The historic walls are one reason why a visit to Dubrovnik is so special, enclosing the Old Town with its red-roofed medieval buildings and towering above the cliffs overlooking the Adriatic sea – so whatever else you do during your time in the city, you shouldn’t miss a chance to walk the Dubrovnik walls with kids.
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But this is one Croatia family attraction which needs a bit more planning to enjoy. It’s doable even with younger kids, but to get the most out of Dubrovnik’s walls with kids, I’ve pulled together all my tips to ensure it’s memorable for all the right reasons.
So whether you’re looking for practical advice about walking the Dubrovnik walls with kids, information on what you can see and do along the way or want to get your family excited with a few photos from the route, here’s all you need to know about visiting the Dubrovnik city walls with kids.
Why visit Dubrovnik city walls with kids
Dubrovnik simply wouldn’t be the same without its huge walls encircling the town – while the city has expanded beyond its limits, there’s a feeling you’re stepping back in history when you walk through one of the gates.
It’s also kept out everyone from the Venetians, jealous of Dubrovnik’s wealth and trade, to various other attackers over the years – although some, like the Ottomans, were bought off rather than fought off.
Even if your kids couldn’t care less about the history, it’s a walk to remember with some amazing views over to the sea, as well as down onto the roofs of the town, to little bars clinging to the cliffs and cats sunbathing.
We even managed to spot an area where they were working on renovations… the walls themselves survived the earthquake of 1677, as well as the Balkans conflict in the 1990s, not to mention the arrival of Napoleon’s army in between.
The city’s earliest stone walls are thought to date back as early as the 8th century, but by the 13th century the city was completely surrounded by the defensive fortications.
The walls themselves stretch for 2km, while the defences as a whole include 16 towers, three fortresses, plus moats, drawbridges, turrets and other fortifications.
A Unesco World Heritage Site since 1979, the original walls used white limestone from a nearby quarry, with a mix of seaweed, eggshells and sand for the mortar. It’s said that the city’s ruling body once insisted that every visitor to the Old Town brought a stone to help strengthen them.
In some places, they’re now 6m thick and stretch as high as 25m. These definitely weren’t just for display. You’re unlikely to face any threats apart from crowds, maybe a seagull, but if your imagination doesn’t race with thoughts of marauders, battles, heroics and daring deeds, your children’s probably will be.
As with so many places in Dubrovnik, there are links to Game of Thrones in case you need to persuade any older teens to take the walk – Fort Minceta was used for Qarth’s House of the Undying, while Tyrion Lannister defended King’s Landing from the seaward walls during the Battle of the Blackwater, and nearby Fort Lawrence – a separate part of the defences – was the Red Keep (after quite a lot of CGI).
You’ll also find various family attractions along the Dubrovnik city walls, although with the ever-changing view, chance to visit Fort Minceta and even little cafes to stop at along the way, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained.
How to visit the Dubrovnik walls with kids
There are various different ways you can explore the Dubrovnik city walls with kids, whether you prefer to explore just part of the walls, join a guided tour or head out to enjoy the views at your own pace. Here’s what you need to know before you head up.
Is it free to visit the Dubrovnik City Walls?
It’s free for children under seven to visit the Dubrovnik walls, but everyone else needs to pay – and ticket prices are rising regularly, now 40 Euros for adults, up from 35 Euros in 2024, and 15 Euros for kids aged 7-18.
Back in 2012, it was only 70 kunas (around 9 Euros) but has been going up steadily each year or two – partly in an attempt to limit the number of people who visit, and to protect the historic walls.
If you are travelling out of season it’s cheaper, currently 15 Euros for adults, 5 Euros for kids between November and February.
You can buy them at the ticket office just inside the Pile Gate entrance (near the Large Onofrio Fountain) as well as at the Ploče Gate and the Maritime museum (although there was no-one in that booth when we walked past). Even better is to buy them online in advance which lets you skip the queue at the ticket offices, and will include access to the fort of St Lawrence.
You’ll still have to show them when you get onto the wall, and if you do start at the Pile Gate, people were being asked to show them again at the Ploce Gate, although we only had to show ours once.
Instead of getting tickets for adults, I’d recommend looking at a Dubrovnik Pass – the price for a 24-hour pass is the same as entry to the walls at 40 Euros, so if you visit anything else, you’re already saving. It’s currently the only Dubrovnik Card available, and it’s usually significantly more expensive to buy from anywhere except the official site.
