Walking Dubrovnik’s city walls is one thing that should be on your bucket list. Dubrovnik has some of the best-preserved and most beautiful walls in the world. The main wall is almost 2 km in length but we are confident you’ll enjoy every step. Be sure to visit in either the early morning or late afternoon in order to avoid the heat of the. Arm yourself with a bottle of water, sun cream, hat and of course, camera because the views from the city walls will tempt to you photograph non-stop. Bear in mind that your entrance ticket also covers entry to the St. Lawrence fortress (Lovrijenac) which forms part of Dubrovnik’s fortifications. One ticket buys you just one entry to the city walls so be sure to see walk the length if you can.

You can reach the top of Srd hill by cable car, bus, private car or you can simply walk up (if you do decide to walk up then avoid doing so during high sun). The view from Srđ is at its most beautiful during the sunset over the Elaphite islands. We advise getting to the top in plenty of time before the sunset so that you can visit the Museum of the Homeland War in the Imperial fortress which is also on Srđ. For just a few euros , you can learn all about Dubrovnik between 1991-1992, during the maelstrom of the war.

Dubrovnik is a city that you truly fall in love with at first sight, but in order to really understand the city’s cultural and historical importance and wealth, we recommend that you hire one of the local guides. A cheaper variation, of course, would be to buy one of the tourist guidebooks on Dubrovnik or do research on the city online, but none of these can compare to a real life guide. You can ask a real guide endless questions, focusing on the themes that interest you the most, or even learn about the rest of Croatia. A guide will furnish you with tips on how to make the most of your stay in Dubrovnik so that you can enjoy it even more.

History lovers are strongly advised to buy a Dubrovnik Card. A three-day Dubrovnik Card buys you entry to five Dubrovnik museums, two galleries and the city walls, among other things. The best museum in the Old Town is in the Franciscan monastery with a beautiful Romanesque-Gothic cloister and the inventory of the old Franciscan pharmacy from the 14th century, the third oldest pharmacy in Europe. Admission to the museum costs only four euros.

Lokrum is, to be concise, a real little heaven just a 15 minutes boat ride form Dubrovnik. It might seem that there is nothing on Lokrum, when looking from Dubrovnik, but you’d be wrong. Lokrum is home to a botanical garden, the remains of a Benedictine monastery, some of which date back to the 12th and 13th century. At the top of the island is the Royal fortress form the time of Napoleon and there’s even a miniature ‘dead sea’ to swim in. Don’t be surprised if a peacock crosses your path either as they roam the island freely. A visitor centre was opened in summer 2015 where you can learn about the island’s interesting history and legends, as well as the opportunity to have a photograph taken on a replica of the iron thrones from the ‘Game of Thrones’. Some scenes from the popular scenes ware filmed on Lokrum. The boat for Lokrum departs from the old harbour and your return ticket includes the cost of entry to the island as Lokrum is a special reserve of forest vegetation.

When in Dubrovnik, do as the locals do. Spend the morning at the market in the centre of the Old Town, try some traditional Dubrovnik confectionary – arancini (candied orange peel), candied almonds and dried figs. Discover locally manufactured cosmetics made with natural ingredients, fig salami and enjoy the scent of lavender and other Mediterranean plants. Don’t forget to pick up an original souvenir gift for a loved one. Finish off your relaxing morning at the Old Town market with a coffee on the main street or one of the popular squares. Coffee in Dubrovnik is an intrinsic part of life in the city. And no, we’re not talking about coffee to go but sitting and relaxing while you drink your coffee, watching the world go by for at least an hour. We’d recommend the city coffee house for this favourite past time, it’s called Gradska Kavana.

Did you know that HBO chose Dubrovnik as the capital of the Seven Kingdoms in the popular Game of Thrones series? When you come to Dubrovnik you’ll understand why. We recommend going on one of the many Game of Thrones walking tours on offer. Choose a guide who runs a tour with the help of a catalogue of images from the show to help you visualise scenes from King’s Landing that you perhaps didn’t realise were shot in Dubrovnik. If you want to avoid big crowds then we recommend hiring a private guide so you can complete the tour at your own pace and ask lots of questions about filming and the city’s history.

Fontana is a cafe bar that has retained its Dubrovnik soul. At Fontana there’s no music, just conversation. Conversation is lubricated with gemišt (white wine and sparkling mineral water), bevanda (red wine and water), beer, or rakija (drunk in one). If you decide for the latter, it comes with a warning – it takes a while to feel the effects so don’t drink a few in a short space off time. In Fontana you can meet lots of locals and have fun with friends, for a small amount of money.

…with fresh lemon juice and a glass of wine form the Dubrovnik region. This is a true delicacy.

This magical place is around 20km from Dubrovnik but well worth a visit. You can reach the arboretum by bus; the journey takes around 20 minutes. The Trsteno arboretum is the only one on Croatia’s coastline and is legally protected in its entirety as a monument of garden architecture. In the time of the Dubrovnik Republic, the villas and gardens that adorn the arboretum became one of the centres of humanistic cultural life in Dubrovnik. Take the afternoon to visit the arboretum and do not forget to bring your bathing suit because it lies on the coast.