Dubrovnik City Walls

Walking the Dubrovnik City Walls gives you a complete circuit above the Old Town, with rooftops, fortresses and church towers on one side and the Adriatic on the other. The walk is just under 2 km, but stairs, summer heat and crowds make timing almost as important as the route itself.

Planning your City Walls walk

• Length: approximately 1,940 m around Dubrovnik Old Town.
• Time needed: allow around 1.5 to 2 hours for the full circuit with normal photo stops.
• 2026 main-season adult ticket: €40. Children aged 7-18 pay €15 and children under 7 enter free.
• Included: a City Walls ticket also gives access to Fort Lovrijenac.
• Best time: opening time is usually the easiest choice in summer. Later afternoon gives softer light, but check the closing time carefully.
• Main challenge: frequent stairs and long sections with little shade.

Dubrovnik City Walls tickets and the Dubrovnik Pass

You can buy City Walls tickets at the entrances or through the official ticket shop. For the main 2026 season, the standard adult ticket is €40, children aged 7-18 pay €15, and children under 7 enter free. Lower seasonal pricing may apply outside the main visitor season, so check the live ticket shop if travelling in winter.

A City Walls ticket also includes Fort Lovrijenac. If you visit Lovrijenac first on its separate ticket and later decide to walk the City Walls, the official rules allow you to pay the difference at the walls entrance.

The walls themselves are a single visit: the official code of conduct states that the ticket is valid for one circuit and re-entry is not possible. Keep the ticket until you finish.

Dubrovnik Pass or a City Walls ticket?

At current 2026 pricing, the 1-day Dubrovnik Pass costs the same as the €40 main-season adult City Walls ticket. The Pass also includes a group of museums and galleries plus public transport benefits, so it is the stronger buy if you plan to use any of those extras.

If all you want is the wall walk and Fort Lovrijenac, the standalone ticket keeps things simple. For the wider comparison, see the Dubrovnik Pass guide.

Dubrovnik City Walls opening hours in 2026

The City Walls have seasonal opening hours and the closing time changes repeatedly through spring, summer and autumn. The official operator confirms that the walls are open every day of the year except 25 December.

Important: according to the official City Walls FAQ, the published closing time is also the last admission time. If the walls are listed as open until 18:00, entry is allowed until 18:00. That does not mean you should arrive then if you want to complete the circuit - allow around 1.5 to 2 hours.

The schedule above is a 2026 planning schedule. If your visit depends on a late-afternoon entry, check the official City Walls website again on the day, particularly around seasonal changeover dates or during bad weather.

When should you walk the walls?

In July and August, opening time is the safest recommendation. The stone ramparts have limited shade, and the walk becomes noticeably harder as the temperature rises. Later afternoon is attractive for photography and can be more comfortable, but leave enough time to finish without rushing.

Spring and early autumn give you more flexibility. In winter, shorter opening hours matter more than crowds.

Where to enter and how to walk the City Walls

There are three entrances to the circuit. The main entrance is immediately inside Pile Gate, near the western end of Stradun. It is the easiest entrance to find and often the busiest.

• Pile: the main entrance, beside the western end of Stradun.
• Ploče / St Luke area: an eastern entrance that can be useful if you arrive from the Ploče side of the Old Town.
• St John's Fortress: beside the Old Port, close to the Maritime Museum.

Once on the ramparts, follow the current arrows and staff instructions. The walls are managed as a one-way circuit, and your ticket does not allow you to leave and come back later.

Starting at Pile is the most straightforward choice for a first visit. If queues are heavy there, using one of the other entrances does not reduce what you see - you join the same circuit at a different point.

What you see on the full circuit

The wall walk changes character as you move around Dubrovnik. The western and southern sections are dominated by the sea; the Old Port side explains how the harbour was defended; the northern wall climbs toward Minčeta and gives some of the strongest views over the rooftops.

Pile and Fort Bokar

Starting from Pile quickly brings you above the small western harbour and toward Fort Bokar. Across the water is Fort Lovrijenac, standing apart from the main fortifications on its rocky outcrop.

This western section gives some of the clearest views of the relationship between the walls, Bokar and Lovrijenac. It is also one of the best places to photograph the fortifications from the circuit itself.

South wall and Lokrum

The southern ramparts run above the open Adriatic. Look outward toward Lokrum Island and inward over the dense roofs of the Old Town. This stretch is spectacular, but it is also one of the most exposed sections in hot weather.

Old Port and St John's Fortress

On the eastern side you look directly down into the Old Port. From above, it becomes much easier to understand how St John's Fortress and the surrounding walls controlled the harbour entrance and protected Dubrovnik's maritime traffic.

