Croatia Itinerary Ideas

Croatia is my favorite country in the world. I am absolutely besotted with this Adriatic coastal paradise. Croatia is stunningly gorgeous, has friendly hospitable people, and an intriguing culture. When I speak of Croatia, know that I am incredibly biased and blinded by love so forgive my overly flowery language. I will try to control myself and give you some reasonable Croatia Itinerary Ideas.

Whether you want to simply island-hop, sail around the Dalmatian coast, or stroll around cities brimming with old-world charm, you have so many options in Croatia. I think 2 weeks is a solid amount of time to get the know the country, 9 days will do if you are in a rush. A month would be perfect but that’s not a reality for most people, sadly. Here is my advice for how to spend your time with options for shorter or longer stays. I always believe that travel itineraries should be tailored to the traveler and are not “one size fits all”, which is why I provide options so you can design your own perfect trip.

Two Weeks in Croatia Itinerary

I think the ideal situation, considering the unique shape of Croatia, is to fly into either Zagreb or Dubrovnik and out of the other. You can do this itinerary in either order and skip things that don’t interest you. I added them for ease of travel from one place to the next. These are some of the more popular and well-known places but I will advise you on lesser-visited places as well. I am also biased towards a more relaxed pace since I hate constantly checking in/checking out and packing/unpacking that is required when you move from place to place quickly. So I am going to provide options for those who want a more chill itinerary and those who don’t mind always being on the move.

Day 1 Arrival in Dubrovnik

Depending on when you arrive, you may have time to stroll around and enjoy Dubrovnik a bit or you may just want to rest. I’m easily entertained simply by wandering around the medieval maze of stone-walled streets that make up this little jewel of a town.

Day 2 Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik has recently been listed as the most over-touristed city in the world and usually, I detest those kinds of places but I ADORE Dubrovnik and I cannot tell anyone not to go there. I recommend being choosy about WHEN you go to maximize your enjoyment. Dubrovnik is endlessly appealing.

I personally think you need a minimum of one full day here. I dislike that cruise ships stop here (it is way too small) so if you are unfortunately here on the same day as a cruise ship, make this a day trip day or schedule your old city activities early or in the afternoon after the ship passengers leave (typically around 4pm)

I have now been to Dubrovnik 4 times and never get bored. Here are my recommendations for all things Dubrovnik.

One of my personal favorite things was the Game of Thrones tour. There are many to choose from. You can even do a self-guided one if you look up the various sites but the one I did was REALLY fun. You can read about it in the link I provided and the link to actual tour to book is there as well.

Day 3 Dubrovnik with Day Trip

There are many delightful day trips from Dubrovnik OR you could just have a relaxing beach day. A trip to Lokrum Island is a lovely way to spend the day or if you don’t plan to do this later, a wine-tasting day on the Peljesac Peninsula. I don’t love the long day trips to other countries but you do have the option of visiting Kotor and Budva in Montenegro or Mostar in Bosnia. I personally think all of these places deserve more time (especially Bosnia) but if you don’t think you will be back in the region anytime soon and want to “do it all”, I can understand. Here is my post about my short but fantastic visit to Bosnia.

Check out one of these tours below!

Day 4 Korčula

Korčula is my favorite island (so far) and not to be missed. On this itinerary, you have two days but I recommend more if you can. Spend one-day exploring Korčula town and the other visiting another part of the island.

Day 5 Korcula

Explore outside of Korčula town. If you love wine, a highly suggest a bike tour through the Lumbarda region. Korčula is the “white-wine” island and has a variety called Grk not grown anywhere else. You can do this guided or self-guided. If you have more time and a car, drive around the island and visit other villages and beaches. If you love nature you can ferry to the nearby island of Mljet which is mostly a national park.

If you have the time take a day or more in the Peljesac Peninsula on the way or way back from Korčula, if this works into your itinerary. Peljesac is a short ferry ride from Korčula and could be a day trip from Korčula with a tour if you don’t have your own car. More about this below.

