Ultimate One Week Croatia Itinerary (7 Days) for First-Timers

Between its stoney old towns, terracotta tiled rooftops, and glowingly-blue waters – what’s not to love about Croatia? This beautiful little country in southeastern Europe boasts so much to see, that it’s difficult to create an itinerary for a limited amount of time. But for a first-time visit, I think a full week is perfect. That’s why I put together this one week Croatia itinerary. With seven full days in Croatia, you’ll hit all the can’t-miss spots.

On my own first visit to Croatia, I was so unsure about what to include and exclude in my itinerary, or even what airport to fly into and out of. But now that I’ve visited Croatia multiple times, and in an effort to take the guesswork out of it for others, I’ve put together this epic one week Croatia itinerary for first time visitors. With this seven day Croatia itinerary, you’ll enjoy towns, beaches, and waterfalls – the three things Croatia is most loved for.

Now, I have to warn you. This one week Croatia itinerary is super detailed. Like, okay-but- how-do-you-have-time-to-write-all-this detailed. And I did that on purpose. You can go to any old website to get a vague “two nights here” and “one night here,” bare-bones itinerary for Croatia. But those itineraries don’t tell you what to do in each destination, or what order to do these things, or how to get from each city to city. You’d have to go look all that up separately. But not with this itinerary.

What I’m trying to say is: this is a jam-packed read. So if you don’t think you’ll finish it all in one go, you might want to save this article for later right now by bookmarking it or saving it on Pinterest. Then, grab a cuppa, kick your feet up, and let’s get to it!

Croatia One Week Itinerary Overview

First, let’s start off with an overview of this epic, seven day Croatia itinerary, so that you can have a general idea of what to expect.

For a first-time visit to Croatia, I recommend spending a sizable amount of time on the coast. Almost all your time, really! Croatia is best known for its coastline, after all. Specifically, I recommend focusing on the Dalmatian Coast, because it boasts most of Croatia’s biggest draws; Dubrovnik, Split, and Hvar. But don’t worry! You’ll still be able to squeeze in the biggest non-Dalmatian-Coast draw via a day trip.

Days	Destination	Overnight In
Days 1 – 2	Split	Split
Day 3	Plitvice (or Krka) Park	Split
Day 4	Hvar	Hvar
Day 5	Island Hopping	Hvar
Days 6 – 7	Dubrovnik	Dubrovnik

If you’re the average traveler with limited vacation days, I suggest breaking it down like below. This way, you only need to use five vacation days, but you get seven actual days in Croatia. And if you can finagle one of those weekdays to land on a paid holiday, even better!

Why does it work out that way? Well, for those of you traveling from the Americas, when you depart for Croatia on a Saturday, you will land in Croatia Sunday morning. And when you depart from Croatia on a Sunday, you will land back in North America Sunday afternoon or evening. Those of you traveling from Europe or Asia will just get an extra full or half day on Saturday.

And lastly, in case you’re a visual person like I am, I’ve made this nifty little map of your Croatia itinerary route. I hope you’re starting to get excited, now that you can visualize the ahmazzzzing Croatia vacation you’re about to have!

The Best Time of Year to Visit Croatia

As this itinerary (and most every Croatia itinerary) focuses on the coast, the best time to visit Croatia is definitely during warmer weather. Specifically, I recommend visiting Croatia in the shoulder seasons of late May – mid June and September – early October.

This allows you to enjoy everything in pretty good weather, but you can avoid the extreme crowds that some cruise-ship cities like Dubrovnik experience in the summer. It will also help decrease costs for hotels and excursions. Aiming for September – October in particular will give the waters all summer to get warmer, if that is a priority for you. But the Adriatic Sea is definitely more-than-bearable by even early May.

I personally have experienced Croatia in early May, mid September, late September, and early October. So if you have any questions on visiting Croatia during those times of year (or any questions in general, really), feel free to drop me a comment in the comment section at the bottom of this post. And yes – I actually do respond.

The Best Way to Get Around Croatia

Unlike nearby Italy, Croatia is not an easy country to travel by train. So, you need to either rent a private car or stick to public buses and ferries.

Renting a Car in Croatia

Car rentals in Croatia are actually quite affordable, but less so if you aren’t renting a manual transmission (i.e. stick shift) car. So, given that yours truly hails from the U S of A, and thus only knows how to drive automatic transmission, I haven’t rented a car in Croatia.

On my first trip, I was disappointed by this. Seeing how cheap car rentals were (especially back then, before Croatia was as popular, moved to the euro from the kuna*, or joined the Schengen area) made me really wish I was renting one!

* There are a lot of Croatia guides on the internet still quoting things in kuna. So that’s a pretty surefire way to know that you’re reading an outdated guide.

But in retrospect, and especially for a one week Croatia itinerary hitting the main spots, like this one is, a car truly isn’t necessary. You need to pay more to take it on ferries, you need to plan a bit more to top up on gas and find parking, and there are going to be a lot of days that it just sits in the parking lot doing nothing, because this itinerary doesn’t have you moving around every day.

Thus, this one week Croatia itinerary guides you through the country solely using buses and ferries. I include all the details you will need, such as bus and ferry stations, prices, websites, and travel duration for each time you’ll use public transport to move around Croatia. I’ve got you covered!

But you can absolutely still do this exact same itinerary with your own car rental, if you really want to.

Traveling Croatia by Bus

I must say I was pleasantly surprised how clean, comfortable, and free-WiFi-offering buses in Croatia are. So if you’re a little disappointed to learn you won’t be using trains to move around, don’t be. The buses you’ll be using aren’t public city buses, but rather large, private coach buses.

The only thing that can be a little confusing about traveling via bus in Croatia is where to buy your bus tickets if you want to buy them in advance online. The routes are run by different private companies, many without their own website to purchase online, requiring you to use a third party site to look up timetables and purchase tickets. So I personally use Flixbus to purchase bus tickets in advance in Croatia, since it is an international company we’re all used to using within Europe.

Sometimes Flixbus is the one operating the bus route, in which case it is a no-brainer to purchase from them. But if the route is operated by a local company, purchasing on Flixbus will of course cost a bit more than on various other third-party sites. I think it’s worth it, in order to just have all tickets purchased on one reputable site that you are familiar with and to be able to manage all purchases in one place via their app or site.

But if you are traveling outside of high season, or in a destination multiple nights to be able to purchase tickets at least a day in advance of your journey, then purchasing in person is always an option, too. I had no problem paying by credit card for this during my most-recent trip to Croatia.

Using Ferries in Croatia

Ferries are my personal favorite way to travel in Croatia! You have so much room to move around, you get to enjoy fresh air and great views from the deck, there are food and drinks for purchase, and the toilets are much more comfortable to use than those in a bus (if your bus even has toilets!).

On my first visit to Croatia, we were able to just waltz up to the ticket booth, ask what time the next ferry to our destination was, and buy a ticket for that next ferry. But on my latest visit – which was still in shoulder season, mind you! – I could see certain ferries selling out the evening before while I was checking the timetable. I can imagine that in high season, tickets for the most convenient times would sell out even earlier. So I recommend that you buy your ferry tickets one to a few days in advance, depending on the time of year you are visiting.

There are various companies running different types of ferries around Croatia. So what I like to do is use a website like this to get an overview of what ferries are running each day. Then, I go to the website of the specific ferry company itself (like Jadrolinija or Kapetan Luka) to actually book my ticket. 

Just like when traveling Croatia by bus, purchasing in person is also an option if you are traveling outside of high season or staying in a destination multiple nights to be able to purchase tickets earlier than your travel date. Again, you can make these purchases by card.

Money in Croatia

Next, let’s talk about money in Croatia, because lemme tell ya – there is a lot of outdated information out there!

Croatian Currency

Croatia is obviously in Europe. It is also in the EU. But for many years, it was not in the Eurozone nor the Schengen area. But as of January 1, 2023, that has changed! Now Croatia’s currency is the euro, not the kuna. And now, the days you spend in Croatia will count towards your 90 visa-free days* in the Schengen area per 180 day period, if you come from a country whose passport allows that. If you don’t, Croatia now is included in the area you can travel with your Schengen visa.

* This means no more hanging out in Croatia as part of time to reset your Schengen days. *sheds tear*

Credit Cards in Croatia

Credit cards are accepted in Croatia by hotels and by many restaurants, but it will be difficult to get through the entire one week in Croatia without using cash. So, you definitely will want to have some euros on hand in Croatia. This will be how you pay for smaller attraction entries, bus rides you purchase on board, and meals in certain restaurants.

