Old Town port or Gruž? Where Dubrovnik boat tours leave from, and how to get there

In short: Most shared sunset cruises, including the Karaka, Galleon Tirena and Karuzo, board in the Old Town port under the city walls. Ferries, cruise ships and many private boats use Gruž, the main port. Our boats leave Marina Frapa on the Lapad side of Gruž bay, about 10 minutes from Pile Gate by taxi or a ride on bus 6.

Prices for other operators in this guide were checked on 2 October 2026. They change through the season, so check the operator’s own page before you book. Our own prices come from our live price list.

Most shared sunset cruises board in the Old Town port, the old stone harbour on the east side of the walls. Gruž, about 3 km away, is the main port for ferries and cruise ships and the base for many private boats, including ours at Marina Frapa on the Lapad side of the bay. Which start suits you depends mostly on where you are staying.

Where Dubrovnik sunset cruises depart from

Of the shared sunset cruises we checked on 2 October 2026, every one boards in the Old Town port apart from ours. Private boats leave from both.

The Old Town port: boat tours under the walls

The city harbour took its present shape in the 15th century. The Kaše breakwater, built in 1485, still shelters it from south-easterly winds and waves, and Revelin Fort guards the entrance. St John’s Fort, on the city’s south-eastern corner, houses the aquarium and the Maritime Museum, worth a look if you arrive early.

Boats boarding here on a sunset evening include:

• the Karaka, from the Mali Muo pier;
• Galleon Tirena, from the large pier on the left as you face the sea;
• Karuzo’s one-hour panorama boat, at 19:00;
• the Regina Maris sunset catamaran, with check-in at its stand at Ribarnica 1;
• private boats such as Rewind, whose sample itinerary meets guests at the Old Town port around 18:45.

By day the official Lokrum ferry runs from here too, about ten minutes each way. The €30 ticket from the Luža office covers entry to the reserve and the return boat, and from 28 September 2026 the last boat back from the island leaves at 18:00.

Walking to the Old Town port

Start at Pile Gate, the western entrance, and walk the 298 metres of Stradun to the clock tower at its eastern end. The harbour lies just beyond. From the east, come in through Ploče Gate, where the airport shuttle also stops. Most cars cannot enter, because the historic centre is a restricted traffic zone.

On summer evenings several boats board within the same hour, so allow time to cross the Old Town. The Karaka closes boarding five minutes before departure, and Tirena leaves exactly on time.

Gruž port: ferries, cruise ships and Marina Frapa

Gruž is the city’s working port. Ferries from Split, the islands and, in summer, Bari dock here, cruise ships berth along its quays, and the Platanus airport shuttle ends at the main bus station in Gruž. The Gruž market sits near the port, and the tourist information centre at Obala Ivana Pavla II 1 was listed as open 08:00 to 20:00 every day on 2 October 2026. Many private sunset boats start here as well: Dubrovnik Boat Rent leaves Gruž around 18:30, and Adria Luxury Travel starts from Port Gruž with a hotel transfer included. The tourist board notes that regular boat lines to the Elaphiti islands, Lokrum and Cavtat run from both the Old Town and Gruž.

Marina Frapa sits on the Lapad side of Gruž bay, at Lapadska obala 21a, a 10-minute walk from Gruž harbour. We meet guests at our office with the yellow flag at the marina entrance, 15 minutes before departure.

From the marina the boat heads out of Gruž past Daksa island and its lighthouse, then round to the Grebeni lighthouse rocks and open water facing the Elaphiti islands. On our Sunset & City Walls route, the boat reaches the Old Town walls about 35 minutes after leaving, by way of the Lapad cliffs and Fort Lovrijenac. Our Golden Hour Express stays on the Grebeni side and watches the sun go down from the open channel.

