Photo: Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons
Best Hotels in Dubrovnik: Old City Walls, Lapad & the Adriatic Islands (2026)
The Rixos Premium Dubrovnik's Adriatic cliff pool, Villa Dubrovnik's 5-star Old City panorama, and Sponza Palace for the rare experience of sleeping inside Dubrovnik's 14th-century walls.
Dubrovnik: Beauty Under Pressure
Dubrovnik is simultaneously one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and one of the most over-touristed — the 2km medieval city walls (among the most complete and beautiful city fortifications in Europe, and one of the best walks in Croatia — the 1h30 circuit of the walls above the Adriatic Sea, with views of the Old City’s terracotta rooftops, Lokrum Island, and the crystal-clear Adriatic below), the Game of Thrones effect (Dubrovnik served as King’s Landing in Seasons 1–7 — the most significant tourism impact of any TV production on a single destination, with approximately 20% of visitors citing it as their primary motivation), and its distinct Croatian Riviera character.
The overtourism reality: 10,000 cruise ship passengers and 30,000 additional day-trippers can arrive on a single July or August day — a city with a permanent population of 18,000. The solution: arrive before 08:00 or after 17:00 for the Wall walk and the Old City experience, stay inside the walls or within 5 minutes, and visit Lokrum Island or take the ferry to the Elafiti Islands when the Old City is crowded.
Inside the Old City Walls
Grand Villa Argentina — Cliff Edge
Price: €300–2,000/night | Location: Frana Supila 14, Old City (just outside the Ploče Gate)
Grand Villa Argentina is one of the most celebrated historic hotels in Dubrovnik — the Belle Époque main villa (the 1922 villa, the original luxury hotel of the Adriatic, with a cliff-edge position east of the Ploče Gate), the sea-view pools (the standout pool terrace in Dubrovnik — three pools cascading down the cliff face to the Adriatic platform, the most photographed hotel amenity in Croatia), and a storied history (King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, Princess Margaret, and Elizabeth Taylor are among its well-known guests). The Esplanade restaurant (the finest hotel restaurant in Dubrovnik — an Adriatic terrace, a strong seafood menu).
Villa Dubrovnik — City Panorama
Price: €400–2,500/night | Location: Vlaha Bukovca 6, Old City East
Villa Dubrovnik is the most design-forward luxury hotel in Dubrovnik — its position (a cliff-face location east of the Old City, with the most complete direct Old City panorama available from any Dubrovnik hotel — views of the Walls, the Old Harbour, and the island of Lokrum from the infinity pool), the excellent Banje Bistro restaurant (one of the most celebrated hotel restaurant views in Dubrovnik), and its design (the most sophisticated hotel interior in Croatia — clean-lined contemporary style in dialogue with the historic panorama).
Lapad — Resort Character
Rixos Premium Dubrovnik — Adriatic Cliff Pool
Price: €300–1,500/night | Location: Liechtensteinov put 3, Lapad
Rixos Premium Dubrovnik (a Lapad peninsula property — the Rixos brand’s top Croatian property) is one of the top resort hotels in the Dubrovnik area — the cliff pool (among the most enviable pool positions of any Dubrovnik resort hotel — a multi-level pool terrace dropping down to the Adriatic Sea, with a cliff-edge infinity pool), the beach club (an Adriatic platform at the base of the cliff — one of the better resort beaches in Dubrovnik), and the Rixos all-inclusive food and beverage program (the finest all-inclusive offering in Croatia).
Sun Gardens Dubrovnik — Orašac
Price: €200–1,000/night | Location: Orašac, 15km northwest of Dubrovnik
Sun Gardens Dubrovnik (the most comprehensive resort complex in the Dubrovnik area — 207 rooms and 207 residences, 5 pools, a private marina, and a Café del Mar franchise) is the top family resort option in the Dubrovnik area — notable for its scale (the most facilities of any single resort in Croatia), its value relative to the Old City properties, and its private beach.
The Elafiti Islands Day Trips
The Elafiti Islands (the island chain northwest of Dubrovnik accessible by ferry from the Old Harbour — one of the most beautiful island day trips from any Adriatic city):
Koločep (15 minutes by ferry): A small, intimate island — the most intimate of the Elafiti — with pine forest, an unusually sandy beach on the northern coast (most Dubrovnik-area beaches are pebble), and a quiet village character.
Lopud (50 minutes): A car-free island (no motor vehicles — one of the most complete car-free islands in the Adriatic), Šunj Beach (the most appealing sandy beach accessible from Dubrovnik — 3km around the island by foot or donkey from the ferry dock), and an abandoned Franciscan monastery.
Šipan (90 minutes): The largest Elafiti island — known for wine production (white wine made from the endemic Šipanjski grk grape variety) and Renaissance palaces (the most substantial Renaissance rural architecture of any Croatian island — the summer palaces built by the Dubrovnik aristocracy).
Game of Thrones Sites
Dubrovnik’s main Game of Thrones sites for fans:
Minčeta Tower (King’s Landing: the House of the Undying): The most impressive of the Old City towers — a circular fortress at the highest point of the walls.
Fort Lovrijenac (“The Red Keep”): A free-standing fortress on the western cliff face — accessible separately from the main Old City (small additional entrance fee), and the Game of Thrones filming location for the throne room scenes.
Pile Gate area: The main gate of the Old City — the Braavos filming location for multiple Arya Stark scenes.
Stradun (the main Old City street): The King’s Landing main street — a 300m limestone-paved thoroughfare, and the most photographed street in Croatia.
FAQ
When should you visit Dubrovnik? May and September–October are the best months to visit — May (the sea is warming but the cruise ships have not yet reached peak frequency), September (the sea at its warmest — 26–27°C, with lower tourist numbers as European school holidays end), and October (quieter, with good autumn light and dramatic Adriatic storms beginning to add atmosphere).
Is Dubrovnik worth the price? Yes — the Old City (the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation is richly deserved: the 2km walls, the Baroque architecture of the Stradun and the side streets, and a long maritime history) is among the most beautiful urban environments in Europe. The high prices ($200–500/night for mid-range hotels, €20–30 for a restaurant dinner) reflect the tight supply constraints of a medieval city that cannot expand.
What is the best Dubrovnik day trip? The Kotor Bay Montenegro day trip (2h30 by ferry from Dubrovnik Old Harbour — the walled city of Kotor, the most beautiful medieval town in Montenegro, the Bay of Kotor (the only fjord in the Mediterranean — an inland sea surrounded by the Dinaric Alps), and Perast (the most atmospheric village in Montenegro — with small islands in the bay)) is the standout day trip from Dubrovnik, providing a genuinely different cultural experience in a UNESCO World Heritage setting.