When visiting Dubrovnik, most people try to pack as much as they can in a day or two. Why wander the streets aimlessly when you can have an expert guide show you around and teach you a couple of things along the way?
We’re living in the digital age, one that makes it possible to find information on any imaginable topic online in under 15 seconds. These days, it’s easy to plan your vacation, book accommodation and pick a couple of restaurants and bars that seem worth visiting, all in a span of a dozen clicks and a short session of reading about the local attractions to find out what not to miss at the destination you’re headed to.
That’s the upside – the downside is that it’s also easy to fall into a trap of thinking you’re a bonafide expert on any part of the world you’re planning to explore. You have a map or GPS, you’ve bookmarked the best bistros and beaches, you read enough about local history to make yourself believe you won’t have a problem getting around.
While all that might be true to an extent, there’s a reason people still opt for guided tours. Even though acquanting yourself with local customs beforehand is a smart move, you’ll never get the same feel of the city as when you’re shown around by a local, be it a native or someone who’s been living at a certain location for a long enough period to actually become an expert on the area. Tour guides put a lot of time and effort into staying on top of current events, checking out every new bar and restaurant in town in order to be able to give honest advice. They also love their cities with a passion that keeps them going, constantly on the lookout for new information and fun historical and cultural facts you’re not going to find in typical tourist guides.
You won’t be able to find a better living proof of all stated above than the fabulous three women at the helm of Dubrovnik Private Tours, also known under their smart catchphrase DU the Tour. Ivana, Marina and Ana make up an expert team that specialises in guided tours of Dubrovnik in English, Spanish, German, Russian, or another language of your choice. In these times when the city is slowly getting overcrowded, most tourists try to jam as much as they can in a single day, frantically running around the streets of Dubrovnik and doing quick rounds of the city walls. Why not leave it to the professionals to show you around? Instead of aimlessly wandering the Old Town, let them take you on a tour that’s sure to cover all the basics and spice up the sightseeing with handfuls of quirky interesting facts. After an hour (or three) of following them around town and listening to their stories, you’ll end the day completely immersed in the local spirit, feeling like you’ve really learned something about Dubrovnik. You haven’t just visited – you became a part of the city life.
If you’re up to DU the Tour, you can choose among multiple themed tours and pick the one that’s most in line with your personal interests. A history buff? There’s the regular historical tour of the city whose cultural heritage lives and breathes everywhere around you. If you’re looking for something more en vogue, there’s the obligatory Game of Thrones tour that will take you around filming locations from the massively popular tv show and shed some light on how the sites and extras were selected.
The tours are devised to cover as much ground as possible in 1-2 hours, so there’s no chance you’ll get tired or overwhelmed – you’ll just end up richer for some useful knowledge, with a clear picture of how to get around the city by yourself. An added bonus: the tours don’t need to be booked in advance, you just need to show up a couple of minutes before any of the departure times marked on their website. In case you’re not a fan of random crowds and wish for a more personal experience, you can book a private tour for smaller groups of people here.
All that walking around can leave a person hungry. How do you feel about literally being served the history of Dubrovnik on a plate? Find out by joining the gastro tour, a delicious journey that will take you to 3 of Dubrovnik’s top restaurants where you’ll get to taste dishes indigenous to the area. The chefs carefully select only locally produced ingredients to create mouthwatering menus that unite traditional food and modern cuisine. Even though it might be hard not to focus exclusively on the wonders under your nose, it’ll be worth it to listen to the guides who will tell you about curiosities and legends related to the history of the city and its gastronomy.
Arriving on a cruise ship and unsure of what to see first? The team thought of that as well; they prepared panoramic drives and photography tours that will take you to the most iconic sites in and around Dubrovnik. You know all those divine photos you’ve been seing on Instagram and on travel guides online? These special excursions will make you a part of those views – you only have to choose whether you want to be in front or behind the lens.
Visitors have been raving about their experiences on TripAdvisor and other travel sites, calling the guides friendly, relaxed, and most importantly – indisputable experts on Dubrovnik. Take a look at their recently revamped website, try not to swoon over the photos too long, and DU the Tour!
Photo credit: Dubrovnik Private Tours