Old Town port or Gruž for an evening trip

Old Town port

• For: you step aboard under the walls, dinner in the Old Town is a short walk afterwards, and if you are staying inside or near the walls you need no transport. It also has the widest choice of shared cruises, from big ships to a catamaran.
• Against: from Lapad or Babin Kuk you need a bus or taxi to Pile first, and the pier is busy when several boats board in the same hour. From right under the walls the Lapad peninsula hides the sun from about 21 April to 22 August, so in those months a boat has to head out to open water to see it set.

Gruž and Marina Frapa

• For: a short walk or taxi ride from the Lapad and Babin Kuk hotels, boarding away from the Old Town crowds, and a direct run out past Daksa and Grebeni to open water.
• Against: from the Old Town it is about 10 minutes by taxi (around €12) or a ride on bus 6, and there is no free parking at the marina. Our boats return to Marina Frapa, so dinner in the Old Town means a second short ride.

If you are staying at Ploče, east of the walls, the Old Town port is the nearer start: the tourist board describes Ploče Gate as the gateway to the hotels and beaches at Ploče, and the harbour is a short walk from it.

In April and from late August the sun sets over open sea and stays visible from under the walls, so the sunset itself is less of a deciding factor outside midsummer. For the full picture, see where the sun sets.

How to get to Marina Frapa

Arrive 15 minutes before departure and check in at our office with the yellow flag at the marina entrance, Lapadska obala 21a. Departure times move with the sunset: Route A leaves 50 minutes before sunset and Route B 75 minutes before, rounded down to the quarter hour, so use the time on your booking. A map and directions are in our getting here section.

• Taxi: about 10 minutes from the Old Town (Pile Gate), around €12.
• Bus: city bus number 6. On the Libertas network map, line 6 runs between Babin Kuk and Pile along Lapadska obala, the street the marina is on.
• On foot: a 10-minute walk along Lapadska obala from Gruž harbour, or a short walk from the Lapad and Babin Kuk hotels.
• Car: there is no free parking at the marina, so come by taxi, bus or on foot.

Bus tickets and times

On 2 October 2026 the Libertas price list showed €2.50 for a ticket bought on the bus, €1.73 for a one-hour ticket and €5.31 for a 24-hour ticket. The tourist board notes that tickets from kiosks cost less than tickets from the driver, and a bus ticket is included in the Dubrovnik Pass. The Libertas sales point at Pile is open 07:00 to 23:00 every day. Times for line 6 are on the Libertas city timetable.

Hotel pickup can be arranged on request when you book; it is not part of the ticket price.

Getting there by starting point

Coming from a cruise ship

Cruise ships berth along the Gruž quays, and smaller ships that anchor off Lokrum bring their passengers into Port Gruž by tender. The quays run to several hundred metres, so a ship at the far end adds to the 10-minute walk from Gruž harbour. Our sunset routes finish back at the marina 15 to 30 minutes after sunset, so compare that with your all-aboard time before you book.

Coming from the airport

At the airport, taxis wait outside arrivals in terminal B, and the taxi price list is at the taxi information window there. The official Platanus shuttle leaves about 30 minutes after each arrival, stops at Ploče Gate after about 30 minutes and ends at the Gruž bus station after about 35. Its tickets cost €10 one way or €15 return, with children under 6 free, and are sold online or at the airport counter, not on board. Libertas suburban lines 11, 27 and 38 also serve the airport every day, according to the airport’s own guide.

Getting back after sunset

Route A is back at Marina Frapa about 15 minutes after sunset, and Route B about 30 minutes after. A taxi to Pile takes about 10 minutes, so a dinner table booked about an hour after sunset leaves a little time to spare. If you plan to take bus 6 back towards Pile, check the last departures on the Libertas timetable before you sail. Tonight’s sunset and boarding times are on our tonight panel.

Choosing your departure point

If you are staying in Lapad, Babin Kuk or near Gruž, Marina Frapa is the easy start. If you are inside the walls and want to walk straight onto a boat, an Old Town departure saves the taxi. To compare the boats themselves, read Karaka, catamaran or speedboat, see all our sunset tours, or go straight to booking.