Avoiding Cruise Crowds-Dubrovnik

We splurged on two outings with Dubrovnik Adventures for just this reason (well, and because we really wanted to bike and kayak.) We did a bike tour out in the country that ended with a wine tasting. Very fun, slightly strenuous on the last uphill stretch. There were only 4 of us and they picked us up in a van and drove us out there. The next morning we did a kayaking trip that ended up being private. Again, picked up in a van and taken to an interesting launch point some ways out of town. Paddled into a tiny cave. It was fun and we avoided the crowds.

You could take a day trip to Mostar or Montenegro. We did Montenegro (Bay of Kotor) and loved it. There are bus tours, or you could rent a car for the day, or you could hire a private driver.

Hi Jen,
There are many things to do in Dubrovnik on your own and to avoid day crowds in the Old Town area. I personally prefer to go to the beach and spend some leisure time until the evening when there is less crowd and its better to breathe.
I can suggest to visit the islands perhaps and Lokrum island is really unique nice place to see. Also Elafiti islands are really close and you can check boat rental Dubrovnik and spend some private time on the boat. We personally tried this company and only good recommendations I can give. I also found some one company offering boat tours in Dubrovnik where you can see the prices online.
Hope this helps. :)

Only about one hour from Dubrovnik is the town of Ston, which boasts the longest city walls in Europe, old salt works and is renowned for its shellfish. It's possible to do with public transport, you take the #15 - http://www.libertasdubrovnik.com/ras/06-09-2018-1536217225.pdf . Though if you have a car you could go on to tour the Peljesac peninsular which is famous for its red wines.

Yeah you definitely want to be out of central old town Dubrovnik mid day with 4 cruise ships. There were only 2 each day when we were there and that was bad enough. We wanted to do both the Mostar and Montenegro day trips, so we did, leaving us with only 3 evenings and one full day and that worked out fine. I don't generally like group bus tours but in this case they were fairly efficient at getting us where we wanted to go without renting a car. We did things like walking the walls around 5pm when all the cruisers have left to go back to the mother ship.

We rented a boat for 320 euros (it was just my husband and I but they have bigger boats) from Dubrovnik Boat Rents- we worked with Denis. Here is his email. apart.antonio@gmail.com

It was amazing- we got to go inside caves, and have the driver take us anywhere we wanted. We pulled up to little hays, dropped anchor and just swam. There was beers on board for us, and I can’t rememeber, I think we packed our own lunch. It was the highlight of our trip for sure!

I’m attaching his pricing from last summer and the details below:
Elafiti islands - Half-day excursion (4hours)
JEANNEAU CapCamarat 6.5 CC 220€ eur (Max 6 people)
JEANNEAU Leader 805: 420€ eur (Max 7 people)

Elafiti islands - Full-day excursion (8 hours)
JEANNEAU CapCamarat 6.5 CC: 320€ eur (Max 6 people)
JEANNEAU Leader 805: 680€ eur (Max 7 people)
BENETEAU Monte Carlo 37: 1200€ eur (Max 10 people)

Mljet island - Full-day excursion (8 hours)
JEANNEAU CapCamarat 6.5 CC: 580€ eur (Max 6 people)
JEANNEAU Leader 805: 880€ eur (Max 7 people)
BENETEAU Monte Carlo 37: 1300€ eur (Max 10 people)

Korcula island - Full-day excursion (8 hours)
JEANNEAU Leader 805: 940€ eur (Max 7 people)
BENETEAU Monte Carlo 37: 1800€ eur (Max 10 people)

We also offer a combined one day tour of either:
Mljet with Elafiti islands, or
Korcula and Orebic

All excursions are all inclusive, which means no extra cost for fuel, skipper, taxes and final cleaning. We also have a floating sofa, underwater camera, snorkeling set and sup board for your personal enjoyment - all free of charge.

Elaphite archipelago consists of three islands – Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan.

Our skippers are experienced and knowledgeable, you’ll have one available for the day. Therefore, we don’t make a detailed cruising plan since it may depend upon your wishes, interests, weather & waves condition.

The skipper will brief you about possibilities, cruising distances, he will be your guide and concierge. The excursion is a blend of sightseeing, exploration, you’ll have plenty time to swim, snorkel and relax should you wish so, you may visit a winery and do some winetasting, the skipper will suggest a restaurant according to your taste, call them and make a reservation for you. There are small towns to visit, churches and monasteries to see if you wish so, beaches, harbors and coves to indulge. Therefore, you’ll plan on the spot. Soft drinks, water, snorkel gear and beach towels are provided on board. Fuel expense is included.

If you’d be more comfortable that we provide a general outline of the daily itinerary, we may certainly do so.

Please feel free to contact us for bookings or if you require any additional information.

How do you know how many cruise ships will be in Dubrovnik on a particular day?

Thank you, everyone, for your helpful tips!

One site to find port schedules is www.cruisemapper.com and click on the schedules tab, but there are others.