Full Circuit of the Dubrovnik Walls

What it is

Dubrovnik's wall surrounds the whole old city and is walked along the top, along the wall walk. It measures 1,940 m and has sixteen towers, three fortresses, six bastions, two corner fortifications and two drawbridges. In places the wall reaches 25 m in height; on the land side it is between 4 and 6 m thick and on the sea side, between 1.5 and 3 m. It took its present layout in the 13th century and was reinforced until 1660, when the St Stephen bastion, on the south side, was completed.

It is run by the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities (Društvo prijatelja dubrovačke starine), which has been restoring it since 1952. It is a World Heritage site together with the old town.

What you see from the top

On the land side you pass above the roofs of new and old tile, the courtyards and the hidden gardens of the old town, with Srđ behind. The Minčeta tower, in the north-west corner, is the highest point of the route and from it you see the Stradun from end to end. On the sea side you walk above the rocks, with Lokrum opposite and the Lovrijenac fortress to the west, on its crag. From the Ploče stretch you see the old port and the St John fortress, which closes it.

There are steep stairs on the climbs to the towers and many stretches of uneven steps. It cannot be done with a pushchair or in a wheelchair.

How long it takes

The full circuit takes about two hours at an easy pace, with stops for photos. In a hurry it can be done in an hour and a half, and with children or heat, allow more. The ticket is valid for a single circuit: if you leave, you cannot re-enter.

Tickets and price

In 2026 the adult ticket is around €40, and children up to age 6 do not pay. Check it at the Society's official online shop (shop.citywallsdubrovnik.hr), which also sells Lovrijenac, the Ston walls and the Sokol fortress. With the wall ticket you also visit Lovrijenac. Keep the ticket until the end: staff may ask for it at any stretch.

If you also plan to enter museums, compare first with the Dubrovnik Pass on its official website.

Hours and when to go

It is open all year. From November to March a shorter winter timetable applies, and the closing time is that of the last entry. The exact hours change by month: check them on the official website before going.

Enter at opening or in the last hour. Between 10:00 and 13:00 in July and August the wall fills up, especially on cruise days, and up there there is almost no shade. The Pile entrance is the busiest; at Ploče or the St John fortress you usually wait less.

Getting there

The old town is pedestrian. If you come by car, leave it at the Ilijina glavica car park, about ten minutes downhill to Pile, or use the Libertas bus, which stops at Pile.

With children or a dog

Children must always be watched by an adult: the parapet is low in places and leaning out, climbing or taking photos from the edge is forbidden. Dogs may go up on a lead, and large ones muzzled.

Rules

Smoking or lighting fires, throwing litter onto the wall or into the sea and filming for commercial purposes without permission are prohibited. The Society recommends bringing water, a hat and sun cream, and checking the weather before going up.

After the wall, the Srđ cable car gives you the opposite view, the whole city from above, and the kayak under the walls, the one from below.

What was filmed on the wall

The wall is King's Landing's in much of Game of Thrones: the Dubrovnik tourist office says it served to create the illusion of an enormous capital. The Croatian tourist office specifies two places on the route. The Minčeta tower, the highest, is the House of the Undying in Qarth, where Daenerys seeks her dragons. And Šulić beach, below, at the foot of the wall, is where the Battle of the Blackwater was filmed, with Stannis's fleet in flames. For the Red Keep you pay nothing more: it comes with this ticket.