Ploče, Croatia

Ploce is a small Dalmatian port town of about 4,700 people (2021 census), halfway between Split and Dubrovnik at the mouth of the Neretva River. More about Ploče →

Ploče harbour and waterfront with apartment blocks and a wooded hill behind
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Cruise Ships in Ploče

October 2026 · from today · all times local (Central European Time)

No more ships are scheduled in Ploče this month

Try another month.

Where is the Ploče cruise port?

Ploce has no dedicated cruise terminal. Ships dock in the commercial Port of Ploce, a cargo port run by the Port of Ploce Authority, and small cruise ships usually berth at the town's Passenger Terminal, the ferry quay on Trg kralja Tomislava. Its main berth takes vessels up to about 120 m long and 8 m draught.

From there, the town waterfront is about 200 m (3 minutes) on foot and the town center about 400 m (6 minutes). Larger ships may be assigned a cargo quay, and passengers have then been taken into town by shuttle bus.

Most passengers go on coach excursions to Mostar, Medugorje or the Neretva Delta.

Cruise port

Getting to the Ploče cruise port

Old Bridge (Stari Most), Mostar → Ploce Passenger Terminal

72 km · 70–75 min by car

The road route uses the A1 motorway and the E73/M17 into Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most cruise passengers take the ship's coach excursion, which includes a guided walk in the old town. The route crosses the Croatia–Bosnia and Herzegovina border, so allow extra time for passport checks.

Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.

TransportTypical priceJourneyGood to know
Ship's shore excursion (coach)
Variesper person
Varies
Varies by sailing; often included on small-ship cruises. Book through your cruise line.
Pre-booked private transfer
EUR 85.68per vehicle
Varies
One-way fare from Exploro Travel for a car (1–3 passengers) or van (up to 8), including 25% VAT. Book in advance.

Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.

Driving to the port

Ploce is a port of call, so most passengers arrive and leave by ship. For independent travelers, the nearest airports are Split (SPU), about 146 km and 95–100 minutes by road, and Dubrovnik (DBV), about 123 km and 115–120 minutes. The bus and train stations are about 250 m from the Passenger Terminal. Mostar and Medugorje are in Bosnia and Herzegovina, outside the EU: bring a passport, expect border checks not included in drive times, and note the local currency is the convertible mark (BAM). Drive times were measured in light traffic and can be longer by day.

Parking at the Ploče cruise port

Parking does not apply to cruise passengers in Ploce: it is a port of call without embarkation and has no cruise parking facilities. Ordinary municipal and street parking near the ferry quay serves ferry and local traffic.

Eating in Ploče

Breakfast per person
EUR 8
per person
Casual lunch per person
EUR 10–13
per person

Prices in Ploce are in EUR. In Mostar and Medugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina) the local currency is the convertible mark (BAM).

Where to eat

Ferry quay and Trg kralja Tomislava

The waterfront square next to the Passenger Terminal, with cafes and restaurants such as Restaurant Roko at the ferry landing and Stara Dama on Neretvanskih gusara.

Ulica Vladimira Nazora

Ploce's main street near the river, with casual places such as Pizzeria & Grill Piazza, Restaurant Fulin and Mariner's Pub, a short walk from the port.

Bacina Lakes (D8 road)

Lakeside restaurants such as Restaurant Galeb and Restaurant Bacinska Jezera, about 4 km north of the port.

Kujundziluk bazaar, Mostar

The old bazaar street beside the Old Bridge, where passengers on Mostar excursions usually eat.

Destination

About Ploče

Ploce is a small Dalmatian port town of about 4,700 people (2021 census), halfway between Split and Dubrovnik at the mouth of the Neretva River. It grew up around a port built from 1939 as the sea outlet for Bosnia and Herzegovina and is still Croatia's second-largest cargo port, linked to Mostar and Sarajevo by rail.

Its appeal for visitors lies in the surroundings. The Neretva Delta, Croatia's largest delta, is a protected wetland of reed-lined channels, bird reserves and mandarin orchards known as 'Croatian California', explored in traditional flat-bottomed lada boats. Just north of town are the seven Bacina Lakes.

For cruise passengers, Ploce is mainly a gateway: UNESCO-listed Mostar and the pilgrimage town of Medugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina are each about an hour or less away by road.

Climate
Mediterranean, with hot, dry, sunny summers (average highs about 31°C in July and August) and mild but wet winters (about 11°C in January), with most rain from October to December. Ploce holds Croatia's national high-temperature record of 42.8°C.
Time zone
Central European Time
Currency
Euro (EUR)

Things to Do in Ploče

Stari Most, the Old Bridge in Mostar, arching over the Neretva River
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Old Bridge and Old Town of Mostar

Mostar's rebuilt 16th-century Ottoman bridge and old quarter on the Neretva are a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the most common excursion, about 72 km and 70–75 minutes each way plus the border crossing, so it fills most of a port day.

Traditional Neretva lađa boats moored on the Neretva River in Metković
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Neretva Delta boat safari

Traditional flat-bottomed lada boats glide through the reed-lined channels of the protected Neretva Delta, known for birdlife and mandarin orchards. Local tours start from about EUR 12.50 per person depending on group size, about 30 minutes from the port.

Twin-towered St. James Church in Međugorje
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Medugorje

A Marian pilgrimage town in Bosnia and Herzegovina centered on St. James Church, about 42 km and 45 minutes by road from the port. It is often combined with Mostar and involves a border crossing.

Panorama of the Baćina Lakes surrounded by green hills
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Bacina Lakes

A chain of seven lakes just north of Ploce with a walking and cycling trail, swimming spots, kayaks, paddleboards and boat trips. The easiest independent outing, about 4 km away: around 10 minutes by taxi or 55 minutes on foot.