Dubrovnik Islands Boat Tour with Lunch and Unlimited Drinks

Three islands, one boat, zero rush. This full-day cruise from Dubrovnik combines Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan with a freshly grilled lunch, open drinks, and time to wander or swim. I especially like the small-boat feel and the easygoing schedule, which leaves room for both sightseeing and loafing in the sun.

I also like that lunch is cooked during the day rather than prepared long before departure. You choose fish, chicken, or vegetables when booking, then eat grilled food with seasonal salads while red and white wine, grappa, soft drinks, and water keep coming. The main consideration is simple: the islands are quiet, not packed with major sights, so anyone expecting nonstop monuments or guided touring may find parts of the day too slow.

Key things to know before booking

• Three Elafiti Islands in one day: Visit Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan, each with time to explore independently.
• Fresh grilled lunch on board: Choose hake, chicken breast, or grilled vegetables, all served with three seasonal salads.
• Unlimited drinks included: Red and white wine, grappa, soft drinks, and water are part of the price.
• A relaxed boat setup: Tables, benches, shade, a toilet, music speakers, kitchen, and grill make the vessel practical for a long day.
• Up to 60 people: This is not a private cruise, but the boat is described as smaller and more relaxed than a large excursion ship.
• Weather matters: Poor conditions can cancel the trip, so check for confirmation before spending money on transport to the harbor.

A full day beyond Dubrovnik’s city walls

Dubrovnik can fill your days with walls, stairways, churches, and crowded lanes. This cruise gives you a useful change of pace. Instead of another heritage site, you get open water, pine and carob trees, pebble beaches, old chapels, gardens, and small island communities.

The tour lasts about eight hours and begins at 9 a.m. The stated meeting point is Lapadska obala 5 in Dubrovnik, although the tour information also describes morning pickup from your hotel or apartment and a transfer to Gruž Harbor. I would confirm the exact pickup arrangement before departure, especially if you are staying outside the main hotel areas.

Once aboard, the day becomes fairly simple. The captain introduces each island and points out what you can see and do there. You then choose how to spend your free time. You might walk, look for an old church, sit near the water, or swim from a pebble beach. The appeal is not a packed schedule. It is having the sea carry you from one calm setting to another.

That relaxed pace is the reason this trip has earned a 4.8 rating from 215 reviews, with 95 percent of customers recommending it. The strongest praise centers on the crew, food, clean boat, plentiful drinks, and easy atmosphere. Those are exactly the details that matter on an eight-hour outing.

The boat ride and what the day feels like

The boat is fitted with tables and benches rather than just rows of seats. A sunshade gives you some relief from the midday heat, and there is a toilet on board. The kitchen and grill are especially useful because lunch is prepared during the trip, with the chef grilling at the island.

Music and speakers add a social element. This is not a silent nature cruise, and the sound may suit you if you want a cheerful day with drinks and conversation. If you are looking for a quiet sailing trip, you should know that the atmosphere is more casual group outing than private yacht escape.

The maximum group size is 60 people. That is large enough to create a friendly, social mood but much smaller than the biggest coastal excursion boats. One of the most positive descriptions of the experience praised the boat for not being too big and the day for feeling relaxed. That balance is worth noting: you get the convenience of a group tour without necessarily feeling lost in a crowd.

The crew appears to be a major part of the experience. Natasha was singled out for her guiding and the whole crew for working hard, even on a day when the weather was not ideal. If Natasha is leading your departure, expect a warm and capable presence. Staff friendliness is repeatedly tied to the good mood on board, not treated as a minor extra.

Koločep: pine, carob, and a gentle first stop

Koločep is one of the three Elafiti Islands visited on the cruise. The island is associated with stretches of pine and carob trees, quiet gardens, old religious buildings, and beaches where you can swim or snorkel.

The captain gives you a brief orientation before you go ashore, but this is not a long guided walking tour. You are given free time, so the quality of your stop depends on what you want from it. If you like wandering through natural surroundings and finding a peaceful place beside the water, Koločep should fit well.