Is Croatia Expensive?

Croatia has had the reputation of a budget travel destination for some years. It was a European destination considered off-the-beaten-path, and the prices relating to tourist activities reflected that. It also used to help that Americans and Euro-zone-country visitors faced a favorable exchange rate for kunas.

But in recent years, Croatia is becoming more and more popular to visit. And like I mentioned above, it now uses the euro.

Thus, its travel-related costs are rising quickly relative to its neighboring Balkan countries. Croatia is not “cheap” like it used to be, at least in the popular destinations making up most itineraries, and especially in Dubrovnik. That being said, I still would not classify Croatia as expensive, minus Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik has given me sticker shock after my first trip! I can’t believe the prices nowadays. But it just goes to show how attractive of a vacation destination Croatia is. People just didn’t realize it before!

What to Pack for Croatia

This is a question I get a lot for any place I write about. My answer is always that it depends on weather, so search “[city name] monthly weather” on Google to get an idea while you’re choosing the dates for your trip. Then, the week before your trip, check the weather forecast on your weather app for the cities you will visit. You never know when a destination will get a record-breaking heat wave or a stormy week. So it’s best to have up-to-date forecasts before you pack, rather than just going off what your friend’s experience was last year.

But assuming you will have lovely weather, there are a few items I want to make sure you pack! 

• Water shoes: Many of Croatia’s beaches are pebbly or rocky, so bring some water shoes to keep your feet safe of any scratches
• Hat and sunscreen: Between all the time you’ll spend on the beach, on boats, and walking tree-less old towns, you’ll get a lot of sun exposure following this Croatia itinerary.
• Goggles: You’ll want to see all the cute little fishies! The water is so clear in Croatia, especially on the islands.

Other than that, dress comfortably, especially when it comes to shoes. And bring options to dress in layers, so that you can adjust as the temperature changes throughout the day. Oh, and don’t bother trying to “look like a local” – we all stand out as tourists because, well, that’s what we are!

Language in Croatia

For this Croatia itinerary, you will have zero issue getting by on English. But it’s never a bad idea to have the Google Translate app (iPhone and Android) ready to go with Croatian downloaded in offline mode.

(Finally) The Actual Croatia One Week Itinerary

Beforehand, I just want to remind you that you can do this Croatia itinerary in the order I have it or the exact reverse order. Just look up flights and see which direction offers better flights from your airport.

Also, at the very end of this article, I have a section on how to adjust this itinerary to fit your personal interests and situation. And if you have more questions, just leave me a comment. Ready? Then let’s go!

Split

Split is Croatia’s second largest city, the largest city along the Dalmatian coast, and my personal favorite destination of this Croatia itinerary. It boasts a stunning old town, which is essentially the remains of Roman Emperor Diocletian’s palace from back in the 4th century. Split is also the perfect jumping-off point to enjoy some of Croatia’s best islands, and has even served as backdrop to some Game of Thrones scenes. I’m sure you’ll love Split!

How to Get to Split

As the starting point of your Croatia trip, you will need to fly into Split. Split’s international airport is Split Saint Jerome Airport (SPU), also called just Split Airport. To get from SPU airport to the Split city center, you have two options.

• Option 1: Take a shuttle. The company Pleso Prijevoz runs shuttles from SPU to Split city center’s bus terminal (which is located here). Tickets cost €8 each way and the journey takes 30 minutes. You can buy your tickets in advance at the official site or in person.
• Option 2: Take a taxi. Official taxis are outside baggage claim and offered metered rides. This means that the price will vary depending on traffic, but you can expect a price range between €30 – €70. You can also use Uber in Split, as well as ask your hotel to arrange a pick up for you.

What About Flying Round Trip to Dubrovnik?

If you need to fly round trip into Dubrovnik airport, it’s less ideal than getting one flight into Split and the other out of Dubrovnik (this is called a multi-city ticket or open-jaw ticket). But if it’s what you must do, we can work with that. Just check out my section on itinerary adjustments for details on getting to Split after landing.

What to Do in Split (One and a Half Days)

One full day in Split is the perfect amount of time to “see everything.” But because this is the day you land in Croatia, you might not have a full day (flights can get delayed!). Or even if you do arrive in the morning, you might suffer from jetlag and need to play things by ear today.

So, I’ve curated this Split itinerary assuming that you will need to take it easy on day one. This is also so that you don’t have to worry about the closing time for any entry attractions. Then, on day two in Split (aka your first full day in Croatia), you’ll enjoy the bulk of the things to do in Split.

But if you are starting your Croatia itinerary from already being within Europe and thus have a full, jet-lag-free day as your first day, you can definitely squeeze both Split days into one by removing the beach afternoon on day two and squishing everything else into just one day. Then, you can use the second day in Split to do an extra day trip. I give some suggestions for this in the adjustments section at the end of this itinerary.

Day One

After you land and get settled into your hotel, it’s time to start exploring a bit of Split’s old town. Split’s old town is a very compact area – about a 10 minute walk from east to west and a 5 minute walk north to south, just to give you an idea of the amount of ground you’ll be covering on day one.

Afternoon

Diocletian’s Palace (Dioklecijanova palača)

Ease into your first day in Croatia by walking around Diocletian’s former palace. It’s impossible to miss this attraction, since it takes up the entire old town! And I think that’s what makes Split’s old town so lovely to be in.

You see, the palace (now the old town) was commissioned by the Roman Emperor Dioclecian in the third century AD to be his retirement home. So this area has a super beautiful and coherent look. So stroll around at your leisure, criss-crossing the various streets that make up this area and taking in the beautiful old town architecture while you do so.

People’s Square (Narodni trg Pjaca)

While wandering whatever little old town streets peak your interest, make sure to pass by People’s Square at some point. This pretty plaza includes Spit’s former Town Hall (Stara gradska vijećnica), as well as many restaurants.

Radić Brothers Square (Trg braće Radića)

Also called fruit square (Voćni trg), this plaza is pretty close to the previous one. It boasts some great examples of Baroque architecture and is on the way to your next stop.

Evening

Split Riva

Head to Split Riva next, maybe grabbing a gelato on the way. This is the seafront area of Split. I recommend that you walk the length of this beautiful promenade. Then, pick a spot you like to sit down, and enjoy the sunset. Your view of the sun itself will be obstructed by the hill to the west, but watching the changing colors of the sky over the sea is magical nevertheless.

Peristyle

Make your way back inside the old town palace, passing through Brass Gate (Mjedena Vrata (Porta aenea) to get to a square known as peristyle (peristil). This is the main public square in central Split and was the central courtyard of the former palace. It’s where many city tours begin in the day. But at night, when it’s lit up, it has a totally different vibe. I love it, and I’m sure you will too!

Grab a seat on the steps surrounding the square, where you can enjoy the live music and watch as the sky changes from blue to indigo to black. Nearby restaurants actually lay out some cushions for you if you’d like to order a glass of wine from them, which they’ll bring out while you take the magical atmosphere all in and relax a bit before heading to dinner.

Day Two

Morning

This is your first morning in Split! Grab some breakfast if it isn’t offered at your hotel, and then it’s time to seize the day. On my latest trip to Croatia, I made a habit of getting an açai bowl for breakfast each morning from a spot called Freshbox (located here).  It was right by a little farmer’s market called Green Market (Gradska tržnica), from which you can also just buy fresh fruit and other items too!

If you are looking for something a little more filling, I also liked the bagel sandwich I got from Brooklyn Bagel Co. I got a lunch-ish one, since it was later in the day when I went. But I saw that they had breakfast bagels that looked really good, too. There are two locations in Split; one in the old town (located here), and another in the ferry terminal.

Cathedral of St. Domnius (Prvostolnica Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije)

Start your first full day in Split by climbing up the cathedral bell tower for some of the best views over Split. This was originally Diocletian’s mausoleum, but later converted into a cathedral centuries later, giving it a really cool blend of architectural styles!

Purchase your tickets in the office directly across from the cathedral (located here). There are a few ticket options depending on whether you would like to enter other buildings or not. But buying just the bell tower entry will set you back €7.

