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Island Hopping from Dubrovnik

Island Hopping from Dubrovnik is a great idea. Dubrovnik is the main transport hub for the area (buses, airports, ferries) so it is indeed a good place from where to island-hop to local islands all the way to Split and beyond.

There are very good direct ferry connections from Dubrovnik to nearby islands that include Sipan, Lopud, Kolocep, Mljet, Korcula, Hvar, Brac, and all the way to Split.

Also, there are a lot of connecting ferries that you can use from other islands to extend your journey if you wish.

Island Hopping from Dubrovnik as a foot passenger:

Island Hopping by ferry to and from Dubrovnik

If you are a foot passenger, island hopping in the area is easy – there are several ferry services that run to and from Dubrovnik and these islands.

Here is an example itinerary for short, foot passenger island hopping from Dubrovnik :

  1. Day 1: Take a ferry from Dubrovnik port Gruž to Mljet National Park on Mljet island – in my opinion, you would need to spend at least one day on the Mljet to see National Park and visit the small Sveta Marija island on the Mljet’s Large Lake.
  2. Day 2: From Mljet take a ferry to Korcula Town on the Island of Korcula – spend at least one day in the town to visit local museums, swim on local beaches and explore medieval town streets.
  3. Day 3: From Korcula take a ferry to Hvar island – a couple of ferry options to reach Hvar from Korcula include early morning and afternoon ferries (and several more in the high season). Hvar is very similar to Korcula although a bit more popular so it can get crammed in the summer, particularly Hvar Town.
  4. Day 4: From Hvar take a ferry to Brac island – if you do this leg in low season, you would need to take a ferry from Jelsa (Hvar Island) to Bol on Brac island. In summers there is a direct ferry from Hvar town to Bol and Milna on Brac. Brac is a really nice island to visit and shouldn’t be missed.
  5. Day 5: From Brac you can take a ferry back to Dubrovnik if you wish, or continue somewhere else like Vis island, Lastovo or Split if you have more time available.

Island Hopping from Dubrovnik by car:

Island Hopping by car ferry

If you intend to use your car or rented car, you would need to check which ferries take cars. Most of the local ferries don’t take cars, however, each island is connected with the mainland by at least one car ferry.

Here is an example itinerary for short island hopping by car from Dubrovnik:

  1. Day 1: Drive from Dubrovnik to Prapratno (Peljesac) and get a car ferry from there to Mljet island (Sobra port)
  2. Day 2: Take a car ferry from Sobra (Mljet) back to Prapratno (Peljesac) and drive to Orebic (Peljesac) where you will take a car ferry to Korcula (Domince port)
  3. Day 3: Back to Orebic and drive to Trpanj and take a ferry to Ploce, from there drive to Drvenik and take a car ferry to Sucuraj (Hvar island)
  4. Day 4: Back to Sucuraj and Drvenik and drive to Makarska and take a car ferry from there to Sumartin on Brac island.
  5. Day 5: Drive to Supetar and take a car ferry to Split and drive back to Dubrovnik (if you wish) or continue somewhere else like Vis island, Lastovo or Solta

Note: For all ferry timetables, schedules and options check the croatiaferries.com site where you can find details of each trip including timings, prices, and how to book.  You will notice that some ferry routes only run in summer so be careful when planning your journey. Make sure you check if does particular ferry takes cars or not if this info is important for your travels.

Above are just a couple of standard options for traveling between local islands. For you to explore further below is a map of ferries that cover the area (click to enlarge it + feel free to download it and take it with you).  Another very good map to plan your island-hopping itinerary is this one here as this one includes islands that are not connected with direct ferry routes to Dubrovnik so you can extend your itinerary as you wish.

Dubrovnik Island Hopping Map:

Also, take with you this island-hopping map here, as it covers all islands and all ferries in Croatia so you can even change your plans if some other options feel more appropriate. In case you are planning your journey from Split see this article.

Important to know:

It is possible indeed to island-hop all year round although ferry sailing in winter is limited to a couple of ferries a day. To get all ferry options you would need to travel from June to September period.

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Bear in mind that car ferries operate all year round while some of the foot passengers only ferries and catamarans don’t operate until April and they stop in late October. As I said before, get to the croatiaferries.com site and explore further all details and options for island hopping in the area.

Have a question? See if your question is already answered in the forum (see below) or post a new one. I try to help with itineraries via the forum, however, if you wish to send me an email do it here I will try to answer anyway. I hope you will enjoy your island-hopping holiday!

Latest island hopping forum entries:

Island hopping guide

Popular routes: Split to Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik to Split, Hvar to Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik to Hvar