• Private Tour
• Carbon Neutral

Dubrovnik has such a fascinating Medieval history, and I want to share it with you on a private tour. Join me on a trip back in time to the middle ages and find out how imaginative punishments were, what "black death" meant, how the art of dying was perfected and about women oppression.

Destination

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Category

Off The Beaten Track

Duration

2 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English

Included

• Private guide

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Vesna.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Dubrovnik - Dubrovnik to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Convent & Orphanage

   Find out where the former Convent of St. Claire was and hear the devastating story about their orphanage

4. Medieval Streets

   Wander through Old Town and imagine how life used to be during medieval times

5. Male Sanctuary

   Go to the Rector's Palace and hear about patriarchalism in the old times and women's oppression

6. Historical Port

   Make your way to the city port, what once was the only link with the world in Dubrovnik

7. Crime & Punishment

   Explore the central square, a place for punishments and embarrassment

8. Black Plague

   Discover where the last quarantine station was at Ploče Gate

9. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Tori

14 October 2024

Vesna was an Amazing guide We came away with an Authentic experience of learning about Dubrovnik and its history. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about where you have travelled to . Vesna was a Beautiful soul who shares part of herself with you Thank you 🙏 10

Shelby🇺🇸 United States

13 October 2024

We absolutely adored this tour and regret not having more cash on hand to tip Vesna. She is an extremely knowledgeable and passionate guide with local insights that you couldn’t find on any other tour. We loved learning about the dark history of Dubrovnik and recommend this tour for anyone interested in crime, punishment and morbid things!! Amazing tour & wonderful, clever host!

John

3 October 2024

Vesna was magnificent. So much knowledge and so many stories. It was a pleasure walking the old town with someone so well versed in local history. The tour was based on crime and punishment during the Middle Ages. Told with some humor and some tragedy. Her forte is being able to blend the bleak with the amusing. Vesna answered all questions, historical or not. We can recommend a walk with this amazing woman. Off beat and fascinating

Julie🇺🇸 United States

6 September 2024

Great historical facts and stories about the crimes and punishments that took place in the walled city of Dubrovnik over the centuries. The Dark Side

Hugo🇺🇸 United States

11 July 2024

Vesna is extremely friendly and had some fun facts about the city. Great knowledge of history. Would highly recommend Loved the dark side of Dubrovnik

Jennifer 🇺🇸 United States

5 July 2024

We had been to Dubrovnik before, but just walked around on our own. Vesna gave us a vivid picture of what life there had been like in medieval times. The streets and buildings meant so much more to us knowing what they have seen in the past. It was a quick and entertaining two-hour tour that I highlight recommend!Going back in time in Dubrovnik!

Grace🇺🇸 United States

29 August 2023

Vesna was a wonderful, well educated guide. We learned many interesting (and morbid!) things during our time with her that I’m not sure we would have learned about otherwise. Vesna answered all of our questions and was gracious enough to give us a few restaurant and activity recommendations at the end of our tour. Highly recommend for anyone interested in the darker side of history! Wonderful!

Patricia🇨🇦 Canada

17 May 2023

us 4 birds had a wonderful time with Vesna who is hugely knowledgeable while being entertaining and sensitive to what we were interested in. Thanks so much for the wonderful experience.Vesna

gecarroll🇺🇸 United States

16 September 2022

It was an extraordinary two hours. So personal, so brilliantly detailed, such amazing, intriguing information Vesna shared with us. Highly recommended.As wonderful as all the reviews we'd read

Jürgen🇩🇪 Germany

22 August 2022

Very good inside in the way of medieval life and death of former people in DubrovnikIndividual familiar tour

Carolyn🇺🇸 United States

2 August 2022

We chose the "Dark Side of Dubrovnik" tour to learn about the city's history in a different way. I also expressed interest in experiencing some of the wine and food that the area had to offer. Vesna went above and beyond to customize the tour for our group. Our tour consisted of a mix of interesting facts about the town and its history along with stories that really brought it to life (or death). We are still talking about the "creativity" of the punishments handed out in this medieval gem. Vesna's personal history having been raised and still living in the old city was also fascinating to hear. The details she was able to point out and describe made this one of the most unique and entertaining experiences of our trip. After the tour, she escorted us to a restaurant where we were treated to an amazing wine and food pairing which completely exceeded our expectations. Vesna is also a wealth of knowledge about the local wine region and it was a pleasure to end our time with her discussing our favorite topic. I would highly recommend taking a tour with Vesna!

Tracy🇨🇦 Canada

31 July 2022

We had a wonderful and memorable experience with Vesna! Her knowledge, enthusiasm and inside knowledge of Dubrovnik was truly impressive and made the tour both fun and eye opening. We will return home with lots of stories to share - some a little more gruesome than others 😉 Thanks Vesna! Wonderful and Memorable Experience!