Temple of Jupiter (Jupiterov Hram)

This was originally a Roman temple dedicated to the god Jupiter. But, like other parts of Diolcetian’s palace, it became converted into something else later on. In this case, it was a baptistery. Entry on its own will set you back €3, but at that point, I recommend that you simply purchase a combo ticket when buying your ticket to go up the bell tower.

From the imported Egyptian sphinx Diocletian had outside the building, to the honestly stunning Roman barrel-vaulted ceiling, to the statue of Saint John the Baptist inside, I felt that this small building really highlights all the different influences in Split over the centuries.

Vestibule of Diocletian’s Palace

This was one of the main things I wanted to see in Split before my first visit! It’s often Photoshopped on top of a beach in Portugal, but even without the fake beach in view, it’s worthy of a visit on its own! It’s a domed building with a circular opening in the ceiling, and it apparently used to be the reception hall of the former palace.

Diocletian’s Cellars (Dioklecijanovi Podrumi)

This was a filming spot for Game of Thrones! But when it’s not cleared out for filming, it’s a market where you can shop for typical souvenirs.

Afternoon

After your morning exploring Split’s old town, by now, you are probably a little hungry. So you have a few options:

• Option 1: Eat a proper sit-down lunch before the next two stops, which include a viewpoint and the beach. Just outside the old town, right by the start of the climb to the viewpoint is Bokamorra Pizzaurant & Cocktails (located here), whose pizzas we enjoyed on my latest trip.
• Option 2: Head to the next stop in this itinerary, which is a viewpoint. There is a restaurant nearby, called Teraca Vidilica (located here), so you can have lunch there and take in the view over Split the entire time. You can also just order snacks and/or drinks if you’d rather not stay up there long enough as a meal requires.
• Option 3: Before heading to the viewpoint and then beach, stop by Sandwich Bar Focaccina (located here), and grab some super-filling lunch to store in your bag for later. You can combine this with a stop at a local grocery store (this Studenac Market) is conveniently located on the walk from the sandwich shop to the hill) to grab extra snacks and drinks to enjoy at the beach with the sandwich.
• Option 4: Some combination of all of the above!

Marjan Park (Park šuma Marjan)

More viewpoints await you today! This time, Split itself will be the view. Leave the old town and make your way to Marjan Park. This hill-side* park is just to the edge of the old town and boasts great views over Split, the mountains, and the sea (exact viewpoint here) . *Yes, that means some stairs are required, starting from here, but I promise that it’s worth it!

Once at the park, you can walk or bike around if you’d like. But the main draw really is the view over Split. If you haven’t eaten already, like I already mentioned, you can grab a meal or even just a drink or snack at Teraca Vidilica to really savor the view.

Plaža Ježinac

You’ve been on your feet all day, so it’s finally time to hit the beach and get some R&R in. I suggest heading to Plaža Ježinac,  which is just a 25 minute walk from the viewpoint in the park. On my first visit to Split, I instead went to Bacvice Beach (Plaža Bačvice). The weather wasn’t great (we got unlucky in early May), so I can’t speak much for the beach itself. But I just wanted to mention it as a sandy alternative to Plaža Ježinac, which is pebbly, in case sand is your priority. But Plaža Bačvice is on the other side of town from Plaža Ježinac and Marjan Park, so keep that in mind.

Pillars of Perpetual Love (Pusti me proć’)

Once you’ve had your fill of sea and sunshine, it’s time to head back to the hotel to wash up for dinner. You can walk back the 30 minutes necessary to get back to Split’s old town, stopping about 20 minutes into your walk at the Pillars of Perpetual Love. I don’t suggest this for the pillars themselves, but rather for the skyline pics of Split that you’ll be able to take from the end of the jetty. Just a warning though – it’s a bit smelly in this area!

For those uninterested in the photo opp or in walking, you can also take bus 12 from this stop all the way into town.

Evening

After your day of culture, lush greenery, and swimming in the sea, it’s time to wash up. Stroll around the old town to enjoy its ambience before heading to dinner. You have an early wake up call tomorrow, so hit the sack early if you can!

Where to Stay in Split

On my first visit to Split, I stayed in the far western part of the city. I would avoid this if you can, because the bus and ferry terminals are both on the eastern side of the city! The walk isn’t horrible by any means if you are traveling light like we were, or if you are grabbing a cab. But it just makes you add more time into your travel day, so be aware of that.

On my second visit to Split, I stayed in the northeastern part of the city, now that I knew I should be closer to that end! This was a very slight uphill walk, and quite a lot of crossing streets with my phone opened to Google Maps to guide me and my luggage in the other. So again, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for those not traveling light, but fine otherwise.

On my next visit, I’ll want to be closer to the center of the action, so I am going to try to stay at one of these options, depending on whom I’m traveling with.

Plitvice Lakes National Park (or Krka)

As Croatia’s top tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site, you absolutely should not miss a day in Plitvice Lakes National Park. This unreal place brings in over a million visitors every year! And established in the mid-1900s, it is both Croatia’s oldest and largest national park. I got really unlucky with the weather on the day I visited, so my photos below absolutely do not do the park justice at all. But trust me when I say that, even in gloomy weather, this park is truly stunning. With wooden walkways and comfortable hiking trails guiding you through a series of interconnected lakes taking you right up past the cascading waterfalls, Plitvice is a turquoise dream land. 

How to Get to Plitvice Lakes National Park from Split (and Back)

Get on an early morning bus from Split’s main bus terminal (near the ferry port) to Plitvice Lakes National Park. The bus will be a large, comfortable coach bus, and it even has good WiFi inside. The ride should take 3.5 hours and cost around €30 each way. You can book tickets in advance online from Flixbus, but the bus is actually operated by a local company, called Prijevoz Knežević. So don’t get confused and look for the typical green, Flixbus branding!

While you are making this purchase, go ahead and book the ticket as a round trip. Visiting Plitvice Lakes really is an all day affair, and there are eateries inside the park where you can enjoy a coffee upon arrival and lunch later on. So give yourself plenty of time by selecting a late bus back from Plitvice to Split.

What will this look like? Well, the first bus to Plitvice everyday departs Split at 7:00am and arrives at 10:30am. In the shoulder season, the final bus back to Split from Plitvice departs at 4:20pm, but due to traffic, the journey takes 4.5 hours instead of 3.5 hours, so you arrive in Split at 8:45pm. In the high season, there’s an additional bus departing Plitvice at 6:00pm, by which time the journey takes 3.5 hours again, getting you to Split at 9:30pm.

So in high season, you have a few options. But in the shoulder season, if you DIY the trip, you are looking at something like:

• 7:00am – depart Split
• 10:30am – arrive Plitvice
• 5 – 5.5 hours to enjoy Plitvice Lakes
• 4:05pm – be at the bus early
• 4:20pm – depart Plitvice
• 8:45pm – arrive Split

If you prefer to not be in charge of booking multiple bus and entry tickets, there is also the option to take a guided tour from Split including entry into the park. Surprisingly, the cost is pretty similar to DIY-ing each purchase yourself.

But if that all sounds horrible to you, don’t worry, because there is a very similar substitute for Plitvice National Park. And it’s much closer to Split, making for a much easier day trip. It’s called Krka National Park.

Krka National Park

Krka used to be a proper contender with Plitvice, because you used to be able to swim at Krka, which you couldn’t do at Plitvice. So visitors to Croatia who didn’t have enough time for both parks had to choose between the better park that you couldn’t swim in (Plitvice) or the lesser park that you could swim in (Krka). But now that Krka no longer allows swimming, it’s kind of lost the advantage it once had over Plitvice. Now, visiting Krka feels redundant if you’re visiting Plitvice, regardless of how much time you may have in Croatia to visit both.

But for a one week Croatia itinerary, things change, because you will be focusing your time on the southern half of the country. This makes Plitvice a pretty big detour from everything else you are seeing. So Krka once again becomes a viable option. And, once again, you have a choice to make. Now, it’s a choice between the better park that is 7 – 8 hours in a bus round trip (Plitvice) or the lesser park that is 3 hours in a bus round trip (Krka).

How to Get to Krka National Park from Split (and Back)

Get on a morning bus from Split’s main bus terminal to Skradin. Again, the bus will be a large, comfortable coach bus with WiFi inside. The ride should take 1.5 hours and cost around €12 – €15 each way. You can again book tickets in advance online from Flixbus, and the bus is again operated by that same other local company, Prijevoz Knežević. So, again, don’t get confused and look for the usual green, Flixbus branding.

