We loved visiting Dubrovnik with kids during our family trip to Croatia! From walking the historic city walls to hiking on Mount Srđ and spotting wild peacocks on Lokrum Island, we found plenty of fun things to do in Dubrovnik with kids. We spent three days exploring Dubrovnik with our 2-year-old and 4-year-old, and it turned out to be one of our favourite stops in Croatia.
Before arriving, though, we had some concerns. Dubrovnik is an incredibly popular destination, and we pictured ourselves walking shoulder-to-shoulder with crowds of cruise ship passengers along the city walls. We weren’t sure how much fun Dubrovnik would be with a toddler and preschooler, especially with all the sightseeing we wanted to do.
Thankfully, our experience was much better than we expected! We were lucky to visit when there weren’t many cruise ships in port, which made exploring Dubrovnik Old Town with our kids much more enjoyable. We loved the beautiful scenery and historic sights, but what surprised us most was how many activities our young kids enjoyed. Dubrovnik ended up ranking very high on our list of favourite family-friendly cities in Europe.
In this 3-day Dubrovnik family itinerary, we’re sharing exactly what we did each day, including our favourite attractions, family-friendly hikes, playgrounds and a day trip to Lokrum Island. We’ll also share what worked well with our toddler and preschooler, along with practical tips to help you make the most of your family trip to Dubrovnik.
This post contains compensated links.
Our 3-Day Dubrovnik with Kids Itinerary
There are so many fun things to do in Dubrovnik with kids, with historic city walls, scenic cable car rides, beaches and nearby Lokrum Island. We spent three days in Dubrovnik with kids aged 2 and 4, combining sightseeing with playgrounds, hiking and opportunities to explore at their own pace.
To help you plan your own family trip, we’re sharing our 3-day Dubrovnik itinerary, including everything we did each day and how we fit it all in while travelling with a toddler and preschooler.
Day 1: Mount Srđ Cable Car and Hiking
Take the Mount Srđ Cable Car
After three days on Korčula with kids, we took the ferry 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 Srđ, but due to our late arrival we didn’t have time.
If you follow our travels, you know we love hiking up mountains instead of taking cable cars, but in the interest of time, we treated ourselves to a ride up the Mount Srđ cable car to the top. When we arrived at the lower terminal around 2:30 PM there weren’t many people in line, so before long we were on our way to the top.
The Mount Srđ cable cars have floor-to-ceiling windows, which make it a fun activity 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. Our kids aren’t used to taking cable cars, so they thought it was a pretty cool experience.
At the top of Mount Srđ, we stopped at many of the viewpoint platforms within the upper terminal. The views of 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.
Hike on Mount Srđ with Kids
Disappointed that we didn’t hike up Mount Srđ, we did the next best thing and enjoyed some hiking along the top. There were several Mount Srđ 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 Srđ with hiking trails leading through large, precariously stacked rock cairns.
We originally wanted to hike Mount Srđ for the views of Dubrovnik and the Adriatic, but we also enjoyed seeing some remnants of the Homeland War along the way. Before long, the 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 Mount Srđ 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. At this point, we could no longer see Dubrovnik Old Town, but the views of the mountainous Croatian countryside were equally spectacular.
We were having a great time walking along this amazing Mount Srđ 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 Mount Srđ 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 the historic Strinčjera Fortress. 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 Mount Srđ 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 Mount Srđ hiking trails, but perhaps keep one eye on the ground while hiking, just in case!
For more practical advice, read our guide to hiking with kids and see the hiking gear for kids we recommend for family adventures.
Kid-Friendly Tour: Mount Srđ Cable Car Ride plus Old Town and City Walls Walking Tour
Day 2: Dubrovnik Old Town, City Walls and Beach
Explore Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Dubrovnik
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’re a Game of Thrones fan, consider joining a kid-friendly Dubrovnik Game of Thrones tour. A local guide can bring the filming locations to life with behind-the-scenes stories and details you might otherwise miss while exploring on your own.
Walk the Dubrovnik City Walls with Kids
We were having a ton of fun on our self-guided Game of Thrones tour, but before long it was time to visit the Walls of Dubrovnik.
We entered the Dubrovnik city walls at the Ul. Svetog Dominika entrance gate, which we think is the best place to start walking the walls with kids. Starting here allowed us to tackle the steepest sets of stairs early in the walk, while our kids were still full of energy. This worked really well for our family, as both kids managed to climb 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.
