Dubrovnik Old City Private Tour: Hidden Gems with a Local

You choose the pace through Dubrovnik's backstreets and main squares

You walk the main landmarks of Dubrovnik's Old Town — Stradun, Rector's Palace, Pile Gate — with a local guide who also takes you to the streets and corners tourists usually skip. A local treat is included, the group stays small, and the guide's route flexes based on their knowledge rather than a fixed itinerary. Plan for a few hours on foot through the Old Town, moving at a conversational pace.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dubrovnik's main landmarks

• Visit Pile Gate entrance
• See Rector's Palace
• Walk along Stradun street
• Pass by Onofrio's Fountain
• Explore Dubrovnik Old Town
• Pass by Fort Lovrijenac

The Experience

Hands point down a narrow side street, away from the main flow of tourists heading toward Stradun. That's your local guide steering you toward the kind of corner most visitors miss — a courtyard, a family bakery, a view of the walls that doesn't appear in any guidebook. This is how the private tour works: you get the landmarks (Pile Gate, Rector's Palace, the 300-meter stretch of limestone pavement that is Stradun itself), but you also get the routes and the stories that only someone who lives in Dubrovnik knows to tell.

The itinerary moves through the Old Town at a pace that lets you actually look around instead of rushing between photo stops. Pile Gate — the main entrance for centuries, its name derived from the Greek word for door — opens into the city, and from there the guide takes you through the Gothic-Renaissance rooms of Rector's Palace, built in the late 15th century to house the elected official who governed the republic. You'll see the administrative offices, the dungeon, the private chambers. Fort Lovrijenac sits on the route depending on which local guide you're paired with and which direction they choose that day; the tour flexes around their knowledge and preference, not a fixed script. Onofrio's Fountain might appear, or it might not. The point is you're not following a laminated map — you're following a person.

What sets this apart from the group tours crowding the main streets is the scale and the source. Withlocals works with guides who earn a fair fee and know the city because they're from it. The company is B-Corp certified, meaning it's built around paying locals properly and keeping groups small enough that you're not adding to the over-tourism problem. A local treat is included — something to eat or drink that comes from a place a resident actually goes, not a tourist-facing café. The tour's carbon emissions are offset, so the logistics don't sit with you after you leave.

You'll be out for a few hours walking through the Old Town, which means comfortable shoes and the kind of pace where you can ask questions and actually hear the answer. Public transport is nearby if you need it, and the tour works for all fitness levels — it's not a hike, it's a walk with someone who knows where to go and why.

What’s included

Your tour includes a private local guide who leads you through the Old Town, access to main landmarks like Stradun, Rector's Palace, and Pile Gate (with Fort Lovrijenac and Onofrio's Fountain included depending on your guide's route), and a local treat. The tour is carbon-neutral, organized by B-Corp certified Withlocals, and kept to small groups so you're not adding to over-tourism in the city.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Withlocals

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see Dubrovnik's main sights but skip the crowds and guidebook routes — a local guide handles the navigation and storytelling, which is what makes the hidden corners and the local perspective possible. Expect a few hours of walking through the Old Town at a conversational pace; that's the trade for actually seeing the city instead of rushing between landmarks.

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Top questions

What's included in the tour?

The private tour includes a local guide, access to the main landmarks (Stradun, Rector's Palace, Pile Gate, and optionally Fort Lovrijenac and Onofrio's Fountain), and a local treat. Entry fees to paid attractions depend on which sites your guide includes.

Is this tour suitable for people with limited mobility?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels and involves walking through the Old Town on limestone streets and some stairs. Public transportation is available nearby if needed.

How many people are in the group?

It's a private tour — just you and your local guide. No large groups.

What makes this different from other Dubrovnik city tours?

The guide is a local resident, not a tour operator. The route flexes based on their knowledge and preference rather than following a fixed script. Withlocals is B-Corp certified, meaning guides earn fair fees and the company actively prevents over-tourism with small groups.

Will I visit Fort Lovrijenac?

Fort Lovrijenac may be included depending on your guide's chosen route. The itinerary is flexible and varies by guide.

Is the tour carbon-neutral?

Yes. Withlocals offsets the tour's carbon emissions as part of their sustainability commitment.

What if I want to customize the tour?

Since it's a private tour with a local guide, the route and stops already flex based on your guide's preference and knowledge. Specific customization requests can be discussed when booking.