Bring sensible shoes for walking and your own swimming or snorkeling equipment if you plan to get into the sea. Snorkeling gear is not included. The supplied information does not promise equipment rental, so do not count on picking up masks and fins during the day.

Koločep may feel underwhelming if you want a long list of formal attractions. The island experience is about trees, shorelines, small historic structures, and open time. You are not being hurried from one famous building to the next.

Lopud: the stop for a slower island afternoon

Lopud adds more of the old island character mentioned throughout the tour description: gardens, chapels, churches, castles, and pebble beaches. It is a good place to use the free time in a way that suits you rather than following a fixed group route.

You could spend the stop looking around the historic corners, sitting in a garden, or heading to the water. The captain offers basic suggestions, but you are responsible for keeping track of time and returning to the boat.

This freedom is a plus for independent people. You are not forced into a long lecture or an organized march. It is less helpful if you want a detailed explanation of every monument. Entrance fees to local monuments are not included, so keep that in mind if you decide to go inside anything that charges admission.

The most important practical point is to set a meeting time in your mind before walking off. On a boat day, the vessel cannot wait for one late person without affecting everyone else. The schedule works best when you enjoy the freedom but stay aware of the departure instructions.

Šipan: the final taste of island life

Šipan completes the three-island route. Like Koločep and Lopud, it offers a mix of Mediterranean vegetation, small historic buildings, chapels, gardens, and beaches. The island is presented as a place to explore at your own pace rather than a destination with one single must-see attraction.

By the time you reach Šipan, lunch and the boat ride have already become part of the day’s rhythm. You may prefer a short walk, a quiet look around, or time beside the water. This is also where the difference between a relaxed cruise and a sightseeing marathon becomes clear. You are given several settings to enjoy, but no claim is made that each island is packed with major monuments.

One three-star assessment made exactly that criticism, saying the islands offered little beyond the beach. That is a fair warning, not a flaw for everyone. If you enjoy beaches, old villages, trees, and unstructured time, the simplicity is the point. If you want museums, elaborate ruins, or a guide explaining every chapter of local history, you may want to spend your day elsewhere.

Lunch on the boat, with grilled food and open drinks

Lunch is one of the tour’s strongest features. You select your meal when booking, and the choices are clear:

• Fish meal: grilled hake with three seasonal salads
• Meat meal: grilled chicken breast with three seasonal salads
• Vegetarian meal: grilled vegetables with three different salads

The food is prepared during the excursion, and you can see the chef grilling lunch at the island. That adds a pleasant sense of occasion. It also means the meal is part of the entertainment, rather than an interruption handled in a restaurant with no connection to the boat.

The menu is straightforward. Do not book this expecting a long Croatian tasting menu or a formal seafood feast. You are getting a fresh, filling grilled meal with salads, served in a casual setting. The available food does, however, cover fish, meat, and vegetarian preferences.

You must advise the operator of your meal choice, dietary requirements, and food allergies at the time of booking. The vegetarian option is available, but it should be requested in advance rather than assumed on the day.

Drinks are included and unlimited. That means red and white wine, grappa, soft drinks, and water. Alcoholic beverages are part of the package, which makes the $72.59 price more attractive than it first appears. A full day on the water, three island stops, lunch, drinks, and transport can add up quickly if arranged separately.

Use some judgment with the unlimited option. The tour includes grappa and wine, while the boat is moving and the sun may be strong. Water and soft drinks are available, so you can keep the day comfortable rather than treating unlimited alcohol as a challenge.

Is $72.59 a good price?

At $72.59 per person, this is good value if you want a complete day away from Dubrovnik without having to plan ferries, meals, and drinks yourself. The price includes lunch, beverages, local taxes, handling charges, and the boat trip. Hotel or apartment transfer is also described as part of the day, though you should confirm the pickup details because the listed start point is at Lapadska obala 5.