While you are making this purchase, go ahead and book the ticket as a round trip journey. Krka is less than half the size of Plitvice, so there is less necessity to give yourself several hours in the park if you don’t want to. But I would still recommend budgeting at least 3.5 – 4 hours here and choosing a return bus time that accommodates that.

Like with Plitvice, you can alternatively just book a tour that includes transport to Krka from Split. But these tours usually don’t include entrance, so you’d still have to purchase that separately upon arrival. I feel like that takes away a lot of the benefit of booking the tour over DIY-ing it, unless you take advantage of the time saved visiting Krka rather than Plitvice by booking a tour combining somewhere with Krka, like this one that stops at lovely Trogir.

What to Do in Plitvice Lakes National Park

The main thing to do in Plitvice Lakes National Park is to walk the trails, which takes the better part of a day. Definitely stop by the information center at the entrance to get an overview of the day before starting. They can explain the trail routes, the train ride back at the end, the ferry ride in the middle, and where to buy food if you haven’t packed your own.

Within the park, you have a few different routes or “programs” that you can take, depending on whether you want to walk the largest park route or do shorter routes. Like I said, there are maps of these routes near the entrance. But if you want to get an idea ahead of time, you can check out the programs online.

To enter the park, expect an entry fee of around €40 from June to September. If visiting Plitvice any other time of year, expect €23 in April, May, and October, and €10 in winter. You can use the official site to double-check fees and even book ahead online, which I highly recommend that you do in high and even shoulder seasons.

What to Do in Krka National Park

Just like at Plitvice, the main thing to do at Krka is follow the routes and enjoy the scenery! So once you arrive at the Skradin bus stop you get dropped off at, walk 5 minutes or so to the Krka National Park office. From there, buy your ticket, which includes a ride on a boat ride that takes you into the park.

This ticket will set you back €40 if visiting between June and September. But the price drops to €20 during the months of April, May, and October, and to €10 in winter. You can use the park’s official site to confirm entry prices and even book tickets in advance online. You can also get an idea of the park’s routes or “programs” by skimming the official brochure.

Which Park to Visit – Plitvice or Krka?

The age old Croatia question – should I visit Plitvice, Krka, or both? I’ve already given my opinion that I do not think visiting both Plitvice and Krka is worth it anymore, now that you can’t swim at Krka.

You should choose to visit Plitvice if some of the below is true:

• You have major FOMO and want to see the much better park of the two
• You may not return to Croatia in the future
• You are able to nap on buses, so that the 7 – 8 hour bus ride isn’t wasted time
• You can be productive on the bus, like editing your photos from previous days

You should choose to visit Krka if:

• You don’t really suffer from FOMO and simply care to see nice waterfalls
• You might return to Croatia in the future to see things further north than Split
• You will be awake with nothing to do and no one to talk to during the bus rides
• If you really don’t care for waterfalls and prefer to use this day as another day somewhere coastal, I provide a lot of options in the adjustments section of this post.

Hvar

There’s nothing more Croatian than a beautiful island, so you can’t leave Croatia before seeing at least a couple of them. On this seven day Croatia itinerary, you’ll start with the most popular island to visit, which is the island of Hvar. More specifically – you’ll visit the town of Hvar Town. With impressively clear water, orange rooftops, and an imposing fortress, Hvar Town is the picture perfect island destination.

How to Get to Hvar from Split

You will need to head to the Split ferry terminal and catch a ferry stopping at Hvar island. The journey from Split to Hvar Town (not *Stari Grad!) takes 50 – 70 minutes and costs €20 – €25, depending on the ferry company. The ferries depart from right near the bus terminal, which you all but certainly used for your day trip to Plitvice or Krka. The schedule differs throughout the year. So you can look up the ferry schedule in advance online using the links I provided in the transportation section of this guide up above, or check it out in person at the terminal.

* There are several different ferries and catamarans stopping at different ports in Hvar. You want a ferry stopping at the port of “Hvar.” This will be directly to where you want to go; Hvar Town. But some ferries will instead be heading to “Stari Grad.” This is another port on the island of Hvar. From Stari Grad, you will need to take a short cab ride to Hvar Town. Taxis will be waiting at the port, so find some other travelers heading to Hvar Town (most will be) and split the price of the taxi. This is what I did on my first time in Hvar. But as you can see, it’s best to just get a ferry to “Hvar” and not to “Stari Grad” unless you absolutely have to.

What to Do in Hvar (One Day)

Today you will be exploring my favorite island in Croatia! You’re going to love it.

Morning

This morning, you will leave Split for Hvar. There’s no need to take the first ferry out, as there are plenty a day in high season, and at least two a morning in shoulder season. But in order to maximize your day exploring Hvar without any rushing, I recommend that you take a ferry departing Split by around 11:00am at the latest. 

Your accommodation’s check-in time is likely much later than the time you’ll arrive in Hvar Town. So you may need to drop your bags off at reception if you are staying in a proper hotel or hostel. If you are staying in some sort of apartment, you can leave your bags in luggage storage. There are storage options right by the harbor, like Bounce Luggage Storage and Radical Storage (which you can book online).

Afternoon

St. Stephen’s Square (Trg svetog Stjepana)

After dropping your bags off at your hotel, it’s time to hit the town! First stop is the main square; St. Stephen’s Square. At the far end of the square is St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Katedrala sv. Stjepana). It charges a fee for entry, but it honestly isn’t all that intricate or unique, so I just recommend you enjoy its pretty facade and bell tower from the outside.

Loggia (Lođa) and Clock Tower

Like in Split, you’ll notice a lot of buildings Hvar that may remind you of Venice or Verona, because it was under Venetian rule at one point. One of the best examples near the square is the Venetian loggia and clock tower. They’re what’s left of what once was the governor’s palace. 

Take some time to explore this central part of Hvar Town at your leisure. Stroll around the harbor and walk through whatever (hilly) streets interest you, snapping pics of the postcard-perfect views as you go.

Whenever you’ve worked up a bit of an appetite, have lunch. There are a lot of options in St. Stephen’s square and along the harbor. So you can just stop at whatever looks (or smells!) good as you explore this area. If you’re craving something casual in between all the traditional cuisine you’ll have this week, I enjoyed the crispy chicken burger and thick-cut fries from MARIGO Grill & Chill (located here) in the main square.

Franciscan Monastery (Franjevački samostan i crkva Gospe od Milosti)

By now, it should be getting pretty warm out, so it’s time to get some vitamin sea in. Make your way back towards where the ferries are, and then keep walking along the path. You will eventually turn a corner, seeing the Franciscan Monastery in the slight distance and the loveliest little cove in front. This exact image is actually a very frequently-pictured one online, so it may even look familiar.

Beach Time

Keep walking ‘til you reach the cove, called Plaža Lučica. I loved swimming here, so if you’re happy with what you see, feel free to lay out your towel and post up for the rest of the afternoon.

But if you’re willing to get some more steps in, I actually recommend that you keep walking past the cove and monastery. Follow the coastal sidewalk, enjoying the seaside views the entire walk, until you reach Pokonji dol Beach. If you prefer this beach for your afternoon swim, then stay here. If you prefer the cove by the monastery, then simply snap your pics of Pokonji dol Beach doubling back to Plaža Lučica.

Both of these beaches are quite casual. They’re pebbly (water shoes are recommended!) and you can lay your own towel out. Totally my vibe! But if you want more of a beach club experience, then I recommend that you walk the opposite direction from the main square, instead of towards the ferries. As you walk along that sidewalk, you’ll hit beach clubs that you can choose from, like Bonj Beach. They serve food and of course drinks. So skip the lunch I suggested you have in the main square area, and head straight to this area instead, if you prefer to have lunch at a beach club.

After you’ve had enough sun for the day, head back to your hotel to shower and freshen up for the evening.

Evening

After rinsing off at the hotel, it’s time to see Hvar’s best attraction in its best lighting!

Fortica Fortress (Tvrđava Fortica)

Perched high above Hvar Town is the Fortica Fortress, formerly called the Spanish Fortress (Trvđava Spanjola). It offers the best view in town – that cliche one in all the brochures! And while it logically requires an uphill trek to reach, the *path is pretty manageable if you give yourself enough time to go slowly. You do have to walk up the steep old town steps at first, but after that, it is a slow ascent through a lovely garden of sorts. I recommend that you start the 20-ish minute walk from the main square (exact spot here) around 2 – 3 hours before sunset. That way, you avoid the midday heat and, most importantly, get the best lighting as you enjoy the view of the sun lowering behind the Pakleni Islands in the distance. Entry is €10 and is quick to buy in person once there.

