HUGO Private Island Tour Dubrovnik: Your Own Skippered Boat to the Elaphites

HUGO

Private Boat Island Tour

★ 5.0 (295) · from $223

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. This page contains affiliate links; I earn a commission if you book.

The HUGO private island tour is a skippered boat for your own group of up to 7, leaving Gruž in Dubrovnik for the Elaphite Islands of Koločep, Lopud and Šipan. It costs from $223 per boat, about €198 at the 2026-10-16 exchange rate, and you choose a 2-hour sunset, 4-hour, 6-hour or 8-hour trip.

The detail that changes the decision is the cash fuel. The listing puts fuel in the includes list, but its own text says you pay it on the boat in cash: €30 for the sunset trip, €70 for 4 hours, €80 for 6 hours and €120 for 8 hours. Lunch on an island is also extra, from about €50 per person.

I have not been on this boat. Everything below comes from the listing, its review sample and the sources linked inline. The tour belongs to my Dubrovnik private boat tours list and the wider Dubrovnik boat tours comparison; the Harbour Advisor home page links to other cities.

What is the HUGO private island tour and what do you get on the boat?

It is a private charter with a Dubrovnik-born skipper who picks the route with you, and the boat carries snorkel gear, towels and a speaker.

• Skipper: a local who knows the caves, lagoons and villages and goes in the water with you if you ask.
• On board: snorkeling masks, towels, floating devices and Bluetooth speakers.
• Drinks: an ice box with a bottle of white wine, local beer, water and cola, and the listing says the drinks are not unlimited.
• Not allowed: weapons or sharp objects, fireworks and explosives.

The tour is fully private and customised, according to the listing. The skipper proposes spots, but you decide how long to swim, eat or move on.

1,554 calls by small Croatian-flag cruise ships were recorded in Dubrovnik in the first nine months of 2026.

That is the traffic around Dubrovnik's harbours, and it is one reason to confirm your berth and time in writing with the skipper.

Which islands do you reach in 4, 6 and 8 hours?

Four hours covers Koločep and a beach on Lopud; six adds Lopud's monastery and churches; eight reaches all three main islands with lunch.

The listing's day plan for the longest trip runs about 1 hour at Koločep, 1 hour for the Blue Cave, 1 hour among the Elaphites, 2.5 hours on Lopud, 1 hour on Šipan and 1 hour back among the islands.

What does the price leave out, and what does a group of 2, 4 or 7 pay?

The boat price covers the skipper and the equipment, while fuel, lunch and any extra drinks come on top.

Lunch at an island restaurant starts at about €50 per person according to the listing, and the skipper can take you to one. The includes list shows food among the items, but the line itself says it costs extra, so treat lunch as not included.

Where does the HUGO boat leave from?

It leaves from Lapadska obala 31, on the Gruž waterfront, about 26 minutes' walk from the cruise port.

That is the working harbour north of the Old Town, not the Old Port. The skipper waits next to the boat on the pier. The coordinates of the street are approximate on OpenStreetMap, so confirm the berth in the booking message.

From the Old Town, take a taxi or a city bus; Libertas publishes timetables on its official website. I could not read a fare there. The Old Port is a different place, so do not go there by mistake.

How does it compare with shared and other private trips?

HUGO costs more than shared Elaphite cruises, but undercuts the other private Elaphite listing and has the top rating.

The FANTASEA listing is the direct rival: another private skippered trip to the Elaphites. See the Dubrovnik island hopping page for the shared options.

Is the HUGO private island tour worth it vs a shared trip?

Yes for groups of 4 or more who want to set their own pace; no for solo travellers, who pay for the whole boat.

• Group of 7 - about $32 each for the from-price boat, before fuel, against $17 per person on the shared Elaphite cruises.
• Group of 2 - about $112 each, so a shared cruise or the private Blue Cave trip wins on cost.
• Control - you choose the stops, swim time and lunch place, which shared cruises fix.
• Rating - 5.0 of 5, with guide and transport sub-scores of 5.0.

For a family of five wanting a long swim day, I'd book the HUGO private island tour for 6 hours. For a couple on a budget, I'd take the shared cruise on my Dubrovnik boat tours list.

When is the best time of year for a private boat day?

June to September gives the warmest sea and the fewest rainy days, with August at 25.9°C and June the driest month.

The listing gives no operating months, only fuel prices for four trip lengths. Waves matter more on an 8-hour day than on a short loop: March and November averaged about 1.1 m daily maximum waves in the Open-Meteo marine data, against 0.36 m in June. A private skipper can shorten the route when the sea builds.

The 2-hour sunset option follows the sunset column: 20:28 in June, 18:07 in October and 16:16 in December.

Who should skip it?

Skip HUGO if you travel alone, want a fixed price with no cash on the day, or need a bigger boat than 7 seats.

• Solo travellers and pairs: a shared cruise such as the Elaphite shared cruise costs far less per head.
• Groups over 7: the boat carries up to 7, so a larger party needs two boats.
• Card-only payers: fuel is cash on board.
• Guests wanting a guide's commentary: the skipper tells local stories, but this is not a guided tour with scripted facts.

If you want a sit-down sunset instead, compare the Dubrovnik sunset cruises.

What do guests say about it?

Guests praise the skippers by name, the flexible route and the caves, and the only recurring complaint is fuel and cash.

• Skippers: 4 of the 5 review snippets name a skipper as the highlight.
• Trip lengths: reviewers mention 4-hour and 8-hour days.
• Caves and lunch: a reviewer calls the Blue Cave fun and the lunch spot delicious.
• Complaint: the AI summary of 92 verified reviews from the past year asks for clearer fuel and cash information.

The sample is filtered to five stars and sorted by recommended, so it is positive-only. I rely on the sub-scores (guide 5.0, transport 5.0, value 4.9) and on the fuel complaint.

How do you book the HUGO private island tour?

Pick the length at checkout, keep cash for fuel, and cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: GetYourGuide listing and review summary for HUGO (checked 2026-10-17); Dubrovnik Port Authority (small cruise ship calls); Libertas Dubrovnik (city buses); UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Old City of Dubrovnik; sunrise-sunset.org API; Open-Meteo archive and marine APIs; Frankfurter; Nager.Date; OSRM foot routing.