I spent a few days in Dubrovnik last month and had a wonderful time. That said, I doubt I will return during the busy summer months on future trips.
Dubrovnik, Croatia Photo Essay
Dubrovnik is a stunning city. It’s beautiful both in terms of natural beauty and the architecture that gives it such charm.
But the summers are busy. Seasonal flights from the USA, cruise ships, and budget airlines from all over Europe bring in crowds by the thousands and you’ll see that on the crowded streets and beaches.
Furthermore, I found the weather too hot…if I want the summer heat, I’d just as soon stay in Los Angeles.
And perhaps most of all, the prices are extremely…almost outrageously high during the summer. Croatia used to be the place you traveled to save on money but not Dubrovnik, at least during the summer.
This was my second trip to Dubrovnik and my previous trip was in autumn. If you visit during the shoulder seasons, you can enjoy cheaper prices, fewer crowds, but still warm weather. If you visit later in the fall, the winter, or early in the spring, you can enjoy much cheaper pricing, though the weather will be on the cool side and not all hotels or resorts will be open.
Bottom line: as you’ll see in the photo essay below, it is a beautiful place, but be aware of the crowds and high pricing that take away much of the charm during the summer months.
All of my trips are March-early April, mid to late September & October, and late December.
Hate crowds/people and hate the heat more.
Off to Quito today!
Nobody goes to Dubrovnik in the summer anymore, it’s too crowded.
No wonder you ordered a room service cheeseburger in your $1100 hotel room!
Laughing at the beaches. Now we know where all the people crowding the airline lounges went to next.
I planned to go to Croatia in the summer but gave up because of the crowds. At the end of the day it is hard to beat Italy in the summer in my opinion. Yes it is crowded but if you plan accordingly you will have a fantastic time and prices are very cheap. We spent 2 weeks in Sardinia this summer and it was absolutely fantastic. We managed the crowds since the island is huge and there are tons of beaches to enjoy. Also, you have to work very hard to find a bad restaurant in Italy and prices are cheap. You can have a fantastic 4 course meal with wine for what you would pay for a bad meal at Applebees. Going back next summer again.
I’ve never had a bad meal at Applebee’s. No idea what you’re talking about.
@Kramer: Yes, why go to Italy if you can eat at Olive Garden. LOL!!
Jerry and I tried to go to Tuscany once, but the Maestro said there’s nothing available.
Lolll love it.
You didn’t invite me,you are off my list of Newmania…
It’s a good thing this trip was about your very close and dear friend,not about you. Don’t you agree?
Yep.
You were there, it sounds, during the record heat wave. For more context, July’s average high is 82F.
https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=25431&cityname=Dubrovnik-Dubrovacko-Neretvanska-Croatia
Not criticizing your decision; just hate to see a future decision based on an anomaly.
An anomaly? I sold travel for 30 years. I recommended against going to the Med in July and August. The crowds and the heat are oppressive. Furthermore, with climate change, this isn’t an anomaly, this is the new normal. Summers in Europe have become much warmer, especially in August.
It will only get worse: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-25/droughts-wildfires-heat-waves-to-be-europe-s-summer-climate-normal
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/04/travel/heat-wave-europe.html—-Dr. Rebecca Carter, who leads climate adaptation work at the World Resources Institute, a think tank based in Washington, D.C. “This summer’s intense heat is not a fluke,” Dr. Carter said, but rather “the beginning of a trend that we’re going to see more of.”
That New York Times link is broken. Try this one: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/04/travel/heat-wave-europe.html
I went in summer 2021 and it was amazing, no crowds. Locals said it was at about 20% usual summer capacity and no cruise ships.
Gee, I wonder why.
Followed in Matt’s footsteps and took the family to Dubrovnik in late August after quite a few weeks in Italy. Honestly I think Dubrovnik was our favorite stop. Such a beautiful city. But yes full of tourists. We had a superb air bnb in the old town.
Now we are in Greece. Travel in September is really great in Europe. Still warm and no crowds. Saying that. It’s easy to avoid the crowds even in Italy on the Amalfi. We stayed in a town called Meta, that was ten mins from Sorrento. Far more enchanting and cheap
Any sense of how crowds compare in Dubrovnik to Greek Islands (ex Santorini which is beautiful but nearly always very tight). At some point crowding can become overwhelming but in general I find the social energy of EU beach destination enjoyable. Nothing in these pictures looks overwhelming. Those are mostly fixed rented beach umbrellas. Yes, not private but people are not actually right on top of each other. Now, lodging prices…that can get kind of silly.
I felt that Dubrovnik was more crowded as it’s more of a city than a beach destination.
In terms of the European beach situation it’s an interesting one. Im Australian so used to big long public beaches. It took a day or two to get used to the lido beach club concept but now I don’t mind it. You have your own little space set up for you with an umbrella and chairs. The next family will be 3m away. It creates some energy and fun for the kids.
I did Split, the islands, and up during roughly the same time period – agree that the crowds are nuts in the larger cities, but there’s still a lot of untraversed, perhaps more beautiful Croatian coastline that hasn’t suffered from tourism overcrowding.
Ragusa, an Italian maritime Republic called nowadays Dubrovnik…
Italian Maritime Republic?? Dont write things you have no idea about.
Dubrovnik, formerly Ragusa, WAS in fact an Italian maritime Republic. Maybe you should follow your own kind advice.
Please do us all a favor and stay in LA
I have to agree. This was my first time to Croatia and though it was magical in many respects the tourist coast leaves much to be desired. It was hot, expensive, crowded. Don’t get me wrong, Dubrovnik is interesting but the “city” has become an alaborate food court full of cheap tourist shops and jewelry stores devoid of culture and art that I had expected.
In some ways, yes indeed.
There’s so much more to Croatian than Dubrovnik. You live in LA, consider using Adriatic Travel located in San Pedro to further explore HR.
There’s so much more to Croatian than Dubrovnik. You live in LA, consider using Adriatic Travel located in San Pedro to further explore HR.
Of course, there is more. Croatia is a beautiful country with many treasures. I only had three days to be away and decided to check out what Dubrovnik in the summer is like, primarily because my friend wanted to.
No offense, but this was poorly done if your whole job consists of travel. This is like going to Paris just to see the Eiffel Tower and rating it or going to l.a. and seeing the Hollywood sign then leaving lol. Look at a map of Croatia or Google it. There’s 1000 islands a bunch of other sea front towns with old castles on them. Why wouldn’t you try to go to other places?
It’s insane you’re getting paid to travel / blog and you didn’t research anything about where you were going. I guess I should change professions. I would grade your boy an F and suggest to put 20 minutes in looking stuff up before traveling and writing.
I was talking about Dubrovnik in the summer, not the entire country. It’s a beautiful country and therefore a shame that so many flock to Dubrovnik and neglect other areas that are just as beautiful (if not more), cheaper, and less crowded during the summer months.
Dude, no offense, but try reading more carefully next time.
Mediterranean holiday destination is really hot and busy in the Summer. Shock! lol.
I will echo others and say you should fly to Split next time, but specifically stay in the town of Omis which is lovely and only a 30 minute bus journey from Split. Me and my wife went in the middle of June and although it was hot, it wasn’t overwhelmingly so (imo) and the town was quieter and less touristy than Split and Dubrovnik but had a lot of charm and numerous quality restaurants.
Its always been hot in summer months for hundreds of years but you people just kind of discovered that now…LoL