many ATM machines. Obtain Croatian Kuna or use your credit card. The city wall and cable car accept credit cards. Some shops and restaurants also accept credit cards, but many do not - ask first.

By the way, I am an American/Croatian who has chosen to retire here. Been here now for the past 7 years and have no desire to return to the USA.

Our ship doesn't arrive until 2:00pm on Oct. 11, which presents two possible problems. The arrival time and it being a Sunday. The ship doesn't leave port until 9:00pm, which limits things to do during the day. As the expert - what would you recommend that we plan on doing/seeing while there. I assume we will return to the ship for dinner, so let's say we are in town from the time we arrive until around 6pm at the latest. Any suggestions?

Cole

Our sites do not change their hours until November, so early October everything is open until 1800 daily including Sunday. You have enough time to walk the wall, take the cable car to the top of the mountain. Visit the Rupe Museum, Rectors Palace, the Franciscan Monastery with the old pharmacy and many other sites. Researching your interests on our tourist bureau website will give you some insight on which sites are best.

Rather than return to your ship, why not have supper at one of our lovely restaurants and enjoy some of our local foods. Our seafood is always fresh and lamb cooked under the iron bell is fantastic. Enjoy your time here...

http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/eng/#.VgUBn8uqqkp

Good evening

We will be arriving in Dubrovnik November 22 on Splendour of the Seas. Although I understand this may be a quiet tourist time. Can someone suggest 'things to do' at this time of the year? This will be our first time.

Your ship does not arrive until 1130am, arrival in the old part of town about 1200. Most of our cultural and historic sites will close down at 1500, so you must decide if you want to see them first or walk the wall and go up on the cable car. This is all weather depending, since normally November is our wettest month. That being said this past year it did not rain but the temperature was cooler. You can get details about the sites in Dubrovnik from our tourist bureau website. Decide which you would like to visit...

http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/eng/#.VfZDvRGqqkp

Thank you so much for your help. Is anything open after Nov. 1? How far is if from the airport to the old part of town? I may try to contact some tour operators and see if they would be able to take us around. We do want to go to Ston and Cavtat, so hopefully we can make it work.

Yes our historical and cultural sites are open as well as the city wall, but it all closes down at 3pm. Our daylight hours are much shorter, with dusk coming as early as 4pmish. The airport is about a 20 minute drive to the old town. Many of our outdoor restaurants will begin to close down since November is normally our wettest month, but who knows about weather these days. There are always a taxi waiting at the airport to get you into town, have no idea what that cost may be these days. You can enjoy the ambiance of Cavtat during the morning hours, the town will be locals enjoying the morning coffee. Check to see what is open in Ston, again plan early morning. Enjoy.

I have read the last 15 pages or so of this thread. I so appreciate all the helpful information you have provided. My husband and I are traveling to Montenegro the last week of Oct. to visit my brother who just moved there in Aug. I know it is probably not the best time to visit, but it is the only time my husband is able to get off from work. We will fly into Dubrovnik and thought we would like to spend a few days there. I know you cannot make recommendations, but can you suggest a specific area that we should look for a hotel? There is the possibility of my brother and his wife joining us in Dubrovnik since they are anxious to also see the sites. If they join us, we will have the use of their car.

Are there other sites outside of the city that you would recommend -- day trips away from the city?

Thank you so much for your help.

Having a car in Dubrovnik can often be a problem since parking is mission impossible. I would first look for a hotel, with parking garage, near the Pile (pee-la) gate entrance. At that time of year it is not important that you have a sea front location. Also keep in mind that the old part of town is car free, you will not be using the car at all while visiting inside the walled portion of Dubrovnik.

Do your best to arrive here prior to 01 November as the town will be closing down for winter hibernation. Again timing is everything and if you can visit Ston and Cavtat. We do go off daylight savings time on 25 October and the hours for our cultural and historical sites will be limited, closing is near to 1500 daily.

Weather will be fall, be prepared for some rain and wind and we hope no winter temps yet. Enjoy your time here.

Just a couple of questions....

 

The main entrance to the walls is obviously going to be busier, so the Ploce entrance is another option. So, how long does it take to walk around the outside of the walls to the Ploce entrance ? Depending on the queue at the main entrance, it may be just as easy to wait ?

 

We plan on entering via the main entrance and walking around the seaward side to the Ploce gate, then exiting and heading for the cable car. So...

 

1. Would we miss much by skipping the sector between the Ploce & main entrance on the land side ?

 

2. Is it expected to walk around in a certain direction, or can you go either way without having to walk through hoards of people coming the other way ?

 

 

 

Cheers

Your ship will be here at the end of September, doubt highly you will encounter massive crowds at the main entrance. As the walk is only permitted counter clockwise, so you will walk the sea side first. After passing the old harbor you can go down at the Ploce exit and make your way up to the cable car. The land side, for me, is not so interesting and you see the same roofs from a different perspective. It is also the more difficult part with the vast majority of the walk going upward to the highest point, Minceta Tower. You will not miss anything. I certainly do not expect hoards of people to be up on the wall so late in the season...

We were tendered. Perhaps the ship checked with the authorities beforehand, but we just walked in, there was no sort of control whatsoever.

That is true, when tendered there is control at the pier but very casual. Most of the hard liners are stationed at the Gruz harbor.

Just a thought: There may be a free or paid shuttle that runs from Gruz port to the Pile Gate. Some cruisers have reported having them.

Using a ship shuttle service is easier than trying to figure out which bus goes to Pile gate entrance. Contact your ship to see if they offer shuttle service here in Dubrovnik. Local bus means Croatian Kuna, buy a ticket for 2 kuna less than paying the driver at a kisok. Finding the bus stop and figuring out which bus takes you to Pile, some do not! A waste of time!

I was on the Star Clipper ship. They took our passports upon embarkation and they weren't returned until disembarkation. We had three port stops in Croatia, including Dubrovnik so the short answer is that no, a passport is not necessary.

That is not necessarily true. It depends on who is working passport control. There are some who will ask for the actual passport. They will send passengers back to retrieve them from the ship. It is hit or miss here.