Croatia is home to my favorite beaches in Europe. It’s a country of great diversity and has a cool blend of Roman ruins, modern night clubs, emerald colored oceans, and great seafood.
You can use this travel itinerary whether you are going from the south of the country heading north (Dubrovnik to Zadar), or the opposite way. Just reverse the order of the itinerary if needed. If you start (or end) your journey in the capital Zagreb, I did a travel guide which you can check out here.
Days 1 – 3 Dubrovnik
The site of King’s Landing and Cersei’s famous “walk of shame”. This is by far the most touristy city in Croatia, but with good reason. The city itself was sovereignly ruled until after the first world war when it merge into Croatia. It only received just a handful of visitors a year, until 2010 when Game of Thrones aired.
I recommend getting the Dubrovnik Card while you are here. It will give you free or half price discounts on many of the attractions. One of my favorite sites here is Fort Lovrijenac. It gives you an iconic outside view of the city as well as the Adriatic Sea. From here, you can hop into the city and right past the west entrance, you will see the stairs leading to the city walls. Keep your ticket from Fort Lovrijenac as it will provide a discount on admission to the city walls. To walk the whole of the walls will take about two hours. Walk the Stradum after and be sure to check out Dubrovnik Cathedral.
I first arrived in Dubrovnik the last week of the busy season. Just imagine six-thousand people hopping off a cruise ship and flooding the city. It was not terribly fun. If you want to get away from the city center, head down to the docks and take a boat to Lokrum Island. The island is great for hiking (Path to Paradise Trail), and has some great rocks to jump into the ocean off. There is a monastery as well as a beautiful botanical garden.
Days 3 – 5 Split
Split is by far my favorite city in Croatia. It has some of the best coffee in the country and is packed with Roman ruins and some of the best activities. Spend some time checking out Diocletian’s Palace, Saint Domnius Bell tower, and the temple of Jupiter. They are adjacent to each other and you can buy a ticket that includes all three attractions.
Next head on down and check out the Riva – Split’s hip and vibrant docks lined with bars, restaurants, and a boat load (literally) of tour companies that will take you to the neighboring islands. One of my favorite excursions is the boat tour to the Blue Lagoon. Most of these tours will also include snorkeling off Ciovo island where you get to dive next to an underwater shipwreck!
For the best view in the city, hike to Vrh Telegrin Outlook. This beautiful nature walk will take you through some of the eastern neighborhoods of Split and then dump you in nature. Keep going east and you’ll find yourself at Kasjuni Beach, my favorite (and least crowded beach) in Split.
Days 5 – 7 Hvar
The party capital of Croatia. It’s a wild place to party and once you’re there, you will not want to leave. The island is mostly dead half way through shoulder season, so I’d suggest only going before the busy season ends.
Days 7 – 9 Sibenik and Krka National Park
Sibenik is a small, compact city with very few tourists compared to its more popular neighbor Split. There were a few scenes of Game of Thrones filmed here (which is the locals claim to fame) but there are other treasures to be found here.
If you’re up for adventure, I highly suggest checking out Krka National Park. The park is known for its stunning waterfalls, picturesque rivers, and is only a 30 minute bus ride north of Sibenik. The falls are accessible only by boat. Unfortunately, as of 2023, you can no longer swim in the pools at Krka. This is mainly in an effort to try and preserve its natural beauty and lower pollution.
If you want to get a decent hike in, check out “The Guardians of Sibenik”. St. Nicholas, St. Michael, St. John, and Barone Fortress are the four guardians of Sibenik. The three inland ones (St. Michael, John, and Barone) are all within walking distance of each other while St. Nicholas will require a ferry or bike to get to unless you want to walk 1.5 hours. The fortresses give you a beautiful view of the ocean and inner city.
If you are feeling more lokey during this part of your stay, try relaxing on White Sand Beach, or checking out the city center. Be sure not to miss St. Joseph’s Cathedral.
Days 9 – 10 Zadar and Plitvice National Park
The last stop (or first depending on how you use this guide) is Zadar and Plitvice National Park. The city is known for its Roman and Venetian influence.
Here you can find surviving ruins of the former settlements in the Roman Forum that sits next to the water. The forum is flanked by the Church of St. Marry dating back to 1066. The whole area is a neat place to explore.
I suggest checking out the Sea Organ near sunset. The Sea Organ is a musical instrument that uses the waves of the sea to create the music it plays. It’s situated under a set of marble stairs that gives you a nice place to relax where you can listen to the sounds of the organ while watching the sunset. Afterwards, you can watch the Sun Salutation Light show. The exhibit is a light show that is modeled after the solar system where you can see lights representing the planets that are placed around the largest sphere representing the sun.
If you stop by the city farmers market, ask around for Pag Cheese. Cheese from the neighboring island of Pag is made from sheep’s milk and Zadar is one of the few places in Croatia that carries it.
Last thing on the list is to hit Plitvice National Park. There are four trails on the north side, and four on the south side that all take you to Plitvice Lake in the center of the park. Go for a nature walk and hike to the lake, or rent a boat and enjoy the view from the water!
You can easily spend more time exploring each city in depth. See my additional blogs on Croatia here for more information about specific cities.