If you don’t want to pay for entry, there are still very decent views from outside the fortress. But the un-obstructed, panoramic view from inside is definitely best.

* Those unable to walk up can take a taxi ride to the fortress.

Dinner

After finishing at the fortress, make your way back down into town. Grab dinner before heading back to the hotel for an early night, or stay out later to enjoy the nightlife that Hvar is so well-known for.

Where to Stay in Hvar

I loved the place I stayed in Hvar – so much so that I was fully planning on rebooking it on my next visit. But it unfortunately seems to longer be accepting bookings! So I instead recommend staying in one of the below options. 

Island Hopping

In order to see a variety of what the area has to offer in a short amount of time, you should definitely book an island hopping tour. I did this type of tour on my first trip to Croatia, and it was my top favorite thing of my trip. I was very reluctant about the price at first, especially because it was early May. I didn’t know if the weather would cooperate or that the water was warm enough to swim in. In the end, I loved the tour and only wished there were more hours in a day.

Our tour group included two bay boats that could fit around 8 people each. We started in Split in the morning around 8:30am. But these same types of tours depart from Hvar as well. This is actually better than doing the tour from Split, because it saves you one hour of transport in the morning, meaning you can sleep in one hour later. And who doesn’t love that?

We returned from the tour as the sun was setting, after hitting all the below sites:

• Blue Grotto (or Cave): A natural sea cave on Bisevo island whose waters glow blight blue from light coming through an underwater opening.
• Green Grotto: Another cave similar to the Blue Grotto, but green and located on the southern side of Vis island
• Stiniva Bay: One of Croatia’s most famous beaches and located on Vis Island, but sadly the tour just does a drive-by stop to look and snap pics rather than stop and get out.
• Lunchtime and swimming on a smaller island.
• Swimming on a different smaller island.
• Hvar Town: We got about 1.5 hours to explore, since we did the tour from Split. But for your tour from Hvar Town, this would obviously be replaced with more time at the other stops.

How to Island Hop from Hvar

These types of island hopping tours are advertised all over Split and Hvar (especially in the tourist offices) for something like €120 – €150. But if you like to have all your ducks in a row before you depart, or if you don’t love going from kiosk to kiosk in person and making decisions on the spot in front of the person selling (*raises hand*), you can also book these online.

This tour follows the exact same route I did on my first visit to Croatia. It also allows free cancellation up to 24 hours beforehand. So you get the benefit of securing the tour before it could sell out, while still having flexibility to cancel if you get unlucky with the weather.

Dubrovnik

Thanks to Game of Thrones and Star Wars, this walled little city by the sea has boomed in tourism. Add that to all the cruise ships that stop here, and you’ve got yourself a very crowded little UNESCO World Heritage site of the old town in the summer. But in the mornings and the evenings after the day trippers have left, you’ll be able to enjoy Dubrovnik, its cute alleyways, and spectacular Adriatic views a bit more.

How to Get to Dubrovnik from Hvar

You will need to head to the Hvar ferry port (the same place you arrived when you came to Hvar from Split) and catch a ferry to Dubrovnik. The journey from Hvar to Dubrovnik in the mornings takes 3.5 – 4 hours and will set you back around €50, depending on the ferry company. Again, these schedules vary throughout the year. So you can look up the ferry schedule in advance online using the links I provided in the transportation section of this itinerary up above. You can also consult with the ferry companies at their offices, which are nearby the port. You can purchase tickets in person there, too.

What to Do in Dubrovnik (Two Days)

The main attraction in Dubrovnik is, without a doubt, the city walls. You will probably want to walk them (most people do!), and the price to do that is actually the exact same price at the One Day Dubrovnik Pass. The pass also gives you access to a 24 hour bus pass, and there are options for a 3-day and 7-day pass, too. You can read more about what’s included as well as purchase the pass in advance online from the official site.

Day One

Your first day in Dubrovnik will be a bit of a half-day, since it’s the day you travel to Dubrovnik from Hvar. But don’t worry – you’re going to maximize the time you have today to explore the old town, walk the famous walls, and even enjoy a dip in the sea if you fancy.

Morning

This morning, you will leave Hvar for Dubrovnik. I recommend that you take the *earliest ferry out, which departs from Hvar at 9:10am. The journey is just under 3.5 hours, meaning you will get into Dubrovnik around 12:30pm. Before getting on the ferry, you can grab a sweet treat and coffee for breakfast from nearby Nonica Caffe Bar (unless it’s Sunday, in which case it won’t have opened yet).

* There is a second morning ferry just 1.5 hours later between the months of May and October. So if you need to arrive in Dubrovnik a bit later (around 2:45pm) in order to make things more convenient for your accommodation’s check-in time, that is an option. But I recommend taking the earlier ferry if you can, because it will of course allow you to have close to two full days in Dubrovnik, rather than just 1.5 days.

Afternoon

By the time your ferry gets into Dubrovnik and you make your way from the port to your accommodation (around 1:00pm), hopefully it’ll be check-in time. If not, you can typically leave your things with reception while your room is still being prepared, assuming you have booked a proper hotel or hostel and not an apartment. If you have booked an apartment or AirBnb, let your host know of your arrival time beforehand to see if they can accommodate your arrival time.

In any case, drop off your things, freshen up, and head out to grab some lunch before exploring Dubrovnik. But before you do, I recommend that you ask your receptionist or host to help you make dinner reservations somewhere they recommend for later that night.

Pile Gate

If you haven’t already, it’s time to finally enter Dubrovnik’s walled Old Town! I recommend doing so through Pile Gate, which is the main entrance to the Old Town of Dubrovnik. As you walk the stone bridge (which used to be a drawbridge over the former moat) leading up to the gate, it’s so easy to imagine what it must have been like centuries ago! It’s no wonder so much of King’s Landing was filmed in Dubrovnik (many scenes around this very gate!).

Stradun Street

As soon as you pass through Pile Gate, you’ll be on Stradun Street. This is the main pedestrian street of Dubrovnik’s old town. It starts at the main gate, Pile Gate, and goes all the way to the other end, by the old port.

Onofrio’s Large Fountain (Velika Onofrijeva Fontana)

Right when you step onto Stradun Street, you’ll see a large fountain to your right. Aside from being the end point of a 15th century aqueduct, it’s a popular meeting point for walking tours. 

On my first visit to Dubrovnik, I actually did a walking tour that departed exactly from there! My friend and I weren’t sure whether to opt for a normal walking tour of the significant sites or a Game of Thrones sites tour, since we were both fans of the show. Luckily, we found a half-Game-of-Thrones-half-history walking tour! It was the perfect way to start off our trip by hitting up all the most famous filming sites and the actually significant sites without having our phones out the whole time to lead us from site to site. 

So all that to say, if you are interested in a walking tour of the old town and/or GOT spots, this would be a good place to squeeze it into your Dubrovnik itinerary. Otherwise, just plan to hit up all the following sites on your own. I’ve listed them in a logical order for you to easily follow.

Franciscan Church and Monastery (Franjevački samostan i crkva)

Also near the start of Stradun Street, but this time on your left instead of your right, is one of the oldest continuously operating pharmacies in all of Europe, and the third oldest one in the world. It dates back to the 1300s and is located inside the Franciscan Church and Monastery, which you can enter! You can also check out the pretty cloister, to get some peace and calm in before heading back out onto busy Stradun Street. Entry is included in the Dubrovnik Pass I recommended above.

Luza Square

Once you’re done oo-ing and ah-ing at the pharmacy vials, walk the length of Stradun Street until you reach Loggia or Luža Square at the other end. This is the main square in Dubrovnik, and it used to be the go-to spot for public gatherings, announcements, trials, and ceremonies back in the city’s medieval days.

While in Luza Square, be sure to check out Orlando’s Column (Orlandov stup), which is dedicated to a legendary knight (named Orlando, obviously), who apparently stood for freedom and justice and all that jazz, and also the Clock Tower of Dubrovnik (Zvonik).