The value is strongest for couples, families, and small groups who want a simple outing. You board once, visit three islands, eat on the boat, and return to the same harbor. There is no need to compare ferry times or search for a waterfront restaurant during a busy summer day.

The value is weaker if you mainly want independent island travel. A public ferry and self-planned lunch might give you more time on one island and more control over your schedule. This cruise trades that freedom for convenience, food, drinks, and three stops in one day.

It is also worth remembering that monument entrance fees are not included. The tour price covers the cruise and the main onboard services, but you may pay extra if you visit a local site that charges admission.

What to pack and how to prepare

Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. The boat has a sunshade, but you will still spend much of the day outdoors. Wear shoes that are comfortable on a mixture of boat surfaces, paths, and pebble beaches.

Pack your own snorkeling equipment if you want to use it. The tour specifically advises you to bring your own gear, and no equipment is listed as included.

Your phone should be enough for the mobile ticket, but keep it protected from spray and water. A small bag is easier to manage than a large suitcase, especially when moving between the boat and the islands.

Confirm your lunch choice and any allergies before departure. Also check the pickup time and location. The official start time is 9 a.m., but the information describes both hotel pickup and a meeting point at Lapadska obala 5, so this is one detail worth settling before the morning of the cruise.

The tour requires good weather. If poor conditions cancel the trip, you will be offered another date or a full refund. One poor experience involved a late cancellation notification, with the customer reaching the operator only after arriving and losing money on transportation. I would contact the operator if you have not received clear confirmation, particularly when the forecast looks uncertain.

Who will enjoy this cruise most?

I would recommend this trip to you if you want a social, easygoing day with scenery, swimming, food, and drinks. It works well after several busy days in Dubrovnik, when your feet need a break from stone streets and steep steps.

It also suits people who prefer a guided outline without constant guiding. The captain gives brief information at each island, then lets you decide how to spend your time. Families and mixed-age groups may like that flexibility because not everyone has to do the same thing.

Food-focused visitors should also find the arrangement appealing. Lunch is fresh, simple, and cooked on board, with clear choices for fish, meat, and vegetarian diners. The unlimited nonalcoholic drinks are useful for anyone who wants an easy day without paying for each bottle or glass.

I would hesitate to recommend it if you need a detailed historical tour, a quiet luxury boat, or a packed schedule of formal attractions. The islands are appealing because they are calm and scenic. That same calm may feel like a lack of activity if you need constant sightseeing.

Should you book the Dubrovnik Islands Boat Tour?

Book it if you want to see Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan in one relaxed day and value the convenience of included lunch, drinks, and transfers. The crew, grilled food, clean boat, and friendly atmosphere are the strongest reasons to choose it.

Skip it if your ideal island day means choosing one island and exploring every lane at your own pace. This cruise gives you a broad taste rather than a deep visit. Check the weather, confirm your pickup, select your meal, and bring swim gear. For $72.59, it is a practical way to add sea air and island time to a Dubrovnik stay.

FAQ

Where does the Dubrovnik Islands boat tour start?

The listed meeting point is Lapadska obala 5, 20000 Dubrovnik. The tour information also describes morning pickup from your hotel or apartment and transfer to Gruž Harbor, so you should confirm your exact pickup arrangement before departure.

What time does the tour begin?

The stated start time is 9 a.m. The full experience lasts approximately eight hours and ends back at the meeting point or after transfer to your accommodation.

Which islands does the cruise visit?

The tour visits Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan in the Elafiti Islands near Dubrovnik.

What lunch choices are available?

You can choose grilled hake with three seasonal salads, grilled chicken breast with three seasonal salads, or grilled vegetables with three different salads. You should give your meal choice when booking.

Are drinks included?

Yes. The tour includes unlimited red and white wine, grappa, soft drinks, and water. Alcoholic beverages, lunch, taxes, and local charges are included.

Can I cancel if my plans change?

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience starts. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance are not accepted for a refund. If bad weather cancels the tour, you will be offered another date or a full refund.