Boat Rental Dubrovnik

A boat rental in Dubrovnik is the cheapest way to get a whole boat to yourself, and it is also the one that asks the most of you. I compared the self-drive listings on GetYourGuide, and only three qualify: AdriaWave, Adriatic Boat Tours and Maura. They cost $157 to $180 and last 4 to 8 hours. If you would rather have someone else at the wheel, my page on boat tours in Dubrovnik compares all 15 trips, and the section below on skippered options points you to the right ones. Prices are in US dollars and come from the listings, checked in October 2026.

Boat Rental Dubrovnik Croatia

A boat rental in Dubrovnik, Croatia means a small open boat with an outboard engine, a sun shade and a cooler, and not much else. None of the three has a toilet at the meeting point, and food is a plan you make yourself. What you pay for is freedom: you choose the bays, the swimming stops and the time you turn back. All three listings point you to the Elaphiti Islands, which lie west of the city.

The listing with the highest rating is AdriaWave. It costs $163 for 4 to 8 hours, scores 4.9 from 88 reviews and holds up to 5 people. It includes a big personalised map with all points of interest, a cooler box with ice packs, snorkelling gear, life vests and a swimming ladder. Fuel is not included: you pay 20 euros in cash after the tour. The meeting point is the road in front of the House Tereza hotel, and the listing notes that there is no toilet in the marina. It does not include a hotel pickup.

AdriaWave Dubrovnik

Rent a fun and easy to use boat without license

• ★ 4.9 (88 reviews)
• 4 - 8 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My pick for a first-time driver: $163, up to 5 people, 4.9 from 88 reviews, with a map and a briefing.

from

$163

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Adriatic Boat Tours is the cheapest at $157, for 4 to 8 hours, and scores 4.7 from 69 reviews. The itinerary lists a 15-minute safety briefing, a 30-minute sightseeing cruise and then up to 4 hours around the Elaphiti Islands, with time for swimming, snorkelling and a picnic. The listing includes a cooler with ice, snorkelling gear, a map of the islands, life jackets, food and drinks, and optional pickup and drop-off. It excludes non-swimmers, people with mobility impairments and drivers under 18.

Adriatic Boat Tours

Elaphiti Islands Boat Rental, No License Required

• ★ 4.7 (69 reviews)
• 4 - 8 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The cheapest rental: $157 for 4 to 8 hours, pickup optional, food and drinks listed as included.

from

$157

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Small Boat Rental Dubrovnik

Small boat rental in Dubrovnik works differently from renting a car: the operator briefs you on the boat, the engine and the sea rules, and then you leave with a map. Two of the three say so directly. The Maura listing says you receive a full safety briefing and learn everything you need to know about the boat. Adriatic Boat Tours explains the boat, engine and sea rules after pickup by car. AdriaWave shows you the boat and the engine and gives tips on where to go.

The most unusual boat is the Maura retro rental. For $180 you rent a traditional small wooden boat called Pasara, with a 5-horsepower engine, for 4 to 8 hours. It is rated 4.6 from 20 reviews, the lowest and the thinnest rating here, so treat it as a promising newcomer and not a proven favourite. The listing includes a big sun shade, a cooler with ice, snorkelling equipment, life jackets and fuel. The itinerary lists the Blue Cave and Three Green Caves on Koločep, Šunj beach and Lopud, plus a car transfer of about 20 minutes from the meeting point.

Maura

Retro Boat Rental with Snorkeling Gear

• ★ 4.6 (20 reviews)
• 4 - 8 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The charmer: a retro wooden boat with a 5 hp engine, $180, fuel included, but only 20 reviews.

from

$180

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A 5-horsepower engine is slow. I would not plan a long crossing on it, and the sensible plan is a short hop to the caves and one island. The listing does not give a top speed, and I will not invent one, so ask the operator how long the run to Koločep takes in the boat you are given.

Compared: The Three Dubrovnik Boat Rentals

Operator	Price from	Duration	Boat type	Rating	Cancellation
AdriaWave Dubrovnik	$163	4 to 8 hours	Small boat, up to 5 people, no skipper	4.9 (88 reviews)	Free up to 24 hours before
Adriatic Boat Tours	$157	4 to 8 hours	Small boat, no skipper	4.7 (69 reviews)	Free up to 24 hours before
Maura	$180	4 to 8 hours	Retro wooden boat, 5 hp engine	4.6 (20 reviews)	Full refund up to 24 hours before

Do You Need a Licence?

