Top 7 Things to do in Dubrovnik with Kids

We loved visiting Dubrovnik with kids on our family trip to Croatia! From mountain top hiking adventures, to beautiful beaches to the historic city walls, there are so many amazing things to do in Dubrovnik with kids.

We knew that Dubrovnik was a must-see destination while visiting Croatia with kids, but we worried a little bit about visiting a place with as much hype as Dubrovnik. We had visions of multiple cruise ships being there at the same time and walking along the Dubrovnik city walls shoulder-to-shoulder with hordes of tourists. We worried that we wouldn’t have a fun experience in Dubrovnik with kids.

Thankfully, this wasn’t our experience and we had no need to worry – we had an outstanding time in Dubrovnik with kids. Dubrovnik lived up to its advance billing and we were lucky enough to be there without many cruise ships. To top it off, not only was the city beautiful, the scenery amazing, but there were plenty of fun things to do in Dubrovnik with kids!

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Things to do in Dubrovnik with Kids

We enjoyed a wide variety of things to do in Dubrovnik with our kids during our visit. To help you determine how many days to spend in Dubrovnik with your kids on your Croatia family holiday, we list the things to do in Dubrovnik with kids in the chronological order we did them.

1. Mount Srd Cable Car

After 2 days in Korcula with kids, we took the ferry from Korcula to Dubrovnik. We checked into our Dubrovnik vacation home rental, in the heart of Old Town, late in the afternoon. We had wanted to hike up Mount Srd, but due to our late arrival we didn’t have time.

If you follow our travels, you know love to hike up the mountain instead of taking the cable car, but in the interest of time, we treated ourselves to a ride up the Mount Srd cable car to the top. When we arrived at the lower terminal around 2:30PM there weren’t many people in line, so before long we were on our way to the top.

The Mt. Srd cable cars have floor-to-ceiling windows, which make it a great thing to do in Dubrovnik with kids as they can enjoy the views without being picked up.

The views of Dubrovnik Old Town and the Adriatic Sea beyond were pretty amazing, but they didn’t last long as the smooth cable car trip to the top was pretty short. The kids aren’t used to taking cable cars, so they thought it was pretty cool thing to do!

At the top of Mount Srd, we stopped at many of the viewpoint platforms within the upper terminal. The views of the Dubrovnik Old Town and the many Croatian islands dotting the Adriatic Sea were spectacular. Being such a popular thing to do in Dubrovnik, the viewing platforms are pretty busy, so we walked down to the lower level to the giant cross and enjoyed the views of Dubrovnik from there without the crowds.

2. Mt. Srd Hiking

Disappointed that we didn’t hike up Mt. Srd, we did the next best thing and enjoyed some Mt. Srd hiking along the top. There were several Mt. Srd hiking trails to the north-west of the cable car terminal, so we set out for a fun family hike Dubrovnik-style.

Once we passed the Homeland War Museum, we entered a large plateau atop Mount Srd with hiking trails leading through large, precariously stacked rock cairns.

We wanted to hike Mt. Srd for the amazing views of Dubrovnik and the Adriatic, but there’s a good opportunity to see some relics from the Homeland War. Before long, the Mt. Srd hiking paths start winding around trenches and bunkers, left behind from the recent Homeland War.

There are many good vantage points of Dubrovnik Old Town from this plateau atop Mt. Srd and even if you hike no further, it’s worth a visit. 

Looking to get your child a camera? Here are the best cameras for toddlers and pre-schoolers who travel!

We continued hiking with our kids and soon found ourselves on a dirt road, with desert scrub vegetation on both sides. The views of the Old Town Dubrovnik are gone at this stage, but the views of the mountainous Croatian countryside are equally spectacular here.

We were having a great time walking along this amazing Mt. Srd hiking trail with barely a soul in sight. The odd dune buggy on a Dubrovnik Buggy Safari would go whizzing past (much to the delight of our toddler), but outside of that we were practically alone.

As we continued our Mt. Srd hike, we encountered more Homeland War remnants including some touching memorials to fallen soldiers. We had to walk carefully past a few cows which had escaped a nearby fenced area on our way to Utvrda Strinčjera, the ruins of a military complex from the Homeland War. The Utvrda Strinčjera complex was strategically built on high ground and as such, has excellent views in all directions.

Our kids love exploring ruins and were running around all crazy, when one of the dune buggy tour guides came running over and warned us about the poisonous snakes in the area. Needless to say, we picked up our kids and left the complex in a hurry!

Enjoying the Mt. Srd hiking trails was a wonderful thing to do in Dubrovnik with kids on our first afternoon. The aerial views really gave us the sense for what makes Dubrovnik so special.

We didn’t see any snakes on the Mt. Srd hiking trails – just keep one eye on the ground while hiking, just in case!

