12 Hours in Dubrovnik

A Tuk Tuk ride, a luxurious lunch and a swim in the sea

Feb 18, 2024

Have you ever been on a trip and realized - in the middle of the experience - that you’re having the kind of day that you’ll remember for the rest of your life?

I’m a tough critic as far as those things go but it has happened to me a few times - once, on a trip with friends to Capri, another time on a trip with my family to Normandy, and most recently on a trip to Paris with my husband.

These are the moments that make you want to travel again and again - that feeling of wanting to capture an experience so extraordinary that you could never replicate it in your day to day life - boating around the island of Capri, walking on the beaches of Normandy with your parents and brother, biking through the empty streets Paris with your husband, to name a few.

I had another one of those days last summer on on a cruise with dear friends to Greece, Italy and Croatia. Actually, I had several of these days on the trip - more to come on those - but the one I want to tell you about was in the spectacular city of Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Dubrovnik as you may know is located in southeastern Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is simply a spectacular city - the views of the sparkling blue sea are unlike any other. It is also a very old city dating all the way back to the 7th century. The “old town” has surrounding stone walls that were built to protect the city from war and epidemics - it is such a cool tour for history and architecture buffs. Several scenes from The Game of Thrones were filmed here as well.

Because we were on a cruise, we had only one day in the city which was giving this Type A traveler anxiety - so much to see, so little time.

But we ended up having the perfect day and should you end up in Dubrovnik you should cut and paste this itinerary.

Morning: Tuk Tuk Tour - Founded by two brothers, Eco Tuk Tours is such a cool way to see the city.

This was a lot of fun and just the amount of culture we needed - it is a tour around the city on a breezy Tuk Tuk - you see all the views followed by a guided tour (and shopping!) of the old city, complete with Game of Thrones highlights.

I loved this experience because it was reasonably priced (60 Euro) and lasted the perfect amount of time (two-three hours).

Afternoon -Late Lunch followed by an invigorating swim at Villa Dubrovnik.

I actually stayed at this incredible hotel 12 years ago and have been dying to go back ever since. Since we were on a cruise this trip, of course we were staying on the ship but I utilized one of my favorite travel hacks which is to find the nicest hotel in the town you’re visiting and go there for lunch or to the spa to get the experience, even if you are not staying there.

Which is exactly what we did last summer - we had a long leisurely lunch of oysters, bottles of rosé, salad, octopus, fresh bread, olive oil and other delicious food at the hotel restaurant and afterwards, changed into our swimsuits and swam in the ocean right off the hotel.

The hotel staff couldn’t have been more accommodating - they allowed us to stay and swim for the afternoon, gave us towels, took our photos and were generally so kind and gracious.

Afterwards, we headed back to the ship for cocktails and dinner !

It Was The Best Day.