Did you know that they are planning to limit the number of tourist that visit Dubrovnik? That’s right. They plan on having only 4000 visitors per day because there’s just so many damn people visiting it at one time.
Apparently, it gets really bad when cruises dock. Over 10,000 tourist would flood Dubrovnik which is not sustainable tourism for the city.
UNESCO declared that the city should put a cap of 8,000 visitors per day. However, the mayor of Dubrovnik is keen on protecting the famous city even more. His goal is to cap the number of tourist to 4,000 people. According to the mayor, the city will lose about 1 million Euros a year on revenue from this cap. But, this is a necessary step to protect the city and will pay off in the long run.
I’m glad I got a chance to visit Dubrovnik before any of the tourist cap took place because who knows how annoying it would be to enter the city. At the same time, if you want to see the city with very few tourist, Winter is suppose to be a great time.
With just film makers on site, Winter would be an awesome time to have the whole place to yourself. I might even consider going back to Dubrovnik during Winter time just to see what it’s like.
Anyhow, without further delay, here is the 7 reasons why Dubrovnik has so many tourist:
1) Game of Thrones
Ever since Game of Thrones became a super popular show, everyone and their mom wants to go visit Dubrovnik. The set of King’s Landing in the popular TV series, many tourist flood into Dubrovnik to do the Game of Thrones tour.
I personally did not do the Game of Thrones tour because I felt that it’s really just one big fat tourist trap. Many people who’s done it told me it wasn’t very good and they basically just walk you around the city and tell you where scenes were filmed.
2) Dubrovnik is incredibly beautiful
Now we’re talking! I would say, for me, the number one reason it’s so popular is because the city is so damn beautiful! Man, I can’t believe how nice it is when you are walking through the streets and seeing all the buildings.
3) Great for photography
I’m not a photographer but I don’t think you can mess up taking pictures in Dubrovnik. It’s simply one of the most beautiful cities in the world. From a distance, you can see the amazing shape of the walled city by the Mediterranean Sea. And, if you walk around the city walls, you’ll be rewarded with an amazing view of all the rooftops in Dubrovnik.
4) It’s not expensive
As a backpacker, I try my best to travel on a budget. Despite its popularity, it’s very affordable to travel to Dubrovnik.
Many great hostels are available that is located near the old walled city if you are seeking cheaper accommodation. There’s also many hotels for those looking for a more luxurious experience.
Karen and myself bought freshly made food from grocery stores which greatly saved us a ton of money instead of eating in restaurants.
Your biggest expense would be entering museums or if you decide to do the Game of Thrones tour.
Just don’t fall for any tourist trap. For example, there’s one store where you must buy something to sit on the “Iron Throne” to take a picture.
5) Hostels are beautiful
If it doesn’t get anymore ridiculous, Karen and myself stayed in a hostel and also a Sheraton Dubrovnik hotel (thanks to redeeming hotel points). Obviously, the Sheraton hotel is much nicer. However, the hostel we stayed at is hands down, the most beautiful hostel we’ve ever stayed at.
It felt like a luxurious hostel because every bunk bed was equipped with curtains and everyone gets a nice locker. The decor of our hostel was modern and everything was just perfect. Karen argued, she had a better experience in the hostel than our hotel!
I was truly impressed and this is one of those rare times, I am happy to have stayed in a hostel over a hotel.
6) Easy to navigate and DIY (do it yourself)
When you enter Dubrovnik, they’ll give you a map in the tourist information centre with all the major points you need to see in the city.
You basically just follow the numbers on the map and hit all those points. This is actually quite fun and feels like you’re on a scavenger hunt as you try to hit all the major points listed on the map.
Karen and myself did this and we spent the entire day hitting every point the map recommended for us to visit.
7) Great launching pad to see other amazing cities
Dubrovnik is the centre of three great cities:
- Kotor
- Mostar
- Split
Kotor is another beautiful city located in Montenegro. It’s a 2 hour car ride if you decide to rent a car and drive there and a bit more by bus.
Mostar is a popular city located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. If you drive yourself, it takes about 2.5 hours. Many people do a 10-12 hour day tour of Mostar and start their journey from Dubrovnik.
Split is a popular city with a nice beach in Croatia. Located a little over 3 hours from Dubrovnik, this is another awesome city to check out that’s not too far off.
Conclusion
When I went to Croatia, Karen and myself spent 3 nights and 4 days in Dubrovnik. To tell you the truth, this wasn’t enough time. It was enough to see Dubrovnik but we would have loved to stay longer so we can do a day trip or longer to Kotor, Mostar and Split.
Oh well, more the reason to return one day!
Enjoy your trip to Dubrovnik! You won’t regret it. It’s one of my favourite cities during my time in Europe.
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2 thoughts on “7 Reasons Why Dubrovnik Has So Many Damn Tourist (12 Pictures!)”
Thank you. I am doing a school assessment on this and this was very helpful.
Glad you found it helpful!