Dubrovnik is great, but a little fresh air and peace can be even greater...
There are a number of operators in charge of boat services in the Dubrovnik area. Tickets can be purchased online, from tourist agencies, from hotels, in Gruž and Dubrovnik Port, Pile and Ploče Gate, at the promenade and the beach trail along Lapad Bay and many other street stands which can be found in the Old Town. Boat excursions usually include destinations such as the Elaphiti islands (Koločep, Lopud, Šipan), Cavtat, Mljet, Korčula, Pelješac.
You can book your private excursion as individual or as a part of the group. If you are part of a larger group, we recommend booking a private tour instead of using the official ferry.
While using ferry services can be cheaper, the regular ferry timetable makes it quite impossible to see more than one island in a single day. The most popular tour is “The Elaphiti Islands” tour that enables you to see all three islands in one day.
We are here to give you a quick guide of the islands that can also be reached by Jadrolinija, the Croatian state-owned shipping company which operates regular passenger and cargo transport services.
Dubrovnik – Elaphiti islands (Koločep, Lopud, Šipan)
The Postira boat has gained cult status among many islanders transporting passengers from the mainland to the Elaphiti islands since 1963. There are several daily departures from Gruž to Koločep, further on to Lopud and then to Šipan. It is recommended to book the earliest ferry possible since each island is best experienced with a day trip. If you would like to visit all three Elaphiti islands in one day, there are plenty of tourist agencies both in Gruž and the Old Port (Stara Luka) in Dubrovnik offering full day boat excursions to the islands. Tours can be arranged privately (recommended for larger groups) or you can join others on a single day tour.
Postira is a passenger boat, but if you would like to drive your car on the island there is a ferry from Dubrovnik to Suđurađ on Šipan island.
Dubrovnik – Mljet
If you would like to visit one of the most beautiful national parks in Croatia, there is a ferry line which operates once daily during the winter and several times per week to Šipan and Mljet. In the summer season this ferry continues further on to the islands of Korčula and Lastovo. A high-speed catamaran “Nona Ana” stops at the following ports: Dubrovnik - Luka Šipanska - Sobra (Mljet) - Polače (Mljet) - Korčula - Ubli (Lastovo). Notice that the boat leaves you in Polače, a village which is a 40 minute walk from the Mljet National park located in the northern part of the island. Although there is no official entrance to the National Park as such, visitors are expected to pay for the entrance in Polače and to reach the National park by the provided shuttle bus or on foot. Upon arrival at the ticket office in Polače, you will find info brochures, leaflets and a map of the island to guide you through your time on Mljet.
Dubrovnik – Hvar
Hvar island has a wide range of ferry connections with coastal towns Split, Dubrovnik and Rijeka, as well as with other neighboring islands. There are four ferry ports on the island: Hvar Town, Jelsa, Sucuraj and Stari Grad (Old Town). In the wintertime it can be quite difficult to reach Hvar from Dubrovnik Port as there are no direct daily ferries. During the summer season there are two catamarans that connect Dubrovnik and Hvar. One catamaran departs from Dubrovnik and goes to Korčula, Hvar and Bol (Brač island) and the other one departs from Split and continues on to Milna (Brač island), Hvar, Korčula, Mljet and down to Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik – Korčula
Korčula Island is very well connected with neighbouring islands and the mainland by car ferries, as well as by passenger ferries. Some ferries from Dubrovnik stop at Mljet and some at Šipan on their way to Korčula. There are several options when it comes to reaching the island which is often dubbed as Little Dubrovnik:
- Ferry / Catamaran: Dubrovnik via Mljet to Korčula and further to Hvar, Milna and Split – (Daily June to October, 4 times per week in May)
- Dubrovnik – Šipan- Mljet – Korčula – Lastovo (Service available between June & September)
- Ferry / Catamaran: Dubrovnik- Korčula -Hvar-Bol (Brač) in the high season.
Check the timetable for 2017 here.
The adress of Dubrovnik Ferry Port is:
Stjepana Radica 40,
20000 Dubrovnik
Croatia
If you require any additional information, you can call +385 20 418 380
or send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
UberBOAT
In addition, there is a new Uber service that provides nautical transport coming to Croatia! The aim of the new service is to improve the connections between the mainland and the islands, as well as between individual islands while focusing on both international and local users. The transport will be carried by speedboats of different sizes. Transport companies which are already registered for these activities and operate their charter management business through professional companies will be able to join the new initiative provided by the popular UBER app.
UberBOAT will work the same way as the already popular ride-sharing platform. Once you’re by the seaside you can choose the UberBOAT option and if there is a free boat available, you can set your pick up location and request UberBOAT just as you would use the Uber car service.
