Planning a trip to Croatia, but feeling overwhelmed with choosing the best route? A lot of people want to plan their own trips, and just need a basic blueprint of an itinerary to build off of, so here’s a little head start for those that are interested (see below for 5 different sample plans).
"Pearl of Adriatic" - Dubrovnik
Most commonly, people visit Croatia for 5, 7 or 10 days, so I’m gearing the routes towards those lengths, which should be a good base for filling in the gaps. I kept things simple, sticking to the main spots, cities and highlights, and even suggested what to do on each day! (I hope you like wine)
I’m not trying to sell you any of our tours. I know that if you’re going to plan your own trip, that’s exactly what you’ll do. And if you’d rather use an agency to plan for you, then that’s exactly what you’ll do. I just want to be as helpful as possible so everyone can enjoy Croatia, and not stress through the planning process.
A lot of our guests don’t love moving too often from one hotel to the next, so I tried to keep to at least 2-3 nights in each city, and then venturing out to see other places during the day (checking in and out of a hotel everyday can be exhausting)
Just ignore the suggested excursions/activities if you’re only looking for a basic route and prefer to explore each place on your own.
A lot of our guests don’t love moving too often from one hotel to the next, so I tried to keep to at least 2-3 nights in each city, and then venturing out to see other places during the day (checking in and out of a hotel everyday can be exhausting)
Just ignore the suggested excursions/activities if you’re only looking for a basic route and prefer to explore each place on your own.
Split at night
5 Suggested itineraries:
5 Day itinerary (Split -> Dubronik)
5 Day itinerary (Split -> Dubronik)
- Day 1 - Arrive in Split, take a city tour (most overseas flights get into Croatia early enough that you have plenty of time left in the day to explore)
- Day 2 - Split - take a full day boating excursion to visit Hvar & the Pakleni Islands
- Day 3 - Split - Dubrovnik (stop in Ston along the way for some leisure time, then go oyster tasting in Ston Bay)
- Day 4 - Dubrovnik - take a city tour and then a cable car ride to the top of Mount Srd for a panoramic view of the city
- Day 5 - Dubrovnik - departure day
7 Day itinerary (Split -> Dubrovnik)
- Day 1 - Arrive in Split, take a city tour
- Day 2 - Split - take a boating excursion to visit Hvar & the Pakleni Islands
- Day 3 - Split - day trip to Krka National Park, then go to a local winery for wine tasting OR day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park (although it’s a longer drive, Plitvice might be worth it)
- Day 4 - Split - Dubrovnik (stop in Ston along the way for some leisure time, then go oyster tasting in Ston Bay)
- Day 5 - Dubrovnik - take a city tour and then a cable car ride to the top of Mount Srd for a panoramic view of the city
- Day 6 - Dubrovnik - take a boating excursion to the Elaphite Islands or have some leisure time exploring the old town a little more
- Day 7 - Dubrovnik - departure day
Plitvice Lakes National Park
7 Day itinerary (Zagreb -> Dubrovnik)
10 Day itinerary A (Zagreb -> Dubrovnik)
- Day 1 - Arrive in Zagreb, take a city tour
- Day 2 - Zagreb -> Plitvice Lakes National Park -> Split
- Day 3 - Split, take a morning city tour, then beach day
- Day 4 - Split - take a boating excursion to visit Hvar & the Pakleni Islands
- Day 5 - Split - Dubrovnik (stop in Ston along the way for some leisure time, then go oyster tasting in Ston Bay)
- Day 6 - Dubrovnik - take a city tour and then a cable car ride to the top of Mount Srd for a panoramic view of the city
- Day 7 - Dubrovnik - departure day
10 Day itinerary A (Zagreb -> Dubrovnik)
- Day 1 - Arrive in Zagreb, take a city tour
- Day 2 - Zagreb - wine tour in the countryside at local vineyards with lunch
- Day 3 - Zagreb -> Plitvice Lakes National Park -> Split
- Day 4 - Split - take a city tour
- Day 5 - Split - take a cooking class with a trip to the local open-air market
