Croatia in 7 days: Zagreb to Dubrovnik without rushing
One line down the country, one night per stop, no backtracking. Fly into Zagreb, out of Dubrovnik.
Photo: Bjoertvedt / CC BY-SA 3.0
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 | Split | Zadar to Split, 1 h 45 by car | 1 |
| 5 | Hvar | Split to Hvar, catamaran 1 h | 1 |
| 6 | Korčula | Hvar to Korčula, catamaran 1 h 15 | 1 |
| 7 | 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 · 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 · Split
Split, living inside a Roman palace
Diocletian's Palace is not a museum, it is a neighbourhood with 3,000 residents. Cellars in the morning, Marjan at golden hour, Riva after dark.
City guide: SplitDay 5 · 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 6 · 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 7 · 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.