Dubrovnik Super Saver: Mt Srd Cable Car Ride plus Old Town and City Walls Walking Tour

3. Dubrovnik Game of Thrones Filming Locations Tour

We began our first full day in Dubrovnik with kids nice and early. We took advantage of the nearly empty streets with a self-guided tour of the Game of Thrones filming locations in Dubrovnik.

We started our self-guided Dubrovnik Game of Thrones filming locations tour at St. Ignatius Church. The stairs leading down from this church to the square below are where Cersei Lannister began her infamous walk of atonement (Shame! Shame! Shame!). Getting to St. Ignatius Church at 7:30AM had its benefits as we had the place nearly to ourselves and could take some fun pictures without the crowds. 

Next up on our self-guided Game of Thrones tour, we walked past Rector’s Palace, which was the atrium for the Spice King of Qarth.

Our final stop on our Dubrovnik Game of Thrones tour was a walk up Ul. Svetog Dominika, which appears in Game of Thrones as a market in King’s Landing.

If you are a big Game of Thrones fan and would appreciate hearing interesting details about the Dubrovnik filming locations, why not check out a Dubrovnik Game of Thrones Tour.

4. Walking the Walls of Dubrovnik with Kids

We were having a ton of fun on our self-guided Game of Thrones filming location tour, but soon enough the Walls of Dubrovnik had opened. Based on a tip from our Croatia Lonely Planet, we entered the Walls of Dubrovnik at the Ul. Svetog Dominika entrance gate. This is the best gate to begin your walk around the Walls of Dubrovnik with kids because:

Starting the Walls of Dubrovnik with kids at Ul. Svetog Dominika allows you to climb all the hard sets of stairs right away. This strategy for walking the Walls of Dubrovnik took advantage of our kid’s excitement levels at the beginning and they climbed all the stairs themselves.

If you arrive early enough in the morning, you will have excellent sun for pictures of Old Town Dubrovnik from the highest walls on the north side, looking south. If you wait until midday, the sun will be right behind Old Town and your pictures will be backlit.

The Pile Gate is the busiest entrance to the Walls of Dubrovnik, while by comparison, the Ul. Svetog Dominika gate was nearly deserted. We had the Walls of Dubrovnik almost to ourselves for the first half of the walk (until we got to the Pile Gate).

This strategy made walking the city walls one of the most fun things we did in Dubrovnik with kids. With no one around, the kids had tons of space to run and explore and for us to take great pictures.

Walking around the old city walls was such a fun thing to do in Dubrovnik for kids. There are plenty of walls to climb, windows to look through, corners to hide around, etc.

Our 4 year old walked the whole way around the Walls of Dubrovnik, while our 2 year old wanted to be carried for the final 30 minutes or so. As for us, the views of Old Town Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea beyond were spectacular.

There were a few Game of Thrones sights along the Walls of Dubrovnik as well. The Minceta Tower is the Qarth House of Undying. Tyrion Lannister commanded his army in the Battle of Blackwater from the walls on the south side near the water.

Walking the historic city walls are one of the top things to do in Dubrovnik with kids. Just be sure to do it early, and if possible try to do it on a day without a cruise ship in port.

The complete walk around the Walls of Dubrovnik with kids took us about 90 minutes. Afterwards, we treated the kids to an ice cream cone by the waterfront for a job well done.

If you are visiting Dubrovnik with a toddler, we recommend either a lightweight travel stroller or a toddler carrier. We always travel with our Lillebaby CarryOn AirFlow, which is made specifically for toddlers.

Please note, you are very exposed to the hot Croatian sun atop the Walls of Dubrovnik so pack plenty of water and make sure everyone has enough sunscreen on. There was only one bathroom up top (on the east side of the walls), so make sure everyone goes before starting the trek around the Walls of Dubrovnik.

Our Baby Can Travel website has our recommendations for the best strollers for travel and the best baby carriers for travel.

5. Gradac Park

In the afternoon, we left Dubrovnik Old Town and walked to Gradac Park. This small, green Dubrovnik park is a short walk west of Fort Lawrence and is a good spot to escape the madness of Old Town. Visiting Gradac Park is a nice break for parents traveling to Dubrovnik with toddlers!

Gradac Park features a modest fountain with turtles swimming in it and a nice kid-friendly walk through some trees with views of the Adriatic Sea all along the way.

For Game of Thrones fans, Gradac Park was the filming location for the shocking Purple Wedding scene, where King Joffrey dies at his wedding reception after drinking poisoned wine.

Here’s more info on Game of Thrones Tours in Croatia.

6. Beach Sulic

On the walk back to Old Town, we stopped off at a tiny Dubrovnik beach tucked away in the cove west of Fort Lawrence (famously known as the “Red Keep” in Game of Thrones). 

As you can see, Beach Sulic is not the finest Dubrovnik beach by any stretch, but was an easy & fun thing for the kids to do. They didn’t care that the beach wasn’t the best – they were happy to wet their feet and throw rocks in the water on a hot spring day.