Two titles say the boat can be rented without a licence: the AdriaWave listing reads “Rent a fun and easy to use boat without license”, and the Adriatic Boat Tours listing says “No License Required” in its title. AdriaWave adds that the boat is suitable for first-time boaters and that you will get a briefing before you leave. This is what the listings claim. I have not checked the Croatian rules, and a licence requirement can depend on the engine power, the boat and who is driving, so I will not state a rule here.

My advice is simple. Before you pay, ask the operator by message which licence or skipper option applies to your group, and ask what documents to bring. The Maura listing does not make a licence claim in the data I have, so ask that operator too. If the answer is vague, book a skippered trip instead. The Croatian tourist board has general travel information at croatia.hr, and the harbour master’s office in Dubrovnik is the authority on sea rules.

Kayak Rental Dubrovnik

People who search for kayak rental in Dubrovnik usually want to paddle alone, but I did not find a pure kayak rental in my data. The kayak options are guided tours with the kayak, paddles, life jackets and a guide included. The Adventure Dalmatia tour costs $28 and the Old Town Kayaking morning tour $29. Both are on my kayak tour page, and for the Dubrovnik kayak rental searcher they are the closest match.

Dubrovnik Yacht Rental

A Dubrovnik yacht rental is outside this comparison. The closest boats here are the three small motorboats above, and the nearest thing to a yacht in the data is the private speedboat tours, such as HUGO at $223 or Fantasea at $291 for up to 8 people, which have a skipper. Compare those on my private boat tour page. A boat charter from Dubrovnik to Split is a one-way job for a charter company, and it is not covered by any listing I compared.

What to Bring and What It Costs on Top

The cost of boat rental in Dubrovnik is more than the ticket. Fuel is a separate item on AdriaWave and the listing asks for 20 euros in cash, so bring it. Food is not included on AdriaWave, while Adriatic Boat Tours lists food and drinks as included. Beach towels are not included on AdriaWave. A boat with a sun shade helps, but pack sunscreen, a hat and water for everyone aboard, and bring a charged phone with the map app, because you are on your own out there.

Think about the sea too when you plan a Dubrovnik boat rental. A rental boat is small, and wind and swell matter more than on a big boat. The listings give no weather limits, so ask the operator whether the trip goes ahead if the sea is rough, and what happens to your money. Because each listing allows a full refund up to 24 hours before the start, check the forecast the evening before and move the date if you have to.

Season and Timing

None of the three listings states an end date for the season, and I will not guess one. Boat rentals in Dubrovnik are a summer product. Daylight is the practical limit: sunset falls at about 6:07 pm in mid-October, and around 4:26 pm in mid-November, which I worked out from the city’s coordinates. The clocks change on 25 October. An 8-hour rental that starts at 9:00 am ends at 5:00 pm, which is after sunset in mid-November, so late in the year pick a shorter option. Ask the operator for the last departure on your date.

Is a Boat Rental in Dubrovnik Worth It?

Renting a boat in Dubrovnik is worth it if your group is two to five people who like to swim and do not mind a basic boat. At $157 to $180 for up to 8 hours, a boat rental in Dubrovnik costs less per person than a private skippered tour, and you decide where to stop. It is a poor choice if you want a guide, a toilet on board or someone to handle the engine. The listings are plain about that: AdriaWave says there is no toilet at the marina, and none of the three lists a guide.

The rule I follow is to plan a short route. The islands you can reach with a small engine are Koločep and the caves first, then Šunj beach on Lopud if time allows. Do not plan to reach Šipan on a 5-horsepower boat. Read the map the operator hands over, keep to the coast and tell someone ashore your plan. If the operator asks for your licence or passport, that is a sign they are careful, not a hassle.

How to Choose a Boat Rental in Dubrovnik

If you want the best-reviewed boat, book AdriaWave. If you want to save a few dollars and have a pickup, look at Adriatic Boat Tours. If you want a story to tell, take the Maura retro boat. If nobody in your group wants to steer, go back to boat tours in Dubrovnik and choose a skippered trip instead, such as the Blue Cave and caves boat at $55. Whichever boat rental in Dubrovnik you choose, I’d read the exclusions on the booking page first, because swimming ability and age matter for two of the three.

For other cities, start from the Harbour Advisor home page. If your group wants to share the cost of a skipper, my island hopping page shows the shared day cruises at $17, and the sunset cruise page covers short evening trips.