A Guide to Lokrum Island (& How to get there from Dubrovnik)
Lokrum Island was one of the highlights of my recent stay in Dubrovnik. It’s absolutely beautiful and a designated nature reserve meaning it offers the perfect escape from the city for a relaxed and beautiful day out. There are no roads and you’re not allowed to stay on the island – making it a paradise for nature, hiking and swimming.
How to get to Lokrum Island from Dubrovnik
You can visit Lokrum Island on an organised trip from Dubrovnik either via ferry or by sea kayak, costing around EUR35-45 depending on option. This normally leaves an hour or so maximum on the island itself.
Much more flexible is to take the Lokrum Island ferry independently for EUR27 per person, including entry to the island nature reserve. The ferries leave from the Old Port in Dubrovnik roughly every half an hour – the first ferry is at 9am, and the last ferry back is at 7pm during the season. From December to March the ferry doesn’t run and a visit to Lokrum is not possible.
You don’t need to buy ferry tickets in advance, and can turn up at the kiosk in the Port (opposite Poklisar restaurant, and marked on Google Maps as ‘Lokrum Island Tour’).
The ferry takes around 10 minutes to reach Lokrum island, and drops you off at Portoc on the east side of the island.
What to see and do on Lokrum Island
There is so much to see on Lokrum island, and there’s something of interest for everyone.
Explore the Monastery
The Monastery complex consists of the remnants of the basilica (12th/13th century), a monastery with a cloister garden (15th/16th century) and the summer residence of Maximilian of Habsburg with gardens and parks, built in the 1800s. Maximilian was an Austrian archduke (and bizarrely also the short-lived Emperor of Mexico) and he chose Lokrum as his summer island.
Visit the Game of Thrones Museum
Lokrum was used as one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones, and doubled as the city of Qarth during the series. Now there’s a small museum about Lokrum and its role in GoT which you can visit – plus there’s a replica iron throne to sit on should you wish.
Spot the peacocks
Maximilian introduced peacocks to the island from the Canary Islands, and my goodness are there hundreds. We saw at least a few dozen and the highlight was them even joining us at a table for a shared lunch (spot the peacock in between my mum and dad!)
Walk around the Botanical Gardens
Another of Maximilian’s introductions to the island is a botanical garden. Whilst not full of lush and colourful plants, it’s nice to stroll around and the cactus collection was quite something!
Climb the Fort
In the middle of the island is Fort Royal, built on the highest peak of Lokrum. It was initiated by the French army after the occupation of Dubrovnik in 1806, and completed during the Austrian administration around 1835. Today it provides amazing views out across the water and back to Dubrovnik old town so is well worth the climb.
Relax at the beach
Lokrum, and Dubrovnik more broadly, doesn’t have sandy beaches. Largely the beaches are jagged rocks with metal steps down in to the crystal clear water. That said, they are truly stunning and Lokrum offers a number of points around its coastline where you can lay out a towel on the rocks and enjoy some sun.
Drink cocktails at the beach bars
Lokrum also has quite a few little bars tucked away near sunbathing areas which serve food and drinks. I loved that they were almost Caribbean style with beach vibes and extensive cocktail menus. Perfect to sit and enjoy some shade out of the heat before heading back to the mainland.
Other helpful information about Lokrum Island
- If you want to see everything on the island, allocate at least 4-5 hours for your trip. We got the 9am ferry there, and 2.45pm ferry back.
- If you want to sunbathe, relax in the beach bars etc – take a book and spend the day on Lokrum, it’s much nicer/quieter than the beaches in Dubrovnik old town
- Take suncream, a sunhat and sensible shoes as the terrain can get quite rugged
- Don’t feed the peacocks!
