Dubrovnik Airport to Orašac
Roughly 33 km beyond the city on the coast road north; a taxi or pre-booked transfer is the practical way, as buses mean changing in Dubrovnik.
Orašac is a quiet village on the Dubrovnik Riviera northwest of the city, best known for the large Sun Gardens resort and its coves, with the sixteenth-century Trsteno arboretum close by.
How far is Orašac from Dubrovnik Airport?
Orašac is 33 km (21 miles) from Dubrovnik Airport by road, about 40 min by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 27 km. By public transport, Platanus shuttle + Libertas line 12/15 takes about 1h 20m including a change and costs €12.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: Platanus shuttle + Libertas line 12/15 is the cheapest way at €12 (1h 20m, with a change on the way). A private transfer from €45 saves roughly 40 min and takes you to the door. For three or four people sharing, the private transfer works out cheaper than four tickets.
What it costs for your group
The bus / shuttle is charged per person, while a private transfer is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Bus / shuttle (per person) | Private transfer (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | €12 | €45 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | €24 | €45 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | €48 | €45 | Private transfer |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Platanus shuttle + Libertas line 12/15 | From €12, about 1h 20m, with a change on the way. |
| Speed | Welcome Pickups · Dubrovnik transfer firms | 40 min and door-to-door, from €45. |
| A group of 4 | Welcome Pickups · Dubrovnik transfer firms | One fare for the car (from €45) beats four separate tickets. |
| A late-night arrival | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | Platanus shuttle + Libertas line 12/15 does not run all night; check the last departure before you land. |
By transport mode
Private transfer
For a run this length past the city it takes the guesswork out — child seats can be added when you book, and the driver knows the Sun Gardens resort entrance.
Where to catch it: Driver meets you inside Arrivals with your booking reference.
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsTaxi
Orašac is well past Dubrovnik on the northern Riviera, so the meter or agreed price lands around €54-65. Fix the figure with the driver at the rank before leaving.
Where to catch it: Official taxi stand outside the terminal.
Best for small groups in a hurryBus / shuttle
Doable on the cheap (~€12 total) but it's two rides with a wait between, and the western suburban buses thin out in the evening. Check the last departure before you rely on it.
Where to catch it: Shuttle to Gruž, then a western Libertas suburban bus toward Zaton/Orašac.
Best for solo & budget travellersCar rental
Per day. A sound choice out here — the Riviera villages are spread out and a car lets you reach Trsteno's gardens and Zaton bay without relying on thin bus timetables.
Where to catch it: Arrivals rental counters; cars in the airport car park.
Best for travellers who want to exploreOrašac & Dubrovnik in photos
Buying tickets in Dubrovnik
Croatia uses the euro. The official Platanus airport shuttle runs to Dubrovnik (stopping near Pile/the Old Town, with drop-offs at Ploče and Gruž) after each flight, around €10 one-way and €15 return. Buy at the Platanus counter inside the terminal or online in advance; tickets are not sold on board, so pay before you queue. Both cash and card are accepted at the counter. The ride takes roughly 30-40 minutes depending on traffic.
Taxi scams & safety in Dubrovnik
Use the marked taxi rank outside Arrivals. Metered taxis to the Old Town typically run about €35-45, but confirm the meter is on or agree the fare first, as unmetered flat-rate quotes can be inflated. Avoid drivers touting for business inside the terminal. Unlike Greece, Croatia permits ride-hailing, so Uber and Bolt operate legally here and are often cheaper and clearer on price than a rank taxi; request the ride and meet your driver at the designated pickup area.
Step-free access in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik's terminal is step-free throughout, but assistance works differently from most EU airports: you arrange it through your airline or ask for it on the day.
- The airport does not take advance assistance bookings directly. Request assistance through your airline when you book, or in person at the main information desk in the departures check-in area.
- Terminal floors are level, with no thresholds, all entrance doors are automatic sliding doors, and two lifts connect every level.