Sponza Palace (Palača Sponza)

Before leaving Luza’s Square, walk over to Sponza Palace. It was built in the early 1500s as the city’s customs house where merchants declared goods and paid duties. Nowadays, it’s home to the city’s state archives. But this building is special because it’s one of the few that survived the city’s earthquake, allowing us to enjoy its 16th-century architecture today. Entry will set you back €5 (confirm at the official site), since it is not included in the Dubrovnik Card. Even if you don’t care to enter, at least take some minutes to appreciate the pretty columns of the exterior.

Saint Blaise’s Church (Crkva sv. Vlaha)

Your last stop before leaving the square! Check out Saint Blaise’s Church, at least from the outside if not from the inside as well, since entry is free.

Rector’s Palace (Kulturno-povijesni muzej u Kneževu dvoru)

Finally, it’s time to exit the square and walk past Saint Blaise’s Church until you hit another building with pretty columns – the Rector’s Palace. Rector is what the leader of Dubrovnik was called back when Dubrovnik was known as the Republic of Ragusa. Nowadays, it’s the Cultural Historical Museum. Entry is included in the Dubrovnik Pass, but it would otherwise cost you €15 in person or at the official site.

Dubrivnik Cathedral (Katedrala Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije)

Next, head further into the southern half of the old town. Pass by Dubrovnik Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Katedrala Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije). Take a peak instead if you’re curious, or just admire the Baroque architecture from the outside if not. Then, make your way to nearby Gundulić Square before heading to probably the most famous site inside Dubrovnik’s walls!

Church of St. Ignatius (Crkva sv. Ignacija) and the Jesuit Stairs

From Gundulić Square, walk by the terraces of the restaurants lining the side of the square. You’ll see a beautiful staircase – does it look familiar? (If not, that’s fine – it just means you haven’t watched Game of Thrones!)

Made very famous for being the filming site of Cersei’s walk of shame, the Jesuit Stairs will definitely have a crowd of people vying for their perfect pic. But even without the GOT hype, it’s simply a stunning staircase. The stairs and the Church of St. Ignatius (Crkva sv. Ignacija) they lead up to were apparently inspired by a lot of Roman churches. So it honestly looks a bit like a mini version of the Spanish Steps staircase in Rome!

Buža Beach

If you’ve worn your swimsuit underneath your outfit (which is always a good idea in Croatia!), it’s time to get a swim in! Just a short walk away from the Church of St. Ignatius is everyone’s favorite cliff-jumping spot in Dubrovnik – Buža Beach. I’m not really sure why they’ve named it a beach, since it is far from! It’s literally just a large chunk of rock, which you reach by a literal hole in the wall(s of Dubrovnik). But even so, it’s such a great vibe.

Head to the edge of the wall and just follow signs saying “cold drinks, beautiful view.” You’ll find a simple but viby cafe serving drinks on the rocks, and just below is where you can take a dip if you’d like. I’m so sad that both times I’ve had the chance to swim and hang out there have coincided with rainy weather! I can only imagine the ambiance in sunnier times. I can only hope that third try’s the charm, because I definitely will be returning to Croatia again and again and again.

Wander!

Make sure to leave yourself some time to wander Dubrovnik’s stoney streets with no plan. The main area is super crowded, due to how small Dubrovnik is and the fact that it’s a cruise ship port of call. But the rest of the old town – the part that doesn’t have the main attractions – is honestly SO QUIET in comparison. So grab a gelato (I liked the one I got from this gelateria, and just let your feet lead your way.

War Photo Limited Museum

The above is exactly how I would spend my first afternoon in Dubrovnik. But if you still have some time, or if you get stuck with a rainy day like I did, check out the WAR PHOTO LIMITED Museum. It features an exhibition documenting the recent-ish wars (the 1990s) that Croatia and its neighbors have suffered. I learned a lot, and it was really good to balance all the aesthetic beauty that is Dubrovnik with appreciation for what its residents have had to go through. Entry will set you back €10.

Sit on the Iron Throne

Non-GOT watchers can keep scrolling. But those who’d like to pretend they are ruler of The Seven Kingdoms can stop by Dubrovnik City Shop – IRON THRONE (located here) for a photo op on a plastic iron throne. Yours truly may or may not have done this herself.

Evening

Especially if you decided to take a dip in the sea at Buža, head back to your hotel to shower and freshen up. Then, it’s time for the best attraction in all of Dubrovnik!

City Walls of Dubrovnik (Dubrovačke gradske zidine)

They’re practically synonymous with the word “Dubrovnik” itself, and you will have seen people walking along them all afternoon. So now, it’s your turn! It’s time to walk the city walls of Dubrovnik. As you will have already seen, they’re seriously some of the best preserved medieval walls in the entire world. Most of it was built between the 1200s and 1500s, and they were never breached in all of the Republic of Ragusa’s 500 years, protecting Dubrovnik from everyone from the Venetians to the Ottomans to later the French and the Habsburgs. Entry will set you back €40 and can be purchased on the spot, though I recommend purchasing tickets in advance in the high season, either on the official site, or as part of the Dubrovnik Pass.

So, where do you enter the walls? There are a few options. I personally entered from right by Pile Gate (the side of the gate that is inside the walled city), since this is where my walking tour ended, and I walked the walls right after the tour. The Pile Gate entrance is really well marked and seemed to be the main entrance to me. But there are apparently a couple other entry points, so those might be good to consider if you are visiting Croatia in high season and find the line to look super long at Pile Gate.

Speaking of lines, that’s a part of the reason I recommend walking the walls way later in the day! This will help you avoid the largest crowds, since Dubrovnik is a cruise ship stop and thus a day-trip city. That means crowds thin out quite a bit in the early morning and in the evening.

Why not walk the walls in the morning then? Well, because I wholeheartedly think that you should time this activity around sunset if your schedule and weather allow. This is hands down the best lighting, not only for photos, if those are important to you, but simply to enjoy the look of the orange rooftops and the changing color of the sky.

The wall walk is about 2 km or 1.25 miles long, and it should take you 1 – 2 hours to do the entire loop, depending on how many stops you make for pics, resting, or simply taking in the views. For that reason, I recommend starting your wall walk 2 – 3 hours before sunset.

The walk is fully exposed to the sun, so bring a hat and a water bottle. There are toilets dotted throughout, as well as places to grab a bite. One spot with a really amazing view is Caffe on the Wall (SV. PETAR), where you can sit and have a drink before continuing on with the rest of your walk.

Day Two

On day one, you enjoyed the walled portion of Dubrovnik. But day two will be spent beyond the wall; up close, from a distance, and from high up above.

Morning

Start your first full day in Dubrovnik bright and early! You’ve got a really fun day ahead. Grab a to-go breakfast from Holy Burek Dubrovnik or Mlinar. They’re nearby each other and both sell bureks, which are typical savory pastry from the Balkans. I practically lived off these flakey, cheese-filled things when I solo-traveled up the Balkan coast a couple summers back, especially in Albania and Northern Macedonia. But if you’re wanting something sweeter, Mlinar sells other baked goods too.

Fort Lovrijenac (Tvrđava sv. Lovrijenac)

First stop; Fort Lovrijenac. Also known as St. Lawrence Fortress, this is the fort across from the main walled town. You’ll have seen it in the slight distance while walking the walls. Like a million other spots in Dubrovnik, it was a filming location for King’s Landing in GOT. It was apparently used for scenes involving the Red Keep, though I don’t really remember that and more remember it in the background of scenes of characters looking out over the sea.

But I digress! Whether you watched the famous show or not, climb here to get that cliche view of walled Dubrovnik. Entry to the fort is actually included with the ticket you bought to walk the walls (it should be valid 72 hours after you walked the walls), as well as in the Dubrovnik Pass. But you can technically pay €15 to enter the fortress only if you didn’t pay for the ticket to walk the walls or the city pass. In any case, you get views that are worth the trek even just by climbing to the entry and skipping entry if you are short on time. You can buy tickets in person (there wasn’t much of a line when I went) or online from the official site.

Dubrovnik West Harbour

Once you’ve had your fill of stunning views, head back down from the fort. Make your way to the bay between the fort and the walled part of Dubrovnik. Fun fact; this little bay between the fort and the main walled town appears many times in Game of Thrones as the “jetty” and bay from which sooo many characters depart when leaving King’s Landing. But don’t worry – I’m not only sending you here for that!

City Walls Kayak Tour

The sun will be a little higher in the sky now, warming things up a bit more. So it’s the perfect time to… go kayaking! This was seriously one of the highlights of my first visit to Dubrovnik, probably second only to walking the walls during golden hour.

