Island Hopping Dubrovnik

Island hopping from Dubrovnik is the best-value day out on the water, and island hopping in Dubrovnik is easy to book. I compared the shared Elaphite Islands cruises on GetYourGuide, and three qualify: MARINERO excursions, Dubrovnik Islands tours and Dalmatia Entertainment. Each costs $17, lasts 7.5 to 8 hours and visits Lopud, Šipan and Koločep. For the wider choice, my page on boat tours in Dubrovnik compares all 15 trips. Prices are in US dollars and come from the listings, checked in October 2026, and extras are priced separately where the listing says so.

Island Tour Dubrovnik

The Elaphiti Islands are a chain of small islands north-west of Dubrovnik, and island hopping in Dubrovnik is mostly about these three. The Wikipedia page on the Elaphiti Islands covers their history. Koločep is the closest and has the Blue Cave. Lopud has Šunj beach and a Franciscan monastery. Šipan is the largest, with vineyards and olive groves. A day trip visits all three because they are close to each other.

MARINERO excursions is the biggest operator in my data, with 5,868 reviews and a 4.7 rating. The cruise takes 7.5 to 8 hours and costs $17. The listing gives timings: a 30-minute sightseeing cruise out, about 3 hours on Lopud, a 20-minute cruise, 1 hour on Šipan, a 45-minute cruise, 1 hour on Koločep and a 30-minute cruise back. The boat has an open top, an air-conditioned lower salon, two onboard toilets and five crew. Drinks, towels and snorkeling equipment are listed as included, with lunch and hotel pickup as options. Languages are Croatian, English, German and Italian.

MARINERO excursions

Elaphite Island Cruise w/ Drinks & Optional Lunch

• ★ 4.7 (5,868 reviews)
• 7.5 - 8 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The default choice: $17, 4.7 from 5,868 reviews, three islands, drinks, towels and snorkel gear.

from

$17

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Dubrovnik Island Boat Tour

This island hopping Dubrovnik cruise scores higher, at 4.8 from 2,552 reviews, for the same $17. It runs for 8 hours and its order is different: Koločep first for an hour, then the Blue Cave on Koločep for an hour of swimming and snorkeling, a one-hour cruise, 45 minutes on Šipan and 3 hours on Lopud, where lunch is served. The boat has two decks and two toilets, and the listing says it is named Emili and docks next to a bus stop. Unlimited drinks are included: white wine, water, juices, cola and Fanta. Tips are included, and so is pickup within 1,000 m of the starting point.

Two details matter. First, the Blue Cave stop carries an extra fee of 20 euros per person in the inclusions, so budget for it. Second, the tour excludes wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments. Lunch and hotel pickup in the city area are options, and the lunch is a choice of chicken, fish or vegetarian dishes.

Dubrovnik Islands tours

Elaphite Islands Cruise with Drinks/Lunch Options

• ★ 4.8 (2,552 reviews)
• 8 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Best rated of the three: $17, 8 hours, 4.8 from 2,552 reviews, unlimited drinks. The Blue Cave costs 20 euros extra.

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Boat Trips Dubrovnik Islands

The third Dubrovnik island hopping cruise is the Dalmatia Entertainment fun three-island trip at $17 for 8 hours, rated 4.7 from 88 reviews. It is the smallest by review count and the only one with French, English and Spanish listed as languages. The boat arrives at 10:00 across from the Gruž market, at Obala Stjepana Radića 21, and you return to the same place. The route is Lopud, Šipan and Koločep with sightseeing cruises of 45, 20, 45 and 30 minutes in between.

The listing says the Blue Cave visit is optional, weather permitting and at the captain’s discretion. Included are water, soft drinks, iced tea, Croatian wine with lunch and jumping from the boat, and lunch is optional on board. The wine rule is specific: two free cups per person are available during the first 20 minutes of sailing from Šipan to Koločep and from Koločep back to Gruž Harbour, and at other times a cup costs 2 euros. It is not recommended for people prone to seasickness.

Dalmatia Entertainment

FUN 3-Island Cruise, Blue Cave/ Drinks FR ENG ESP

• ★ 4.7 (88 reviews)
• 8 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The multilingual day: $17, 8 hours, French, English and Spanish, jumping from the boat. Blue Cave at the captain's discretion.

