Dubrovnik Questions (merged)

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Ok I have a question because the Advanced Search isn't working right now.

 

We sail in May. Our ship docks on a Sunday in Gruz and is there from 10:30 to 18:30. There will be over 7500+ people there that day (from other ships). I live in Germany where everything shuts down on Sunday, even many restaurants. What about there in Dubrovnik?

 

Because it will be so busy, any advice on where to go first? Things to do? We want to also see Lokrum if possible, and walk the wall.

Only a few privately owned shops will be closed on Sunday. The wall and all historical sites will be open, our summer hours begin in mid March. We have only 3 days during the winter season when the town closes down - Christmas, New Years and the festival of Saint Blaise which is 3 February. Depending on the weather, walk the wall and see if the Lokrum ferry is running. However do not miss the cable car, the view is spectacular.

Actually only 7,500 cruisers is not considered a busy day for Dubrovnik, good thing you're not arriving in August!

[fawns12]

Thank you for your help!

[shoelover536]

We were thinking of doing the cable car first thing, then walking the wall/ lunch/ buza bar after. We are going to be there in October on Equinox.

 

QWuick questions:

 

1. would you recommend a taxi or bus to the cable car from the ship?

 

2. How far is it from the lower station of the cable car to a wall entrance?

 

3. Does this sound doable?

 

4. Thinking of lady PiPi or Kormada for lunch. Any options on these?

 

TIA!

[cherylterr]

Dear Dubrovniklady,

 

We will be visiting on May 27th and hope to take lots of lovely photos from the cable car. My question is, do you think the lighting on the old town below is better in the am or the pm? we'll be there all day, from 8am to 6pm, so we have a lot of flexibilty to arrange our time (walk the wall, take the cable car, museums ,etc...)

 

Just trying to plan in my mind what order would be best... all weather dependant of course... thanks so much for all your advice and info!

[Dubrovniktravelady]

We were thinking of doing the cable car first thing, then walking the wall/ lunch/ buza bar after. We are going to be there in October on Equinox.

 

QWuick questions:

 

1. would you recommend a taxi or bus to the cable car from the ship?

 

2. How far is it from the lower station of the cable car to a wall entrance?

 

3. Does this sound doable?

 

4. Thinking of lady PiPi or Kormada for lunch. Any options on these?

 

TIA!

Your plan is good, I believe the weather will be the deciding factor. It is of course far easier to take a cab to the cable car entrance. It is located just above the Ploce (plo-cha) gate which is the far eastern entrance to the old part of town. There are 3 entrances to the wall, one is located just a few meters inside that gate. It has the least amount of steps to reach the top, but is the beginning of the more strenuous part of the wall all uphill until you reach Minceta tower. If you are planning on walking the entire circuit, taking photos and enjoying the views the walk should average about 2 hours.

As for your lunch choices, the rules of cruise critic do not permit me to recommend any specific restaurants. I am sure either would be a good choice. Enjoy your time here.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Dear Dubrovniklady,

 

We will be visiting on May 27th and hope to take lots of lovely photos from the cable car. My question is, do you think the lighting on the old town below is better in the am or the pm? we'll be there all day, from 8am to 6pm, so we have a lot of flexibilty to arrange our time (walk the wall, take the cable car, museums ,etc...)

 

Just trying to plan in my mind what order would be best... all weather dependant of course... thanks so much for all your advice and info!

Hard question to answer. I love watching the sun rise over the old town, as well as our golden sunsets. Your date our sunrise will begin about 5am, with sunset at 8pm, it is all up to you what time would be best. You are very lucky as there will only be 5,000 cruisers in town that day. That being said, I personally would begin with a taxi drop at the cable car entrance and go from there with the rest of your plans.

Enjoy your time in Dubrovnik.

[shoelover536]

Your plan is good, I believe the weather will be the deciding factor. It is of course far easier to take a cab to the cable car entrance. It is located just above the Ploce (plo-cha) gate which is the far eastern entrance to the old part of town. There are 3 entrances to the wall, one is located just a few meters inside that gate. It has the least amount of steps to reach the top, but is the beginning of the more strenuous part of the wall all uphill until you reach Minceta tower. If you are planning on walking the entire circuit, taking photos and enjoying the views the walk should average about 2 hours.

As for your lunch choices, the rules of cruise critic do not permit me to recommend any specific restaurants. I am sure either would be a good choice. Enjoy your time here.

 

Thanks for all of your help!!

[cherylterr]

thanks and I will probaby do just as you said - taxi to cable car first and the rest of the day exploring... !

[Angiet75]

thanks and I will probaby do just as you said - taxi to cable car first and the rest of the day exploring... !