Minčeta and the northern wall

The landward side rises toward Minčeta Tower, the highest point on the circuit. This is where you get the broadest view across the Old Town rooftops and see how tightly the historic city fits inside its defensive perimeter.

You do not need a separate photography itinerary. Minčeta, the western walls near Bokar, the southern sea-facing section and the Old Port naturally provide the strongest viewpoints as you complete the circuit.

Previous Next

Do not forget Fort Lovrijenac

Your City Walls ticket also includes Fort Lovrijenac, the detached fortress above the western harbour outside Pile Gate.

The two visits show Dubrovnik from opposite perspectives. On the walls you look outward from the fortifications; from Lovrijenac you look back toward Fort Bokar and the western walls from outside the city.

You do not need to tackle both climbs consecutively in summer. One comfortable approach is to walk the walls early, spend the hotter part of the day at street level, then return to Lovrijenac when the temperature drops.

If you buy a Lovrijenac-only ticket first and later decide to walk the City Walls, keep the ticket. The official FAQ says you can pay the additional difference at the walls entrance.

Walk independently or take a guided tour?

You do not need a guide to complete the City Walls circuit. Entrances are easy to find and the route itself is straightforward once you are on the ramparts.

A guided walk makes more sense if the defensive history is important to you. A good guide can explain why Minčeta, Bokar, St John's Fortress and the detached forts were positioned as they were, rather than leaving the visit as a sequence of viewpoints.

If you book a tour, check whether the City Walls entrance ticket is included. Many guided tours charge separately for the guide and the €40 wall ticket.

Stairs, heat, children and accessibility

The 1.94 km distance can make the walls sound like an easy stroll. The stairs are what change the calculation. You climb repeatedly as the route rises and falls between towers and bastions, and much of the circuit is exposed to the sun.

Summer heat

In July and August, avoid treating the walls as a midday activity if you have a choice. Start at opening, carry water, use sunscreen and wear a hat. The official operator also recommends water, suitable footwear and sun protection.

Shoes and rain

Comfortable shoes with decent grip are preferable to flip-flops. Historic stone can become slippery when wet, particularly on stairs and smoother sections of the walkway.

Children and strollers

Children who are comfortable with stairs generally enjoy the fortress-like route, but younger children may tire well before the 2 km circuit is complete. Strollers are not practical because of the repeated staircases and narrow sections; a carrier is a better option for babies and toddlers.

Limited mobility

The City Walls are difficult for visitors with reduced mobility. The official operator specifically warns that its heritage sites can be difficult to access for people with disabilities. Wheelchair access to the full wall circuit is not realistic because of the staircases and historic layout.

Food, drinks and toilets

There are small refreshment points on parts of the route, but facilities are limited compared with the streets below. Use a toilet and make sure you have water before entering, particularly because the ticket does not allow re-entry after you leave.

How old are the Dubrovnik City Walls?

The fortifications developed over several centuries rather than being built in one campaign. According to the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, the walls reached their present scope in the 13th century and were systematically strengthened and adapted until 1660, when the Bastion of St Stephen was completed on the southern side.

Changes in warfare shaped the walls you see today. As artillery became more important, sections were strengthened, towers were altered and platforms were adapted for cannon. The result is not simply a high wall around Dubrovnik but a coordinated defensive system of towers, bastions, fortresses, outer works, moats and harbour defences.

• Total length: approximately 1,940 m.
• Maximum height: up to about 25 m.
• Landward wall thickness: approximately 4-6 m in places.
• Seaward wall thickness: approximately 1.5-3 m.
• Main defensive elements: 16 towers, 3 fortresses and 6 bastions, together with additional outer fortifications.

The walls form part of the UNESCO-listed Old City of Dubrovnik. Their survival also explains why so much of Dubrovnik's street plan and historic architecture can still be understood as one compact fortified city.

Recognise some of these fortifications from Game of Thrones? Dubrovnik became King’s Landing for the series, with the City Walls and several nearby forts appearing in memorable scenes. See the real locations in our Game of Thrones filming locations in Dubrovnik guide.

Official rules worth knowing

The Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities publishes a code of conduct for the City Walls. The rules most likely to affect an ordinary visit are straightforward:

• No advance time-slot reservation is required.
• Tickets can be bought in advance through the official webshop.
• The ticket is valid for one circuit and re-entry is not allowed.
• Keep your ticket until the visit is finished.
• Children must be supervised by an adult.
• Pets are allowed. Dogs must be on a leash, and larger breeds must wear a muzzle.
• Do not climb, jump or lean over the walls.
• Commercial photography or filming requires prior approval.

Official information is available from the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities.

Address & contact details

Street: Old Town Dubrovnik
Postcode: 20000
City: Dubrovnik

Website: Dubrovnik City Walls official website