Dubrovnik 9-day Itinerary

Your first day in Dubrovnik is all about you acclimating to the different ambiance of the seaside city. Your local transfer will meet you at the airport and take you to an accommodation assessed by Workation for its location, comforts, and amenities inside Old Town. 

The UNESCO-protected historic center will be a treasure of its own with winding streets and alleyways easy to both explore and get lost in. Rich with the scent of the sea, you can hear the waves crash against the rocks or listen to the musical sounds of laughter in the cafes that line the plazas.  

Focus:
Visit the Ploce neighborhood to the east of Old Town. Known mainly for its luxury hotels, you can find the right view within the city to sit back and enjoy your new home. 

Suggestion:
Find a seaside restaurant for an introductory dinner to Dubrovnik, not just for a view of the water but also to try the famous black risotto. A specialty of the city, black risotto uses squid ink for a velvety texture and added ocean flavor. 

You can spend your first full day in Dubrovnik with a deep exploration of the city, starting in Old Town. A private guide can take you through the city to follow the historic and massive walls that have protected the community since the 13th century. You can get washed into the buzz of the pedestrian boulevard known as Stradun, where the cafes, restaurants, and shops look out onto the crowds of people. Visit the cathedral with its sixth-century foundations or spend time at the city gates as you take the full day to explore and enjoy. 

Focus:
Don’t just view the sunset but take part in it with a sea kayak tour. Do not take a picture. Set a timer for 10 minutes and watch the sunset. When the timer goes off, you can take a picture. 

Suggestion:
Visit one of the famous bars cut into the cliffs that support the city walls. Enjoy the view and the atmosphere particular to Dubrovnik. 

Enjoy a traditional Croatian breakfast to start your day with a rich coffee and Čokolino, a type of wheat porridge with chocolate and milk. You can work from the comforts of your accommodation throughout the day before you take an excursion to the summit of Mount Srd. After work, you can decompress with stunning views from one of the most photogenic vistas in all of Croatia. Take the cablecar to enjoy the progressive panorama that eventually sweeps over the orange-tiled rooftops, the cobalt water, and the nearby islands. At sunset, the water, city, and horizon glow.  

Focus:
To get prepared for work in a new place, pay attention to your senses. Open a window and listen to the sounds of the street. Inhale and look for familiar aromas. What can do you smell? What can you hear? Does the air feel different than back home? 

Suggestion:
Take a snack with you to the top of Mount Srd and enjoy a small picnic with another unique and unforgettable view.

Once again you can start work with an early morning. By planning your work schedule ahead, you can have plenty of time for a half-day boat tour from Dubrovnik to the Elafiti Islands. As you explore Kolocep, you can wander through the pine forests, enjoy the aroma of the olive groves, and find blossoming orange and lemon trees. Relax on the long stretches of sandy beach close to the main village or along the pebbly shoreline known as the nudist section of the coast. Take time to swim in the crystal-clear water and discover the allure of sea caves.   

Focus:
When work ends and your tour begins, it may be hard to disconnect. Change your clothes into something different, even unique before you start your tour. Make sure you are comfortable but notice the difference between what you wore, what you changed into, and how your body and mind reacted.  

Suggestion:
Treat yourself by eating at one of the restaurants listed in the Michelin guide for an elevated perspective on the already delicious local cuisine.

Change up your day starting with a visit to the island of Lokrum. As the closest island to Dubrovnik, it is easy to reach and covered in aromatic oak, pine, and olive trees. Take your time strolling the trails that wind across the island and demonstrate medieval history when you find the Benedictine monastery. The cloister garden blooms with a collection of colors in summer and the botanical garden hosts giant agaves and tall palm trees. You can return to Dubrovnik with the remainder of the day to work on your schedule. 

Focus:
Pick a particular object at the monastery that catches your eye. Before you return to work, practice a visualization game to get you back into the zone. Examine every detail, its shape, its size, its color. Does it have a smell? Can you pick it up? Remember the object from the monastery before you start working and recall the object in as much detail as you can. 

Suggestion:
After work, decompress by trying a rozata, a custard pudding often flavored with a rose liqueur.

Start your long weekend by leaving Dubrovnik behind and visiting the towns of Ston. You will notice the dramatic defensive walls first that date back to the 14th century. The saltworks first started in the 13th century and continue using traditional harvesting techniques. Outside of Ston, you can easily visit Mljet National Park. After having been inside working, you can enjoy a paradise of nature where turquoise saltwater lakes hide beneath the pine-tree canopy. Swim in the refreshing water or mountain bike through the trees for a fantastic perspective of the island wilderness. 

Focus:
If you want to take a few hours away from the beaten path, you can travel from Ston to Trstenik to find a quiet and historic fishing village. 

Suggestion:
While in Ston, eat the famous oysters found in Mali Ston Bay and on the menu of nearly every seaside restaurant in the area. 

The birthplace of Marco Polo, Korcula island is much more than a historical destination. With a medieval town surrounded by a soaring stone wall and a gorgeous harbor that looks out to the turquoise sea, the island can feel like a miniature Dubrovnik on the Peljesac Peninsula. No cars and architecture that demonstrates the reach of Venetian imperialism, you can relax with views of the calm bays, dip your toes into the cool water, or visit the sleepy villages that feel worlds away from the cobblestone streets of the main town with panoramas that overlook grapevines and olive trees. 

Focus:
Find clues that connect the island of Korcula to Marco Polo as you explore the streets, architecture, culture, and history. 

Suggestion:
Find a peka when visiting Korcula, a meal of meat and vegetables cooked in an earthenware bowl. 

Before returning to Dubrovnik, you can enjoy the day exploring more of Croatia. Cavtat is hidden in the shadow of the more popular city but has origins dating back to sixth-century BC Greek explorers. The town sits on a narrow peninsula with two harbors, one decorated with a picturesque promenade and pebbly beaches. It can feel artsy and antique with Dubvronik’s walls visible in the distance. Visit St. Nicholas’s Church where intricate wooden altars join depictions of the four evangelists painted by Bukovac. Sit on the promenade sipping a rakija and find how the small town can feel monumental. 

Focus:
Continue past the promenade to start on the Rat Peninsula trail. Memorize the view of different coves and beaches. How many did you reach before you see Dubrovnik’s walls? 

Suggestion:
Visit the home of Vlaho Bukovac to find 200 paintings, sketches, and drawings that demonstrate why he is considered the founder of the modern Croatian painting movement.

Dubrovnik at dawn is a magical experience, with empty cobblestone streets glinting with gold in the returning light. Medieval architecture without the crowds, empty plazas, and the alluring sound of waves crashing against the rocks outside of the city walls feels unlike the city you have come to know. Take your time to walk the streets before the city rises or after the shops open and the crowds return. Transfer to the airport when you’re ready and make it home before work starts Monday. 

Focus:
If you have time, visit the top of Dubrovnik’s walls once more for a final panorama. Take one minute to memorize the view, the sounds, the feeling, and the smell. Take a picture and remember how the view connects to the senses. 

Suggestion:
Dubrovnik Airport has the capacity for serving two million passengers per year but is still a decently small airport. Give yourself extra time to pass through security.