 

 

Thanks for this info We are in port May 6th Monday.

We are also doing it on our own. May do the Cable car , May not. We are just going to wing it. Or should we have a plan?

How do i find out how many ships are in dock that day?

Thanks

[eclue]

Check out cruiseitt.com for ships in port

 

eclue

[Pushka]

We have just a few hours in Dubrovnik, from 8am until 2pm. Very disappointing however that may change if Egypt and Israel are removed from our itinerary.

 

But I am thinking we may just have time to take a taxi to the cable car top, come down, browse through the main streets, have a quick lunch then back on to the boat?

 

Groan, I have just checked and there are four cruise ships in Port that day -a Monday. Passenger load of 7,500.:(

[flgajaja]

Dubrovniktravellady, can I ask you a question please?-4 of us arriving on Celebrity cruise on May 12th-thinking about renting a private driver for our 7-8 hrs. Besides walking the wall in dubrovnik-any other special areas to visti? Our first time in Dubrovnik-we like to see as much as possible-we move about quickly; like scenery, interesting off the beaten path type of things. Our group not much into museums, ruins but if impt will sort of run thru. lol Would love your input on creating a great day in your beautiful city. thanks

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Thanks for this info We are in port May 6th Monday.

We are also doing it on our own. May do the Cable car , May not. We are just going to wing it. Or should we have a plan?

How do i find out how many ships are in dock that day?

Thanks

You may want to have an idea of where sites are located so you do not waste your limited time backtracking. Also please use the Dubrovnik port authority website for an accurate count of ships. Just open the arrivals and click on your month, hit "Prikaz izvjesca" and the month will appear. Enjoy your time here.

 

http://www.portdubrovnik.hr/?lan=en

 

http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/data/1198052158_49_mala_Plan%20Grada_2008.pdf

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Check out cruiseitt.com for ships in port

 

eclue

This site does not show details and is not very accurate. Please use our local port authority site, it shows dates, ships, arrivals, departures and TOTAL head count.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

We have just a few hours in Dubrovnik, from 8am until 2pm. Very disappointing however that may change if Egypt and Israel are removed from our itinerary.

 

But I am thinking we may just have time to take a taxi to the cable car top, come down, browse through the main streets, have a quick lunch then back on to the boat?

 

Groan, I have just checked and there are four cruise ships in Port that day -a Monday. Passenger load of 7,500.:(

Do not groan, take a closer look at the arrival and departure times, they may not be the same as your ship. Here's some interesting facts, 7,000 is not that bad as we have had it much worse with 18,000 in one day. That was not nice!

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Dubrovniktravellady, can I ask you a question please?-4 of us arriving on Celebrity cruise on May 12th-thinking about renting a private driver for our 7-8 hrs. Besides walking the wall in dubrovnik-any other special areas to visti? Our first time in Dubrovnik-we like to see as much as possible-we move about quickly; like scenery, interesting off the beaten path type of things. Our group not much into museums, ruins but if impt will sort of run thru. lol Would love your input on creating a great day in your beautiful city. thanks

Interesting how we notice cruisers who try to navigate our small town quickly, as locals are slow and easy when strolling in town. Our history goes back many hundreds of years and we do not have an abundance of ruins. Yes, even the shelling of Dubrovnik in the 1991 homeland war has been repaired. We have hidden gems, but difficult to locate without a local showing you the back streets and hiking up hundreds of steps. Town is filled with cultural and historical sites, all important to us. I believe our tourist board website would be helpful for you to decide what you want to visit. Private drivers normally will give you a 2 to 3 hour tour, again research would help you decide on how to plan your day. I could plan your day, but as my husband often tells me - "I am expensive!"

 

http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/eng/#.UQn7WR073ko

[Myari]

I'm wondering - if our ship states it is docking at 7 am - how soon can we get off the boat in Dubrovnik? Also, how early can we catch a taxi to do a panoramic tour from the port?

 

There will be a few ships in port on our day and I would like to do the panoramic tour and start walking the walls before the larger ship arrives around 10:30 am. Do you think it is possible?

[nzdisneymom]

Dubrovniktravelady, thank you so much for answering so many questions and providing insight into the area for those of us who are going to be introduced to the city via cruiseship. And thanks for posting the link to the port authority - I was able to see that we will be arriving on a Friday in July at 13:00 and staying until 20:00. Do the shops stay open all day / later in the evening, or will we find things closing up by dinner time? Also, in July, how late does it stay light? (I'm sure there is a website I can google for to find sunset times but I was just thinking about a general feel for it.)

