When to go · Dubrovnik, Croatia
Best time to visit Dubrovnik
The sweet spot is June, September and May — averages 23°C, 5 rainy days, peak-season crowds and peak prices.
May - June, September - October
Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters. May-June is the ideal window: the Adriatic is warm enough to swim (22 degrees C), the cruise ship crowds have not yet peaked, and the old city is still navigable on foot. July-August is scorching (35-38 degrees C) and dangerously crowded - the old city has a 8,000 visitor cap that is frequently exceeded; the narrow marble streets become gridlocked with package tourists. September-October sees the cruise ships thin, the sea remains warm (24 degrees C), and the light turns golden - the finest time to visit. Winter is quiet and genuinely beautiful - the old city without crowds, mild temperatures (14 degrees C), and Christmas lights reflected in the limestone.
The short answer
23°C · 5 rainy days · high season
22°C · 7 rainy days · high season
19°C · 7 rainy days · high season
Hardest months: December and January. averages 10°C, 12 rainy days, few other visitors.
Month by month
| Month | Avg temp | Rain days | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9°C | 11d | low | Chilly |
| February | 9°C | 9d | low | Chilly |
| March | 12°C | 9d | mid | Chilly |
| April | 15°C | 9d | mid | Mild |
| May | 19°C | 7d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| June | 23°C | 5d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| July | 26°C | 3d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| August | 26°C | 4d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| September | 22°C | 7d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| October | 18°C | 10d | mid | Comfortable but damp |
| November | 13°C | 13d | low | Wet |
| December | 10°C | 12d | low | Wet |
Verdicts are read off the three columns to their left — temperature distance from 21°C first, then rainfall, with crowds breaking ties. Averages, so any given week can differ.
If you'd rather go cheap than perfect
January, February, November and December are low season in Dubrovnik — thinner crowds, and the months where accommodation is easiest to book late. Budget travellers already work to about $35–60 a day here; low season is where the accommodation share of that goes furthest.
Book the month you picked
Fares move with the same seasons as the crowds — the quiet months above are usually the cheap ones to fly.