Croatia in 10 days: the same line, with room to stop
Seven days plus Krka, Trogir and a second night in Split and Dubrovnik. The version most people should book.
Photo: Matea Bolčević / CC BY-SA 4.0
The plan at a glance
| Day | Base | Getting there | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zagreb | Fly into Zagreb | 1 |
| 2 | Plitvice Lakes | Zagreb to Plitvice, 2 h by car | 1 |
| 3 | Zadar | Plitvice to Zadar, 1 h 45 by car | 1 |
| 4 | Šibenik | Zadar to Šibenik, 1 h by car | 1 |
| 5 | Trogir | Šibenik to Trogir, 45 min by car | 1 |
| 6 | Split | Trogir to Split, 30 min by car or bus | 2 |
| 7 | Hvar | Split to Hvar, catamaran 1 h | 1 |
| 8 | Korčula | Hvar to Korčula, catamaran 1 h 15 | 1 |
| 9 | Dubrovnik | Korčula to Dubrovnik, catamaran 2 h | 2 |
| 10 | Cavtat | Dubrovnik to Cavtat, boat 45 min | 1 |
Day by day
Day 1 · Zagreb
Zagreb, upper town and a coffee that lasts
Land, drop the bags and walk Gradec: St Mark's roof, the Stone Gate, the Lotrščak cannon at noon. The evening belongs to Tkalčićeva.
City guide: ZagrebDay 2 · Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice, upper lakes first
Leave Zagreb by seven, enter at Entrance 2 and walk the upper lakes while the buses queue at Entrance 1. The ticket office shuts at 17:00, the entrance at 20:00.
City guide: Plitvice LakesDay 3 · Zadar
Zadar, the sunset that Hitchcock talked about
Roman forum, the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun in one short walk. Book dinner late: the whole town moves to the waterfront at sundown.
City guide: ZadarDay 4 · Šibenik
Šibenik and Krka, stone and water
The cathedral is built from interlocking stone without mortar, a UNESCO piece of engineering. Krka in the afternoon, when the tour buses have gone.
City guide: ŠibenikDay 5 · Trogir
Trogir, an island old town on the way to Split
Two bridges, one cathedral portal by Radovan, and lunch at the Kamerlengo end. Then twenty minutes on to Split.
City guide: TrogirDay 6 · Split
Split, the palace and the hill
A full day means both: the substructures and Peristyle in the morning, Marjan and Kašjuni in the afternoon, Pazar market at dawn if you can.
City guide: SplitDay 7 · Hvar
Hvar, the fortress before the crowd
Take the first catamaran, climb to Fortica before the day boats arrive, then swim off the Pakleni islands in the afternoon.
City guide: HvarDay 8 · Korčula
Korčula, a small town that plans itself
The old town is a fishbone: streets bend east to break the bura and run straight west for the afternoon breeze. Walk it once, then eat.
City guide: KorčulaDay 9 · Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, walls at opening time
Be at the wall entrance when it opens, walk the full circuit anticlockwise, and be down before the cruise groups take the Stradun.
City guide: DubrovnikDay 10 · Cavtat
Cavtat, the quiet half day before the flight
Cavtat sits fifteen minutes from the airport, so the last morning costs nothing: a boat across the bay, the Račić mausoleum, then departures.
City guide: Cavtat
Other routes
Take the route with you
Every stop on this route has its own hub in the app, with places that unlock as you reach them.