The Best & Worst Times to Visit Dubrovnik in 2023

Find the best time to visit Dubrovnik for your trip goals, whether it’s great weather, low prices, or small crowds.

We’ll also show you the worst time to visit so you can enjoy the best this historic city has to offer! 

Why You Should Visit Dubrovnik

Thick, medieval walls of St. Lawrence Fortress rise out of the Adriatic Sea near the southern tip of Croatia and display the historical roots of the old city of Dubrovnik. 

The city, which dates back to the 7th century, is often called the “Pearl of the Adriatic” for good reason. This once-powerful trading port is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. 

It’s the unique and picturesque architecture, sandy and pebbled beaches, lush Mediterranean islands off the coast, and extensive history through the centuries that make Dubrovnik a fascinating place to visit. 

Proud palaces, churches, and monasteries stand throughout, built in a dramatic Baroque style. Renaissance and medieval buildings and fountains beautifully decorate the city. 

Dubrovnik is a city of resilience and strength, rising from the rubble from a massive earthquake in the late 1660s and damage from a civil war in the 1990s. 

You’ll step along charming cobblestone streets, marble tiles and walls, and the striking medieval fortress that holds its own against the powerful Adriatic Sea in the Old City of Dubrovnik. 

“Game of Thrones” fans will love being able to visit the site of King’s Landing here in the city. 

Where else can you find this alluring combination of fair weather, seashore charm, and centuries of storied history? 

When it comes to entertainment and fun in Dubrovnik, you won’t have any shortage of options. From dining and shopping to beaches and museums, there’s something for everyone here. 

Stroll through the Old City of Dubrovnik to see the medieval fortress, historic architecture, and the Gothic Rector’s Palace Museum packed with interesting artifacts and information on the city’s past. 

Head to beaches along the coast or at any of the 6 Elafiti islands nearby. You’ll find several smooth-pebbled shores along the coast and a sandy beach (Šunj) on the island of Lopud. 

Island hopping is easy in Dubrovnik with lots of boats and ferries shuttling visitors to the islands for secluded beach days. 

Shops, restaurants, and bars abound in Dubrovnik, especially along the limestone-paved Placa Street promenade in the Old Town. You can easily spend a few days exploring the city, discovering something new each day! 

You’ll find plenty of hotels and resorts at different price ranges in town, so you’ll never have to fret over where to stay in Dubrovnik.

With all the reasons to visit in mind, let’s take a look at the best time to visit Dubrovnik so you can start planning your trip. 

What Is the Best Time to Visit Dubrovnik?

• Overall best time to visit: May-August
• Cheapest time to visit: November-March
• Least busy time to visit: September-October
• Worst time to visit: October-December

The best time to visit Dubrovnik depends on your goals for the trip. Dubrovnik enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. 

But when Dubrovnik’s weather is at its best, tourism spikes and prices follow suit. That makes other seasons – fall, winter, and spring – ideal for a visit if you’re looking to avoid peak season prices or crowds. 

Most travelers will find May through August – the peak season – as the best time for a visit to Dubrovnik. The weather is warm and dry. Attractions, beaches, and city tours are perfect this time of year. 

Since the peak season is more expensive and crowded, some prefer visiting between November and March in the rainy winter season when prices are at their lowest. 

Others will appreciate a visit in September or October, which offers affordable shoulder season pricing along with damp weather still warm enough for beaches and swimming in the absence of peak season crowds. 

Most people will want to avoid visiting between October and December, however. This is the rainiest part of the year and options are limited among hotels, attractions, and restaurants that shut down for the winter. 

We’ll look at each of the best times to visit Dubrovnik in more detail next. 

Overall Best Time to Visit Dubrovnik

The overall best time to visit Dubrovnik is from May to August, the peak summer season. Weather, beaches, attractions, and more are at their best this time of year. 

May through August is the peak tourism season in Dubrovnik. It’s easy to see why – Dubrovnik is at its best during the warm summer season. 

In May, the spring rains begin to subside and temperatures warm to around 70F. The drier months – June, July, and August – see temperatures rise to 77F, 84F, and 82F. 

These are perfect conditions for days spent at the many beaches in Dubrovnik and islands just off the coast. You’ll find walking through the city, boat tours, and sightseeing at their best this time of year. 

Festivals are excellent entertainment options from May to August, when there’s a nonstop lineup of events centered around theater, music, film, and dance. 

While this period is the busy high season, you’ll find that May and June offer fewer crowds and slightly lower prices than the more-visited months of July through August. 

Hotel prices aren’t at their lowest this time of year, but that’s expected for peak season. Rates are much lower in May and June before rising in July and August. 

Here’s how much you can expect to pay per night for a hotel in Dubrovnik from May to August:

• May: $56-$148/night
• June: $66-$174/night
• July: $82-$217/night
• August: $85-$224/night

May and June are more affordable and mild. July and August are much hotter, drier, and more expensive for a visit, but the weather conditions are great for a beach trip. 

Cheapest Time to Visit Dubrovnik

November to March, the low season, is the cheapest time to visit Dubrovnik. Rainfall and cooler temperatures keep tourists away and lead to lower prices on hotels. 

Between November and March, Dubrovnik hotels drop their prices drastically as tourism slows to a halt. It’s the chilly temperatures and increased rainfall that lead to lower visitor numbers. 

November is slightly warm (low 60s) with lots of rain – the most of the year – and December sees a slight temperature drop (57F) with a little less rain. 

January, the coldest month in Dubrovnik (54F), is wet, but the heaviest rains will have passed by the end of December.