It was a nice thing to do in Dubrovnik with kids, but if you want to spend anything more than 15 minutes at a beach, we’d recommend finding a nicer beach around Dubrovnik.

7. Lokrum Island

Our planned visit to Lokrum Island with the kids was disrupted by the fact the first ferry doesn’t leave the mainland until 10AM – a full two hours after we start our exploring each day. We originally planned to fill this time by taking the kids to Banje Beach which is a short walk east of Old Town. 

We walked slowly at the kids pace, a rare opportunity for them to walk without being rushed. As soon as we left Old Town Dubrovnik there was a plaza literally filled with pigeons. Chasing pigeons is our kids favorite thing to do while traveling! We let the kids go crazy and chase pigeons until we finally had to step in to give the poor birds a break. 

While the kids climbed on the cannon in the corner of the square, we looked out over Old Town and we noticed a pathway along the ferry harbor which ends at a small lighthouse.

We decided to take the kids down there for a slow walk and have a snack while we waited for the ferry. As our son still needs a midday nap, we’re usually always busy when we’re out in the mornings, so this was a nice change of pace for everyone. 

The Lokrum Island ferry departed at 10AM and only lasted 15 minutes. The ferry to Lokrum Island itself was a fun activity in Dubrovnik for kids.

Lokrum Island is a nature preserve with pathways running along the coast and through its forested interior. It’s the perfect day trip from Dubrovnik with kids.

Tip: Wear proper footwear as flip flops won’t cut it on these paths. We know from experience!

We have an entire post full of all our best tips for hiking with kids and this one with all the best hiking gear for kids.

For attractions, there is a small, inland salt lake (the “Dead Sea”), the ruins of a 12th century monastery (yet another Game of Thrones filming location), a fort atop a hill, and the Iron Throne. Yes… that Iron Throne and it’s one of the real ones from the show, not a fake.

The producers of Game of Thrones sold the Iron Throne to the city of Dubrovnik and it is now on Lokrum Island. Most blog posts you will read will say it’s in the Lokrum Island Visitors Center, but currently it’s housed in the Monastery complex.

Our kids favorite thing to do on Lokrum Island was to seek out and admire the wild peacocks and rabbits which freely roam the island. The Lokrum Island peacocks are everywhere and the kids couldn’t get enough. The rabbits are mostly in the park near the center of the island, but the kids were more interested in the small playground there.

We spent our time on Lokrum Island enjoying a nature walk, letting the kids admire the peacocks and just soaking in the feeling of relaxation which is so obviously missing back in Dubrovnik Old Town. This was our last day of a 6 week family trip to Eastern Europe and we wanted to just enjoy the experience and not rush anything. 

It was perfect… For families looking for unique things to in Dubrovnik with kids, Lokrum Island is a lot of fun and is a nice change of pace from Dubrovnik Old Town.

8. Family Photo Shoot

On several of our family trips around the world, we were lucky enough to capture some special moments from our family trip with a session with a professional photographer. Some of the family photos we received from these photo sessions are some of our most treasured possessions.

Dubrovnik is such a beautiful city. We didn’t have a chance this family trip, but you can book a family photo shoot in Dubrovnik. Your professional photographer will make you feel relaxed and help you find photo-friendly locations in and around Dubrovnik.

Driving from Dubrovnik to Split? This post will inspire you to drive up the Peljesac Peninsula!

Where to Stay in Dubrovnik with Kids

Dubrovnik’s Old Town is the best place to stay in Dubvrovnik with kids. It’s where the best restaurants, shopping and the majority of the things to do in Dubrovnik are located. The downside is that accommodation in Dubrovnik Old Town can get very expensive.

We rented a three-bedroom Dubrovnik vacation home rental in a quiet corner of Old Town. We chose to stay at a vacation home rental in Dubrovnik as we enjoy the family-friendly amenities like separate bedrooms, a kitchen and laundry facilities. Plus, it’s location a few blocks away from the main streets of Dubrovnik’s Old Town made it more affordable.

There are plenty of family-friendly Dubrovnik vacation home rentals to choose from.

If hotels are more your style, we personally use and recommend using Booking.com as their Top Picks for Families search filter makes it easy to find good family-friendly accommodation.

How to Get Into Dubrovnik with Kids

The Dubrovnik airport is a 30 minute drive outside of Old Town. When traveling with kids, it’s often difficult to find a way to get your kids safely from the airport to the Old Town without car seats. Taxis and Ubers will not have car seats and taking an airport bus with kids is often a pain in the butt.

We are big fans of private transfers when traveling with kids. Your driver meets you at the gate with your family name on a sign. He’ll walk you to your private car with your pre-reserved child seats already in place. It’s an affordable luxury after a long day of flying with kids.

We are grateful to Dubrovnik Tourist Board for their generosity during our visit. All opinions are our own.

Read more about our European family vacation with stops in the Czech Republic with kids, Budapest with kids, Croatia with kids and a final stop in Iceland with kids.

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