The fort is particularly impressive when lit up at night.
An integral part of Dubrovnik’s world-famous city walls, Fort St. John was the city harbour’s main defensive bastion. It is located on the western side of the port and was designed to prevent enemy ships from accessing the city. The first fort was built here in the 1300s, but it was only in the 15th and 16th centuries that Fort St. John took on the dramatic semicircular proportions we can see today. Though its military days are long behind it, it still stands as an impressive monument to Dubrovnik’s turbulent history, and few who visit it come away unimpressed by its mighty stone battlements.
Today, Fort St. John is a perfect spot to take a break on your tour of the city walls. Leaning on the parapet in the sun, you get a fantastic panorama of the jetties over to your left and Lokrum island to your right. Directly across the harbour, nestled between a mass of red-roofed houses, is the 13th-century St. Luke’s Tower, one of the city’s oldest preserved towers. In the days of naval defence, heavy boom chains were hung between St. Luke’s and Fort St. John to prevent enemy ships from entering the harbour.
On the fort’s ground floor, you will find an aquarium dedicated to the sealife of the Adriatic, while on the upper levels, there is a well-curated maritime museum covering Dubrovnik’s naval period from the republican era to the Second World War.
Explore the beautifully historic Old Town of Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic, with its golden architecture glowing in the sunshine, and enjoy a stroll around the city walls, built in the 16th century, stretching for two kilometres offering magnificent views of the shimmering sea and terracotta rooftops.
On your private tour, you will:
Your tour begins at Stradun, Dubrovnik's famous city square, boasting many beautiful old buildings, including the Rector’s Palace, a 14th-century Baroque masterpiece, which served not only as a residence but also as an armoury, powder magazine, watch house, and prison.
You will also have the pleasure of visiting Onofrio's Fountain, where you will be able to admire the magnificent Sponza Palace. From here you will head onwards to the Franciscan Monastery and Old Pharmacy - the third oldest in the world!
After walking across the main square you will come across the Baroque Cathedral of the Assumption, rebuilt in the 18th century following an earthquake, and now a popular venue for weddings and celebrations. Other highlights, not to be missed, include Dubrovnik Cathedral and the Church of St. Blaise.
Here you will learn all about the fascinating legend of Richard the Lionheart who, returning from the Crusades in 1192, was shipwrecked in a storm, and cast aground on Lokrum Island in front of Dubrovnik. When Richard tried to convince the leaders of Dubrovnik to build a church on the island, Richard was instead persuaded to build the cathedral in Dubrovnik proper.
You will also hear about the infamous medieval orphanage, communal granaries, and the scandals of the chequered lives of the local aristocrats.
After touring the idyllic Old Town, you will traverse the beautiful City Walls, a 2km stone wall that has protected the city for centuries, tickets included. During your walk along the city walls, you will be able to take in the panoramic views of the city below – as your guide points out landmarks of interest, including the locations where Game of Thrones was filmed!
End your tour on the walls, or at a bar back in the Old Town the choice is yours.
Please note: This tour includes tickets to access the city walls which are also valid for entering Fort Lovrijenac (St. Lawrence Fortress) which you are free to explore at your own leisure within 3 days of your tour.
Dubrovnik's spectacular City Walls are perhaps its most emblematic feature, constructed between the 8th and 16th Centuries to defend against invaders and maintain the independence of a powerful maritime republic. They were crucial in protecting the city-state of Ragusa (as Dubrovnik was historically known). In modern times, the walls have become one of the main tourist attractions in Dubrovnik, especially since they served as a dramatic backdrop for the popular TV series Game of Thrones. Our private tour of the City Walls will help you navigate these iconic fortifications with ease, discovering the best views and most intriguing stories within.
On this private 2-hour walking tour, you will:
Step back in time and rise above the city on a breathtaking private walk along Dubrovnik’s legendary city walls, one of the greatest fortification systems in Europe and the crown jewel of the Adriatic. This two-hour journey, led by a knowledgeable local guide, offers not only sweeping views but gripping stories of sieges, victories, destruction and endurance. Your tour begins at the Ploče Gate, the majestic eastern entrance where you’ll ascend directly onto the city walls. The first stretch along the East Wall offers commanding views of Revelin Fortress, a masterwork of Renaissance military design built to defend against Ottoman incursions from land and sea. As you walk, your guide will explain how the walls became the lifeline of the independent Republic of Ragusa, the city-state that eventually evolved into present-day Dubrovnik.
Climbing toward the North Wall will lead to one of the most awe-inspiring moments: the ascent of Minčeta Tower. This powerful circular bastion is not only the highest point of the city walls but also a perfect vantage for taking in the terracotta roofs of the Old Town and the glistening waters of the Adriatic Sea. It was here that the city made its final stand during the 1991 siege, and long before that, it served as an unyielding stronghold against medieval threats. As you trace the walls westward, gazing down at Stradun, the Franciscan Monastery, and the imposing Fort Lovrijenac across the bay, the city’s layered history unfolds beneath your feet. Your guide will share tales of the great earthquake of 1667, the Republic of Ragusa’s cunning diplomacy, and the incredible engineering that kept Dubrovnik sovereign while empires rose and fell around it.
Near Pile Gate, you will pause at Fort Bokar, a rounded bastion that seems to hover above the sea. Your guide will explain how its innovative design allowed cannonballs to deflect from its thick, curved walls, a testament to Ragusan ingenuity and a striking symbol of the city’s unrelenting defence. You will then continue along the Southern Wall, perhaps the most picturesque stretch of the whole tour. With the Adriatic shimmering beside you and Lokrum Island just offshore, your guide will share the myths and legends tied to this enigmatic islet, including tales of cursed monks, shipwrecked royalty, and forbidden love.
Your walk concludes where stone meets sea: at the Fort of St. John, the final sentinel guarding Dubrovnik’s harbour. This fortress, which was once filled with cannons and chains to block enemy ships, now marks the perfect end to your elevated exploration, a moment to look out over the turquoise bay, and fully absorb the beauty and power of a city built to endure. Ideal for those seeking the most stunning views, the richest stories, and a truly immersive historical experience, this tour of Dubrovnik’s walls offers an unforgettable perspective on a city that has always stood its ground with elegance and strength.
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