How to Spend an Amazing 48 Hours in Dubrovnik

Welcome to Dubrovnik, the shining Jewel of the Adriatic. You’ve got 48 hours in Dubrovnik, and you’re wondering how to spend your time! Well, there are tons of ways to explore while in this beautiful city, so let me provide you with a place to start.

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I’ll be sharing a 48 hour itinerary that you can use as a starting point to planning your time in the city.

Feel free to move around, add to, or subtract from this itinerary, and at the end of this post I’ve even given you some bonus activities for if you find yourself with extra time.

Need help packing for your trip to Dubrovnik? Learn my 10 tips to pack efficiently in your carry-on!

When my husband and I left for our 6 month trip to 18 countries, we knew that airfare would be one of the single largest individual costs of our trip. So, after a little bit of research, we found a way to get affordable flights all over the world: travel credit cards.

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The first note here that I need to make is that almost no flight is truly free, you do have to pay the taxes and fees. But, what if I told you I just bought a $6 flight from North Carolina, USA to Athens, Greece this week. Or that I’ve spent only $11 for me and Colton to fly from NC to Turkey?

Would you believe those numbers?

I never in a million years thought I could fly abroad for less than a few hundred dollars, and that’s if I somehow found an amazing deal!

It wasn’t until I came across travel credit cards and the world of points and miles that I understood how these serial travelers I was seeing everywhere were affording their flights.

The trick was, they were barely paying for them.

So, after tons of research, applying for credit cards, hitting bonuses, and of course getting everything in order to leave home for 6 months to travel, I bought our one way flights out of the country for $11.

How did we do it?

The world of points and miles, of course!

Let me tell you how we did it and give you the information you need to start earning free flights with your credit card!

Let me preface this with one statement: the world of points and miles is BIG and there is a lot that you honestly don’t need to know to just get started.

So, I’m going to give you the most necessary information to get you started and cut out all the fluff. Let’s go!

I promise you this is not a scam, because maybe that’s the first place your mind is headed when I say “free” flights.

In fact, paying with points and miles to purchase flights at insanely low prices is entirely legal, I promise!

Want my help choosing a travel credit card?
Fill out my Free Credit Card Consultation Form & I’ll email you personalized recommendations!

Interested in checking out my travel credit card recommendations?
Find them here!

What Are Points and Miles

Points and miles are the reward currency of airlines and hotels: aka loyalty points.

I’m not talking about the points you earn by flying with an airline repeatedly, that you only rack up over several years.

I’m talking about points and miles you earn just from having the credit card you already use!

Each bank or airline that offers credit cards with points and miles use them as an alternative currency for purchasing flights.

Many of the banks that offer travel credit cards have both airline and non-airline branded credit cards: a.k.a the airline the bank has partnered with offers airline miles as the sign up bonus, not credit card points. Those miles can only be used with that airline.

If you apply for a bank branded card with no airline association, you’ll earn points with that bank that can then be transferred to their airline or hotel partners.

How To Get Points And Miles With Travel Credit Cards?

The fastest way, and most likely reason why you’re wanting a travel credit card, is to earn points with a sign up bonus.

Most banks offer a sign up bonus of varying amounts after a certain amount of qualifying purchases on the card in the first few months.

It might sound something like this: “earn 60k bonus points when you spend $3,000 dollars on purchases in the first 4 months.” Yadah yadah.

But, you will also earn points while using your card on your everyday purchases! Some cards offer bonus categories, like 3x on grocery purchases, or 2x at restaurants, etc. So, when you spend money on your card, you’ll earn points in return that can be redeemed for various things, like flights or hotel stays.

Generally, if you’re wanting to redeem miles for flights or hotels, you’re going to need a good chunk of miles to do so.

You can purchase some domestic flights with as little as 8,500k points one way, but if you’re flying international, it will likely cost you 15k one way, at the very least.

Of course, the cost of award flights in points can greatly vary and is not always directly tied to the cash ticket price.

Other ways to earn points with travel credit cards include anniversary bonuses, giveaways, and transfer bonuses. These come and go and aren’t something I would rely on.

For the purposes of this post, which is all about a beginner’s guide to free flights with points and miles, sign up bonuses are your very best friend.

How Much Are Points and Miles Worth?

Not all points are created equal.

Some points are more valuable than others simply because you can transfer and redeem them in more ways.

Points and miles also get their value depending on the deal you get when redeeming them.

