We reached Dubrovnik after staying near Cavtat on the way back from Montenegro. The idea was straightforward: get to the city in the morning and spend the day exploring. Finding somewhere to park took much longer than we had expected.

By the time we began the walk, the day was hot and our seven-month-old daughter had already had enough waiting. Dubrovnik was beautiful, but our visit became a lesson in changing the plan. Here is the shorter walk we actually enjoyed, and what we would do differently.

This was a road-trip visit with our seven-month-old daughter. We explored the Old Town at street level and skipped the city-wall walk in the midday heat.

Sort out arrival before adding attractions

Our parking search was the least successful part of the day. We drove around looking for a space and used up the cooler morning hours before we had even started exploring.

For a new visit, choose a current arrival and parking plan before setting off. Check your accommodation’s advice and the city’s transport information. If you use a car, allow for the walk or transfer from the parking area as well as the drive itself.

Our original road directions and parking prices belong to that earlier trip. Use present-day route information for your own approach, particularly if your journey crosses national borders.

Enter at Pile and follow the Old Town at street level

We concentrated on the Old Town and walked along Stradun, taking in the fountain and the buildings around the Franciscan monastery before reaching Luža Square. The stone streets, clock tower and façades gave us plenty to look at without entering every building.

Dubrovnik’s Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For us, the value of the stop was in seeing the town itself, not in trying to complete all the sights associated with it.

Keep a shorter route available. You can stop for a drink, return along the main streets or simply leave an interior visit for another time. With a young baby, that flexibility is part of a good plan.

The streets and stone buildings around Luža Square in Dubrovnik’s Old Town.
The streets and stone buildings around Luža Square in Dubrovnik’s Old Town.Image: Love travelling family

Why we skipped the city walls

A wall walk might have been an obvious choice on another day. For us, in the heat with a seven-month-old, it was the wrong addition. We stayed at street level and accepted that this visit would not include every celebrated view.

If you want to walk the walls on your own trip, check the operator’s current opening arrangements, access, route and tickets. Think about the weather and the needs of everyone travelling with you before making it the fixed centre of the day.

Skipping an attraction did not make the visit a failure. It gave us enough energy to enjoy the rest of the Old Town instead of spending the afternoon struggling through a plan that no longer suited us.

A sea view and the quieter lanes we remembered

One of our favourite memories was a stop by Buža, outside the southern side of the walls. The view over the water felt like a pause from the busiest streets. Our photograph preserves that feeling more clearly than a list of monuments could.

It is a rocky, cliffside setting, so treat it as a personal travel memory rather than an automatic recommendation for every family with a baby. There are other ways to take a break; choose somewhere comfortable for the people with you.

Afterwards, we enjoyed some of the smaller Old Town lanes. The day improved when we stopped trying to force a bigger itinerary into the time and energy we had left.

Sea and island views from the rocks outside Dubrovnik’s Old Town.
Sea and island views from the rocks outside Dubrovnik’s Old Town.Image: Love travelling family

How we would shape the day next time

  • Choose the arrival arrangements first, including the final approach from parking or public transport.
  • Start earlier if the forecast is hot, and keep the most exposed parts of the day optional.
  • Make the Old Town walk the main outing. Add an interior visit or the walls only if the conditions and everyone’s energy suit it.
  • Carry what you need for a comfortable family walk and allow enough time to stop without feeling behind schedule.

Other stops from our Balkan journeys

For another Old Town beside the water, read Budva with kids. Mostar offered a different atmosphere and plenty of reasons to slow down. These are separate trip ideas; check current distances and border arrangements before combining them into a route.

Good to know

A couple of useful questions

Did you walk the Dubrovnik city walls with your baby?

No. We skipped them because of the heat and the needs of our seven-month-old. Our account describes the Old Town walk we actually took.

Can we use the old road-trip directions and parking prices?

Use current local information instead. The journey and parking search in this story happened during our original visit, and practical arrangements may have changed.

Sources and useful links

For more context and practical details:

Images and accounts are preserved from our original archive; the note above explains their context. Sources and planning links were checked on 18 October 2026.