What to do in DUBROVNIK in ONE DAY!!! Croatia Cruise Stop go to Lokrum Island
#dubrovnik #croatia #Lokrum #CruiseCroatia #Dubrovnikinaday Hey Friends this is Dubrovnik Croatia and what to do in one day! So if this is a day trip or a cruise stop or port, you want to make the most of your time here. We are traveling Croatia with kids. We want to walk the postcard perfect town of Dubrovnik but we also want to skip the tourist shuffle and search out something more wild and that is why we are catching a ferry in Old Town Dubrovnik's Old Port to take a 15 minute Ferry ride to Lokrum Island. This is what to see in Dubrovnik, What to do in Dubrovnik, and the best way to do Dubrovnik in a day. Let this be your Dubrovnik Travel Guide Lets start from the begining. Cruise ships dock about a 15 minute bus ride or taxi to Old Town, and Old Town Dubrovnik is where you want to be. This is the postcard view of Dubrovnik a midevil city that is surrounded by 16th centery stone walls that jut out from the Adriatic Sea. The roofs are all a terracotta orange and it looks like its out of a movie and that is because it is. Dubrovnik stands in for the wealty casino city of Canto Bight in The Last Jedi. But Dubrovnik is probably even more famous for fbeing the midevil backdrop for Game of Thrones. We love walking the main drag, shopping and grabbing gelato. But the true magic of this walled city is getting lost in it's alleyways. We are visiting in the summer. This is it's busy season and it is hot. So we highly reccomend finding your way to the Old Port and buying a ferry ticket to Lokrum Island. Lokrum is a fun 15 minute boat ride away. Its fun and you get a new vantage point of the city. The kids had fun finding fish in the crystal clear waters. Stepping on the island is a whole other world. There is so much to see and do. Spending a day on Lokrum Island is like stepping into a peaceful, wild paradise just a short ferry ride from Dubrovnik. No cars, no crowds—just nature, history, and crystal-clear water. Here’s how to make the most of your day: Morning: Arrival & Exploring the Island 🚤Take the ferry from Dubrovnik – Boats leave from the Old Port every 30 minutes in peak season (the ride takes about 15 minutes). Arrive early to enjoy the island before the crowds. 🏰 Visit the Benedictine Monastery – Wander through the ruins of this 12th-century monastery, which now houses a small museum about the island’s history, including its eerie curse—the monks supposedly hexed anyone who tried to claim the island for themselves. 🦚 Meet the Peacocks & Rabbits – Lokrum’s unofficial residents, brought here by Austrian archdukes, roam freely. Don’t be surprised if a peacock photobombs your pictures! : Swimming & Relaxing 🌊 Swim in the Dead Sea – A natural saltwater lake in the middle of the island, perfect for a refreshing, calm dip. Kids love it because it's shallow and warm. Find Your Own Rocky Beach – Lokrum doesn’t have sandy beaches, but there are plenty of rocky spots to sunbathe and swim. Try: Portoc Bay – Best for snorkeling. FKK Beach – A nudist-friendly spot if you want to tan all over. Lunch by the Sea – The island has a few cafés, but bringing your own picnic is a great idea. Find a shaded spot under the pine trees and enjoy fresh bread, local cheese, and Dalmatian prosciutto. Botanical Gardens – Walk through this peaceful garden filled with exotic plants from around the world, originally planted by Austrian royalty. Hike to Fort Royal – A 20-minute uphill walk leads to this old Napoleonic fort. From the top, the views of Dubrovnik and the Adriatic are insane. Game of Thrones Fans? – The monastery has a mini Iron Throne replica from the show, since Lokrum was used as a filming location for Qarth. One Last Swim & Return to Dubrovnik Sunset Dip – Before catching the last ferry, take a final swim in the Adriatic. The late afternoon light makes the water look even more magical. Catch the Last Ferry (6-8 PM, Seasonal) – Remember, no one is allowed to stay overnight on Lokrum—unless you want to test the island’s legendary curse. Back at Dubrovnik we had time to hit up one more thing before heading back to our Royal Carribean Cruise Ship. Buza Bar. The kind of place that doesn’t advertise, doesn’t need to. Tucked away behind the city walls of Dubrovnik, this bar doesn’t scream “tourist trap.” In fact, if you blink, you might miss it entirely. You walk down a narrow, almost secret alley, pass a few steps leading into darkness, and suddenly, you’re standing at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the Adriatic. This isn’t some polished, commercialized waterfront joint. No, this is real—raw even. The stone terrace is simple, rough-hewn. The chairs and tables are casual—no frills. And then there’s the view. The kind of view that stops you dead in your tracks: the sun setting over the sea, the waves crashing against the rocks below, and the city’s ancient walls rising up in the distance. The world feels far away here. Like you’ve discovered a little piece of heaven that nobody else knows about.