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.
Dubrovnik is widely known as the Pearl of the Adriatic, and anyone who walks around its beautiful and historic Old Town will soon see why. Our 3-hour private walking tour is a great way to immerse yourself in the history and culture of this majestic city, and also gives you the chance to wander its world-famous walls. All the while, you’ll be accompanied by a local expert guide who can share intriguing anecdotes and point out the best spots to take in magnificent views of the shimmering sea and terracotta rooftops.
On your private tour, you will:
Step into centuries of history on this captivating 3-hour private walking tour of Dubrovnik, designed to give you both a comprehensive city orientation and the unforgettable experience of walking its iconic medieval walls. Led by a knowledgeable local guide, this journey offers a perfect mix of storytelling, architecture, and awe-inspiring views, with a flexible ending tailored to your interests. Your tour begins in the heart of the Old Town at a majestic fountain designed by a famous Italian architect. After getting acquainted with your guide, you will meander through the historic Pile area while hearing stories of how the city first took shape. You will pass the Church of St. Saviour, built in gratitude after an earthquake failed to destroy the city, and pause by the Franciscan Monastery, home to one of Europe’s oldest working pharmacies founded over 700 years ago.
As you stroll down Stradun, Dubrovnik’s dazzling main street, your guide will bring the city's layers of history to life, from its golden era as the Republic of Ragusa to its defiance during the 1991 siege. You'll slip into Prijeko Street, a quieter, charming lane lined with stone façades and family-run businesses, before arriving at Luza Square, the city’s historic heart. Here, you’ll find a cluster of architectural gems: the elegant Sponza Palace, the symbolic Orlando’s Column, the Church of St. Blaise with its lavish baroque façade, and the stately Rector’s Palace, once the seat of power for the Republic. You'll also take in the Jesuit Staircase, Dubrovnik’s mini Spanish Steps, and the neighbouring Cathedral of the Assumption, a striking Baroque structure said to have been commissioned by Richard the Lionheart himself after being shipwrecked near Dubrovnik on the way home from the Third Crusade.
With the city’s most important landmarks now under your belt, your guide will lead you to St. John’s Fort, where you’ll begin your walk along the city walls, one of the best-preserved medieval fortification systems in the world. Tickets are included, and the views are nothing short of spectacular: you’ll admire red-roofed buildings tumbling down toward the sparkling Adriatic, the curve of the Old Port below, and the rugged cliffs of Lokrum Island just offshore. During your journey, you’ll pass Saint Barbara Tower, Fort Bokar, and climb to the mighty Minčeta Tower, the highest point on the walls and a symbol of Dubrovnik’s impenetrability. Along the way, your guide will share the dramatic stories of battles, diplomacy, and the resilience that helped the city survive for centuries.
The tour ends on your terms. You have the option to complete the full circuit of the walls at your own pace or to exit halfway at Pile Gate and unwind nearby or continue exploring the Old Town at your leisure. Your guide will be happy to adapt the experience to your preferences and provide plenty of insider recommendations. As a bonus, your tickets to access the city walls are also valid for entering Fort Lovrijenac (St. Lawrence Fortress), which you are free to explore on your own. This impressive fortress just outside the city walls is known as Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar and is well worth a visit to see more of Dubrovnik’s well-preserved military architecture and stunning landscapes.
Whether it’s your first time in Dubrovnik or you’re returning to the city, this private tour offers the perfect balance of history, beauty, and flexibility, helping you capture the essence of the Pearl of the Adriatic.
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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