With my pass, I also went to the Maritime Museum, the Rector’s Palace and the Franciscan Monastery, for example – as rates for kids are different if you have children aged 7+, it’s worth working out the cost to see whether it’s worth paying for them separately.
Incidentally, if you visit the fort of St Lawrence first, the entry won’t automatically include the walls – you should be able to upgrade it, but it’s a lot easier to get the ticket at the walls or online first (or the Dubrovnik Pass) as that covers both.
You can also join tours but these don’t normally include the cost of a ticket onto the walls, so you’ll need to buy that separately – this option gives you a choice of setting out early or at sunset while this Wars and Walls walking tour fills in more of the history as you go.
Both are suitable for kids, although I’d suggest better for older kids as little ones are more likely to need to do the walk at their own pace.
How do I get up onto the Dubrovnik walls?
There are several ways to get up onto the walls but the main two are starting at the Pile Gate or the Ploce gate – look out for the little archway in the walls near 360 restaurant (there is a sign as well, so it’s not hard to find).
If you’re visiting the Dubrovnik walls with kids (and even if you’re not!), my top tip is to start at the Ploce gate as it tends to be quieter, with more people starting their visit by the Pile Gate. There was no queue for tickets when we visited in late May, whereas the ticket office near the Pile Gate constantly seemed to be busy.
The other big bonus of starting the walk here is that you do the hardest climb at the start, while everyone is still full of energy. It’s not the last set of stairs you’ll encounter but it gets one of the most strenuous parts out of the way early on.
There’s a one-way system to explore the walls, taking everyone around in an anti-clockwise direction as the often narrow walkways mean it would be chaos otherwise.
Whichever one you choose, save some time to see both main gates. The Pile Gate is overlooked by statues of Dubrovnik’s patron saint, St Blaise, with a ramp and steps taking you down from the bridge outside to Big Onofrio’s Fountain just inside the Old Town.
To enter the Ploce gate, you need to walk across a stone bridge, which has some great views down onto the boats on the water, as you walk through a string of arches – you’ll see another statue of St Blaise here too. Dubrovnik’s third gate, the Buza Gate, was only added to the northern wall in 1907.
How long do I need to explore the Dubrovnik Walls with kids
We were told to allow at least 90 minutes to walk the entire circuit, but in the end it took us just over an hour (including a short stop in the Maritime Museum).
You don’t want to be rushing, especially if it’s hot, as the whole point is having enough time to soak up the views, climb up into the towers, take a thousand photos and maybe stop for an ice cream.
If you’re visiting early or late, you should avoid the worst of the crowds too which means there won’t be as many hold-ups – in peak season, there can be thousands of people exploring the walls each day, so if you get stuck behind a slow-moving group, it’s going to be slower.
It’s well worth checking the cruise ship schedule to see how many are due to be docked in Dubrovnik (and what times they arrive) and to plan your visit on quieter days, as it’s a popular excursion.
What do I need to take on the Dubrovnik Walls with kids
Not much – in fact, the less you have to carry around with you, the better. Water and a hat is always a good idea, even if you’re visiting outside the hottest hours – I really can’t stress how hot it can get.
Even in early summer, the temperatures are already in the high 20s by mid-morning and soar even higher in peak summer. If you’re visiting in July or August, you really shouldn’t attempt to walk Dubrovnik’s walls with kids at midday!
Sun protection is also essential, and shoes with a good grip. You don’t need hiking shoes or special walking shoes, and open sandals are fine if they’re reasonably sturdy – we just wore trainers. It had rained a bit the day before our visit and the limestone can get slippery but you want to be comfortable.
Otherwise there are toilets at the cafes along the way, and you can stop for drinks including freshly squeezed orange juice, as well as ice creams. Realistically you’re not going to be up there for hours on end, and there are several points where you could go down if you needed to, so just bring the essentials.
Dubrovnik city walls with kids: the highlights
If you’re still wondering whether it’s worth heading up to the Dubrovnik walls with kids, here’s what you can expect to see along the way – and having done the walk with a 12-year-old, and spotted more than a few other kids on the way, I can confirm that it really is worth doing!
The views
Be prepared to take more photos than you can count, because everywhere you look, there are fantastic views.
They’re constantly changing too, so you’ll find yourself looking out across the red-roofed tiles to the spires and towers inside the Old Town, as well as gazing up to Mount Srd to watch the cable car climb the hill. As you travel further round, you’ll get a glimpse over to St Lawrence’s fortress (aka the Lovrijenac fort) and the little harbour packed with kayaks.
