Dubrovnik on €0, €10, €40 and €100

The best seat in Dubrovnik is free. Sit on the Porporela breakwater at sunset, with the Old Port on one side and the open Adriatic on the other, and the evening costs nothing. Everything else on the list below scales up from there, so sort it by wallet first and by taste second.

Free

• Stradun and the side stairs. The polished limestone main street and the stepped lanes off it are open all day.
• Jesuit Stairs. The baroque staircase from 1738 is a popular Game of Thrones backdrop.
• Old Port and Porporela. Walk out along the breakwater past the old shipyard arches.
• Danče and the rocks outside the walls. Swim from the limestone slabs. Wear water shoes and stay out of the sea in rough weather.
• The Srđ trail. A 2 km gravel zigzag climbs to the summit cross. Stay on the marked path, because unexploded mines remain in parts of the hinterland that were affected by the 1990s war.

Under €10

A single Libertas city bus ride costs €1.73 if you buy it ahead at a kiosk and €2.50 from the driver, valid for 60 minutes; the Libertas price list has the day ticket. The Franciscan Monastery cloister and its old pharmacy cost €6 for adults and €3 for children. Burek from a bakery runs €2.50 to €4.50, and a gelato scoop €2.50 to €4. The public ferry to Koločep and Lopud leaves from Gruž and costs a few euros each way, with sailings on the Jadrolinija local lines page .

€15 to €40

• Rector’s Palace: €15 for adults. A ten-museum ticket is €20 and lasts 7 days from first use, listed at dumus.hr .
• Cable car: €30 return or €17 one way, with a schedule that stops from December to March. Details are on the cable car site .
• Lokrum: €30 covers the reserve and the return boat. See lokrum.hr for sailings.
• City Walls: about €40 in summer and less in winter, one circuit with no re-entry, and Fort Lovrijenac is included. Prices and hours sit on the official Walls shop .
• Sea kayaking: roughly €35 to €55 a head, depending on the operator. Compare sea kayak tours before choosing.

The Dubrovnik Pass comes as a 24, 72 or 168 hour card, priced around €40, €50 and €60. Work out whether your list of sights beats the separate tickets on dubrovnikpass.com first.

€45 and up

A full-day boat cruise to Koločep, Lopud and Šipan with a fish lunch costs about €45 to €75. Browse Elaphiti island cruises to compare. Coach days to Kotor or Mostar run about €55 to €80 and both need a passport. A Pelješac wine and oyster tour is closer to €120 to €160, and a tasting menu at the Michelin-starred Restaurant 360 costs more than all of these.

Rules that cost money

Walking through the Old Town shirtless or in swimwear brings on-the-spot fines, so carry a shirt from the beach to the next meal. Cruise ships are capped at two a day, about 5,000 passengers, and the lanes still clog between 10:00 and 16:00.

Verdict

A €40 day gives the best return: the Walls at opening, a bakery lunch, a swim at Danče and the Porporela sunset. Move up a tier only for Lokrum or the Elaphiti islands. The 2-day itinerary shows how to order a short stay.

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