Where to park in Dubrovnik

Parking in Dubrovnik is the hardest on the Croatian coast, and since 2025 it also comes with a rule many visitors miss: you may not even drive into the streets around the Old Town in season unless your number plate is registered. The short answer: park in the public garage at Ilijina glavica and walk ten minutes down to Pile Gate, or leave the car at Gruž port or in Lapad for far less and take the bus.

Prices checked against the official tariffs in October 2026. They change, so confirm with Sanitat Dubrovnik, which runs city parking, before you travel.

The best places to park in Dubrovnik at a glance

Dubrovnik parking map

The car parks from this guide, with the distance to the Old Town and the price level. Tap a pin or a car park in the list. Pins are approximate; follow the signs on the spot.

AllGaragesOpen-air car parks

1. 1

   Ilijina glavica public garage (Zagrebačka)

   Garages

   The main car park for visitors: 711 spaces on four levels, open 24 hours, entrance height 2.10 m. It stands just outside the restricted traffic zone, so anyone can drive in.

   about 10 min walk downhill to Pile Gate (stairs); uphill on the way back · about €7/h, €40 for 24 h · day ticket within 15 min of entry · EV chargers

   Show on mapDirections →

2. 2

   Pile car park (Iza Grada)

   Open-air car parks

   An open car park about 150 m from Pile Gate, inside the restricted zone. Only with an online reservation, which also clears your number plate for the zone.

   2–3 min walk to Pile Gate · about €20 first hour, then €10/h (May–Oct) · online booking only

   Show on mapDirections →

3. 3

   Žičara car park (lower plateau, by the cable car)

   Open-air car parks

   An open car park by the lower cable-car station, about 200 m from Ploče Gate and Buža Gate. Same tariff and booking rule as Pile.

   3–4 min walk to the Old Town · about €20 first hour, then €10/h (May–Oct) · online booking only

   Show on mapDirections →

4. 4

   Gruž port car park (Luka Dubrovnik)

   Open-air car parks

   A gated car park with about 300 spaces at the ferry and cruise port, open 24 hours. The cheapest secure option for a full day or a week; city buses to Pile stop outside.

   3.2 km from Pile Gate; bus 1A, 1B or 3 · about €3/h, €30 per day, €150 per week in summer · half that in winter

   Show on mapDirections →

Times are approximate and depend on traffic and season. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

The restricted traffic zone around the Old Town

Since 2 June 2025 Dubrovnik has a special traffic regime zone around the historic centre. In 2026 it applies from 1 April to 31 October, and the city can also switch it on for big events. It covers the streets from the traffic lights at Ilijina glavica down Zagrebačka to Pile, and on past the walls towards Ploče. Cameras read number plates; there is no barrier and no paper permit, so nothing stops you from driving in by mistake.

As a visitor you may drive into the zone only if:

• you have a prepaid reservation for the Pile or Žičara car park, which registers your plate automatically; or
• you are staying in accommodation inside the zone that has its own garage or parking space, and your host registers your plate; or
• you are a guest of a hotel inside the zone.

An apartment without its own parking space gives you no right to drive in, however close to the walls it is. The fine for a private driver is €260, and rental companies usually add their own handling fee on top. If you enter by mistake while looking for your accommodation, leave the zone and write to the city at zona@dubrovnik.hr within three days with your plate, the date and time, and the reason. The official instructions are on the City of Dubrovnik website.

Ilijina glavica: the public garage

The garage on Zagrebačka street is where most visitors should go. It has 711 spaces on four levels, is open 24 hours a day and sits just before the start of the restricted zone, so no registration is needed. The entrance height is 2.10 m. An hour costs about €7; the 24-hour ticket at about €40 is the better deal if you stay longer than five or six hours, but you have to buy it at the office on level 0 within 15 minutes of driving in. There are chargers for electric cars. From the garage it is about ten minutes on foot down the stairs to Pile Gate, and a steeper walk back.

Pile and Žičara: right at the walls, booking only

The two open car parks next to the Old Town, Pile (Iza Grada) and the lower plateau by the cable car, can only be used with an online reservation through Sanitat’s prepaid parking page. From May to October the first hour costs about €20 and each further hour €10, so three hours come to €40 and a whole day to €250. They make sense for a short visit, for dropping off luggage or for travellers who cannot manage the stairs from the garage. Out of season the price falls to about €5 for the first hour and €2 after that.

Street parking zones

Sanitat divides the city into zones, and unlike in Split parking is charged every day of the week, Sundays included.

• Zones 1 and 3 (Gruž, Lapad, Montovjerna and other districts) are open to everyone: about €1.30 an hour from March to November, €0.70 in winter, charged from 06:00 to 22:00. A day ticket in zone 3 costs about €17 and a weekly ticket about €53 in season.
• Zones 2 and 4, the ring around the Old Town and the Gradac car park, are for residents and permit holders only. Do not park there even if a space is free.
• Zone 5 (Gospino polje) costs about €1.30 an hour and about €21 a day.

You can pay at the machine (they give no change), by SMS with your number plate to 708201 for zone 1 or 708203 for zones 3 and 5, at a Tisak kiosk, or with the Bmove or Aircash apps.

Park in Gruž or Lapad and take the bus

Dubrovnik has no official park and ride, but this works as one. The gated car park at Gruž port has about 300 spaces and costs about €30 a day in summer and half that in winter. City buses of the Libertas company run from Gruž to Pile on lines 1A, 1B and 3, and from Lapad and Babin Kuk on lines 4 and 6. A ticket costs about €2.50 from the driver and less if you buy it in advance at a kiosk or in the Libertas app; a 24-hour ticket is about €5.

What to avoid

• Do not follow the sat-nav to your apartment past the lights at Ilijina glavica unless your host has confirmed that your plate is registered.
• Do not park in resident bays in zone 2. Towed cars are taken to the depot at Gospino polje, and the tow alone costs about €66 to €106.
• Buy the garage day ticket straight away, within 15 minutes of entry, or you pay by the hour.
• Carry coins or use an app, because the machines give no change.
• Come early or late. On days with cruise ships in port, mornings from about 9 to 1 are the busiest.

Campervans and overnight stays

Motorhomes are too tall for the garage. Camping Solitudo on Babin Kuk is the practical base, with bus 6 to Pile. If you are staying several nights in the Old Town itself, the weekly ticket at Gruž port (about €150 in summer) or a stay with its own parking space is usually cheaper than paying the garage by the day.

Where to stay in Dubrovnik with a car

Choose accommodation that comes with a parking space, in Lapad, Babin Kuk or Gruž, and take the bus into the Old Town. If you want to sleep inside the walls, ask your host before booking exactly where the car will go and whether your plate will be registered for the zone. Our Dubrovnik guide describes the areas, and the AI search understands “with parking”.