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$17

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Compared: The Three Dubrovnik Island Cruises

Operator	Price from	Duration	Boat type	Rating	Cancellation
MARINERO excursions	$17	7.5 to 8 hours	Open-top boat with air-conditioned salon	4.7 (5,868 reviews)	Free up to 24 hours before
Dubrovnik Islands tours	$17	8 hours	Two-deck boat, two toilets	4.8 (2,552 reviews)	Full refund up to 24 hours before
Dalmatia Entertainment	$17	8 hours	Cruise boat, jumping from the deck	4.7 (88 reviews)	Free up to 24 hours before

Dubrovnik Island Trips: What Each Island Offers

On a Dubrovnik island hopping day, Lopud gets the longest stop, 3 hours on two of them, because it has the most to do. The Šunj beach is described in the private tour listings as the one sandy beach in the Dubrovnik area, and the island has car-free roads, a monastery and a botanical garden. One cruise listing describes hiking along the car-free roads and the Saint Mary Franciscan monastery. Lunch is usually served on Lopud, so the long stop doubles as your meal break.

Šipan is the largest island of the group and the stop is short at about 45 minutes to an hour. You can walk, photograph the stone houses and look at vineyards and olive groves, but you cannot see the island properly in an hour. Koločep is the one to swim at, with pine forest and clear water, and the Blue Cave is here. Which island is best? For a beach I’d choose Lopud, for a swim Koločep, and for scenery Šipan.

Dubrovnik Boat Trips to Islands: Late Season

Late October is a decision point for island hopping in Dubrovnik. None of the three listings gives a season end date, so I cannot say when the last departure of the year is. The sailings are summer products, and several operators cut their schedules in the cooler months. Sunset falls at about 6:07 pm in mid-October and 4:26 pm in mid-November, so an 8-hour cruise that leaves at 10:00 returns in the late afternoon, and in November the last stop is in fading light. The clocks change on 25 October. Check the availability calendar for your date and read the cancellation terms.

The Blue Cave stop is the part most likely to change on the day. The Dalmatia Entertainment listing says it is weather-permitting and at the captain’s discretion, and the Dubrovnik Islands listing prices it as an extra. If the cave is the main reason for your trip, my snorkeling tour page compares the boats that make it the main stop, and my private boat tour page compares the private ones.

How a Day of Island Hopping in Dubrovnik Runs

Island hopping in Dubrovnik follows a pattern, whichever operator you pick. You board in the morning, usually around 10:00 on the one listing that states a time, sail out past the Old Town and spend the day moving between the islands with sightseeing cruises in between. Sailing legs are 20 to 50 minutes, so you spend more time on land than on the water. The long Lopud stop is built for lunch and a swim, which is why island hopping from Dubrovnik suits families and groups of friends who do not want to plan anything.

What should you expect from the crowd? These are shared boats with big review counts, so expect a full deck in summer. The listings do not give capacity, so I will not guess a number. If you prefer a quiet Dubrovnik island hopping day, the private boats on my page are the alternative, and the price difference is large: $17 for a shared seat against $73 to $291 for a private boat. The cost of a private Elaphite day is shared across the group, so for six people it can be close to the shared price.

Think about the seat you want too. The MARINERO boat has an open top and a lower salon with air conditioning, the Dubrovnik Islands boat has two decks, and Dalmatia Entertainment has lounge chairs and a shaded lower deck according to its description. Island hopping in Dubrovnik is mostly about the stops, but a shaded seat matters when the sun is strong and you sail for 8 hours.

How to Choose an Island Hopping Trip in Dubrovnik

• Best rated for island hopping in Dubrovnik: Dubrovnik Islands tours, 4.8 from 2,552 reviews. Budget 20 euros for the Blue Cave.
• Most reviewed, four languages: MARINERO excursions, 5,868 reviews, in Croatian, English, German and Italian.
• French or Spanish speakers: Dalmatia Entertainment.
• Lunch: pick the lunch option when you book, since it is not included by default on MARINERO and Dubrovnik Islands tours.
• Less crowd: a private boat, from $73 on the private page, or a rental from my boat rental page.
• A shorter day: the kayak trips on my kayak tour page take 2 to 3 hours, and the sunset cruise page compares evening boats.

For island hopping in Dubrovnik, bring swimwear, a towel if the listing does not give one, sunscreen, a hat and cash for extras such as the Blue Cave fee or a beer on Lopud. For other cities, start from the Harbour Advisor home page. To see every trip in one list, go back to boat tours in Dubrovnik. Whichever island hopping trip from Dubrovnik you book, I’d check the pickup option on the listing, because the harbour is a few kilometres from the Old Town.