Day 6 Ferry to Hvar

Hvar is probably the most popular and most visited island. It is famous for being a party island and has a vibrant nightlife but does happen to be beautiful and picturesque as well. If you are here in shoulder season you will avoid the party scene.

Day 7 Hvar

Depending on the timing of the previous day you may want to spend a day or half-day on a different island. Both Vis and Brač are accessible by ferry from Hvar. (pronounced “Veece” and “Bratch”) The trip is just under an hour. Or you could just enjoy Hvar, perhaps book a sailing tour around the island.

Day 8 Ferry to Split

Split is not my favorite place in Croatia, but it is the hub for ferries to various islands so it is kind of unavoidable. Definitely visit Diocletian’s Palace which dates back to 4th century AD under Roman times. It is more of a neighborhood fortress than an actual Palace. It forms half the town of Split. Fun fact for Game of Thrones fans, this served as the city of Meereen.

Day 9 Drive to Plitvice Lakes

If you are planning to spend the entire next day in Plitvice as I recommend, definitely try to stop in Zadar on the way. I liked Zadar much more than Split. Zadar has a captivating medieval walled old-town that manages to be both cosmopolitan and historical simultaneously. It has world-class sunsets and the wonderfully odd sea organ.

I suggest driving to Plitvice and spending the night there so you can start early the following morning.

Day 10 Plitvice

Plitvička jezera are world-famous and you can see why. I recommend taking your time and hiking around the lower falls on the path as well as the upper falls. Budget around 4-6 hours here. The national park plitvica jezera website has great information for planning including various tour routes. You can do a combination of hiking, an electric boat ride and a panoramic train.

You spend another night here or if you are pressed for time this can be a stop on the way to the next destination.

Day 13 Zagreb

Zagreb is an underrated city in my opinion and definitely worth checking out. It is a nice spot to land and get acclimated before exploring the rest of the country OR a great way to spend your last day in this country that you are sure to fall in love with. It is less expensive than many coastal cities and has some world-class dining and a cool funky vibe.

Day 14 Depart from Zagreb

Oh what a sad day. But you will definitely be back, right? Or you can extend your trip from here to Belgrade or Ljubliana. This region has so many fantastic options. The Balkans are one of my favorite parts of the world and you are sure to fall for it as I did.

FYI for this trip or any trip, I love using the Rome2Rio website for options on how to get from place to place.

Croatia Itinerary “Add-Ons”

Pelješac Peninsula

If you are a wine lover, particularly a red wine lover, you need to spend a day here (or more if you have time). Not only is the wine fantastic but the scenery is breathtaking with some really pretty beaches. This is where one of my favorite wines in the world is grown…Dingac. It is home to the town of Ston where you can see one of the largest preserved fortified walls in the world as well as a place where you can taste fresh oysters plucked directly from the sea in front of you.

I drove myself from Dubrovnik to Korčula and then back to the mainland so I drove up and then back down the peninsula with different stops each way. As I mentioned above you can see this in a day as a tour from Dubrovnik or from Korčula.

FYI Pelješac is pronounced “Pel-ya-shatz”. It took me an entire week to learn this.

Makarska Coast

If you have more time consider a visit to the Makarska Coast. This is in between Split and Dubrovnik. It is far less touristed than other parts and has lovely beaches and Makarska is a picture-perfect town with the mountains in the backdrop. I stayed in the village of Čaklje at an apartment rental with the best sea view. I almost never left the balcony, especially with the wine I bought in Korcula! But I digress.

Makarska is a great overnight stop to break up a trip between Dubrovnik and Split. I stayed two nights transitting between Pelješac and Zadar.

Krka National Park

Krka is in the region between Zadar and Split and is a beautiful nature area with waterfalls somewhat like Plitvice but receives less visitors. You can do this as a day trip from Split either independently or with a tour. The most popular area is Skradinski Buk, which is a waterfall and a stunning emerald pool where they used to allow swimming but now do not in order to preserve the natural environment. I would allow at least a half day for this national park.