- Day 6 - Split - Hvar - leisure / beach day
- Day 7 - Hvar - wine tasting to local vineyards
- Day 8 - Hvar - Dubrovnik - take a city tour and a cable car ride to the top of Mount Srd for a panoramic view of the city
- Day 9 - Dubrovnik - leisure / beach day
- Day 10 - Dubrovnik - departure day
Boating excursion
10 Day itinerary B (Split -> Dubrovnik)
- Day 1 - Arrive in Split, take a city tour
- Day 2 - Split - day trip to Krka National Park, then go to a local winery for wine tasting
- Day 3 - Split - Hvar - leisure / beach day
- Day 4 - Hvar - wine tasting to local vineyards
- Day 5 - Hvar - Korcula - leisure / beach day
- Day 6 - Korcula - cycling excursion around the island
- Day 7 - Korcula - Dubrovnik take a city tour and then a cable car ride to the top of Mount Srd for a panoramic view of the city
- Day 8 - Dubrovnik - leisure day
- Day 9 - Dubrovnik - take a boating excursion to the Elaphite Islands
- Day 10 - Dubrovnik - departure day
So there you have it! A few different combinations of the most popular places and sights to see, along with activities & excursions our guests frequently choose and love.
Starting from Split and heading south would give you a good Dalmatian experience. Most people picture the Adriatic Sea when they envision their Croatian holiday, so Split - Islands - Dubrovnik would fulfill those dreams!
Zagreb has become more popular to visit in recent years and is often a very convenient starting point, as there are many flights in and out, from various places. Zagreb is also a good starting point if you plan on seeing Plitvice Lakes, as the lakes are about midway between Zagreb and Zadar or Split.
Find yourself wondering “Where is Istria in these packages?” Rovinj, Pula, Opatija, Groznjan, Motovun, etc. Those are all very lovely places to visit, but you’d just need a bit more time than the outlines I’ve listed above (unless of course, you were to skip Dubrovnik OR you were planning on only seeing Zagreb and the Istrian region and a bit of Northern Dalmatia). In that case, it’s doable. If you’re interested, send me an email, I’ll personally create and send you a blueprint of an itinerary with Istria.
I hope this is a helpful starting point for those that are thinking about a vacation in Croatia! If you like any of the above itineraries and would like more details, costs, or if you’d like us to take care of the planning, feel free to call or send me an email!
Starting from Split and heading south would give you a good Dalmatian experience. Most people picture the Adriatic Sea when they envision their Croatian holiday, so Split - Islands - Dubrovnik would fulfill those dreams!
Zagreb has become more popular to visit in recent years and is often a very convenient starting point, as there are many flights in and out, from various places. Zagreb is also a good starting point if you plan on seeing Plitvice Lakes, as the lakes are about midway between Zagreb and Zadar or Split.
Find yourself wondering “Where is Istria in these packages?” Rovinj, Pula, Opatija, Groznjan, Motovun, etc. Those are all very lovely places to visit, but you’d just need a bit more time than the outlines I’ve listed above (unless of course, you were to skip Dubrovnik OR you were planning on only seeing Zagreb and the Istrian region and a bit of Northern Dalmatia). In that case, it’s doable. If you’re interested, send me an email, I’ll personally create and send you a blueprint of an itinerary with Istria.
I hope this is a helpful starting point for those that are thinking about a vacation in Croatia! If you like any of the above itineraries and would like more details, costs, or if you’d like us to take care of the planning, feel free to call or send me an email!
King Tomislav Square in Zagreb
A few things to keep in mind when planning your trip
Yes, Croatia is a small country, but take a look at the shape on a map. It’s quite long, so driving distances can take you by surprise (for example, driving from Zagreb to Dubrovnik will take you a good 8hrs). A lot of people think it’s a quick drive everywhere within the country, but that’s just not the case.
