Croatia was high on my list of places in Europe to visit for a long time, and I’m so happy I finally got to go. It is such a beautiful place, the water is absolutely perfect, and all the people we met were so nice.
Even though it’s a small country, there are a lot of areas to explore in Croatia. This guide will give you information and tips on seeing some of the main areas along the coast: Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik.
Day 1: Arrive in Split & Explore
The Split airport is the biggest one on the country’s coast so it’s typically the easiest (and cheapest) to fly in and out of. If you arrive in the morning or afternoon, take some time after to walk around the city! There is a lot of history and beautiful architecture to see, like Diocletian’s Palace and Saint Domnius Cathedral. Make sure to climb the bell tower at St. Domnius Cathedral. It’s quite a climb of stairs, but the amazing view of the city is well worth it. There are even some tours that make it very easy to see it all in a couple of hours.
Day 2: Visit Krka National Park
This is one of two lake-filled national parks in Croatia (the other one being Plitvice Lakes National Park). The park is known for it’s beautiful waterfalls and it’s vibrant green-blue water. The most popular thing to do in the park is to walk to Skradinski buk, its famous network of waterfalls. There are many other sites to see too, though, like Roški slap, Visovac Island and the Krka Monstery. The park is about an hour drive from Split, but if you don’t have a car, there are many tour options that make it easy!
Day 3: Ferry to Hvar
In my opinion, Hvar is a must-see in Croatia. It’s one of the many islands off the Dalmatian Coast, but it certainly stands out for many reasons. The easiest way to get from Split to Hvar is by ferry. There are two main companies that run this one-hour long route: Krilo and Jadrolinija.
The center of Old Town Hvar has a ton of great architecture and cute little streets/alleys to all of the houses. Once you arrive, take some time to just walk around and look at everything.
Day 4: Do a boat tour
There are many different boat tours that you can take from Old Town Hvar to explore the Adriatic Sea and surrounding islands. One of the most popular tour options, like this one, takes you to see the Blue & Green Caves, as well as some stops on Vis Island. Whichever tour you choose, it’s likely that it will be an all-day activity.
Day 5: Explore town and check out a beach club
If you want to get a little bit of exercise in the morning, walk up to the Spanish Fortress. It’s about a mile walk (uphill) and you are rewarded with a great view of the town and out to the sea. You can also walk around the fortress to see the many different watch areas, rooms and even the jail.
In the afternoon/evening, check out one of the popular beach clubs. Hulu Hula Beach Bar is a great place to grab a cabana and take in some sun for the day. It’s also a great place to watch the sunset. Another great option (and one of the most popular things to do in Hvar) is Carpe Diem. It’s on a small island right off the coast of Hvar. There’s a water taxi that you can take to get there either during the day, for the sunset, or late night (after midnight) for the club part.
Day 6: Ferry to Old Town Dubrovnik
In the high season (April – October) there are two main ferry companies that offer a voyage from Hvar to Dubrovnik, Krilo and Jadrolinija. This is the most direct and easiest way to get to Dubrovnik from Hvar. Krilo offers a morning one at 8:50 am which would allow you to make the most of your time in Dubrovnik.
Tip: The ferry lands at a port in Dubrovnik, but if you are staying in Old Town Dubrovnik, you’ll have to take a 15 minute taxi or uber there. There are usually many waiting at the port!
Once you arrive in Dubrovnik, grab some lunch at one of the many great restaurants in Old Town. Take some time to walk around the city. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, there are a lot of sights to see in Old Town where scenes from the show were filmed, like the Jesuit Stairs. There are even some Game of Thrones walking tours you can do.
At night, take the Cable Car up to the top of Mount Srd to catch the sunset. You can even grab dinner at Panorama Restaurant for a great view and a great meal.
Day 7: Walk the city walls and explore Lorkum Island
Get an early start in the morning and walk the walls! There are walls that surround the entire town and there is a walkway, that you can now walk, on the top of them that was used as watch areas to protect the city. There is an entrance fee for the walls, but if you buy the City Pass, you can pay one fee for the day and enter many of the historic sights in town including the walls. The walls open at 9 am, and it’s best to go at this time to beat the crowds.
In the afternoon, take a 10 minute ferry ride over to Lorkum Island. You can walk around and explore the whole island or just the area around the port, depending on how much time you’d like to spend there. Make sure you check out the botanical garden and the monastery complex, where you might even find a throne to sit on 🙂
Once back in Old Town, enjoy your last night! There are some great dinner options, including a Michelin star restaurant with a great view, Restaurant 360.
