A Guide to Lokrum Island (& How to get there from Dubrovnik)

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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.


  1. Contents
  2. How to get to Lokrum Island from Dubrovnik
  3. What to see and do on Lokrum Island
    1. Explore the Monastery
    2. Visit the Game of Thrones Museum
    3. Spot the peacocks
    4. Walk around the Botanical Gardens
    5. Climb the Fort
    6. Relax at the beach
    7. Drink cocktails at the beach bars
  4. Other helpful information about Lokrum Island

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.


There is so much to see on Lokrum island, and there’s something of interest for everyone.

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.

Approaching the Monastery complex

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.

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!)

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!

In the gardens

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.

Views from the top

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.

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.


  • 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!
Ready to get the boat back again


Did you enjoy the trip to Lokrum Island? It was such a wonderful day out rom Dubrovnik and highly recommend it if you have the time. Thanks for reading and as always, stay safe and happy travelling!

48 responses to “A Guide to Lokrum Island (& How to get there from Dubrovnik)”

  1. Despite visiting Dubrovnik twice, I never gone to Lokrum Island. It’s a shame, because wow! What a paradise (and plenty of peacocks)! Looks as if it’s also less-touristy than Dubrovnik proper, and it’s a good getaway without going too far away from the city!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahh it’s absolutely beautiful and totally worth a visit if you’re in Dubrovnik Old Town. It was such a gorgeous way to spend the day away from the crowds.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Lokrum looks perfect, so many different things to do and it looks like you did them all! But it doesn’t look busy, were there a lot of tourists when you were there? Maggie

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Absolutely, it was beautiful. Well there are ferries every 30 minutes that carry probably 100 people, so max people on the island at any one time is probably only 1-2,000 and the island is relatively big so it really didn’t feel busy at all. We had a lovely peaceful time 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. What a beautiful island, Lokrum looks like a great place for a day trip. I love all the peacocks!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was a little island paradise and a great way to escape the Dubrovnik crowds 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Looks beautiful! I love that there is no road so the only option is to walk around! Definitely my kind of place! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally agree, it felt a real world away from busy Dubrovnik Old Town and we had the best day 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Looks absolutely inviting and peaceful; we’ll have to add this island to our itinerary when we visit in the spring. I love the photo of your parents with the little peaking peacock between them. Great post Hannah!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh definitely you need to make sure you have Lokrum on the list 🙂 Spring will be such a beautiful place to visit. Hehe I love that photo too, I laugh every time I look at it!!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. What a lovely place to spend a day! The views of the water, the old Monastery, the peacocks-they are all begging for a visit 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally – it was the perfect day out to escape the busy Dubrovnik crowds.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I’ve never even heard of this place. Then you started describing the limited access to it, and I realized why. It looks like a great place to spend a day, though I admit the peacocks wouldn’t be my favorite part. They’re pretty birds but they seems little too friendly for my liking.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The peacocks were everywhere, but they weren’t too bad – if you didn’t feed them they just wandered off and didn’t push it so they seem very used to people. It’s such a beautiful island, if you’re ever in Croatia, it’s well worth a visit 🙂

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  8. What a great way to spend a day! I’d like hiking up to the fort for that gorgeous view and relaxing on the beach with my sun screen 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. You’d really like Croatia. I even thought on one of my hikes (post coming up) – Lyssy would love this 🙂

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  9. Yes, I enjoyed the visit to Lokrum Island, Hannah. What a relaxing place to hike and kick back! Taking a book and relaxing on the beach sounds wonderful, especially after walking around the island to see the sights. Your photos show off the scenery beautifully, and you look so pretty in your selfie.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was such a relaxing time and a lovely day to explore and escape busy Dubrovnik. I’d actually happily go back, and I don’t say that too often about places!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I don’t usually want to return to a destination, but there have been a couple I would definitely go back to. Dubrovnik would probably be one of those for me too.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Anonymous