We were offered the tour immediately after jumping off our bus to Pile Gate, where a group of college-aged guys (who lead the tours) were advertising it for that day. Since we already had a walking tour booked for that day, we told him we’d do it the next day. But that day was rainy! And the next day as well! It actually wasn’t going to be good weather again til the very same day we were leaving Dubrovnik. (We got really unlucky in early May.)

But we reeeeally wanted to kayak around Dubrovnik, getting super up close to the walls from down below, and hopefully getting a chance to jump off some cliffs – something that was on our Dubrovnik bucket list for some reason. So we decided to wake up super early on our final morning and in hopes of doing the first kayak tour of the day. When we got to the harbor, the waves were a little iffy that morning, and the guys said we’d need to wait for a later tour for it to be safe. But when we responded that our flight was in a couple hours, so it was now or never, the seas magically became less precarious, and it was full steam ahead! Gotta love Croatia!

And the tour was seriously so much fun! Afterwards, we sprinted back to our hotel, quickly [showered] rinsed off, packed, and checked out (later than reception would have liked) before sprinting some more to make the bus to the airport. And it was all worth it, especially to finally check cliff jumping off our lists.

The only thing that would have made it even better would have been to have done the tour not-first-thing-in-the-morning. That way, it would have been a bit hotter out, so that jumping and swimming in the sea would have been a refreshing contrast. So that’s why I think this is the perfect place to add kayaking into your itinerary. The kayaking tour (which you can check out here or here) has multiple departure times. But you’ll probably want to choose the 10:20am time slot to stay on schedule for this itinerary as I suggest it.

Afternoon

After kayaking and swimming all morning, you’ll have worked up quite the appetite, I’m sure! So after a quick rinse at your hotel if needed, grab a bite to eat before continuing on with the rest of the day.

Now that you’ve had lunch, the fun-in-the-sun activities continue! You do have a couple options to choose from, depending on your interests.

Lokrum Island

Option 1: Visit Lokrum Island. That island you see just behind Dubrovnik in all the pictures? That’s Lokrum. I recommend this first option if you enjoy light hiking, swimming at rocky beaches, and want to enjoy views of Dubrovnik from the sea. Oh, and also if you like peacocks. The island is filled with them!

To get to Lokrum, head to Tirena Dock, which is located here. This is where the water taxi or “ferry” to Lokrum departs from. The ride takes 10 – 15 minutes each way and will set you back €30 round trip. You can get more info at the official site, if you’d like.

Once you’ve made it to Lokrum, there are a lot of hiking paths and swim spots to choose from. I recommend that you take the path passing by the botanical garden on the way to the Benedictine Monastery of St. Mary (Benediktinski samostan). Explore what’s left here of the old stone monastery, particularly the cloister garden. Nearby is the Lokrum Visitor Center, which *apparently houses an iron throne replica, for those who want a photo opp but didn’t get one on day one in the shop I mentioned above. *I got my photo opp at the shop, so I skipped this visitor center.

If you already are feeling like a swim, a bit beyond the visitor center is the “Dead Sea,” which is a shallow, little saltwater lake. Otherwise, you can change directions and follow one of the paths up the island towards the Fort Royal (Utvrda Royal). From the top of here, you get sweeping views of Dubrovnik and even the Elaphiti Islands (which we’ll talk about later) in the distance. Entry to everything mentioned so far was free.

After you’ve ticked off the little island’s main sites (which should just take a couple hours), you can head back to Dubrovnik, or you can pick out a swim spot on the island and chill there the rest of the afternoon. Be warned, though – these aren’t sandy or even really pebbly beaches. They’re mostly just rocks that incline into the water. I personally love these for swimming, but I know they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. If you do choose to swim in Lokrum instead of just seeing the main sites, then I recommend packing a mini-meal or at least a variety of snacks before leaving Dubrovnik for Lokrum.

Fun fact for GOT fans: The island of Lokrum – particularly the botanical gardens and the monastery –  was a filming site for the city of Qarth (which Daenerys visits in season two). I needed to jog my memory on Qarth, so this post was helpful for me! 

Hit the Beach

Option 2: Have a relaxing day at a beach in Dubrovnik. If you think you’ll be feeling ready for a break after kayaking this morning and walking all of yesterday afternoon, you’ll probably want to take the rest of the day to swim and relax at a beach. As I mentioned, I got really unlucky with weather on both my visits to Dubrovnik so far. So I haven’t gotten to enjoy any Dubrovnik beaches from my list yet. But a few that I am hoping to finally luck out on weather and visit on my eventual third visit to Dubrovnik are:

• Banje Beach (Plaža Banje): This is the top one on my list, due to its view of Dubrovnik’s walls in the distance and its proximity to the old town. It’s just a 10 minute walk from the eastern edge of the walls, or a 15 minute walk from Pile Gate. 
• Sv Jakov Beach (Plaža Sveti Jakov): This is only #2 on my list due to the fact that it’s further away than the previous beach. But it offers a similar view of the old town (from more of a distance, but from an angle that exposes more of the wall). It’s a 35 minute walk from Pile Gate, and I don’t see any buses that say they head there. So you might want to grab a cab if you have someone to split the cost with. The beach is apparently at the bottom of a lot of stairs, though, so keep that in mind!

Elafiti Islands

Option 3: Day trip to the Elafiti Islands. These islands are a small archipelago near Dubrovnik. Three of them (Kalamota, Lopud, and Sipano) are inhabited, and these three are the main ones people visit normally via a tour. After searching the internet for some pics, I knew I had to visit them! And I visited all three on my first trip to Dubrovnik.

But sadly for me, this day was horrible weather (the boat ride back felt like a roller coaster!). So I really didn’t get to experience the Elafiti Islands in their full glory. Even so, I can tell you that they are stunning little islands, and visiting them when it’s sunny would be such a nice way to spend the day. Lunch is included in the tour package, and I felt they gave us a good amount of time to explore each island at our leisure. The site where I booked my tour is no longer up. But this tour and this tour are identical to the one I did. (Honestly, I’m sure that the guys running my tour are now listing theirs on those sites.)

Evening 

Whether you swam at Lokrum, one of Dubrovnik’s beaches, or the Elafiti Islands, you’re going to want to wash up at the hotel before heading out to dinner. Dinner with an ahhhmazing view, that is!

Dubrovnik Cable Car

Behind Dubrovnik is a really steep mountain, and tonight you’re finally going up it! First, make your way to the cable car’s lower station. It is located just outside the city walls. The ride takes just a couple minutes, and tickets are €27 round trip, or €15 one way (I guess for those who’d like to hike up or down!). You can purchase them in person or in advance at the official site.

Ride the Dubrovnik Cable Car up to the observation deck, where you can take in the almost bird’s eye view of Dubrovnik, its islands, and the sun setting on the right side of the horizon. Afterwards, make your way to Panorama Restaurant, where you can continue enjoying the view and the sunset without any rush as you have dinner. You’ll definitely want to make your reservation in advance at the official website.

After a magical meal, ride the cable car back down to either walk off your dinner in the lamp-lit streets of Dubrovnik or call it a night.

Now, between the price of the round trip cable car ride and the meal, I realize some of you will want some alternative options for your final night in Croatia, especially if you end up with a cloudy forecast on this night.

• Adrenaline option: If between kayaking, hiking around Lokrum island, and swimming at the beach, you still haven’t gotten your fill of adventure today, then this option is for you. I had NO IDEA this existed on my first visit to Dubrovnik. But I absolutely would have wanted to do this back then when I was a faux adrenaline junkie. It’s ziplining over Dubrovnik during sunset! They pick you up and drive you up the mountain, you zipline two lines a couple times each, and then you finish watching the sun go down with a glass of local wine before they bring you back down to Dubrovnik. So if you want to get the cable car view but prefer something a little more exciting than the quick cable ride up and then down, this might be perfect for you. You can book it here or here (just see which one’s cheaper at the time!).
• Budget option: If you’d like a more laid-back option for dinner and a view tonight, then this option is for you. After cleaning up at the hotel, head back to Buža Bar for drinks at sunset (this joint is cash only). Just keep in mind that sunset here is only fully visible from late September to April. So you’ll be here more for the vibes and the changing color of the sky, rather than to actually witness the sun sink into the sea. Once you’ve finished at Buža, head to dinner at your restaurant of choice within the walls (have your reception help with a reservation again).

