In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Ston is on the Pelješac peninsula, reached from Dubrovnik by Libertas bus 15 (€6.40 one way, about 67 minutes, three departures a day, Libertas) or on a tour. The Walls of Ston cost €5 an adult from November to February and €10 from March to October, and open every day except 25 December (Ston tourist board, Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities). In Mali Ston bay, boats visit the oyster farms from Mali Ston and Hodilje. Or book a tour: Dubrovnik: Oyster, Mussels, and Wine Tasting Tour in Ston (Lunch)ad (from €155, 5 stars from 130 reviews) covers the transfer, the tasting and lunch in four hours.
⚠️ Libertas bus 15 does not run its 10:45 and 15:15 departures from Dubrovnik, or its 12:00 from Ston, on Sundays and holidays. The 20:30 out and the 05:20 and 19:00 back run every day.
Getting there by bus
Libertas runs line 15 from Dubrovnik to Ston, and the buses also stop at Orašac about 25 minutes after leaving Dubrovnik and at Slano about 45 minutes after. A one-way ticket to Ston is €6.40 and to Slano €3.70 on the Libertas price list. Dubrovnik bus station sells the same Libertas tickets at €6.80, which includes a reservation and a station fee (Dubrovnik bus station).
| Libertas line 15 | Departures | Not on Sundays and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Dubrovnik to Ston | 10:45, 15:15, 20:30 | 10:45 and 15:15 |
| Ston to Dubrovnik | 05:20, 12:00, 19:00 | 12:00 |
Other operators run to Ston from the same station: FlixBus leaves Dubrovnik at 11:00 and 18:00 and Ston at 17:26 on the bus station’s timetable, at fares between €5.52 and €7.92. The 10:45 Libertas out and the 19:00 back give about seven hours in Ston, and the 11:00 FlixBus out and the 17:26 back gives five and a half.
Mali Ston and its bay from the walls. Photo: Quahadi Añtó, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tours from Dubrovnik
A tour beats the bus when you want oysters from a boat and wine in one half-day. The bus is far cheaper for the walls alone.
Oyster, mussel and wine tasting with lunch
From €155 · 5 stars from 130 reviews · 4 hours · pickup available · free cancellation
Dubrovnik: Oyster, Mussels, and Wine Tasting Tour in Ston (Lunch)ad is a four-hour trip with pickup from Dubrovnik to the Ston area for a tasting with lunch.
Pelješac full-day wine and food tour
From €220 · 5 stars from 111 reviews · 8 hours · small group · pickup available · free cancellation
Pelješac Full-Day Wine and Food Tour from Dubrovnikad is a small-group day on the peninsula with wine and food, for visitors who want the wineries more than the walls.
Pelješac and Korčula island day trip
From €69 · 4.3 stars from 155 reviews · 11 hours · pickup available · free cancellation
Peljesac Peninsula & Korcula Island Day-Trip from Dubrovnikad is the longest of the three, an 11-hour day that adds Korčula island to the Pelješac peninsula.
Mali Ston oyster farm and boat experience
From €180 · 4.9 stars from 17 reviews · 4.5 hours · private group · pickup available · free cancellation
From Dubrovnik: Mali Ston Oysters Farm & Boat Experiencead is a private-group trip with pickup, built around a boat visit to an oyster farm in the bay.
Bus or tour: the prices side by side
The GetYourGuide figure is the cheapest option in each product.
| What you want | Public transport and tickets | On GetYourGuide | What the tour adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Walls of Ston | €6.40 bus each way, plus €5 or €10 | n/a | Nothing: the walls sell their own tickets |
| Oysters on the bay | Bus to Ston, the walk to Mali Ston (about 40 minutes) and a boat trip | From €155 (4 hours) | Pickup, lunch and a wine tasting in one half-day |
| Wine on Pelješac | n/a | From €220 (8 hours) | A driver: the wine cellars are scattered across the peninsula |
| Pelješac and Korčula | n/a | From €69 (11 hours) | A full day across two places |
The Walls of Ston
The Walls of Ston are run by the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, which says they are open every day except 25 December and that the end of the working hours is the last entry. Buy a ticket on the official shop, which also says the ticket includes free entry to Kaštio Fortress and that children aged 6 and under are free. The walls were originally 7,000 m long, with a Big wall of 1,200 m at Podzvizd, and the operator counts 41 towers and 7 bastions (operator).