In February and March, rainfall totals fall to 4-5 inches and temperatures warm back up to nearly 60F.

While you’ll find the lowest prices of the year in November and December, you’ll probably find it’s worth it wait until the comparably-affordable months of February and March. 

Here’s a look at average hotel prices in Dubrovnik from Google Hotels: 

• November: $42-$112/night
• December: $37-$98/night
• January: $50-$131/night
• February: $46-$122/night
• March: $45-$118/night

Visiting during the winter doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do in Dubrovnik. Some attractions and hotels will be closed, but festival season starts swinging again in February. 

Check out the wild and costumed Carnival, Feast of St. Blaise, and Festival of Lights in February and March.

Least Busy Time to Visit Dubrovnik

The least busy time to visit Dubrovnik is during September and October. Summer crowds dissipate and leave the city less crowded with hotels beginning to lower their rates. 

In September and October, you’ll be able to enjoy the sights and scenery of Dubrovnik without the hassle of big crowds of tourists everywhere you go. 

The fall shoulder season is much less crowded and more laid-back than the peak summer season. Warm temperatures from 70F to 77F, better hotel and flight availability, and lower prices make this a great time to visit.

But September and October are not without their downfalls. September is when the rainy season begins (about 4″ of rain) and it gets much wetter come October (6.3″). 

Love it or hate it, this increased rainfall is what keeps many tourists away and makes this fall period the least busy time of year to visit. 

It rains often, but not daily, during this time. That means lounging on the beach, hiking, sightseeing, and festivals are still very much in play when the weather cooperates. 

September is the tail end of the peak summer season, so you’ll find music and cultural festivals going on at the start of the month.

October is less busy and a little cooler. Prices are average to affordable during this short shoulder season, with October hotel prices being lower than September.

Here’s how much hotels cost in Dubrovnik during this time, according to data from Google Hotels:

• September: $64-$170/night
• October: $47-$125/night

This laid-back fall period is a great time to avoid the crowds while getting to enjoy the final warmth and activities of the summer season in Dubrovnik.

Worst Time to Visit Dubrovnik

The worst time to visit Dubrovnik is from October to December. It’s the wettest part of the year and many attractions and hotels close down for the season. 

During the late fall and early winter, Dubrovnik experiences a lot of rainfall and cooler temperatures than the rest of the year. It’s the wettest period and each month can see up to 7.8″ of rain. 

The wet weather can be a major problem when visiting Dubrovnik because so many of the best activities and attractions are outdoors. 

In addition to the rain, you’ll be dealing with cooler temperatures in November (63F) and December (57F) that make it harder to enjoy the beaches. 

However, it’s not a bad time of year to sightsee and head indoors for shelter from the rain. Dubrovnik has some excellent galleries, museums, shops, and restaurants to fill your time on rainy days. 

Excellent prices are another potential bonus to visiting during the rainiest part of the year. Hotels are at their cheapest during this period:

• October: $47-$125/night
• November: $42-$112/night
• December: $37-$98/night

You can really score a bargain by coming to Dubrovnik in December, but like October and November, it’s a very wet month and less enjoyable for touring the city. 

Things to Consider

What else should you know before you start planning a visit to Dubrovnik? Here are some helpful travel tips to keep in mind as you start researching ahead of your stay. 

• It’s a popular cruise ship port. Dubrovnik is the most-visited cruise port in Croatia. The disembarking passengers flood the small city between 9:30am and 3pm, putting a strain on local restaurants, beaches, and museums. Plan your day outside of these hours to cut down on time spent standing in line. 
• Locals speak Croatian and English. Standard Croatian is the native and official tongue of most locals here, but English is also widely spoken. You’ll find that most people, from airport staff to bellhops and waitstaff, will be able to converse with you in English. That makes communication much easier for English-speaking travelers. 
• Euros are the official currency in Croatia. Croatia recently changed its official currency from the kuna to the euro in January 2023. It’s very simple to exchange your currency for euros upon arrival, but you’ll find that some shops and restaurants in tourist areas will accept other currency, like the U.S. dollar and British pound. 
• See more of Croatia. While you’re in Dubrovnik, there are several small islands and islets off the coast that are worth taking a ferry or boat to see. Other Croatian cities, like Split and Zagreb, as well as stunning national parks, are also worthy of a visit while you’re here. The best time to visit Croatia aligns with the best time to visit Dubrovnik.

Frequently Asked Questions

Travelers tend to have a lot of questions about the best time to visit Dubrovnik – what’s the best month overall for a visit, how many days should you spend here, and what’s the rainiest month?

Take a look at the most frequently asked questions below to learn more as you start planning your visit. 

So, What’s the Best Time to Visit Dubrovnik?

If you can, plan your stay during the best time to visit Dubrovnik – May through August, when the weather is warm and dry.

The city is bustling with festivals and activities this time of year and prices can be surprisingly affordable in the early part of the season. 

Come between November and March, when it’s rainy and cooler, to take advantage of the cheapest time to visit Dubrovnik. You’ll find hotel rates as low as $37/night in December! 

Come a little earlier, in September or October, to experience the city without the big crowds of summer but before the cool weather fully kicks in. 

Note that October, November, and December are typically the least-enjoyable months of the year to come due to heavy rainfall and limited attractions, restaurants, and hotels that close down after the busy season. 

Dubrovnik is full of storied history and architecture, stunning beaches, interesting shops and restaurants, and beautiful islands to visit just off the coast. 

Even if you need to go during the “worst” time of year in the rainy season, Dubrovnik will amaze you with its ties to history, from medieval to recent, and the natural beauty along its shores.