Where to Stay in Dubrovnik: A Neighborhood Guide

Short answer: for a short first visit, stay in the Old Town or in Ploče, just east of the walls. You'll walk everywhere and have the city to yourself in the evening. For a longer stay with beach time, Lapad is the better base and much better value.

Old Town

Rooms here are mostly in apartments and small guesthouses in old stone houses, often up long flights of steps with no lift. The setting is unbeatable after the day-trippers leave, but there are trade-offs: church bells, late diners below your window and delivery carts at dawn. Cars can't get in, so you'll carry your bags from the gate. Check how many steps before you book.

Ploče

The hillside east of Ploče Gate, with the big hotels on the cliffs and the classic view back over the walls from your balcony. It's close to Banje beach and a five-minute walk into town, though walking home means going uphill.

Pile

The area just outside the western gate, around Fort Lovrijenac. Handy for the buses and for arriving with luggage, and flatter than Ploče. Less character, more convenience.

Lapad and Babin Kuk

A green peninsula about 15 minutes by bus from Pile Gate, with a pedestrian promenade, pebble beaches and most of the city's resort hotels. Families and anyone staying a week will be happier here. Buses to the Old Town run often and late.

Gruž

The port district, by the ferry terminal and the bus station. Useful if you're arriving late or catching an early ferry or bus to Kotor. Not somewhere to spend your whole stay.

Cavtat, near the airport, is a quieter option for a slower trip, with a boat service to the Old Town in season.

A tourist tax is charged per person, per night, usually on top of the room rate. If you have a car, choose accommodation with parking, because spaces near the walls are scarce. For timing your trip see our best time to visit guide, and for the practical side of arriving, the getting there guide.