Istria

Istria isn’t the easiest part of Croatia to get to unless you are coming from Italy or Slovenia. Istria is that little triangle of land between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula (go look at a map if you are geographically challenged). That’s why Istria isn’t typically included on the average Croatia Itinerary and is more likely to be visited if one is in Slovenia or Venice. Istria is sort of its own “sub-country” and has a unique vibe that incorporates Italian and Austrian culture. The food and wine are fantastic.

If you are visiting Croatia using any of the above itineraries and want to see Istria, you will need 2 additional days to see Rijeka and Opatija which are not too far from Zagreb but to see more in Istria such as Pula and Rovinj, you would need a total of 4-5 days more. I have some Istria options in itinerary below including how to depart Croatia from Istrian towns.

1 Week Croatia Itinerary Options

In only one week I would not attempt to see the north and the south unless you don’t go to any islands. So if it is not an “island time” of the year, perhaps that would be feasible. Otherwise, I would choose either the north or the south to focus on in one week for a less hectic holiday. Keep in mind that some of these itineraries have you going from place to place each day which is not my preferred style but wanted to throw it out there. You can easily edit these to your preferred speed.

I will not count arrival day in the week but if that is your reality, simply take 1 day away from a place that interests you the least. If you prefer islands to cities, prioritize those. If you prefer a chill island to a party island, spend more time in Korčula over Hvar. I think a half day in Split is plenty but if you want more time, you can easily adjust this schedule. Personally, I’d add a day or half-day more in Dubrovnik if you can.

It’s probably easiest NOT to have a car for these itineraries involving the ferry because you don’t have to worry about car ferries. Car ferries give you fewer options and in Hvar, it doesn’t dock in the main town which is where you want to focus with limited time.

Croatia Southern Itinerary with Islands

• Day 1 Arrival in Dubrovnik
• Day 2 Dubrovnik
• Day 3 Ferry to Korčula
• Day 4 Korčula
• Day 5 Ferry to Hvar
• Day 6 Hvar
• Day 7 Ferry to Split
• Day 8 Departure from Split

Croatia Northern Itinerary (with Hvar Island)

• Day 1 Arrival in Zagreb
• Day 2 Zagreb
• Day 3 Plitvice
• Day 4 Zadar
• Day 5 Split and ferry to Hvar
• Day 6 Hvar
• Day 7 Ferry to Split
• Day 8 Departure from Split

Croatia Northern Itinerary with Istria (No Islands)

In this itinerary, you can skip either Plitvice or Zadar and focus entirely on Istria if you want more time in each of the cities.

• Day 1 Arrival in Zagreb
• Day 2 Zagreb
• Day 3 Plitvice
• Day 4 Zadar
• Day 5 Opatija
• Day 6 Pula
• Day 7 Rovinj
• Day 8 Departure from Rovinj. Istria is not a convenient place, unfortunately. From Rovinj you can ferry to Venice and fly out from there OR take a bus to Ljubliana or Zagreb and fly out from there. Hopefully, you can find evening flights to give you time to ferry or bus. Both Zagreb and Ljubliana are 3-4 hours by bus. The ferry between Rovinj or Pula and Venice each take between 3-4 hours depending on which ferry.

Croatia One Week “All-Over” Itinerary (No Islands)

For this one a car is probably handy except if you plan to stay inside the old city of Dubrovnik. You cannot bring a car in there. You can either hunt for a spot outside the city or just drop off the car at the airport and be rid of it, then Uber back and forth to the city.

• Day 1 Arrival Zagreb
• Day 2 Zagreb
• Day 3 Plitvice
• Day 4 Zadar
• Day 5 Split
• Day 6 Dubrovnik
• Day 7 Dubrovnik
• Day 8 Departure from Dubrovnik

Croatia Basic Information

Getting To Croatia

Most of my readers are from the United States and as far as I know, the only nonstop flights from the US to Croatia are to Dubrovnik on United Airlines. Most visitors from the United States will likely have to connect through London, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, or Rome. If you end your trip in Zagreb as I suggested in one itinerary, you will then have access to the train to other major cities. For example, Zagreb to Ljubliana (which is my favorite city in Europe) is under 3 hours. Zagreb to Belgrade (highly underrated) is under 4 hours.