Let me give you an example scenario to explain…

For example, let’s say you have 75k Capital One miles and you want to fly from Atlanta, Georgia to Athens, Greece for an amazing holiday eating delicious Mediterranean food and swimming in crystal clear waters for 8 days.

These are the flights you’re looking at. They’ll take you to Greece during the best time to visit, late summer when it isn’t too crowded and not too hot.

You have a few options for how you can book these flights with points

Option 1: Redeem Points with a Travel Portal

Option 1 is to redeem your points through Capital One Travel and their online portal. When you do this, you’re going to get a fixed redemption rate of 1¢ per mile.

So your 75k miles would be worth $750 for travel. You could use those 75k miles to buy a flight worth up to $750 through the Capital One Travel portal. That’s over half of what this ticket is worth. So you would still have to pay about $390+ on top of your 75k miles for this ticket.

We can definitely do better than that!

Option 2: Transfer to a Partner

Option 2 would be to transfer your Capital One miles to one of their airline transfer partners, then book the flight on their website using your points.

If you did this, those 75k miles could become 75k FlyingBlue points (Air France & KLM’s loyalty program and one of Capital One’s transfer partners).

The same exact flight booked on Air France with cash would cost you $1,142.

But, you can transfer your points from Capital One and over to FlyingBlue, so now you have up to 75k FlyingBlue miles! Let’s use them!

If you use FlyingBlue to book the exact same flight, you would only need 30,000 miles and $208 in taxes & fees. Way better than using all 75k and only covering half of the cost!

And, instead of paying $1,142 out of pocket for a round trip ticket to Europe, you’re only paying $208 plus 30,000 points.

*you want to transfer only the amount of points you need. In this scenario, thats only 30k of the 75k.

In this scenario, you would be redeeming your Capital One points, through FlyingBlue, for 3.1cents per mile. Now that’s more like it!

This is why points can be so valuable and why transfer partners can be the best way to go when redeeming points.

I know that was a lot, so let me summarize if for you:

Out of pocket price for ticket Atlanta to Athens: $1142 on Air France/KLM
Price of same ticket booked through Capital One Travel: 75k miles + $392
Price of same ticket booked through FlyingBlue after transferring Capital One miles: 30,000 miles + $208 in taxes and fees.

You would come out of this deal with around 45k Capital One miles left in the bank. That’s enough to buy you another roundtrip flight to Europe.

Now THAT’S how we use points and miles to our advantage 🙂

RESOURCE: Free List of Transfer Partners & Airline Alliances + How to Use Them

*be sure to only transfer the points you need and no more so you can keep the extra points with your bank and transfer them elsewhere in the future*

How Do You Redeem Points And Miles For Flights?

The way that we typically redeem our points and miles is by using them to purchase flights. We do this by transferring our credit card points to transfer partners.

The scenario above is a great example of how we would use our points and miles to get amazing deals on flights.

Here is that chart again that I made to show you where you can transfer points based on what program you’ve accumulated points with.

The process of transferring points can be a bit complicated, but I’m going to help you out here.

Here is the basic rundown of how to redeem your points for flights:

Accumulate points on your credit card
Research credit card airlines transfer partners
Search Google Flights or Skyscanner to find flight routes
Search for award flights on airline transfer partners
Find desired flights and see how many points/money required to book them
Create a frequent flier account with airline if you don’t already have one
Transfer points on your bank’s website to transfer partner of choice
Book those flights!!

To use the example from above, I would find the flights I want and make sure I have enough points to pay for them. Then, I would log into Capital One and go to the Capital One Travel portal to transfer my points to FlyingBlue. Once my points were transferred, I would buy my flights!

The real trick is finding award flight availability and the deals that are out there waiting to be had! It takes a little bit of time and practice but you’ll get the gist!

What Travel Credit Cards Are Best?

For me to answer this question, you’ll need to ask yourself a question first: what are your goals?

Are you looking to cover some international long haul flights? Maybe you’re an avid domestic traveler and would like to cover a few legs of travel for your upcoming trips. Would you like to stay in nice hotels for just the cost of fees?

It’s good to look at the options and decide what you think will work best for your goals!

If you want to cover some flights, I would find a card that has great travel benefits and flexible rewards. If you’re more interested in hotel stays, get a hotel branded card!

You can find my favorite travel credit cards and all the information about them on my
Travel Credit Cards Recommendations page.

