Blog Day trips & escapes

2026-04-145 min readcheaphotels

Six islands reachable from Dubrovnik, ranked by what you actually get for the ferry ticket.

1. Mljet

The island that beats every other option for a proper day out. Mljet's national park in the western third of the island contains two saltwater lakes (Veliko and Malo Jezero) connected to the sea by a tidal channel, and a 12th-century Benedictine monastery on its own islet in the middle of the larger lake. G&V Line catamaran from Gruž takes 90 minutes to Pomena, costs about 22 EUR each way, and drops you into the park at 10:30am.

Rent a bike at the Pomena kiosk for 10 EUR a day, ride the flat shoreline path around Veliko Jezero, take the small park boat across to St Mary's islet (included in the 27 EUR summer park entry), and swim off the flat rocks at Mali Most where the tidal channel runs fast enough to lie in like a current. Last catamaran back leaves around 5:30pm. This is the best day trip within an hour of Dubrovnik, ranked or otherwise.

2. Lopud

The Elaphiti island that combines the best sand beach in the region (Šunj), a walkable car-free village, decent restaurants, and a ferry frequent enough for a proper half-day. Jadrolinija runs the local line from Gruž multiple times daily (about 7 EUR each way, 55 minutes), and there are also faster passenger catamarans in high season. The village stretches along a curve of harbour with two 15th-century Franciscan monastery ruins and a Renaissance defensive tower above.

Walk 20 minutes across the island to Šunj beach, or 5 EUR golf cart shuttle. Lunch at Konoba Barbara on the beach, or back at the harbour at Obala restaurant. RLH Lopud 1483, the restored 15th-century fortress hotel in the village, is the region's most interesting overnight if you want to stay. Off-season Lopud runs on a skeleton — most restaurants close November to April — but the ferry keeps running. Best paired with a swim day, not a walking day.

3. Korčula

Two-and-a-half hours by Krilo catamaran (roughly 25 EUR each way) or a full day if you drive via the Pelješac Bridge and take the short car ferry from Orebić. Korčula Town is a miniature walled peninsula that reads like a smaller, quieter Dubrovnik — same Venetian-Gothic architecture, same fish-bone street plan, but a quarter the crowds. Marco Polo (contested) birthplace, a small cathedral, and a genuinely working village of 3,000 people rather than a museum.

Worth an overnight rather than a day trip; the last catamaran back is around 5pm in summer and you spend most of the day travelling. Stay at Lešić Dimitri Palace or the more affordable Aminess Korčula Heritage Hotel. Eat at Konoba Adio Mare. Rent a scooter to reach the wine village of Lumbarda and the vineyards of Grk, a white grape grown nowhere else. Second-best island in the region and the best overnight choice.

4. Šipan

The largest and least developed Elaphiti island, and the choice for travellers who want the archipelago experience without other travellers. Ferry from Gruž to Šipanska Luka (60 minutes, around 7 EUR) or Suđurađ on the eastern side. The island has two villages, 500 permanent residents, ruined summer palaces of Ragusan nobility, olive groves, and a fine walking route between the two harbours (about 90 minutes across the interior).

Pržina beach is the swim destination — 25 minutes' walk from Šipanska Luka. Eat at Konoba Kod Marka near the harbour or Restaurant Bowa above Suđurađ for a proper Ragusan-style seafood lunch. No car needed; distances are walking scale. Ferry timetable makes half-days awkward so plan a full day, or overnight at Hotel Božica in Suđurađ. Skip in November through March when most services close and the boat runs infrequently.

5. Koločep (Kalamota)

The closest Elaphiti island to Dubrovnik — just 30 minutes by Jadrolinija ferry from Gruž, or 20 minutes on the local passenger boat. Koločep has two small villages (Donje Čelo and Gornje Čelo), a population under 200, no cars, and a pleasant if unspectacular 3-kilometre walking path between the harbours through pine and olive groves. Two small pebble beaches at each village, the better one at Donje Čelo.

Ranked mid-list because it's the easiest but also the thinnest experience — you can do the whole island in three hours, and there's less to eat and drink than on Lopud or Šipan. Best used as a half-day escape from Dubrovnik in shoulder season, or an overnight at Hotel Kalamota Island Resort if you want a car-free base within 30 minutes of the city. Lunch at Villa Ruža in Donje Čelo — old Ragusan summer villa, still serving.

6. Lokrum

The 15-minute ferry hop from the Old Port, technically an island but really an extension of the city. Included on this list because for a first-time visitor with only one afternoon free, Lokrum delivers more per euro than anywhere else — 27 EUR return covers ferry and island entry, and you get a Benedictine monastery ruin, a small saltwater lake, a Napoleonic fort at 96 metres with a full panorama, botanical gardens, and multiple rocky swim spots.

Ranked last only because it's a park more than an island — no village, no restaurants beyond one seasonal café, closed November to March. Boats every 30 minutes from 9am to 7pm in summer. The trick is to stay after 5pm when day-trippers leave; the last boat back is around 7pm and the island empties. Peacocks are aggressive at lunch. Combines naturally with a morning on the walls and an afternoon here.

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