Pile Gate is the busiest entrance to the Walls of Dubrovnik, but when we visited, the Ul. Svetog Dominika entrance 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 our favourite experiences 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 four-year-old walked the entire Walls of Dubrovnik circuit, while our two-year-old needed 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 Minčeta 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 is 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. Incredible experiences like this are one of the reasons why we love Europe with kids.
Safety Tip: 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.
Take a Break at 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 Lovrijenac (Fort Lawrence) and is a good spot to escape the madness of Old Town. Visiting Gradac Park is a nice break for parents travelling 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.
Visit Šulić Beach
On the walk back to Old Town, we stopped off at a tiny Dubrovnik beach tucked away in the cove west of Fort Lovrijenac (famously known as the “Red Keep” in Game of Thrones).
As you can see, Šulić Beach isn’t the nicest beach in Dubrovnik, but it was an easy and fun stop with the kids. 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 fun little stop, but if you want to spend more than 15 minutes at the beach, we’d recommend finding a nicer beach around Dubrovnik.
Day 3: Visit Lokrum Island with Kids
Our plans to visit Lokrum Island with the kids were complicated by the ferry schedule. When we visited, the first ferry didn’t leave until 10 a.m., a full two hours after we usually started exploring. 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 at the kids’ pace, which was a rare opportunity for them to explore without being rushed. As soon as we left Old Town Dubrovnik there was a plaza literally filled with pigeons. Chasing pigeons is our kids favourite thing to do while travelling! 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 harbour 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.
Our Lokrum Island ferry departed at 10 am 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.
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.
Our kids’ favourite thing to do on Lokrum Island was looking for the wild peacocks and rabbits roaming the island. The Lokrum Island peacocks are everywhere and the kids couldn’t get enough. The rabbits are mostly in the park near the centre of the island, but the kids were more interested in the small playground there.
We spent our time on Lokrum Island walking the nature trails, watching the kids admire the peacocks and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. It was a nice contrast to the busy streets of 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.
Tip: Wear proper footwear to Lokrum as flip flops won’t cut it on these paths. We learned this the hard way!
It was perfect… For families looking for unique things to do in Dubrovnik with kids, Lokrum Island is a lot of fun and is a nice change of pace from Dubrovnik Old Town.
Where to Stay in Dubrovnik with Kids
Dubrovnik’s Old Town is the best place to stay in Dubrovnik 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 vacation home in a quiet corner of Dubrovnik Old Town. We love staying in vacation rentals with kids because having separate bedrooms, a kitchen and laundry facilities makes family travel so much easier. Plus, its location a few blocks away from the main streets of Dubrovnik’s Old Town made it a little more affordable.
There are plenty of family-friendly Dubrovnik vacation home rentals to choose from. If you prefer a hotel, we recommend browsing these family-friendly hotels in Dubrovnik to compare accommodation options and find a place that suits your family’s needs and budget.
How to Get to Dubrovnik with Kids
The Dubrovnik airport is a 30 minute drive outside of Old Town. When travelling with young kids, getting from Dubrovnik Airport to Old Town can be challenging if you need car seats. Don’t assume your taxi or rideshare will have suitable child car seats. Confirm availability before booking, or arrange a private transfer that guarantees the seats you need.
If you are landing in Dubrovnik after a long flight and want the easy way into town, we recommend getting a private transfer with the Welcome Pickups service. We have used Welcome Pickups often while travelling through Europe with kids. We appreciate how our driver meets us at the airport and we can easily pre-book car seats. All this for about the same price as a normal taxi or Uber.
We are grateful to Dubrovnik Tourist Board for their generosity during our visit. All opinions are our own.
Follow Along on our Croatia Family Holiday
We started our Croatian family holiday with a fun day in Zagreb with kids. From there we hopped on a bus from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes National Park, which was amazing! See our 15 tips you need to know when visiting Plitvice Lakes with kids.
Then, after three days in Split with kids, we continued island hopping, beginning with 3 days in Hvar with kids, followed by 3 days in Korčula with kids. We finished our family trip to Croatia with the very fun trip to Dubrovnik with kids we describe above.
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.
Our Travel Journal for Kids
Based on our family travels, our kids helped us design this Travel Journal for Active Kids! This engaging travel journal encourages kids to document their adventures, spark creativity, and stay entertained on the go – grab yours now on Amazon!
Found this post helpful? Pin It For Later!