- Boarding is by air bridge or ambulift depending on the stand, and a narrow aisle chair is available to reach your seat.
- Tactile paths link the shuttle bus stop and the public bus stop to the terminal entrances and the main information desk.
- Disabled parking spaces are paid: two at the drop-off area in front of the terminal and two each in P1, P5, P8 and P10.
Getting from DBV to Orašac
Orašac sits about 33 km from Dubrovnik Airport, but the distance on the map hides the awkward part: the village is on the coast road northwest of the city, while the airport is southeast at Čilipi. So getting here means crossing to the far side of Dubrovnik and carrying on up the Riviera. The drive runs roughly 40 minutes, either skirting the city on the bypass or dipping past its edges before the road climbs along the coast toward Zaton and Sun Gardens. If you're checking into the big resort complex, the practical question isn't really cost — it's whether you want to deal with the crossing yourself or arrive at the resort entrance and be done.
Why the airport is on the wrong side of Dubrovnik for Orašac
Dubrovnik Airport serves the city, and almost everything about local transport assumes you're heading into Dubrovnik, not through it and out the other side. Orašac is beyond the city on the northern stretch of the Riviera, past Gruž harbour and the Franjo Tuđman bridge. That geography is what makes the journey longer than the kilometres suggest and why there's no clean direct link. A driver takes it in one 40-minute go. Public transport, by contrast, makes you land in Dubrovnik first and then set off again westward — two separate legs for what is really one trip.
The resort-door transfer versus the taxi rank
For a self-contained stay at Sun Gardens, a pre-booked private transfer is what most guests end up using, and the reason fits this route specifically: on a run that goes past the whole city to a single resort gate, having a driver who already knows the Sun Gardens entrance removes the fiddly last stretch. You meet inside Arrivals with a booking reference, the price is fixed before you fly, around €45 to €65 for the car, and child seats can be added when you book, which matters for a family resort. The figure covers the vehicle, so a couple and a family of four pay the same.
The official taxi rank outside the terminal is the walk-up alternative, no booking needed. Because Orašac is well past Dubrovnik, the meter or agreed fare tends to land around €54 to €65 — usually a touch above a booked transfer rather than below it. If you take a rank taxi, pin down the total with the driver before you pull away rather than watching the meter climb over a 40-minute trip. There's no meaningful time saving over a transfer; both take the same 40 minutes on the same road.
Doing it on the cheap by bus, and where it falls apart
The budget route exists, and it's actually cheap at roughly €12 all in, but it's two rides with a gap in the middle. You take the Platanus airport shuttle to Gruž, then change onto a western Libertas suburban line (the 12 or 15) heading out toward Zaton and Orašac. Total time is closer to 80 minutes than 40 once you count the wait for the connection. The problem is the evening: those western suburban buses thin out after the daytime peak, so if you land late the second leg may have stopped running before you reach Gruž. Check the last western departure against your arrival time before you commit to saving the money. For a daytime landing with light luggage it's fine; for a night flight into a resort check-in, it's a gamble.
When hiring a car earns its keep out here
The rental desks (Sixt, Hertz, Europcar) sit in Arrivals, with cars in the airport car park, and rates run about €35 to €60 a day. A car makes real sense on this part of the coast because the Riviera villages are strung out and thinly served by buses. Sun Gardens has its own restaurants and beach, so you don't need wheels to sit still, but if you plan to visit the Trsteno arboretum with its sixteenth-century gardens just up the road, or drop down to the quiet coves at Zaton bay, a car frees you from timetables that don't run often. Weigh that against Dubrovnik's parking, which is scarce and pricey in season — if the old town is your only day trip, the local bus back into the city is easier than driving in.
Short version: for a straight airport-to-resort arrival, book the transfer and give the meeting point as Sun Gardens — the fixed price and the door drop-off are what you're paying the small premium for on a route that runs the long way round the city. Save the bus for a daylight arrival when you're happy to change at Gruž, and hire a car only if the Riviera beyond the resort is on your list.