The Ston tourist board lists the prices and hours.
| Ticket | January, February, November, December | March to October |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | €5 | €10 |
| Groups of more than ten, per person | €4 | €8 |
| Youth aged 12 to 18 and students | €2 | €5 |
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| 1 April to 31 May | 08:00 to 18:30 |
| 1 June to 31 July | 08:00 to 19:30 |
| 1 to 31 August | 08:00 to 18:30 |
| 1 September to 31 October | 08:00 to 17:30 |
| 1 November to 31 March | 09:00 to 15:00 |
The tourist board gives about 20 minutes for a walk around the town of Ston and about 40 minutes from Ston to Mali Ston.
The Ston saltworks. Photo: Marko Jukić, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Oysters in Mali Ston bay
Mali Ston bay is a marine nature reserve, and the Ston tourist board says shellfish cultivation there is based on two species: the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) and the mussel. Oysters are fullest in March, and around St Joseph’s Day on 19 March Ston’s restaurants serve them freshly opened. The tourist board describes the Festival of Oysters as a gastro event of oyster dishes (Ston tourist board). You can visit the oyster beds by boat from Mali Ston and from Hodilje.
Bota Šare runs an Oyster Experience from the main port in Mali Ston, beside its restaurant. You sail the bay on an old fishing boat, visit an oyster farm, taste fresh oysters on a floating platform with a glass of Pelješac wine, and watch a buzara of mussels prepared. It lasts 45 to 60 minutes, and you book through the Bota Šare site.
Salt and wine
- Ston saltworks (Solana Ston): open 08:00 to 20:00 in the summer season, 08:00 to 18:00 in spring and 08:00 to 16:00 in winter. The individual ticket is €10 and includes the film Salt Harvest, shown in the salt warehouse. Group tickets are €5, or €6 with a talk on how sea salt is made and the saltworks’ history (Ston tourist board).
- Wine: plavac mali is planted on almost 90% of Pelješac’s vineyards, and the Ponikve vineyard near Ston was entered in the European register of protected designations of origin in 2021 (Ston tourist board). The first Croatian museum of viticulture and winemaking, in Putniković, covers more than 800 square metres and is open all year.
Fortifications at Ston. Photo: László Szalai, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
What to see next
- Day trips from Dubrovnik: compare Ston with the other trips.
- Dubrovnik City Walls tickets: the same operator’s walls in the city.
- Getting around Dubrovnik: Libertas fares and lines.
- Where to eat in Dubrovnik: seafood back in the city.
- Mostar day trip: the other full-day excursion.
Common questions
How do I get from Dubrovnik to Ston by bus?
Libertas line 15 leaves Dubrovnik at 10:45, 15:15 and 20:30 and leaves Ston at 05:20, 12:00 and 19:00. A one-way ticket is €6.40 on the Libertas price list, and the journey takes about 67 minutes. The 10:45, 15:15 and 12:00 buses do not run on Sundays and holidays. FlixBus also runs to Ston at 11:00 and 18:00, with a bus back at 17:26.
How much do the Walls of Ston cost?
The Ston tourist board lists an adult ticket at €5 for January, February, November and December and €10 from March to October, with youth aged 12 to 18 and students at €2 or €5 and groups of more than ten at €4 or €8 a person. Children aged 6 and under are free, and the ticket includes Kaštio Fortress.
Are the Walls of Ston open every day?
Yes. The Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, which runs the walls, says they are open every day except 25 December. The end of the opening hours is the last entry.
Can I visit the oyster farms in winter?
Yes. The Ston tourist board says visits to the oyster beds by boat are possible from Mali Ston and Hodilje, and oysters are at their fullest in March. Bota Šare's Oyster Experience from Mali Ston lasts 45 to 60 minutes.
How long does it take to walk the walls?
The Ston tourist board gives about 20 minutes for a walk around the town of Ston and about 40 minutes from Ston to Mali Ston.