Sarah🇮🇪 Ireland

18 April 2022

Had a great time with Vesna, we had already done another city tour so we knew the history of Dubrovnik so Vesna took us straight into the darker history of the city with great stories on punishments and scandal from the medieval times. She made it fun and I would highly recommend the tour to anyone who wants something a bit different ☺️Great experience with the darker side of Dubrovnik

Yannick🇳🇱 Netherlands

25 September 2021

We had an amazing tour from Vesna. Great English, attention to detail and a lot of information including a lot of fun facts. We had a blast. Great tour!

Birgit🇩🇪 Germany

12 September 2021

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Vesna. I am a travelguide myself so I can identify outstanding guiding experience when experiencing one. Vesna has great knowledge of Dubrovnik and spices interesting stories with her great sense of humour. Whenever returning to Dubrovnik I would book Vesna for more tours without hesitation. Thank you for making our tour so memorable, Vesna! Looking forward to seeing you again next time :-)The best possible experience

Marije🇳🇱 Netherlands

6 September 2021

Vesna is so passionate about telling you about Dubrovnik. Loved it! So much fun to get a tour of this beautiful city and get insights about its life in the middle ages. So many things we didn't know about this city's impressive history. Many of the tours are about Game of Thrones, but if you like to get an understanding of the true history of the city, this tour is for you. Vesna knows to vibe up the tour with amazing tales, that sometimes freak you out. After the tour she advised us a great restaurant with typical Dubrovnik dish. We would not have chosen that place by ourselves and are grateful she pointed it out to us to have a delicious lunch. It's great to have a guide like Vesna taking you off the beaten track. Thank you Vesna for the great afternoon :) Exciting off the beaten track tour

Reb🇺🇸 United States

13 August 2021

Vesna is a beautiful and intelligent Dubrovnik local who was able to take us within the city walls and back in time. She focused in on our interests and had stories dating back to Medieval times that were presented with a mastery that you cannot find in any tour book! We were a family of five and she was able to present something of unique interest that spoke to each of us! Thank you Vesna for making our first morning in Dubrovnik a memorable experience!Most knowlegeable and friendly

Carmel🇮🇪 Ireland

29 July 2019

Vesna is a very knowledgeable tour guide,she takes her time explaining about the history of Dubrovnik. She is ready to answer any questions and on top of that she is extremely friendly. People who are GOT fans think Dubrovnik is just about the program but,there is so much more to the beautiful city . I would definitely recommend. *****Tour of Dobrovnik

Lemiel

4 May 2019

Amazing city, tour and guide. Vesna is very knowledgeable and comprehensive. We learned so much from her about Dubrovnik, its rich history, and people. She's also very flexible and kind. This tour is worth every penny. We will definitely recommend it to our friends. Lemiel P Medieval tour

Cindy🇨🇦 Canada

27 November 2024

Our flight to Dubrovnik was delayed but Vesna did her absolute best to accommodate our schedule. Vesna was personable, knowledgeable and gracious. She gave us an excellent tour of Dubrovnik which provided a first hand account of the war in 1991. Prior to that time, we really had not known that much about it. It was truly fascinating, if not heartbreaking. We all enjoyed the tour very much and highly recommend it, if you are into history.Amazing Vesna!

Kelly🇺🇸 United States

28 September 2024

Our tour with Vesna was one of the highlights of our time in Croatia. She grew up inside the walls of Dubrovnik—a true local in a seemingly fairytale place. Her description of how her family lived during the war moved me to tears, and left us with images of what life inside the walls was really like. This tour was unique as it combined the old history of the city with its more recent history. We ended our tour with a much greater appreciation for the place. We spent much of our trip trying to learn more about the war. Vesna is such a genuine, lovely person. She was so generous in sharing her very personal stories with us. We felt lucky and grateful to have met her and learned from her. I wish we could have spent the whole day wandering Dubrovnik with Vesna.Book a tour with Vesna!!

Allyson🇦🇺 Australia

15 August 2024

Vesna gave us a very objective view of the Homeland war. And her own living experience gave us a realistic view of the politics and the day to day difficulties during that time. As well as describing the ancient history. We were both extremely impressed by her knowledge and delivery and she answered all our questions very comprehensively. We would highly recommend a tour with Vesna. Outstanding insight on Dubrovnik

Jessika🇨🇭 Switzerland

17 April 2024

I chose to combine Visna‘s Medieval and War tours. She is a walking encyclopaedia of Dubrovnik and told me many quirky, funny and dark stories but my favourite parts of the tour were the most unique of all; her stories of the war. She lived (and still lives!) in Dubrovnik‘s old town during the war and has many inspirational, sad and heartwarming stories to tell. As if that wasn’t enough, she is also absolutely delightful, so warm and personable. You are in very good hands when you book with Visna!!See Dubrovnik through Visna‘s eyes!