On the seaward facing stretch of wall, the deep blue Adriatic seems to stretch away endlessly to the horizon – look out for some of the little boats zipping through the water, and for Lokrum Island as you reach the stretch close to the Dubrovnik Old Port.
Don’t miss the Buza Bars clinging to the cliffs too – you’ll see the roped-off stretches of water for swimming, ladders down from the rocks and usually at least a few sunbathers too (even if there’s no beach).
There are several impressive forts and towers along the way too, including St Luke’s Tower, near the Ploce Gate, Fort Minceta, Fort Bokar and the immense Tvrđava Svetog Ivana (or Fort St John) which houses the Maritime Museum and the Aquarium.
There are little round guardposts dotted along, perfect for a few games of repel the imaginary invaders.
One of the other small delights of a walk around the walls is a chance to see a taste of daily life for Dubrovnik’s inhabitants – we spotted someone watering his garden, cats snoozing in the sun, washing hung out behind houses, and little shady courtyards. There are countless small alleys to peer through as well.
The Maritime Museum
At one point, Dubrovnik had the world’s fourth largest fleet – not bad going for a tiny republic that you could walk across in about 10 minutes. Their success in trade led to wealth (and a lot of jealousy from the Venetians) so the Maritime Museum is well worth a quick stop.
You’ll pass it as you walk around the walls, in Fort St John by the harbour (and by one of the entrances to the walls, although that one wasn’t staffed when we visited). It’s included in the Dubrovnik Pass, so if you have one of these, it’s easy to stop in for a short look around for free.
It’s also cooler if you need a bit of a break from the sun, with everything from Roman amphorae unearthed from a shipwreck to models of ships, cannons, old maps, and plenty more on the Republic’s history.
Dubrovnik aquarium
Dubrovnik Aquarium (or Akvarij) is also housed within the city walls, in the ground floor of the fort of St John (below the Maritime Museum). You don’t actually have to be visiting the walls to look around here if you think your kids would prefer fish to history.
It’s not the biggest aquarium, but the setting is fantastic, with stone rooms and arches to walk through, and marine life from the Adriatic in the 31 different tanks. You can expect fish including scorpion fish, bream, bass and mullets, as well as eels, lobsters and more.
It won’t take too long to look around unless you want to linger at every tank – you’ll probably spend around 30 minutes (or a maximum of an hour). It’s not included in the Dubrovnik Pass (or a walls ticket), so you do need a separate ticket for this.
The Forts
There’s a string of forts which make up more of Dubrovnik’s historic defences, along with the walls – some are part of the walls themselves, others are separate.
As you walk around the walls, you’ll see the smaller round 15th century Fort Minceta (used as a filming location for Game of Thrones), as well as Fort Bokar opposite the Lovrijenac fortress, protecting the harbour. Also built in the 15th century, it’s used during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival for performances.
Fort St John (Svetog Ivana) is huge – look out at it from the Old Port to really appreciate the sheer scale of this block. Built in the 16th century, this is where you’ll find the Maritime Museum and aquarium.
The other forts are separate from the walls themselves. Fort Lawrence (or Fort Lovrijenac) is included in your Dubrovnik Walls ticket (or the Dubrovnik Pass), with some great views back onto the town and the walls from its position 37m up. There’s often outdoor theatre and concerts taking place in the countyard in summer, and it doubled as the Red Keep in Game of Thrones (with some help from CGI).
DUBROVNIK TRAVEL TRIVIA: The inhabitants of Dubrovnik were inspired to built the Lovrijenac fort by the Venetians – their trading rivals, who saw the strategic potential just outside the republic’s walls, and were planning to construct a fort there themselves. Spurred on by this possibility, the first fort went up in just a few months – except only the seaward side was built in stone, the rest was wood and clever camouflage. It worked. The Venetians went home, giving the city’s inhabitants enough time to construct it properly.
Revelin is the largest of all the forts, not far from the Ploce gate. It’s home to Dubrovnik’s archaeological museum and you need a separate ticket to enter here. There are regular temporary exhibitions, so it’s worth checking if there’s anything family friendly running during your visit, but otherwise, it’s one that’s less tempting with kids.
Rather more randomly, part of the fortress also houses one of Dubrovnik’s clubs – minimum entry age is 18+, so that’s not going to be high on your family wishlist either!
For more things to do in Dubrovnik with kids, here’s why you should take a day trip to Lokrum
Disclosure: I was given a Dubrovnik Pass by the Croatia tourist board which I used to visit the walls – all opinions are my own, as was my decision to write this guide to the Dubrovnik walls with kids. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission
Images copyright MummyTravels
