Croatia in 14 days: Istria, Kvarner and the whole coast
The full arc: Istria first, then down the coast to Dubrovnik. Istria alone takes more overnight stays than all of Split-Dalmatia County.
Photo: Fraxinus Croat / CC BY-SA 4.0
The plan at a glance
| Day | Base | Getting there | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zagreb | Fly into Zagreb | 1 |
| 2 | Rovinj | Zagreb to Rovinj, 3 h 30 by car | 1 |
| 3 | Poreč | Rovinj to Poreč, 40 min by car | 1 |
| 4 | Motovun | Poreč to Motovun, 40 min by car | 1 |
| 5 | Pula | Motovun to Pula, 1 h by car | 1 |
| 6 | Opatija | Pula to Opatija, 1 h 20 by car | 1 |
| 7 | Plitvice Lakes | Opatija to Plitvice, 2 h 30 by car | 1 |
| 8 | Zadar | Plitvice to Zadar, 1 h 45 by car | 1 |
| 9 | Šibenik | Zadar to Šibenik, 1 h by car | 1 |
| 10 | Trogir | Šibenik to Trogir, 45 min by car | 1 |
| 11 | Split | Trogir to Split, 30 min by car or bus | 2 |
| 12 | Vis | Split to Vis, ferry 2 h 20 | 1 |
| 13 | Korčula | Split to Korčula, catamaran 2 h 30 | 1 |
| 14 | Dubrovnik | Korčula to Dubrovnik, catamaran 2 h | 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 · Rovinj
Rovinj, Venice without the queue
Croatia's most booked destination by overnight stays, and it earns it: a Venetian old town on a peninsula, with the bell tower visible from every angle.
City guide: RovinjDay 3 · Poreč
Poreč, a basilica with sixth-century mosaics
The Euphrasian Basilica holds Byzantine mosaics that predate Venice itself. Half a day covers it, the rest belongs to the coast road north.
City guide: PorečDay 4 · Motovun
Motovun, hill town and truffle country
Inland Istria is the part most itineraries skip. Walk the ramparts, eat truffles at a price that is not a tourist price, sleep above the Mirna valley.
City guide: MotovunDay 5 · Pula
Pula, an amphitheatre still in use
The arena is one of six Roman amphitheatres with a complete outer wall, and it still hosts concerts. Check the calendar: on show days sightseeing closes early.
City guide: PulaDay 6 · Opatija
Opatija, the Habsburg seaside
Twelve kilometres of seafront promenade, the Lungomare, built when Vienna took its holidays here. A day of walking rather than driving.
City guide: OpatijaDay 7 · 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 8 · 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 9 · 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 10 · 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 11 · 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 12 · Vis
Vis, the island that was closed for forty years
A military zone until 1989, which is why it has no resort strip. Komiža for the fishing town, Stiniva for the beach, and no rush either way.
City guide: VisDay 13 · 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 14 · 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: Dubrovnik
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.