2 Tips to Travel Economically in Old City Dubrovnik

A group of Italian travellers whom I met in Mostar had prewarned me that Dubrovnik was going to be expensive. I didn't know how expensive it was until I got there.

Just to give you an idea how expensive Dubrovnik is, let me share with you some photos of prices in the Old City.

CITY WALLS TICKET

It costs HRK150.00 per adult to climb the City Walls.

Notice that the entrance fee is displayed in a form which can be conveniently changed anytime? This is because it keeps increasing every few months. I know this because I compared it with other blogs.

A friend said (in jest) that he had to sell a kidney to climb the City Walls :-)

LAUNDRY

If you need to use the laundromat in the Old City, be prepared to pay this price:

The cost of 1 wash in the Old City is equivalent to 4.6 washes in Kuala Lumpur .

LODGING

I stayed at Kings Landing Hostel which costs HRK125.00/night in a standard 4-bed mix dorm.

The main door to Kings Landing Hostel.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Behold the price of food & beverage:

Here are some of the F&B that I had in Dubrovnik:

Dinner and beer on my first day in the beautiful city:

Price: HRK60.00

Price: HRK35.00

Barba was one of the cheaper eateries near my hostel ...

... where I had this huge tuna burger:

HRK74.00

I also had a fabulous whiskey cream ice-cream:

Price: 2 Euro

(Note: Some eateries and establishments in the Old City accept the Euro whilst some don't)

After sharing with you what I experienced and discovered in the Old City, here are my two tips to travel cheaply there:

Tip 1: Live outside the Old City

On my last night in the Old City, I decided to walk outside the city walls towards the back where there was a Pemo supermarket. Prices there were much lower compared to the Pemo inside the Old City. I was kicking myself why didn't I come here from Day 1 to get my stuff. I ended up buying 6 bars of chocolate because they were relatively cheaper.

So the further you move away from the Old City, you'll see prices start falling, be it for lodging or meals. The best way to keep your pockets happy is to choose a hotel that's further away and only enter the Old City for sightseeing.

Tip 2: Prepare your own meals

This is of course the most economical way to save, especially if you're on a tight budget.

Most hostels provide a small kitchen to prepare simple meals like pasta, sandwiches and salad. I also found instant soup at the supermarket, but unfortunately there were no instant noodles.

I remember the couple from Colombia who were preparing steaks in the tiny kitchen at Kings Landing Hostel. The guy was proudly sharing with me how much he had saved as he was flipping his sizzling steak over the stove.