a solo girl in dubrovnik

Dubrovnik for solo travel? Yes. A thousand times yes. Dubrovnik took my expectations (which were already incredibly high) and sent them to space with a solo female astronaut. Yes, I’m talking HIGH. I spent three days in Dubrovnik, not only on a solo trip but on a solo birthday trip. It was the happiest time I’ve ever experienced in my entire (now) 25 years of living on this forgiving Earth. Below I will do a deeper dive into what I did in Dubrovnik and how safe I felt as a solo female traveler.

A Few Days in Dubrovnik, Croatia Alone

Before I arrived in Dubrovnik, I had never been to Croatia or the Balkans before. Of course, I dreamt of the day that I would touch down in one of these beautiful countries, but I hadn’t yet done it. I was a little nervous since this was a new country for me, I was going alone, I had never been before, and it was my birthday trip so my expectations were high. I did research beforehand, booked one tour via Airbnb Experiences, and set off for the airport. I left for Croatia on a Tuesday and stayed only through Friday, so I knew I needed to make the most of my trip. When I arrived, the airport in Dubrovnik felt very small and easy to navigate. I landed around 1 pm and used the main bus to transfer from the airport to the city center. From the main terminal, you walk directly out of baggage and see counters selling tickets for the bus transfer. They accept cash (not Euro) or card. I purchased a ticket and sat outside for 30 minutes before the bus arrived. Once the bus arrived, I gave my ticket to the bus driver and boarded with my bags in hand.

I arrived at the main bus station in Dubrovnik center, Autobusni Kolodvor, walked off and waited for the hostel owner to pick me up. Often, when you’re traveling to a city where there are easy points of transportation, hostel owners/employees will offer free or (very) cheap pick-up services. The hostel owner, Antoni, was the kindest man and picked me up and brought me to the hostel. Once I arrived at the hostel, S&L Guesthouse, he showed me around the home and upgraded my room to one with a balcony. Already, after only being there for a few minutes, I felt so welcomed and at home. Around this time the sun started setting and I didn’t want to venture too far out in the dark. I got dinner at Urban & Veggie– a delicious and healthy vegetarian restaurant in the city near the hostel. After this, I stopped at a local market to pick up a few snacks and went back to watch the sunset off my balcony.

The second day, my first official full day in Dubrovnik, I walked 20 minutes from the hostel to the city center to meet my group for a Game of Thrones Walking Tour. During my walk, the sun was beaming bright and strong. It felt so wonderful to walk through the old city and see the ocean to my right. The walking tour that I did was incredibly fun and I met such beautiful people on the tour. I spent much of the tour with friends who were also on the tour, and we eventually visited Lokrum Island together. I would have never known about Lokrum or traveled there if I hadn’t made friends with the other travelers in the group. I’m incredibly thankful for how welcomed they made me feel. At Lokrum, we went swimming, ate lunch, got drinks, and enjoyed the sun. The ferry from Dubrovnik to Lokrum was a short 15-minute ride and very inexpensive. You can find it at the main port and can purchase tickets there.

On my second day in Croatia, I did a tour of three islands via boat solo. I didn’t know anyone and had no plans to see anyone that I met the day before. I was picked up by a driver from my hostel and brought down to the harbor. From there, I boarded a beautiful boat amongst several other strangers. We spent the day going to three islands around Croatia. We had 1-4 hours of free time at each place and were able to do whatever we pleased. I spent the entire day, which was my 25th birthday, alone out at sea. It was the most magical experience of my entire life.

Dubrovnik Safety Factor?

When I first arrived at the city and the hostel owner picked me up, he sat me down with a map and explained the city to me. He said, “you’ll feel incredibly safe here and I mean that.” He noted that as long as I don’t walk the streets alone at night intoxicated, Dubrovnik is a safe and homey place. He couldn’t have been more right. I was alone the entire time I was in Croatia, aside from the day spent with friends during the tour. I spent every night alone and every early morning when the sun was still sleeping. I wandered throughout the city with headphones in, my camera at hand, my guard semi-down. I felt safe and confident in this city. I know for a fact that if I needed help and asked for it, someone would be there to help me. Dubrovnik is an excellent place to go if you’re a solo female traveler. The two tours I did led me to make new friends and have the most beautiful experience. There is truly something in the air in this beautiful Balkan city… everyone is beaming with happiness. You should absolutely go to Dubrovnik. You won’t regret it and you’ll likely fall in love, just like me.