Peggy🇺🇸 United States

14 October 2023

We are deeply appreciative of the time we got to spend learning about Yugoslavia’s complicated history. Vesna has encyclopedic knowledge as a historian and she tells the story in such a way that I will never forget it. We stood in the front of her house as she and her family watched in horror as the tanks on the hill above began to shell the treasure that is Dubrovnik’s beautiful old streets…that was just one of many stories she told us. We studied her maps, asked questions and came away from our time together having a far deeper understanding of Yugoslavia from its beginnings to present day. I recommend Vesna without reservation.Insights and deep knowledge from Vesna

Pat🇨🇦 Canada

13 October 2023

Don’t hesitate to book with Vesna. She will take you down the small streets away from the crowds. You will learn about the politics of the region and the recent war. She will also tell you a little of the lifestyle of the inhabitants. Since she has always lived in Dubrovnik she has many stories to share about life there. She also knows her wine! We had a very enjoyable 3 hours with Vesna and really appreciated her sense of humour. A Walk Through History

Samantha🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 September 2023

Vesna was an amazing and informative guide who shared with us first hand experiences of living in Old Town Dubrovnik, this made our trip. As did her knowledge and history of the city. Vesna showed us off the beaten track streets and inscriptions on monks walls which brought the culture and history to life. We thouroughly recommend Vesna's tour 👍Fantastic Tour

Beth🇨🇦 Canada

27 August 2023

Vesna was truly knowledgeable. Having been one of the few individuals who comes from generations living in Dubrovnik. She was personable and knowledgeable. Truly one of the better tour guides I’ve had in a while. She geared it to all ages. We highly recommend her!A wonderful experience!

Klaus🇩🇪 Germany

24 May 2023

Vesna kennt nicht nur die jüngere Geschichte der Stadt als Einwohnerin, sondern kann gleichfalls über die Entstehung der Stadt in einer Art berichten, die spannend, lehrreich und interessant zu ist. Sie hat uns wertvolle Tipps zu unserem kurzen Aufenthalt in der Stadt gegeben (Restaurants, Aktivitäten). Wir haben die Tour sehr genossen.Toller Start in Dubrovnic

cemcneely56🇺🇸 United States

12 March 2023

Vesna’s historical tour of Dubrovnik provided deep insights into the ancient architecture and the war experience of Dubrovnik residents during 1991-1995. She is knowledgeable about the city’s lived history and the fictional film connections. Vesna helped us understand how the city buildings and walls evolved over the centuries, helped us see how the residents survived and what they lost during the war, and showed us how the city has been rebuilt. We highly recommend her history tour. Insightful and informative tour.

John

22 October 2022

One of the most moving tours i have been on. Amazing to here about the recent history of Dubrovnik by someone who was great affected by events. Highly recommended. Highly Recommended

Gill🇬🇧 United Kingdom

13 October 2022

Vesna was first class - very knowledgeable. Excellent tour which lasted fully 3 hours. Would highly recommend for anyone keen to understand the history of the Yugoslavia break up. Excellent tour

Brianne🇭🇷 Croatia

30 September 2022

The tour with Vesna was a highlight of our time in Dubrovnik! She is a wealth of knowledge, not only about the history but also about living in Dubrovnik. We thoroughly enjoyed our time and visit with her, and will definitely be back! Thanks, Vesna!Local Tour Guide... Awesome!

Aran🇬🇧 United Kingdom

13 June 2022

We had a fabulous afternoon exploring Dubrovnik with Vesna, it felt very personal and intimate walk the city with someone who has lived there, through the good times and the bad. I would recommend anyone to go with Vesna – she was absolutely brilliant Fabulous afternoon exploring with Vesna

Unknown

26 May 2022

Very knowledgeable and informative. Speaks rapidly and sometimes not clearly because English is a second language. She needs to be encouraged to slow down a little bit so that her information can be assimilated. She also has very personal stories about friends and colleagues she knew during the Kosovo war that are deeply moving and inspiriing. Overall she is a very good story teller who will be even better if she slows down a little bit in her presentation.Loves to travel

Andrea🇭🇷 Croatia

18 June 2021

Our guide Vesna is a very warm-hearted and authentic woman, she has experienced everything first hand, which makes the tour incredibly interesting, it is terrifying what the population had to experience during this time, we can greatly recommend the guide and the tour. Her restaurant recommendation was outstanding! Thank you VesnaPerfect

Judy

1 May 2019

Vesna gave us an excellent perspective of Jewish life in Dubrovnik from 1500s to the present. She spoke English beautifully and was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Juddy Faitek Jewish Walking tour with Vesna