 

We have a lot of reading to do still but think at this point that this is a good port for us to explore on our own. While we have cruised several times, we have only a few times not used a ship-sponsored excursion/guide but do want to gain some experience and confidence in exploring on our own. I appreciate all the posters here who have asked questions and shared experiences because that will certainly help us in narrowing what we'd like to see and do in the limited time we will be there.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

I'm wondering - if our ship states it is docking at 7 am - how soon can we get off the boat in Dubrovnik? Also, how early can we catch a taxi to do a panoramic tour from the port?

 

There will be a few ships in port on our day and I would like to do the panoramic tour and start walking the walls before the larger ship arrives around 10:30 am. Do you think it is possible?

Most ships dock in our Gruz harbor, about a 10 minute drive to the old town area with many taxis waiting. Drivers normally drive passengers to the old town and quickly return for the next group. Do not despair, they will be there waiting.

In my experience most cruise ships disembark their shore excursion passengers first. In general you probably probably will be off the ship no later than 9am. You may want to contact your cruise line directly to verify the times. No reason you would not be able to walk the wall prior to another ship arriving. Please do keep in mind, there is much more to see in Dubrovnik than just walking the wall.

Enjoy your limited time here.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Dubrovniktravelady, thank you so much for answering so many questions and providing insight into the area for those of us who are going to be introduced to the city via cruiseship. And thanks for posting the link to the port authority - I was able to see that we will be arriving on a Friday in July at 13:00 and staying until 20:00. Do the shops stay open all day / later in the evening, or will we find things closing up by dinner time? Also, in July, how late does it stay light? (I'm sure there is a website I can google for to find sunset times but I was just thinking about a general feel for it.)

 

We have a lot of reading to do still but think at this point that this is a good port for us to explore on our own. While we have cruised several times, we have only a few times not used a ship-sponsored excursion/guide but do want to gain some experience and confidence in exploring on our own. I appreciate all the posters here who have asked questions and shared experiences because that will certainly help us in narrowing what we'd like to see and do in the limited time we will be there.

During high season the vast majority of our shops are open until 2300 daily, a small few close down between 1300 - 1500 for lunch. Museums and historical sites close at 1800 and the wall closes at 1930. Sunset will begin about 2015 in mid July, sunsets view from the top of Mt Srd are very dramatic. Plan your day carefully and enjoy your limited time in Dubrovnik.

[nzdisneymom]

During high season the vast majority of our shops are open until 2300 daily, a small few close down between 1300 - 1500 for lunch. Museums and historical sites close at 1800 and the wall closes at 1930. Sunset will begin about 2015 in mid July, sunsets view from the top of Mt Srd are very dramatic. Plan your day carefully and enjoy your limited time in Dubrovnik.

 

Thanks so much.

[juliegilb]

Hello, cruising to Dubrovnik the end of July, and I have 2 questions for anyone that can help, please!

 

Any recommendations for a place that will sell good burek to go(for a picnic)?

 

Are there any taxis at the Port Gruz that can hold 5 people, or will we need 2?

 

Thanks!

Julie

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Hello, cruising to Dubrovnik the end of July, and I have 2 questions for anyone that can help, please!

 

Any recommendations for a place that will sell good burek to go(for a picnic)?

 

Are there any taxis at the Port Gruz that can hold 5 people, or will we need 2?

 

Thanks!

Julie

I have seen a few mini vans at the Gruz and you would have to arrange one in advance. The taxis waiting at Gruz are mostly normal 4 door autos. Two taxis would be your best choice, fare should be about 70 to 75 Kuna per car.

You can find burek at any of our local bread shops and Konzum store in Gundulic Square adjacent to our green market.

[juliegilb]

I have seen a few mini vans at the Gruz and you would have to arrange one in advance. The taxis waiting at Gruz are mostly normal 4 door autos. Two taxis would be your best choice, fare should be about 70 to 75 Kuna per car.

You can find burek at any of our local bread shops and Konzum store in Gundulic Square adjacent to our green market.

 

Thank you for your help! I was hoping burek would be an easy find; thanks for verifying. 6 more months - we can't wait! My grandparents are from Croatia; though we won't be anywhere near their town, I'm excited to be seeing the country.

[cpl100]

We took a few mis-turns trying to find the hole in the wall, there are two, one place has cover over the tables the other was more exposed, I think they are owned by the same people though. I forget the name, but the sign doesn't really say the name, it just says Cold Drinks or something like that. If you walk the wall first, it helps you find the hole later, it gives you a better visual of where you need to go. If you look at the tour of the old town at this link, we got out to number 29 and then just walked along the base of the wall from there. Both places are on your left if you go this way.

 

Just starting to read up on this city to prepare for my May cruise. Will be here on May 12. This above link does not work. Does anyone have a working one? This intrigues me!

 

Thanks!