7 Days in Dubrovnik: Day-Trip Base Itinerary
Seven days is the full roster: both non-Schengen day trips, three shorter island and coastal trips, and a nature finale at Mljet National Park before you fly home. It’s the longest, most complete version of this itinerary family. Shorter trip? Drop to the 6-day , 5-day , or 4-day version .
Book these before you go
- Hotel: compare Old Town, Ploce, and Lapad rates on Booking.com
- Elaphiti Islands boat tour: browse current departures on GetYourGuide
- Montenegro (Kotor and Perast) day trip: check dates on Viator
- Mostar and the Old Bridge: check dates on Viator
- Peljesac wine and Ston day trip: browse wineries on GetYourGuide
- Mljet National Park boat trip, book ahead for the calmer morning departures: search current options on GetYourGuide
| Day | Focus | Distance/travel time from Dubrovnik |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival, Old Town orientation | Base city |
| Day 2 | Elaphiti Islands | Ferry 15-60 min, or full-day boat tour |
| Day 3 | Montenegro (Kotor, Perast) | ~2h drive plus a non-Schengen border crossing |
| Day 4 | Mostar, Bosnia | ~2.5-3.5h drive plus a second non-Schengen border crossing |
| Day 5 | Peljesac Peninsula wine, Ston | ~1.5-2h drive via the 2022 Peljesac Bridge |
| Day 6 | Cavtat, then the City Walls | Bus/ferry 30-45 min, plus the walk back in Dubrovnik |
| Day 7 | Mljet National Park | Ferry/boat tour roughly 1-2h |
Day 1: Arrival and Dubrovnik orientation
- Land at Dubrovnik Airport (DBV), roughly 15.5-20km southeast near Cilipi. Take the Platanus shuttle bus (EUR 8 one-way) or the cheaper Libertas line 11 city bus (roughly EUR 4)
- Check into one base for all seven nights, Old Town, Ploce, or Lapad. Walk Stradun for your bearings, then an early dinner and an early night, this week has more early mornings than late nights
Day 2: Elaphiti Islands
- Morning departure from the Old Port for Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan; public ferry lines 807/831 run about EUR 5 each way, or an organized three-island tour (EUR 30-75+pp) with lunch and swim stops
- Back in Dubrovnik by early evening; check ferry timetables at jadrolinija.hr if going independently
Day 3: Montenegro, Kotor and Perast
- Early start, ideally the first available departure (~7-7:15am), across the Karasovići/Debeli Brijeg border; passport required, Montenegro isn’t in Schengen despite bordering EU member Croatia
- Organized tours run roughly EUR 30-68pp; walk Kotor’s Old Town walls (~EUR 15, free November-April); border wait swings from 10-20 minutes off-peak to multiple hours at peak summer midday
Day 4: Mostar and the Old Bridge
- A second non-Schengen border, roughly 2.5-3.5 hours’ drive each way, organized tours run EUR 45-55pp, commonly paired with Kravice Waterfall and/or Medjugorje
- Walk Stari Most, the Ottoman-era Old Bridge rebuilt after 1990s war damage, a genuine 10-12 hour day
Day 5: Peljesac Peninsula wine and Ston
- The Peljesac Bridge (opened 2022) crosses to the peninsula without the old Neum/Bosnia detour; organized wine-tour day trips run roughly EUR 130-150pp for 2-3 wineries plus a stop in Ston for oysters and centuries-old salt pans
- A slower pace after two long border days; public transport on the peninsula is thin, so a tour or rental car matters more here than for Elaphiti or Cavtat
Day 6: Cavtat, then the City Walls at golden hour
- Morning bus (Line 10, ~EUR 4-5, 30-45 minutes) or, June-October, the seasonal scenic ferry (~EUR 15-20 return) to Cavtat, no border, no long drive, the lightest day trip in the whole week
- Back in Dubrovnik by early afternoon; use the rest of the day for the City Walls, EUR 40 peak adult (check current pricing at citywallsdubrovnik.hr ), walked in the last two hours before closing for the light and thinner crowds
- Fort Lovrijenac comes free with any Walls ticket for three days afterward, don’t buy it separately; the full deep-dive on the Walls lives in our Dubrovnik travel guide
Day 7: Mljet National Park
- Ferry or organized boat tour to Mljet National Park, saltwater lakes and a Benedictine monastery islet inside dense pine forest; adult entry runs roughly EUR 20-30 (confirm current pricing at np-mljet.hr ), separate from the boat fare
- The most relaxing day of the week, a deliberate break after six days that included two border crossings and a wine tour
- Evening back in Dubrovnik for a last dinner, then pack for a morning flight, the airport is roughly 25-30 minutes from the Old Town by taxi or shuttle
Is 7 days enough for a Dubrovnik day-trip base?
Enough for the full roster in this guide: both non-Schengen crossings, the Elaphiti Islands, Peljesac wine, Cavtat, the City Walls, and Mljet, at a pace that leaves each day trip its own recovery time. Split still isn’t on this list on purpose, it’s a genuine overnight, not a day trip, even with a full week to spend.
How much does this 7-day Dubrovnik trip cost?
Budget roughly EUR 70-100 a day (~USD 75-108) for a mid-range hotel and meals, plus EUR 30-75pp for Elaphiti, EUR 30-68pp for Montenegro, EUR 45-55pp for Mostar, EUR 130-150pp for Peljesac wine, EUR 40 for the City Walls, and EUR 20-30 for Mljet entry.
Things to know
- Croatia’s currency is the euro since 1 January 2023; carry a passport for both Day 3 and Day 4
- The Cavtat ferry is seasonal, June through October only, the bus runs year-round regardless
- Elaphiti and Mljet boats leave from the Old Port, entirely separate from Gruz, the main cruise and ferry harbour further northwest
Tips
- Book the Montenegro and Mostar tours’ earliest departures first, both border crossings and the tours themselves run longer later in the day
- Trim this down instead? The 5-day or 6-day itinerary drop Cavtat, the Walls, or Mljet without touching the rest of this plan
Check the day’s cruise-ship schedule at tzdubrovnik.hr before your Day 6 Walls slot, confirm current Walls and City Pass tiers at visitdubrovnik.hr , and check your passport for Days 3 and 4 the night before you fly in.