Dubrovnik Cable Car: Ride to Srđ Mountain’s Best Viewpoint

A challenge I decided to set myself during my trip was to find the best sunset in Dubrovnik. The city is feels like it was designed around keeping those golden views central. With so many things to do in Dubrovnik at sunset, its hard to choose where to begin. I love finding an iconic bar during my travels, from the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore to the Temple Bar in Dublin. So I really wanted to find one in Dubrovnik too. A friend of mine brought my attention to the Dubrovnik cable car, and when I saw a bar and restaurant at the top, I knew I had to go. 

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Someone in my party had already tried to book the Panorma Bar, but our group was too big and they didn’t have the space on days we could go. So deciding I needed a bit of solo time, I opted to go solo. I wanted to go and watch the sunset from there, so I was tight on the time I could go. And with a sunset kayak planned for our final evening I was only left with one day.

I said goodbye to my friends in the harbour of Old Town, and started making my way up to the cable cars. I had walked the route before, and it has a lot of steep stairs. But I eventually reached the station. I was lucky, only having a relatively short queue to wait in, my stepbrother had been two weeks prior and it was much longer for him. 

The queue did move slowly too, only one person was working the kiosk, and the ticket machine was being fixed. It did come back online just as I was next, so I grabbed my ticket there. For once it was easy to use, which you can’t say for most ticket machines. It even had a lot of language options and it was easy to choose which. A return journey set me back €30 at the time. There are taxis outside offering the journey for less, but it’s worth noting that’s only one way and you get less of.an experience.

I was then penned into a waiting area for the next cable car to arrive. You do get a lovely view of the Old Town from here, so many people were taking the opportunity for some photos. The area is a bit tight though so the more people joined the harder it was for a clear shot.

I managed to place myself right by the barriers, so as soon as the car arrived I was first inside. So I got a prime spot to have a window view of the Old Town as I ascended. The landscape is spectacular, seeing the stone walls glow orange in the sun was unforgettable. You share the tram with others, so there’s always a simmering buzz of excitement as the tram lurches its way up the mountain. 

The roar of their laughter took me out of the view to see what was going on. A man in the middle of a group of Americans had pulled a White Walker mask from Game of Thrones and was wearing it on his head. I did have to google what a White Walker was. I’m gonna confess here I haven’t seen Game of Thrones. I am sure it’s as fantastic as I’ve been repeatedly told, but I got tired of learning someone’s name just as they got killed. Still, I knew it well enough to get a giggle out of it.

Soon we arrived at the top and everyone immediately dispersed. Of course you’re taken out right into a gift shop, and for once I didn’t immediately wander in. Instead I went out to the viewing platforms to enjoy overlooking Dubrovnik. Honestly if you missed the view from the cable car then this is near identical. Although you don’t have any glass giving annoying reflections in your photos. 

There are two viewing platforms, one just outside the giftshop and another just above. So the views are the same, just slightly elevated. I preferred the lower view as I didn’t have to crop other visitors out of the way. It wasn’t hugely busy for my visit, and most people went straight into the restaurant anyway. I was the last to arrive at the restaurant, so I was at the back of the queue. I decided to head straight to the outside section. Inside looked nice but I wanted no glass between me and the sunset. 

The gentleman on the check in informed me it would be a long wait for food. And I wasn’t particularly hungry anyway, so I just asked to stay for drinks. Luckily for me, someone had reserved a table right by the edge and failed to show, so I was allowed to take their place. I had a spot that allowed me to see both the sun setting to the west, and the Old Town. But if you just want to see the Old Town it doesn’t matter where you stand. The downside of this spot was having my table constantly knocked by people pushing past to get a photo. 

After the sunset I turned my attention back to the bar which by now was mostly empty. Everyone had moved into the restaurant and was already checking the menu. It was time for me to go. So I paid my bill and made my way back to the cable car station. I arrived just in time to watch the cable car leave, so decided to explore the gift shop whilst I waited. That didn’t take long, its very small and there was a fair bit of stuff that wasn’t related. So without spending a penny I was soon in the queue waiting for the cable car. 

Before long I was on my way returning to a very different Dubrovnik, the golden glow replaced by the twinkle of city lights. It looked spectacular, and if you are unsure about what time to visit then I would recommend you do the same as me. Going up and down either side of sunset gives you two unique experiences for the price of one.