Language

The official language of Croatia is Standard Croatian, a widespread dialect of Serbo-Croatian which was the language of the former Yugoslavia. English is widely spoken and I actually found people here more likely to speak English than in Italy or Spain.

A few handy words:

“Hello” Zdravo Since this is hard for many English speakers, Bok is another informal greeting or the widely used

Dobra Dan “How are you”

Dobra Vecer

“Thank you” Hvala (pronounced “VAH-lah”

Živjeli Cheers (pronounced “JIV-e-li”)

Currency

As of January 1, 2023, Croatia is using the euro. Previously it was the Kuna (HRK). Hotels and most restaurants accept credit cards but like most places in Europe, Amex is not widely accepted. Visa and Mastercard are the most accepted. It is always a good idea to carry cash as many small vendors don’t have credit card capability.

Safety

Croatia is an extremely safe country. I have been 4 times (3 of those solo) and feel completely at ease walking or driving alone, even at night. I don’t recommend driving at night simply because it is harder to navigate and see (especially if you are in your 40s like me). People are extraordinarily helpful and friendly. Any mumblings you heard about the Balkans war from your friends that mean well but don’t know better are rubbish. The war was in the ’90s. It’s literally not a factor in your safety as a tourist.

When to Go to Croatia

Croatia is truly an all-year destination however it depends on what you are looking for. If you are a beach enthusiast then you probably prefer the warmer months. July and August are the most crowded times and therefore the most expensive. I personally hate to travel during peak tourist season so if you want warm water to swim in with slightly less expense and crowds, look to early June or mid to late September.

Spring and fall are both ideal times to visit if you aren’t looking for tons of beach/swimming time. Just keep in mind that the further away from summer you are, fewer things on the islands may be open and ferry schedules will be significantly reduced. For example, I went to Hvar in April and there were no parties like they are famous for in the summer and it was challenging to even book a sailing tour. However, it was pleasant weather and peaceful on the island. Fall is truffle season if you time it right you see the beautiful golden colors. I’m sure Plitvice is a stunner with fall colors.

If you are doing an island-hopping yacht trip, June and July are probably best. August is when many other countries in Europe take summer vacations and is an extremely crowded time.

If you don’t mind the cold and want to visit cities with the least amount of crowds and spend time in cozy cafes and have the lowest prices, winter is a nice option.

How To Get Around Croatia

I think renting a car is the easiest way unless you plan to island hop. You can take ferries from the mainland in both Split and Dubrovnik and then take ferries between islands as well. This is the website for Croatia Ferry Information. From Split and south on the Dalmation coast you can take the bus. In the north, you can take the train from cities like Zagreb and Split but there is no train south of Split. Many people opt to charter a small yacht for their group of family to sail around the islands which sounds delightful.

If you are hesitant to drive in another country I completely understand but I will tell you that Croatia was one of my favorites to drive in and one of the easiest. Here is a guide to international car rentals that I hope helps.

A few tips for driving in Croatia

• Download maps ahead of time when you have wifi
• Bring a backup charger for your phone (using maps drains the battery fast)
• Go Slow (let people pass you and don’t feel pressured)
• Give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. The Google directions times are always way too ambitious.
• Avoid small streets. You can get stuck (this happened to me…complete nightmare). When looking for parking in a village best to park on the outskirts and walk a bit. The further inward to villages you go it becomes the kind of streets only locals know how to navigate
• Book hotels and lodging that have parking or that will help you find parking. In Zadar, the apartment host met me outside the old city and helped me navigate. Her father actually had to drive my car back out of the city when I left. Typical Croatian hospitality.

I hope you find this helpful and that you love Croatia as much I do. What places would you add to this? What was your favorite?