Want my help choosing a travel credit card?
Fill out my Free Credit Card Consultation Form & I’ll email you personalized recommendations!

“Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.”

Where to Stay in Old Town Dubrovnik

Holiday Home Piccolo Mondo

A cosy apartment in a fantastic location inside Old Town Dubrovnik.

St. Joseph’s

Beautiful rooms, great service, and exceptional location.

The Pucic Palace

An absolutely stunning hotel with tons of amenities and fantastic views of the city.

Day 1 – Your 48 Hours in Dubrovnik Itinerary

Let’s begin Day 1 bright and early with a walk around the city. The views you’re about to get are to die for!

Walking the Walls of Old Town Dubrovnik

The towering walls of Old Town Dubrovnik create the fortified old city that you’ll be exploring over your next 48 hours in Dubrovnik.

Not only do the walls create a walking friendly town with alleys and streets to explore for hours on end inside, they also provide breathtaking views of the city of Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea from above.

Walking along the tops of the walls is the number one thing you must do while in Dubrovnik, and is definitely worth the price of the ticket, which is 200 kuna/person. At the time I’m writing this, that is around $30 USD.

There are an unlimited number of spots to stop while you’re walking, so be sure to give yourself at least an hour and a half to explore and find your favorite views.

While the walk itself is not strenuous, there are lots of stairs up and down while walking, so this is something to take note of if stairs present a physical challenge for you.

Where to Buy Tickets and Get On the Walls

Tickets can be purchased online beforehand or in person adjacent to the Pile Gate, just near the Onofrijeva Fountain inside the old town.

You can access the walls in the same location, on the other side of the gate, where you’ll see a spot at the base of the old walls where you can have your ticket scanned. Once your ticket has been scanned, you cannot exit and then re-enter the walls. You only get one entry with your ticket.

Keep this ticket! It will also give you access to Fort Lovrijenac, which you’ll be visiting tomorrow. You have 3 days from when you purchase your ticket to use it to access the fort.

Tip: be sure to wear sunscreen and bring water. It is a long walk all the way around and on a sunny day you can tire out fast. There is one bar on the top of the walls where you can buy refreshments.

Dubrovnik’s ‘Secret’ Bar – Buža Bar

Now that you’re sufficiently sweaty and tired from walking the beautiful walls of Old Town, you need a drink! We’re going on a hunt to find Dubrovnik’s ‘secret’ bar nestled up against the walls of the city.

How to Find Buža Bar

If you are headed to Buža Bar after coming down from walking the walls, you’ll be walking from the Pile Gate (if you made it around the entirety of the walls and ended up where you started the journey). From here, walk down Stradun Street, the main walking street in Old Town Dubrovnik. Walk 200 meters down the street and then turn right down Ul. Miha Pracata. Walk until the street dead ends, and turn right onto Ul. Josipa Jurja Strossmayera. Take the next left onto Crijeviceva Ul. You’ll again walk until a dead end, then take a left. You will see a small doorway opening on the right, on the outer wall of the city. Once you walk through, you’ll be outside the city walls and looking down on Buža bar.

Watch our YouTube video from our time in Dubrovnik where we visit Buža Bar to help you find it.

Swimming at Buža Bar

Buža Bar is known for being a fun spot to jump off the rocks and into the Adriatic. Please, remember to be careful and if you plan on having drinks, do so after swimming!

If you follow the stairs all the way down through the bar and below to the sea, you’ll see the popular rock jumping spot.

There is no ladder to help you out of the water and the waves can sometimes be strong here, so please only jump and swim if you are confident in your swimming abilities. There are no lifeguards.

If you have more time and are looking for another free swimming spot, I’ve listed a few down below in Day 2.

Dinner in Dubrovnik

There are a lot of restaurants in Dubrovnik, and one of the best ways to find a place to eat dinner is to just wander around and look at the menus. There will be servers trying to lure you into almost every restaurant in town, but take some time to look at the menus and don’t feel pressured to stop at the first place they invite you in.

Expect a lot of seafood as Dubrovnik is situated right on the sea, but you can also find lots of pasta and pizza as well.

Recommendations

For Sit Down

Pizzeria Mirakul

For Take-Away

Take-Away DUBROVNIK

Gelato

After dinner, you cannot forget to stop and have gelato.

