A Day Trip from Dubrovnik | TOP Options + My Pick
Discover the most popular day trips from Dubrovnik, Croatia, and why I chose Dubrovnik Wine Tours over the other options. If you have an extra day in the city, this post will help you decide how to spend it!
There are so many incredible options for a day trip from Dubrovnik that it's worth adding an extra day to your itinerary. Getting outside the city center gives you the chance to experience a different side of Croatia or even visit a neighboring country.
Picking a day trip felt surprisingly daunting because there were so many spectacular options. My top choices included sea kayaking and snorkeling, visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina or Montenegro, island hopping, and several wine tours. All sound like an incredible way to spend a day, right?!
After reading endless reviews, blogs, and websites, I realized I wasn't the only one struggling to decide how to spend an extra day in Dubrovnik. Thankfully, the day trip Jake and I ultimately chose was perfect, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
If I could go back, I'd add three days to my itinerary to experience more of the surrounding area, or even spend a night in one of the neighboring countries.
Since I spent way too much time researching my options, I decided to put everything I've learned into this post. I'll walk you through how Jake and I chose our day trip, why Dubrovnik Wine Tours came out on top, and why I ultimately nixed the other options.
Elaphiti Islands in the background
Taking a dip at Lokrum Island
1. Island Hopping: The Elaphiti Islands
Several boat companies offer full-day excursions from Dubrovnik to the Elaphiti Islands, an archipelago just off the coast. Most tours include stops at three islands, with time to swim, explore, and enjoy lunch.
I considered this option, but since Jake and I had already spent a few hours sailing to nearby Lokrum Island to hike and swim, I decided to skip another boat excursion. (I highly recommend visiting Lokrum if you want to escape the crowds for a bit and see additional Game of Thrones filming locations!)
That said, island hopping would be a great day trip from Dubrovnik if you want to explore more of the coastline, visit several islands, and fit in some extra beach time.
Popular tours:
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2. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mostar and the Kravice Waterfalls
An excursion to Mostar and/or the Kravice Waterfalls (private tour option) is one of the most popular day trips from Dubrovnik to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mostar is a cultural gem, with a fascinating mix of traditions and faiths.
Cobblestone streets, the call to prayer, historic mosques, and Ottoman-era architecture are just some of what makes Mostar such a memorable place to visit. If you're itching to explore another country during your trip to Dubrovnik, this is a great option.
However, the amount of time spent driving to and from Mostar (2.5 to 3.5 hours each way), along with the unknown wait time at border control, was a big deciding factor in nixing this as a day trip from Dubrovnik.
3. Montenegro: Bay of Kotor
A day trip to Montenegro (private tour option available) to the Bay of Kotor presented the same issues as visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina. Between the drive and the unknown wait time at border control, I decided I'd rather visit Kotor when I had time to spend at least one night there.
I also didn't want my main memory of Kotor to be an overly crowded afternoon. The town has become quite popular with tourists, especially during the middle of the day. I ultimately decided this was a place worth more than a quick run-through.
4. Sea Kayaking and Snorkeling Excursion
I was really enticed by this option because it was active, included time in the water and sun, and offered some pretty awesome views of Dubrovnik from the water. However, it was extremely hot during our visit, so I decided to save this one for a return trip to Dubrovnik.
If you visit outside the peak of summer, particularly in late spring or early fall, this would be a really enjoyable way to spend a few hours!
Popular tours:
5. The Pelješac Peninsula With Dubrovnik Wine Tours
The WINNER! Instead of traveling to another country, we decided to stay in our own backyard and explore the Pelješac Peninsula with Dubrovnik Wine Tours. This option fit my travel style much better than some of the others.
I'd rather stick to one area and experience it properly than travel all over the place trying to fit in as many countries as possible in a short amount of time.
This option also gave us the chance to see the countryside around Dubrovnik. I decided to go with Dubrovnik Wine Tours, and I couldn't have been happier with the experience. The company, tour guide, transportation, and selection of wineries were all perfect!
*I am not being compensated to mention this company (nor do they know I am writing about them). This is the company I chose (and paid in full) for our personal trip after doing extensive research.
Additional options for wine tours around the Peljesac Peninsula
My Experience With Dubrovnik Wine Tours
The tour included pick-up and drop-off at our hotel, which was very convenient. I was impressed with our transportation (a spacious, immaculately clean minibus with AC) and the fact that we had both a driver and a tour guide. With most tours, the guide is also the driver.
This allowed our guide, Mario, to have insightful, fully focused conversations with us throughout the day.
Mario is a certified sommelier and one of the most informative guides I've ever come across. We enjoyed our time with him so much that we regretted not having enough time to do a second tour!
After picking up two other couples, we began the drive to our first stop: the ancient city of Ston.
Ston was once a major salt-producing town and is home to one of the longest defensive walls in the world. Today, Ston is a laid-back coastal town known for its views and oyster farms. Some even say it has the best oysters in the world!
Visiting one of these oyster farms was our first outing of the day. The views of Ston from the boat were stunning, and pairing freshly shucked oysters with crisp wine out on the jewel-blue sea made for a memorable experience.
We were given some time to walk around Ston before heading to our first winery. We visited three wineries throughout the day, and each was spectacular! All three were different, allowing us to experience Croatian wineries in a variety of settings while tasting different styles of Croatian wine.
Small plates were served alongside each tasting to complement the wines, including cheese, prosciutto, olive oil, and more. The wines were top quality, and the scenery was unbeatable. We ended the day with a relaxed, late lunch in a very intimate setting.
After our fill of wine and scrumptious Croatian food, the ride back made for the perfect opportunity to take a nap or simply relax and enjoy the views.
In Summary
I was beyond happy I chose this as our day trip from Dubrovnik and wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it all over again.
It was also a huge plus that the group was small enough for us to get to know each other and share recommendations for Dubrovnik and other destinations.
This is one of the best day trips from Dubrovnik if you want to venture outside the city and experience the countryside and smaller towns. I've done many wine tours, and this was hands down the most memorable.
If you find yourself in Croatia with an extra day in Dubrovnik, I highly recommend considering a wine tour to the Pelješac Peninsula!
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A Day Trip from Dubrovnik | TOP Options + My Pick
