Croatia: 10 Days Itinerary
We have been wanting to go to Croatia since 2011. Last night, when I was searching for a mail in my Inbox, I came across the first conversation that I had with a Croatian B&B owner back in June 2011. Three years ago, Croatia was still an unheard-of tourist destination. Now, it seems to be amongst the most popular places in Europe. Hats off to the Croatian Tourism promotion team… Game of Thrones has done a lot to popularise the destination as well.
Three years late…but we have finally managed to make our way to this beautiful country! Yipppeeee! As always, I want to crow the vacation by ‘doing stuff’ and Ankur wants to ‘do nothing’. We have made peace by dividing the holidays into two parts….few active days…and few days of resting our body and soul! Here is our itinerary for the ten days that we are in Croatia:
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is called ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. It is a fortified city with walls that guard the Old Town. Parts of the walls date back to as early as the 12th century. The Old Town in Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World Heritage site as well. Obviously, the city is steeped in history.
Three days in Dubrovnik …and this is what we intend to do:
- Walk the walls of Dubrovnik Old Town
- Visit a few museums
- Ride the cable car to get a bird’s eye view of the city
- Do a kayaking tour to the islands off the Dubrovnik coast
Split
Our next stop is Split. This has been a last minute addition to the itinerary. We would be transiting through Split while going to Hvar. Split has the famous Diocletian Palace. Hence, I made a puppy face and have coaxed Ankur to spend another day wandering through historical monuments. We will arrive at Split by noon and will leave for Hvar in the evening.
Hvar
After Plitvice, this is the place that Ankur is most excited to get to. Hvar is an island in the Adriatic and is extremely popular with tourists. It is the sunniest place in Croatia. It is known to be best place to get a sun lounger and tan oneself. The island is also very popular for the rocking nightlife that it boasts of. We intend to make up for all the partying that we did not do in Mykonos (Greece)!
Three days in Hvar….and this is what we intend to do:
- Rent a boat and go island hopping to the Pakleni archipelago
- Day trip to see the blue grotto
- Rent bicycles and explore the island on a day picnic
- Party all night
Zadar
Zadar is relatively quieter place. We are here for less than 1.5 days and there isn’t much research that we have done on this city. All we know is that it has the only wave organ in the world. Our intention is to sit close to the organ, watch the sunset and have a quite dinner with some good wine…. we need to be all charged up for the next day which will have a lot of walking.
Plitvice National Park
Was Croatia on the bucket list? Yes – courtesy Plitvice National Park. Plitvice, it is said, is amongst the most beautiful waterfalls on the planet. It is a series of waterfalls, one cascading into another, forming pools of water…each pool a different shade of blue or green. Plitvice made it to Ankur’s bucket list and hence Crotia made it to the list of must go destinations.
We intend to explore the park from late morning to early evening and then head to Zagreb.
Here is the link to our post on Plitvice National Park.
Here is the link to our post on Plitvice National Park.
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and is a city famous for it’s coffee culture. There is plenty to see in this city, but our main intent is to sit in cafe and watch people go by…..over endless cups of coffee….maybe recreate the first date that Ankur and I had?
Two days in Zagreb….and this is what we intend to do:
- Light few candles in the famous churches
- Visit the Museum of Broken Relationships, just because it is quirky!
- Drink a lot….coffee …wine….beer….bring it on buddy!
All air tickets and ferry tickets are booked, B&Bs are sorted and tours are decided! We are all set to enjoy a super duper vacation!
More coming up on the blog as we explore Croatia ….stay tuned!
will keep following this blog to know more about your Croatia trip. This place is even in my bucket list alongwith Romania and Ukraine.
Thanks Balaka! Post on Plitvice Lakes coming up over the weekend!
I am in love with plitvice…It goes to my bucket list. Ridiculously beautiful. ….Thanks for sharing. ..
Girija ….Plitvice needs to be in everyone's bucketlist…it is incredibly beautiful!
In love with Croatia!
My husband and I are planning to take a trip there next year. Which month did u visit or recommend?
July and August are the touristy, but best months. Ferries run more frequently and the sea is warm enough to swim.
Did you visit around the same time?
Yes. We visited in the second half of August. If fact, I wrote this post on the Mumbai-Dubrovnik flight. Peak season makes Dubrovnik very crowded, but that is the only time when the Dubrovnik festival is held – best piano recital ever. Plus, any other season, the sea is a little cold to swim in …we especially like to a dip in the sea…the water in the Croatia is crystal clear!
