5 1/2 days in Dubrovnik
 

We were supposed to be in Dubrovnik for 3 days but due to a last minure flight change/cancellation, we are now arriving 2 days earlier and have 5 1/2 days in Dubrovnik before continuing with the rest of the original trip that includes Hvar, Split and Plitvice Lakes. Please help with suggestions of what to do for so long.

Day 1 - Arrive 1:30pm in DBV post-12hr transatlantic flight. Relax by pool of walk around town
Day 2 - Explore DBV
Day 3 - Now free day. Lokrum Is? Mostar? More DBV?
Day 4 - Now free day. Mostar? Korkula? Island cruise?
Day 5 - Booked day trip to Bay of Kotor and Budva
Day 6 - Half a day to shop/explore. Had already booked 4pm ferry to Hvar

Any suggestions? Should I forfeit the ferry I booked to Hvar already and buy new tickets to leave in the AM? What is the 2nd best day trip out of town? Mostar? I've read really nice things about cruising the islands or visiting Mljet or Korkula.

Sergey

Lokrum is delightful; I thought a half-day perfect for it.

Mostar is, IMO, a very special place -- but far better after daytrippers leave. Consider staying the night, even if you have to pay for a hotel for two nights.

I thought Korcula an absolute delight, but again, would encourage you to stay over night.

I haven't visited Mjlet, but have also heard many positive comments.

Hope that helps!

We recently visited Dubrovnik. Spending two full days exploring Dubrovik IMO is not too long at all. I would add a Mostar day trip. I thought Mostar was more interesting than the Bay of Kotor, though both were excellent.

I agree that Mostar is "more interesting" than the Bay of Kotor for sure - on a rainy day, I'd much rather be in Mostar. Being a part Muslim part Croat city, it's an interesting contrast to coastal Croatia. Kotor isn't as much of a contrast.

But the scenery along the Bay of Kotor is breathtaking. I loved taking pictures in Mostar itself (the old/rebuilt bridge is amazing), but the scenery getting to Mostar is nothing special, once you turn inland.

This thread made me think a bit about the scenic merits of these places and how subjective these impressions are.

I agree that the scenery along the Dalmatian coast from Dubrovnik to Montenegro (give or take a bit to either side of the border) was spectacular—so much so that I wished I hadn’t been driving, as I simply couldn’t fully appreciate those glorious vistas! And I agree that there are views from places above Kotor, places from which one can see the bay, that are stunningly beautiful! I was a bit less enamored of the places in between – beautiful for sure, but not necessarily more or less beautiful than elsewhere, IMO. The exception, for me, was (I think) a place from the other side of the bay from which I was able to see Perast clinging to the shore well below the massive, black mountain behind. (Oh, right, Montenegro, meaning "mountain, black" ....bells going off in my head….)

But the views from within Kotor itself are not, IMO, all that noteworthy. Kotor holds many treasures for those who choose to visit it, including various examples of differing styles of architecture and churches with amazing treasures and a few interesting museums … well worth seeing, but the city itself is not, IMO, a place I would go just for the views, even though the views are impressive. The best views, IMO, are the ones to and around Kotor, not from it.

In contrast, the views from some of the minarets in Mostar are glorious, IMO, and the views of the gorge that splits Mostar can be extraordinary, particularly at dusk. Watching the light change over that particular gorge, with calls to prayers from various mosques sounding in and fading out, was among my most memorable of travel experiences – and I’ve been fortunate enough to have a LOT of memorable travel experiences!

My route was from Sarajevo to Mostar and then to Dubrovnik, and I thought the route from Mostar to Dubrovnik beautiful. I took a bus from Mostar, and with the impossibly green river – the Neretva? – flowing far below as the road twisted between mountain passes with fields and villages to each side.., well, I thought it worth seeing! And then the bus reached the coast, and I was gobsmacked. The route from there south to Dubrovnik is, IMO, absolutely glorious, definitely among the most beautiful I have been privileged to see, and I remain incredibly grateful that I chose to take a bus rather than drive those stretches, as the bus gave me the freedom to savor every bit of that stunning scenery.

And while each city has things worth seeing, I found Kotor more similar to Dubrovnik than Mostar; Mostar shows a greater and more enduring impact of its Muslim / Ottoman heritage than either Dubrovnik or Kotor; and for some of us, Mostar may have a more poignant place in our hearts than the other cities. YMMV.

Hope that helps!

I know everyone is different but we had 4 days in Dubrovnik and could have stayed longer. As we get older we do like to spend longer in places, 3 days minimum is usual.

We explored all over the Old Town (stayed in the Old Town as well which we loved) and did a half day trip to Lokrum, walked along the walls, did a guided walk, took about a million photos, visited cafes, bars and restaurants.

Also walked up to the lookout over the town which was fairly steep from memory and also a bit creepy at the top with evidence of bullet holes etc from the war. Amazing views though.

Kay

When I was in Dubrovnik, there was a placard on the wall just inside the Ploče (eastern) Gate that showed where there had been damage to Dubrovnik -- and from what. IIRC -- and there is certainly no guarantee of that! -- Dubrovnik was spared the worst of the most recent Balkan Wars, the ones that so devastated Mostar and Sarajevo and so many other places. That doesn't mean that Dubrovnik was not affected, and there is, or was, a small, but evocative, museum testifying to local efforts and casualties in that conflict.

My understanding is that the difference in Dubrovnik's roof tiles (and there is a very decided difference in colors) is intended to show the extent of damage associated with an earthquake, not the wars in the Balkans. Again, I could be wrong.

It seems like everyone is overwhelmingly suggesting Mostar! I will look into it.

Korcula seems really nice but given that we are already staying in DBV, Hvar and Split...day trips to Mostar and Kotor would provide something a bit different.

To Kotor, we are doing a private guide/car for the day with full flexibility. Is this a good option for Mostar, or would people suggest a bus, a car or a group tour?

The majority of new tiles in the old town were replaced due to the shelling from the mountain above during the 1991 homeland war. Had nothing to do with any earthquake. The town used different colored tiles trying in an attempt to show differences as not to be all the same color.
The big earthquake was in 1667 and more recently it was 1979.

@ Dubrovniktravelady: Thanks for correcting my mistaken information!