Here are a few popular places with approximate driving times:
As you can see, some of the km vs. travel times don’t really follow a set pattern. This is because some routes involve more highway driving, some less, some routes involve border crossing, etc. It’s something to keep in mind when renting a car if you are limited to a certain # of km or you have any restrictions on border crossings.
Yes, Croatia is a small country, but take a look at the shape on a map. It’s quite long, so driving distances can take you by surprise (for example, driving from Zagreb to Dubrovnik will take you a good 8hrs). A lot of people think it’s a quick drive everywhere within the country, but that’s just not the case.
Here are a few popular places with approximate driving times:
- Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes - 130km / 2hrs
- Plitvice Lakes to Split - 240km / 2.5hrs
- Zagreb to Split - 400km / 4hrs
- Zagreb to Zadar - 285km / 3hrs
- Zagreb to Dubrovnik - 600km / 8hrs (considering you’ll have to make a couple of stops and cross the border - you will very briefly pass through Bosnia & Herzegovina about an hour before reaching Dubrovnik)
- Split to Dubrovnik - 230km / 3hrs (considering you’ll have to make a couple of stops and cross the border - you will very briefly pass through Bosnia & Herzegovina about an hour before reaching Dubrovnik)
- Split to Zadar - 160km / 2hrs
- Zagreb to Rovinj - 250km / 3hrs
- Rovinj to Dubrovnik - 700km / 9-10hrs (considering you’ll have to make a couple of stops and cross the border - you will very briefly pass through Bosnia & Herzegovina about an hour before reaching Dubrovnik)
As you can see, some of the km vs. travel times don’t really follow a set pattern. This is because some routes involve more highway driving, some less, some routes involve border crossing, etc. It’s something to keep in mind when renting a car if you are limited to a certain # of km or you have any restrictions on border crossings.
Krka Waterfalls
What does a trip to Croatia cost?
There are many factors involved in pricing a trip, so that’s hard to say, and I’m sure that’s not the answer you were looking for. The cost really depends on these main factors:
These 7 points bring the cost of an itinerary up or down, so consider each of them when you are trying to stay within a specific budget.
If you find yourself in need of any help with planning, we’d love to chat! We can do all of the work for you, or just point you in the right direction if that’s all you’re looking for. We just want one thing -> for you to enjoy your time!
- Sarah
There are many factors involved in pricing a trip, so that’s hard to say, and I’m sure that’s not the answer you were looking for. The cost really depends on these main factors:
- Accommodation or hotel category 3/4/5* you choose
- How many excursions or activities you plan on doing
- Whether you stick to private or group excursions / activities
- What time of year you plan to travel (the off season will be cheaper than mid-summer)
- The cities you choose to visit (Dubrovnik is much more expensive than Zadar, for example)
- How many people you are traveling with (the per person price of activities and transfers is reduced if shared with more people)
- Are you renting a car, having private transfers organized, or using public transportation
These 7 points bring the cost of an itinerary up or down, so consider each of them when you are trying to stay within a specific budget.
If you find yourself in need of any help with planning, we’d love to chat! We can do all of the work for you, or just point you in the right direction if that’s all you’re looking for. We just want one thing -> for you to enjoy your time!
- Sarah
If you’re interested in reading a few of our other posts about Croatia:
- 38 Local Tips & Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling to Croatia
- Travel to Croatia With a Toddler or Baby (From Experience!)
- Tipping in Croatia: a Complete Guide With Suggested Amounts!
- How I Learned to Speak Croatian as an Adult (in 7 Steps)
- Driving in Croatia (a Helpful Guide With Practical Tips)
- Zagreb’s Flea Market, Hrelic: a Helpful Guide
- Croatian Money: KN or EURO, Exchanging $, and Daily Costs
- Top 5 Croatian Travel Snacks
- 8 Reasons You Should Never Swim in the Adriatic
- Top 10 Day Trips From Zagreb, Within 1hr Drive
- 5 Reasons Croatian Grannies are Cuter than Kittens
- 9 Reasons You Should NEVER Use a Travel Agent