        My husband and I are off to Croatia this September 24. Can’t wait to visit Lokrum. It looks so beautiful and of course hubby wants to see the GOT throne. We will be staying in Little Dubrovnik. Our delayed honeymoon after 3 years

        Liked by 1 person

      3. That’s amazing – I hope you have the best time 🙂

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  10. Such an amazing island. These waters are so amazing on the beach. Anita

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes the water was crystal clear and beautiful

      Liked by 1 person

  11. No arguing about going to a nature preserve! Monastery looks cool. I just saw a bunch a peacocks in Portugal!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally – it was beautiful, and the peacocks are harmless I think as long as they don’t think you’re a meal ticket 🙂

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  12. This looks like a fun and relaxing day out, and it doesn’t look like there were many people there. Love the picture of your adoptive peacock sibling hanging with mom and pop!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Lokrum Island looks like a great spot to relax and enjoy the scenery. Love the views from the top of the fort and along the rugged coastline. The colour of the water is gorgeous.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It was the perfect escape from the city – and we were taken by the water too, it is just sooo beautiful and blue :-0

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Splendid photos and guide Hannah. We also travelled there independently by ferry but as it was ten years ago we now need to return. Hope you both have a lovely weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much Marion – it’s a beautiful little island isn’t it, and in such easy reach of Dubrovnik Old Town!

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Wow, Lokrum Island is enchanting. Looks like you had a relaxing day out.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I have been and really enjoyed it too. So many peacocks. And saw lots of enchanting yellow butterflies called Cleapatra butterflies. The sea pool near the beach bar is pretty amazing too. Crystal clear water, great for swimming and spotting rock pool life too.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahh yes the butterflies are soo beautiful aren’t they, we found them everywhere in Croatia and it was great. The crystal clear water is breathtaking and perfect for a dip. So glad you’ve visited too 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Absolutely enchanting place, love the idea of no roads or accommodation. The views from the fort are gorgeous and some relaxing beach time after the climb would be heavenly. The island looks so serene and beautiful.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Leighton, it was the perfect place to escape the busy crowds and heat of Dubrovnik Old Town and dip my toes in the sea 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Your photos of Lokrum Island are sooo pretty! I love taking day excursions like this when travelling- you end up away from the larger crowds and often find so many hidden gems. Sounds like you had a lovely and relaxing time, and the weather looked perfect. The views from the top of the Fort look worth the trip alone! 😍

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much Laura, that’s lovely of you to say. I totally agree, it’s nice to escape a little bit off the main tourist track 🙂

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  19. Lokrum Island sounds like the ideal place to get back into nature (love their little harbour)! Haha 😅, the peacock between your parents is so funny. You’re right that there is a lot to see – hiking boots check ✔︎. I will take it off again at the beach bar! Stunning photos Hannah – it just spells SUMMER!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I couldn’t stop laughing at the peacock – hilarious!! It really did feel like the perfect end to our summer as when we landed back, the weather here in the UK switched and it’s now freezing!!!

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Looks lovely, I hadn’t heard of this island before. Aside from the views, the old monastery was a picturesque place to explore.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was such a beautiful spot to relax and enjoy a sunny day

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  24. Anonymous

    I’ve just found this post whilst searching for an upcoming trip and it’s been a really interesting and fun read! Thank you, Lokrum sounds idyllic! Were there any places to change into swimming stuff for a dip after the hike? Curious what sort of things I’d need to pack for a day exploring, swimming, hiking and grabbing a drink in one outing! Did you pack some beach towels etc?

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    1. I’m so glad it’s been helpful. Yes there were a few beach screens to change and there are toilets on the island too. We packed our swimming gear, a nice big beach towel, a book. In terms of the hike up to the fort, it’s not too onerous so we just travelled in tshirt, shorts and trainers (plus hat and suncream) and it was no problem, no need for big boots or anything 😀 hope that’s helpful!

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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