Dubrovnik Islands Tours Cruise: Koločep First, Open Bar and an Optional Blue Cave Swim

Dubrovnik Islands tours

Elaphite Islands Cruise with Drinks/Lunch Options

★ 4.8 (2,552) · from $17

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. This page contains affiliate links. Dollar prices are converted at the 2026-10-16 Frankfurter rate.

The Dubrovnik Islands tours cruise is an 8-hour boat day from Dubrovnik that calls at Koločep, Šipan and Lopud in that order, serves unlimited drinks including white wine, and offers the Blue Cave swim as a separate paid extra.

I'd book it if you want an open bar and a fixed, English-language day with a pick-up option; I'd choose another boat if you need step-free access, or a Blue Cave swim already priced in. My Dubrovnik boat tours guide compares all the trips, and my Harbour Advisor home page covers the other cities.

The detail that changes the decision is the cave. The Blue Cave stop costs 20 euros per person on top of the $17 starting price, which is about $22.51, so the extra costs more than the cruise itself.

What is the Dubrovnik Islands tours cruise and who runs it?

It is a shared island-hopping day on a two-deck boat, run by an operator called Dubrovnik Islands tours, with a fixed order of stops and a bar that stays open the whole day.

What makes it different from the other Elaphiti cruise I cover is the sequence. Koločep comes first, the optional Blue Cave swim sits right after it, Šipan gets a short 45 minutes, and the day ends with a three-hour stop on Lopud where lunch is served.

• Drinks: unlimited, covering white wine, water, two juices and three sodas (cola, a zero-sugar cola and Fanta).
• Boat: two decks with plenty of seating and two toilets.
• Pick-up: optional, within the Dubrovnik city area and less than 1,000 m from the starting point.
• Language: English only.

The listing's includes list also mentions tips, but I cannot tell whether that means a tip is included or simply allowed. Ask the operator before you decide how much cash to carry.

Where does the Dubrovnik Islands tours cruise leave from?

You board at a dock beside a bus stop at the pin on Google Maps, and the vessel to look for is called "Emili"; if it is missing, ring the provider.

The pin sits in the Gruž harbour area, several kilometres of coast from the Old Port. If you are staying in the walled Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage property of just 96.7 hectares, the pick-up option is worth the money. The listing says pick-up covers the Dubrovnik city area.

The buses that stop nearby are run by Libertas. Its price list, which carries no date, shows €2.50 for a ticket bought on the bus and €5.31 for a 24-hour ticket.

What is the route, stop by stop?

The listed route is Koločep, an optional Blue Cave swim, Šipan and Lopud, with about 3.5 hours of sailing between stops.

Add the listed legs without the cave and you reach about 7 hours 35 minutes, which squares with the 8 hours quoted. Add the cave hour and the day runs longer, so ask what time the boat is back if you have an evening booking.

How long is it and when does it sail?

The day takes 8 hours, and the listing publishes no clock times and no season; it only says that sea conditions can change the plan.

Activity on the listing is recent: reviews are dated 12 to 16 October 2026, and one visitor writes that the trip sailed on 15 October after a windy night. That is evidence for mid-October only, so for winter dates check the calendar.

An 8-hour day starting mid-morning finishes well before sunset from April to September; from November to January it ends near dusk.

What is included, and what costs extra?

The $17 base price covers the boat, the crew and the open bar; lunch, pick-up and the Blue Cave stop are the three things you add.

Weather decides whether the Blue Cave happens, and the review summary notes that guests would like firmer word on whether it runs and what it costs. Treat it as best effort, not a certainty.

Is the Dubrovnik Islands tours cruise worth it vs the other Elaphiti boats?

At $2.12 per hour it is one of the cheapest full days on the water in Dubrovnik, and it earns its place when you value the open bar and the later, longer Lopud stop.

The nearest rival is the Marinero cruise, which sails Lopud first and also speaks German and Italian. This one is English only, but it is the only one of the pair with a Blue Cave option. If the caves are your goal, the 4-hour caves speedboat does seven caves for $55, and the island hopping page compares every Elaphiti day.

96.7 ha is the area of the Old City of Dubrovnik World Heritage property, inscribed in 1979 and listed as in danger from 1991 to 1998.

You leave that compact walled city behind for a day where nearly all the time is spent on three small islands.

When is the best time for an Elaphiti island cruise?

June to September gives sea temperatures of 23.3 to 25.9°C and the fewest rough days, which suits a day built around swim stops.

October still works with a 20.3°C sea. One October reviewer sailed after a windy night and found the day turned sunny, though cold on the way out.

In 2025 Open-Meteo counted 2 days in October with wind of 30 km/h or more and 12 days with offshore waves of 1 m or more; the wave figure comes from an offshore model point and overstates the island channel.

What do passengers say?

All ten reviews I could read score five stars, so they show strengths, not the full range: the crew, the drinks and the lunch lead.

• Crew: described as polite, smiling and helpful in most reviews; one group said the crew communicated well despite little shared English.
• Drinks and lunch: served actively; the lunch was described as better than expected, plain but tasty and plentiful.
• Value: five of ten mention value or worth.
• Islands: one visitor found them beautiful but not spectacular.

The listing's sub-scores are Guide 4.9, Transportation 4.9 and Value for money 4.8. The one suggestion in the summary concerns the Blue Cave fee and availability.

Who should skip it?

Skip it if you use a wheelchair or have limited mobility, because the listing says it is not suitable for either, even though its header badge says wheelchair accessible.

• Mobility needs: I trust the "not suitable" line over the badge; the islands are walked on foot.
• Non-English speakers: English is the only listed language.
• Cave-first travellers: pay for the extra stop or choose a caves speedboat.
• Anyone wanting a quiet day: the open bar and a shared boat make it a social trip.

Another option for your group is a private boat; see my private boat tours page for the totals.

How do you book the Dubrovnik Islands tours cruise?

Frequently asked questions

Sources: GetYourGuide listing; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Libertas Dubrovnik price list; Dubrovnik Tourist Board; Open-Meteo archive and Marine APIs (2025); sunrise-sunset.org; Frankfurter; OSRM foot routing.