Now, I know you’re probably thinking that gelato is Italian and wondering why you should have gelato in Croatia. Well, the answer is because there is incredible gelato in Croatia! The food culture of both countries are surprisingly similar, and because they are very close geographical neighbors, really good Italian gelato can be found all over Croatia.

Go to Peppino’s Gelato Factory, and you’ll thank me. Their claim to be ‘the best gelato in Dubrovnik’ comes as no surprise once you’ve tasted it.

We went to Peppino’s both nights that we were in Dubrovnik and I still dream about the chocolate with apricot jelly!

Day 2 – Your 48 Hours in Dubrovnik Itinerary

Walking Around Old Town Dubrovnik

Good morning on your second day in Dubrovnik! Take the morning to walk around and get lost in the old alleys and small walking streets of Old Town Dubrovnik.

Walk down the main street, Stradun, and you’ll see the Velika Onofrijeva Fountain, Luza square and the basque style Church of St. Blaise, as well as Orlando’s Column.

Just around the corner is Rector’s Palace and The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

As you continue to wander the streets, you’ll find countless adorable shops and secret corners to explore. You’ll likely end up walking in circles as well, as it can be easy to get lost in the twists and turns of the old streets.

Be sure to also wander outside the gates toward the Old Town Port and Fort St. Ivana. You’ll love the little boats bobbing around in the port and the views of the Croatian coast.

Swim Spots in Dubrovnik

There are lots of options when looking for a spot to dip your toes in the beautiful water of the Adriatic Sea, some free jumping off spots and some beach clubs that charge.

Free Swimming Spots

Buža Bar, mentioned above, is the first I’ll recommend, as you don’t have to pay to get in and if you don’t buy drinks, you can swim in the water for free.

Another great spot that we enjoyed a lot can be found by walking all the way to the around Fort St. Ivana, where you’ll come across a public, rocky swimming area. Lay your towel down and hop in while enjoying the sunshine below the massive city walls.

The next free spot is Kolorina Bay, just outside the old walls if you exit through Pile Gate.

Walking a little further, you can swim at Beach Sulic, just below Fort Lovrijenac.

Lastly, head over to Danče Beach, on the other side of Fort Lovrijenac.

If you’re looking for a ‘sandy’ beach, you can walk outside the walls and head to Banje Beach. Here, you can either go to the free section or pay to enter the beach club and get loungers and restaurant service. We paid $30 USD for two beach chairs and an umbrella for the entire day.

Lunch at Pizzeria Oliva

Back inside the walls of Old Town Dubrovnik is the best pizza in town. Stop by Pizzeria Oliva for lunch, where you can either sit down to eat or grab slices for take-away at their order window.

We did this two of the three days we were in Dubrovnik because we just couldn’t get enough and it’s delicious, affordable pizza.

Fort Lovrijenac

In the afternoon, head over to Fort Lovrijenac to get incredible views of Old Town Dubrovnik from afar, as well as learn more about the history of the city.

You can gain entry to the fort with the ticket you purchased yesterday to walk the Walls of Dubrovnik.

The fort closes before sunset, but it is a really beautiful vantage point to see the late afternoon sun on the walls of Old Town.

Sunset at Gradac Park

From the fort, continue to Gradac Park for sunset for some truly wonderful views, and you can even swim nearby at Danče Beach if you bring your swimsuit with you. This is a rock beach, so there is no sand, but there is a small bar here where you can buy refreshments.

The park is also a nice spot during the day to go for a walk or just get outside of the city and into nature.

Options to Extend Your Time in Dubrovnik

If you find yourself with more than 48 hours in Dubrovnik, lucky you! Below, I’ve listed some activities that you can do with your extra time, so add them to your next day of exploring Dubrovnik.

You can take an island excursion to Lokrum Island. This is a wonderful day trip from Dubrovnik. You can catch a 15-minute ferry to the island from the Old Port.
Get high up views of Dubrovnik by taking the Dubrovnik Cable Car up to Mount Srd. You can find the cable car just outside the northern walls of the Old Town.
Be whisked back in time and into the world of Game of Thrones by tracking down the many filming locations in Dubrovnik. One of the most popular is the Jesuit Staircase, the site of Cersei’s Walk of Shame

Explore more of Dubrovnik outside of the old walled city. Visit U Pilama and Lapad, two neighborhoods outside of the tourist center where you can find traditional Croatian food and modern Croatian culture.

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What Are Points and Miles

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