Where to Stay in Dubrovnik

On my first visit to Dubrovnik, I stayed within the walled part of the city. The building we stayed in was so cute and pretty! But this required an extra bus ride with our bags from where the buses and ferries stop, which is quite south of the walls, and then of course rolling our bags over the slippery, cobbled streets and carrying them up some stairs. It really wasn’t an inconvenience for us, since we packed carry-on only. But it’s definitely something to be aware of if you are traveling with more luggage than we were.

On my second visit to Dubrovnik, I was staying fewer nights than on my first visit. So I decided to stay walking distance from the bus station, since I was traveling by bus both in and out of Dubrovnik. This meant that I had to take a bus from there into the walled old town area and then back later on.

So each option has its pros and cons! Below are my recommendations for a place inside the walls and outside the walls. But if you’d like to be close to the best bars and nightlife, I’d say that staying within the walls would be your best bet.

How to Get Out of Dubrovnik

Like all good things, your one week Croatia itinerary must sadly come to an end. If you’re like me, you will already be planning your next trip back to Croatia to see more. But for now, you will need to make your way out of Dubrovnik city center. Dubrovnik’s international airport is called Dubrovnik Airport (DVB). You have a couple options for getting to DVB from central Dubrovnik.

• Option 1: Take a shuttle bus. From Ploče Gate, take the Platanus bus to the Dubrovnik Airport. The ride takes 30 minutes – 1 hour, if traffic is bad in summer months, and tickets for this official airport shuttle bus cost €10. You can buy the tickets in advance online from the official site. You can also purchase them in person at the main bus station in Gruž or the Platanus shuttle bus office at the lower cable car station.
• Option 2: Take a taxi. A taxi ride between central Dubrovnik and the airport should be at a fixed fare. But unfortunately this price list is not available online for me to update this guide! It is posted at the taxi information window at arrivals, so those of you landing in Dubrovnik to do this itinerary backwards can see the price there before deciding. For those doing the itinerary in my order here, last I know, it was €30 (please comment below if you have updates after your own trip!). For those of you outside the fixed fare zone, the ride will be metered and should cost €40 – €50. As with the bus, the drive takes 30 min – 1 hour in summer months.

Adjustments to this Croatia Itinerary for 7 Days

• Starting in Dubrovnik instead of Split: You can totally do this one week Croatia itinerary in reverse order. You may just have to then rearrange some things for Dubrovnik, depending on your flight arrival time. You might not have the energy to do all the walking that I lay out for your first day in Dubrovnik. Also, due to the ferry between Dubrovnik and Hvar taking much longer than the ferry between Split and Hvar, you’ll have a couple hours less in Hvar, too.
• Flying round-trip into Dubrovnik: I really recommend that you try to book an open-jaw or multi-city flight into Split and out of Dubrovnik if you can. But if you simply cannot get a good flight between your home airport and Split, you might choose to fly round trip into Dubrovnik. In that case, you will have to travel from Dubrovnik to Split after you land in Dubrovnik. There are of course buses, but that might be tricky to time with your flight, in case of delays with the flight or baggage claim. So I’d suggest booking a private transfer directly from the airport to Split, especially if you are traveling in a group and thus able to split the cost.
• Flying into Zagreb instead of Split: Since Zagreb is Croatia’s capital city, you might find a decent flight into Zagreb and out of Dubrovnik. That’s actually how I first intended this Croatia itinerary (before deciding that was too much moving hotels), so that is definitely an option. If you do that, I recommend that you spend the first night in Zagreb or immediately transfer to Plitvice Lakes (there is accommodation within the park itself!). Then, the next day take a bus to Plitvice (or just wake up there if you made the transfer right after your flight). There is luggage storage at the park entrance for you. After enjoying Plitvice, hop on a bus from Plitvice to Split, where you will spend night two. Then follow the rest of this itinerary more or less as is, obviously skipping the day trip to Plitvice/Krka day, but exploring Split, then Hvar, then Dubrovnik.
• Flight into Zadar instead of Split: In the words of Alfred Hitchock, “Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world.” And if you are already in Europe, you might find a good flight into Zadar, like I did on my first visit to Croatia. Zadar is the closest to Plitvice of any cities mentioned in this guide. So with that, plus its renowned sunsets, it’s a great option to fly into if you don’t mind changing hotels one more time versus what I have in this itinerary. So if you fly into Zadar, explore the cute, seaside city day one. Then, make a round trip day trip to Plitvice from Zadar – just under 2 hours each way.  On morning three, take the bus to Split (a little under 2.5 hours), and follow the rest of this itinerary more or less as is, obviously skipping the day trip to Plitvice/Krka day, but exploring Split, then Hvar, then Dubrovnik.
• Staying on Korčula instead of Hvar: Another beautiful and popular island is Korcula. It has the absolute clearest waters I have ever seen – even better than the waters in Hvar! If you want something quieter than Hvar, or you don’t care for the island hopping tour (how?!), then consider staying on Korcula instead. This would also split up the ferry journeys between Split and Dubrovnik more evenly, since Hvar and then Korcula are both on the way from Split to Dubrovnik. So you get a later wake up call on the morning that you travel to Dubrovnik. If you choose to stay on Korcula, you would travel from Split to Korcula instead of from Split to Hvar. Make sure your ferry goes to Korčula the town (which is also the name of the island) and not Vela Luka, which is on the complete other side of the island. On that day, you could explore Korcula. Then, on your second day, you could make a day trip to Hvar via ferry.
• Visiting Trogir and the Blue Lagoon instead of Plitvice or Krka: If you don’t feel like making the long trek from Split to Plitvice, but aren’t in love with the idea of replacing Plitvice with Krka (maybe you know you can return to Croatia later and plan to visit Plitvice then), consider replacing that day trip with a day in Trogir and its famous Blue Lagoon (different from the Blue Lagoon on the island hopping day from Hvar!). This tour’s afternoon option is perfect, because you get to not only sleep in, but you’ll be ending your tour around sunset!
• Visiting Kotor in nearby Montenegro: This is a very popular day trip that is advertised from Dubrovnik, and I actually wanted to do it on my first visit to Croatia. But the weather sucked, making it not worth the hassle. I finally did get to visit Kotor years later, and it’s lovely! So if you’re into country counting, a this tour would be perfect for you, if you’re able to add an extra day onto this one week Croatia itinerary. I will say that I crossed the Montenegro-Croatia border myself, and I was wondering the entire time how anyone could do a day trip to Kotor from Montenegro. The border crossing took so long! So I just have to put that warning out there.
• Visiting Mostar in nearby Bosnia and Herzegovina: Similarly to the Kotor day trip, a day trip to Mostar from either Dubrovnik or Split is very popular. And again, I considered it on my first trip to Croatia, but didn’t manage due to the weather. Years later, I finally did visit Mostar and even stayed a few nights there. I wanted to make a day trip to Kravice Falls from Mostar with the extra days, but it was just too complicated via public transport. But the good news for you is that many tours to Mostar from Croatia include a stop at the falls! Also, the touristy things to do and see in Mostar take up less time than those in Kotor. I have crossed the Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatia border four times total now. And the roads had way less traffic than the one connecting Montenegro and Croatia, meaning border control was not backed up. So for all those reasons, this Mostar day trip seems much more doable to me than one to Kotor. I also think Mostar provides more of a contrast to Croatia, due to its Ottoman history (and thus architecture). Coastal Montenegro, on the other hand, has a similar architectural look to coastal Croatia. So all that to say, I personally would recommend a day trip to Mostar and Kravice Falls over a day trip to Kotor, if you only can choose one. And again, you can visit Mostar from Split or visit Mostar from Dubrovnik in a large group or a small group.

Questions on My Croatia Itinerary?

Phew! I know that was a loooooot of info! What do you think of my one week Croatia itinerary for first timers? If you’re planning your own trip to Croatia soon and want some personalized advice, drop a comment below with your questions. I love playing travel agent for people – especially for countries that I love, like Croatia!

And in Case You Need One Last Summary

Croatia One Week (7 Day) Itinerary:

• Day 1: Split
• Day 2: Split
• Day 3: Plitvice (or Krka)
• Day 4: Hvar
• Day 5: Island Hopping
• Day 6: Dubrovnik
• Day 7: Dubrovnik

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