Thanks! We were thinking last week of june. HopeFully it won't be as crowded as August! 🙂
That should be good! Have a lovely trip…so read our other posts on Croatia and feel free to send us an email if you need and tips!
Happy planning and happy tripping!
Sure.. will get back to you soon when we actually start planning! 🙂
Thank you!
Thank you! So glad I found this blog 🙂 I am planning a trip to Croatia in September and this itinerary looks perfect! How did you travel between the cities? Was it difficult to arrange transportation?
Glad you found it useful. The itinerary worked really well for us. You may want to add Pula in it if you would like to see some Roman architecture. We used buses between cities on land and ferries for the islands.
The buses are easy to book on the spot. However, if you are using ferries until the first half of September, especially on weekend, suggest you book them in advance.
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Hi Sonia,
My fiancé and I are looking into booking/planning our honeymoon for July 2016! We’ve recommended by several ppl to visit Croatia and your post has helped ‘seal the deal’!
Could you offer any suggestions on B&Bs and hotels that you’ve stayed at or know about?
I feel a bit overwhelmed with the selection!
Thanks,
Anne-Marie
Hey Anne Marie….many many congratulations on the upcoming wedding! Croatia sure is the perfect setting for a romantic getaway!
We mostly stayed in mid range places through out our trip (B&Bs/hostels), which were very conveniently located…in the middle of all the attractions so we did not have to rent a car for any local sight seeing.
At Dubrovnik, we stayed within the walls of the Old Town at Apartment Galileo. You can send an email to blanka.knego@gmail.com for further details. The place was spotlessly clean, and in the heart of all the action…yet quiet enough to let us sleep peacefully. This was also one of the few places in Old Town that did not make us climb a flight of stairs (hate dragging my suitcase on steps). If you choose to stay in the Old Town, keep the stairs in mind when you book.
At Hvar, we again stayed at Hvar Town… but would not recommend our B&B as the room was really tiny and the bed uncomfortable. Suggest you look for a B&B at Hvar Town itself, which has lots of restaurants and the pier to ferry you to Pakleni islands.
At Zadar, we stayed in Boutique Hostel Forum Zadar. Highly recommend that you take a double room here. The location is excellent and the rooms are utterly romantic…just don’t think too much..and book yourself into the black/white room here!
Lastly, at Zagreb, we stayed at Swanky Mint hostel. They are located centrally and have very comfortable double rooms as well. Their bar is excellent and the Saturday night out with Tea and Tina has been one of the best party nights that Ankur and I have ever had.
Happy to help if you have any questions… 🙂
Hvar is beautiful. Dubrovnik of course is a place you can’t miss. 10 days seems about right, we had way less and only did Dubrovnik Split & Hvar. Beautiful pictures, you seem to have had lots of fun!
This is certainly a fantastic itinerary for 10 days in Croatia. I like how much you managed to include in your trip. I would certainly copy and follow in your footsteps if I was ever to visit Croatia
What an exciting trip you have planned! It must be so nice to know that you are finally getting the chance to go after some years in the wanderlusting! Croatia looks beautiful, especially seeing the old buildings in Dubrovnik. And the Plitvice waterfall will be amazing! Have you practiced photographing waterfalls before you go to make the most of your time?Have a wonderful trip!
Croatia has really come up as a main tourist destination over the last couple of years. I have a friend from there who has been inviting me but I never got around to it. I have heard that some of the places have become too touristy and have started to lose their charm, but from your description and itinerary which I think isn’t too rushed, there’s a lot to see and explore in the country. Hope to make it there soon.
Sounds like a great plan. I went to Croatia on a road trip last year and hit most of these places! They were so much fun! I am glad you finally made to the place you’ve been dreaming of! Enjoy!
I have never been to but just love the sights of Croatia whenever I see them. The good part here is that it does not look like a 21st century country at all. It feels like you have been transported into some middle age utopia.
I seriously have 5 friends in Croatia right now. I’m SO jealous of all the beautiful pics I’m seeing. This post confirms in…I need to add this to my bucket list. Now I have a itinerary…thank you!
Croatia is beautiful and yes on our list too for the gorgeous Plitvice National Park and the red rooftop towns. You have a perfect trip planned here, Croatia no doubt has no many interesting places t explore and add to list. Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb will definitely be on our list too. Looking forward to your posts.
Croatia seems interesting! I’m hearing so much about Dubrovnik of late!
OMG, Plitvice National Park is so mindblowingly stunning!!! Is that a drone shot? True, after coming to know of it, Croatia would definitely get into anyone’s wishlist!