We traveled to Croatia with our almost 7 year old twins in June, 2017. Here’s what we did in Dubrovnik with Kids:
What to do: Dubrovnik with Kids
NOTE: We noticed very few people with small children here…
Old Town
- This is a beautiful medieval city surrounded by great walls.
- Game of Thrones enthusiast take note: there are TONS of GOT-themed activities, shops and tourist sites in Dubrovnik.
- Pile Gate is the main entrance into town.
- My kids loved inspecting the pulley system for the now defunct drawbridge!
- The Onophrain Fountain (mid 15 century) is a Game of Thrones highlight. We were psyched to hear that it will also be featured in the new Star Wars movie.
- The marble paved, shiny Strada is the main street of old town.
- You can do a little window shopping here, but the best shops are on the side streets.
- Clara Stones is a jewelry store in Old Town off the Stradum where the kids can watch a craftsman turn red coral branches into beautiful jewelry. They even gave my kids a small piece of the raw material…and I bought a gorgeous necklace.
- My husband and son walked along the walls of the city. They took beautiful photos and had a great time. It took them about an hour…and there are lots of stairs.
- Visit Renato at the Art Workshop Trabakul at Zlatarska 1 in the Old Town off the Stradum. He makes amazing model boats and planes out of parts of old Croatian ships. These make for unique souvenirs of your trip!
Tuk-Tuk Tour
- June in Dubrovnik is filled with fragrant flowers blooming everywhere so the open air vehicle was perfect to experience spring.
- We drove up Srd mountain (where the cable car goes) for beautiful views of Lokrum Island and the Old Town.
- The kids really enjoyed watching someone make replica coins from the 18th Century. They even got to try to work the antique machine!
“Once a reality today a story” tour
- This evening tour is special because it allows small groups only (we were 8 in total).
- We drove away from the city on the coast, passing some of the 1,000 islands of Croatia, until we got to the mountains to the Northern Hinterlands of Dubrovnik. The terrain was beautiful and very Mediterranean.
- Our first stop was in the town of Ljubac (means love) to visit an old blacksmith shop. There, we learned about this ancient craft. The smith even let the kids help!
- Next stop was the Musladin Family Farm. Upon arrival, we were greeted with freshly picked cherries and homemade liquors and olive oils to taste.
- The family allowed my kids pick cherries, and introduced them to their neighbor’s cow (GREAT fun for a couple of city kids!).
- Some of the family (dressed in typical traditional folk outfits) played traditional instruments, while others treated us to a folk dance.
- Throughout the evening, the wine flowed freely and the music continued. For dinner, they served freshly baked bread with homemade cheeses and a traditional lamb dish (which we did not eat for dietary reasons, but we heard it was delicious).
- It was a fun evening (and different!) for all of us!
Ocean Kayaking
- I read a lot about kayaking to Lockrum Island, so we decided to give it a try. The island is only 700 meters away from shore, so I thought I would be fine, but it wasn’t what I expected at all.
- First, the Adriatic Sea is more rough than seems…there were some pretty harsh waves out there!
- Second, I didn’t realize that before heading to the island we would first travel the perimeter of the city.
- Third, it did not occur to me that I would be the only woman in a boat without an adult partner (My daughter was with me but she did not row).
- Fourth, since we were the last in the group to arrive at every stopping point, I didn’t have adequate time to rest or rehydrate.
- How it ended: After about an hour, I became lightheaded and dizzy. We had to call the accompanying motorboat over to rescue me. It was sad and I felt very guilty that my family couldn’t snorkel at the island. Thankfully, the woman in charge allowed them to snorkel on the shore of the mainland instead.
Cable Car
- beautiful view at the top!
- Get tickets in advance if it is a busy day in town.
Where We Stayed: Dubrovnik with Kids
Valamar Lacroma Dubrovnik Hotel
- This hotel is located about 20 minutes from the old town.
- There is a bus that takes you from the hotel to downtown, so you don’t need your car while exploring. The bus gets super crowded, but Valamar is the first stop, so its easy to get a seat.
- We had two huge connecting rooms, each with a balcony overlooking the Adriatic sea. It was gorgeous to watch the sun set from here!
- The hotel was clean and comfortable with great blackout shades.
- There were many choices at the breakfast buffet. Food was plentiful but meh.
Where We Ate: Dubrovnik with Kids
Gradska Kavana Arsenal
- We sat overlooking the water and listened to odd musicians playing the tunes of Rhianna and Michael Jackson, muzak style 😂.
- The food was awesome here! We had pumpkin soup, pea and leak risotto, and sea bass
- It was a lovely atmosphere.
Peppinos
- best gelato in town, according to us
Tabasco Pizzeria
- Best pizza place in town! The thin crust pizza with tons of topping options was awesome.
- Seems like a local’s spot. It is a bit off the beaten path (halfway up between the city walls and the cable car), but well worth the walk!
Nautika
- excellent upscale restaurant seaside just outside the city walls
- Delicious food (think fresh sea bass and truffled pasta) and cocktails
- Go at sunset. Its a perfect view!
For next time: DUBROVNIK
- Montenegro day trip
- Stay in the old-town
- Kravica Falls – Bosnia
- Paklenica National Park – Velebit Mountains
- In my research, I found the following places to visit in Dubrovnik (but we did not go): Church of Ignatious, Rector’s Palace (15C, now a cultural history museum), Franciscan Monastery (14C – art, stained glass, pretty courtyard, calm and serene)
Read more about our trip to Croatia on these blog posts:
- Split with kids
- Zadar with kids
- Zagreb and Plitvice Lakes with kids
NEXT TIME IN CROATIA:
- Barac Caves (5 miles from Plitvice), but we didn’t go.
- Brijuni Park- 14 islands off the coast of Istria (WHITE TRUFFLES THERE!), safari park (zoo?), Roman ruins from the first century
- Krka National Park– swim in a waterfall
- Ferry from Split to Dubrovnik
- Blue Cave by speedboat (from Split)
- Cilipe village with crafts, dancing, costumes (from Dubrovnik)
- Porec– 2,000 year old western costal resort town, beachy…banana boat ride, sea trampoline, tubing, dinosaur park, shows