Discover the BEST day trip from Dubrovnik, Croatia PLUS why I nixed the others! This post is a must-read if you have an extra day in the city.
There are a number of memorable day trips from Dubrovnik...which makes it a no-brainer to add an extra day to your itinerary in order experience at least one. Baking in a spare day so you can explore outside the city center is beyond worth it. This will allow time to experience something less frequented by tourists and get a better feel for the country of Croatia.
Picking a day trip felt quite daunting because there were so many spectacular options. Thankfully, the day trip I chose was perfect, and in my opinion, the best day trip from Dubrovnik!
My top choices were sea kayaking and snorkeling around Dubrovnik, visiting the border countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro), island hopping, and a few different wine tours. All sound like incredible day trips from Dubrovnik, right?!
From reading endless reviews, blogs, and websites, it seemed that many travelers were in the same boat as myself and having a hard time deciding how to use their extra day in Dubrovnik.
If I could go back, I would add 3 or 4 extra days to allow for multiple day trips or even spend the night in one of the neighboring countries.
Because I spent way too much time researching which Dubrovnik day trip to join, I decided this is a post many people would benefit from. I'll take you through my thought process of how I decided on the right day trip for Jake and me and why the other options were nixed.
Additional Croatia Blog posts:
A GUIDE TO WALKING THE WALLS OF DUBROVNIK
BUZA BAR DUBROVNIK – CLIFF JUMPING & SUNSET VIEWS
Taking a dip at Lokrum Island
TOP Day trips from Dubrovnik
1. Island Hopping - The Elaphite Islands
Several boat companies offer day long excursions to the archipelago called the Elaphite Islands. These tours usually include 3 island visits and lunch. Given that Jake and I already sailed to Lokrum Island to hike and swim for a few hours (which I highly recommend if you want to escape the crowds and see additional Game of Thrones filming sites), I decided to nix an island hopping excursion. This would be a great day trip from Dubrovnik if you want to see more of the islands and get some good beach time!
GOT filming site for Qarth on Lokrum Island
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina Day Trip - Mostar and the Kravice Waterfalls
An excursion to Mostar and/or the Kravice Waterfalls is the most popular option as a day trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina from Dubrovnik. Mostar is a cultural gem with a mix of traditions and faiths.
Cobblestoned streets, the call to prayer, mosques, and Turkish styled homes are just the starting point of what makes this city a memorable visit. However, the amount of time spent getting to and from Mostar (2.5-3.5 hours of driving) and the unknown amount of time spent at border control was a big deciding factor in nixing this as a day trip from Dubrovnik.
3. Montenegro Day Trip: Bay of Kotor
A day trip to Montenegro including the Bay of Kotor proposed the same issues as Bosnia and Herzegovina. I decided I would rather visit Kotor and Montenegro when I had time to spend at least 1 night in the city.
Kotor has become quite popular and therefore overrun with tourists during the afternoon. Montenegro was nixed in favor of doing it right on a future trip by spending at least 1 night.
Watching the kayaks go by from Buza Bar
4. Sea Kayaking and Snorkeling Excursion
I was extremely enticed by this option as it was active, included water and sun, and some pretty awesome views of Dubrovnik from the water. The majority of reviews voiced that an entire day of sea kayaking and snorkeling was too long, especially in the heat and sun. The half day tour looked more enjoyable, but unfortunately, all the best stops were only included in the full day tour.
Oyster Farm
THE BEST DAY TRIP FROM DUBROVNIK
5. PELJESAC PENINSULA WITH DUBROVNIK WINE TOURS
The WINNER! Instead of traveling to other countries, we decided to stay in our backyard and visit the Peljesac Peninsula with Dubrovnik Wine Tours. This fit my travel profile much better than some of the other options.
I would rather stick to one area and do that area right than travel all over the place and try to fit in as many countries as possible in a short span of time.
This option allowed us to see the “countryside” of Dubrovnik. I decided to go with Dubrovnik Wine Tours and 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 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 (spacious minibus, immaculately clean, AC) and the fact that we had a driver and a tour guide (the guide is the driver with most tours). This allowed our guide, Mario, to have insightful and fully focused conversations with us.
Mario is a certified sommelier and is one of the most informative guides I have ever come across. We enjoyed our time with Mario so much that we regretted not having enough time to do a second tour with him! After picking up two other couples we began the drive to the first stop, the ancient city of Ston.
Like wine? You might also be interested in:
OREGON WINE COUNTRY – A WEEKEND IN WILLAMETTE VALLEY
PLANNING A TRIP TO NAPA VALLEY – A NAPA GUIDE
BEST TIME TO VISIT NAPA VALLEY
Ston was a massive salt producing town back in the day and has the second largest defensive wall in the world (after the Great Wall of China). Today, Ston is a laidback fishing town known for its views and oyster farms. Some say the best oysters in the world.
Visiting one of these oyster farms was the first outing on the agenda. The views of Ston from the boat were stunning and it was a memorable experience to pair freshly shucked oysters with a crisp wine on the jewel blue seas.
We were given some time to walk around Ston before heading to our first winery. We visited 3 wineries and each was spectacular! All 3 were different and allowed us to not only experience Croatian wineries in different settings but taste varying types of Croatian wine.
A tapas was served at each tasting to enhance the wine. Cheese, parma ham, olive oil, etc. The wines were top quality and the scenery was unbeatable. The day ended with a relaxed late lunch in a very intimate setting. After having our fill of wine and scrumptious Croatian food, the ride home made for a perfect nap or quiet time to 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 a huge plus that the group was small enough that we got to know each other and share recommendations for Dubrovnik and other destinations.
This is one of the best day trips from Dubrovnik to venture outside the city and see 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 and have time for a day trip from Dubrovnik, I highly recommend considering a wine tour to the Peljesac Peninsula.
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Do you have a favorite day trip from Dubrovnik? Let me know in the comments below!
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