Travel · Croatia
Where to Stay in Dubrovnik
inside the walls, or just above them
Where to stay in Dubrovnik — inside the old town to have it at dawn, or on the cliffs just outside with the walled city and the Adriatic from your terrace.
The trick in Dubrovnik is to be near the old town so you can walk it early and late, when the cruise crowds are gone. Sleeping inside the walls puts you on the marble streets at dawn; the cliff hotels just outside trade that for sea-view terraces and a quick walk in.
Book ahead for summer and aim for May–June or September. A few places, from a palazzo inside the walls to clifftop classics, are below.
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Where to Stay
Hand-picked Hotels
Villa Dubrovnik
$$$$Above the old town
A serene clifftop hotel a short walk from the walls, with a private bathing platform on the Adriatic.
Check Availability →Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik
$$$$Beside the old town
A grand classic just outside the walls, with the old town and Lokrum island from the balconies.
Check Availability →The Pucic Palace
$$$Inside the old town
A baroque palazzo on the old-town market square — sleep inside the walls, on the Stradun.
Check Availability →Hotel Bellevue
$$$West cliffs
Built into the cliff above a private cove, a ten-minute walk to the old town.
Check Availability →Book an Experience
Live on GetYourGuide
What to See & Do
The city walls
A near-two-kilometre walk along the ramparts above the terracotta roofs — go at opening or sunset.
Lokrum
A car-free nature-reserve island 15 minutes from the old port — gardens, coves, and peacocks.
Mount Srđ cable car
Up to the view over the whole walled city at dusk.
The Elaphiti islands
Car-free, slow islands (Koločep, Lopud, Šipan) — the antidote to the old-town crowds.
Questions, Answered
Is it better to stay inside or outside Dubrovnik's old town?
Inside the walls puts you on the marble streets at dawn and after dusk, when the old town is quiet and magical — but rooms are limited and you'll hear nightlife. The cliff hotels just outside offer sea-view terraces, pools, and easy access, with a short walk into the old town. Both work; choose atmosphere vs. amenities.
Is Dubrovnik expensive?
Dubrovnik is one of Croatia's priciest destinations, especially in July and August. Rates drop in the shoulder season (May–June, September). Staying just outside the old town, or in nearby Cavtat or Lapad, is cheaper than the old-town and clifftop icons, with easy access by bus or boat.
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