Cheap Flights to Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik Airport (IATA: DBV) is located 20 km southeast of the Old City in Čilipi. Croatia Airlines, British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet, Vueling, and multiple European carriers serve DBV. Bus services (Atlas and other operators) connect the airport to the Pile Gate (Old Town entrance) — approximately 30 min, €5-7. Taxis run approximately €30-40 to the Old City.

Yes. Croatia adopted the Euro (EUR, €) on January 1, 2023, replacing the Croatian Kuna (HRK). Cards are accepted widely in Dubrovnik's tourist areas; cash may be needed in smaller coastal towns and villages. Exchange rates apply only at ATMs now that Croatian kuna no longer exists.

Yes. Croatia joined the Schengen Area on January 1, 2023. US citizens enter Croatia (and all Schengen countries) visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. No separate Croatian visa is required. If your itinerary includes both Schengen countries and non-Schengen countries (e.g., Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina — the coastal strip you drive through between Dubrovnik and the rest of Croatia), manage your Schengen day count accordingly.

Dubrovnik's Old City — enclosed within 2 km of medieval walls (UNESCO World Heritage) — is the best-preserved medieval coastal city in Europe: a 1,300-metre limestone street (the Stradun) flanked by medieval palaces, churches, and monasteries; the Rector's Palace (Gothic-Renaissance, seat of the Republic of Ragusa's government); the Franciscan Monastery and its 14th-century cloister; the Cathedral (1713 Baroque, built over a 7th-century structure); and the Sponza Palace (1516, Venetian Gothic and Renaissance). All buildings are limestone — earthquake of 1667 destroyed much of the original medieval city and most current buildings are Baroque reconstructions.

Game of Thrones (HBO, 2011-2019) used Dubrovnik's Old City as the primary filming location for King's Landing — the capital of the Seven Kingdoms — for all eight seasons. The city's medieval walls, limestone streets, and hilltop forts translated perfectly to the fictional capital. Key filming locations include Stradun (King's Landing streets), Fort Lovrijenac ('the Red Keep' exterior), Rector's Palace (throne room scenes), the Minčeta Tower (House of the Undying in Qarth), and the Old Port (multiple scenes). Official and unofficial GoT walking tours run daily in season.

May, June, and September are the optimal visiting months: warm enough for swimming (22-27°C sea temperature), full tourist amenities operating, and before/after the peak July-August crush. July-August is peak season — the Old City can receive 8,000+ cruise ship visitors daily, creating severe overcrowding on the walls (15,000-person wall capacity, queues form). October is still warm enough for swimming on sunny days; November-April is quiet with some ferry services suspended but the city is deeply atmospheric in winter light.

Montenegro (Kotor) is 50 km south of Dubrovnik: drive south on the coastal road (Jadranska magistrala), cross the Croatian-Montenegrin border at Debeli Brijeg (passport required for both sides, Schengen exit/non-Schengen entry), then drive to Herceg Novi (10 min from border) and continue to Kotor (35 min from border, 1.5 hrs total from Dubrovnik). The Bay of Kotor — a landlocked coastal bay with medieval walls, Montenegro's most dramatic scenery — is a superb half-day or full-day excursion. Kotor has its own UNESCO Old City (2 km of walls, larger than Dubrovnik's).

Plitvice Lakes National Park (UNESCO, 16 terraced lakes and 90+ waterfalls in limestone formations) is 280 km north of Dubrovnik — best visited from Zagreb (115 km, 1.5 hrs by car or bus) or Split (130 km, 2.5 hrs). From Dubrovnik, the most practical itinerary is to drive north to Split (220 km, 3.5 hrs along the coast), spend 1-2 nights in Split, then drive to Plitvice for a full day (the 8 km boardwalk trail takes 3-5 hours). Return to Zagreb or fly out of Split Airport (SPU).