· 3 min read
Why your Croatia travel itinerary won't work out.
By Sarah & Ivan Ćosić, Royal Croatian Tours
So you’ve decided on Croatia as your next travel destination and you’ve been researching places and things to do for weeks or even months. You’ve spent countless hours developing the perfect itinerary, right down to the last minute, and you’re ready to pack up your things and jet off to this magical, far away land. You’ve planned to hit all the major sites and cities but…
...it’s just not going to work out. And here’s why…
You fly into Zagreb or Split or Dubrovnik, check into your hotel then head out to discover the city as planned, first stopping for a quick bite to eat and cold beer before you begin exploring.
That’s your first mistake, because while doing so, you meet some locals and get carried away with some thought-provoking conversation & another round, only to look at your watch and realize your planned city tour ended two hours ago. You might need to reschedule.
You arrive on Vis Island and everything is going brilliantly. This is it - the place you’ve been dreaming about since you booked your vacation. The only problem is that you’re supposed to leave for Split in the evening...
No big deal, right? Wrong. Now you don’t have time to see that secret beach you just found out about from the local vendor who sold you a kilo of fresh figs for your journey to the mainland.
Looks like you’ll have to stay an extra day on the island. Your private beach is waiting...it would be rude to not check it out.
You didn’t envision the nightlife on Hvar being as lively as it was, and after watching the sun come up on the way back to your hotel, you realize your kayaking adventure for the following day begins in twenty minutes. You’ll probably want to push that to tomorrow morning instead.
You definitely did not anticipate the level of beauty of Plitvice Lakes National Park. Yes, the pictures on Google that you found while planning your vacation were stunning, but it’s hard to grasp, in person, this...much...magic. You must stay another day or you’ll regret it for life.
There are still so many paths you have yet to explore, and so many pictures you have yet to take - one of which will make a striking masterpiece above the fireplace at home. Ok, it’s decided, you’ll stay another day.
Bottom line - don’t try to plan too much in too little time. Let your itinerary breathe and leave room for the unexpected, the shocking beauty, and the abundance of activities you’re sure to stumble upon along the way - like a hike in Paklenica (featured above).
Happy travels,
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!
- Croatia Travel Itinerary for 5, 7 & 10 Days
- 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
About the authors
As a Canadian in Croatia, Sarah shares her favourite things to see and do, in hopes of helping others enjoy and explore this beautiful country.
Ivan is always searching for unique places and experiences to offer his guests, and shares some of his findings through the blog.
7 comments from readers
Great post Sarah. I love Croatia and had some wonderful experiences there too!
Thanks! I'm so happy to hear you've visited and had a lovely time :) Come back one day soon!
Lovely read Sarah, and the more of your posts I read, the more I want to visit!
Thanks so much, Sarah! You should definitely put Croatia on your travel list - you won't regret it :)
Brilliant! Supports my idea that less is more - hubby likes to micro plan!
Thanks Helen - glad you enjoyed! Less is definitely more :) Relaxation must be a key part in taking a holiday!
Very perceptive story. My late wife and I went to Croatia in 1991. Ten days after we got back home the Yugoslavia civil war started. While we were there it was a constant adventure finding gas stations, talking to locals, e.g., "we Croats and the Serbs are always arguing, but we'll never fight each other again," and trying to figure out the significance of a place like Zadar without an internet. Today, a tour would undoubtedly go smoother. We did, though, see a total of only 3 other people the whole day we were in Plitvice National Park. I suspect it's more crowded now.
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