We spent about 10 days hopping from place to place through out Croatia, seeing a total of 5 major cities and much of the countryside on the way. We started out in Dubrovnik which is the most highly recommended from our experience and from what I have heard from many others. But I think it was really meaningful to explore more of the country as it is very diverse and quite different the more north and inward you go. 

Croatia is full of medieval towns, pine forests, hills, mountains, rocky clear blue coasts and historic castles and fortresses. There is a good mix of hole in the wall spots with local experiences as well as modernized and diverse eats and things to do. It has more recently become a tourist destination but is still less overrun as compared to some parts of Greece.

This was the main part of my Balkans trip in August 2021. Also check out:

Kotor, Montenegro

Ancient Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Thessaloniki, Greece

Magical Monasteries of Meteora

Athens, Greece

Santorini, Greece

Recommended time of year to go

Dubrovnik and Split are known to be quite touristy and crowded at peak times of the year so I would definitely recommend going during off peak tourist season. We were fortunate enough to go in the summer of 2021 when not many people were traveling. Try to go in June or September before the busy season and high temperatures but while there is still a summer vibe. 

Recommended amount of time to spend 

1-2 weeks. To really see a full picture of Croatia, you need at least a full week if you are going to multiple cities and about 2 weeks would be ideal. To maximise our time, we spend most of the time in Dubrovnik and Rijeka and then shorter days in the other cities and countryside. But I would have loved to experience some of the smaller towns and national parks if we had just a little more time and flexibility.

Transportation

Traveling between cities by bus is by far the easiest, most convenient, budget friendly and just no fuss. Busses are easy to book online in advance and in our experience worked just fine with the tickets on our phone. (Keep in mind in other parts of the balkans such as Albania, Bulgaria, northern Greece it was important to have a paper copy or buy in person.) The train system is available but not as efficient and renting a car could be a good option to get to explore more of the countryside away from the cities if you are up for all that comes with renting car and getting yourself around! Flights are also a good option as the country is quite large if you wish to skip some places along the way. 

Accommodation

We stayed in a mix of hostels and home stays found on airbnb, hostel world and booking websites. We made sure to prioritize the location to be right in the Old Town of each city or at least very quick walking distance and close to the bus/train station. This was the best experience to keep the budget very affordable, walkable and also get lots of local recommendations and experiences. 

Food

I did not record all the places to eat this time, but we went to a variety of places from fancy sit down to quick street food on the go! Plenty of freshly caught seafood. For our longer stays, we opted to shop at a market and prepare food from our accommodation. Most places were middle range budget, with Dubrovnik old town being the priciest and Rijeka being on the more affordable side. Make sure to try Croatian classics like ćevapi sandwich, štukli, meat or spinach pies, stuffed peppers, black risotto, brujet/traditional stew, and to eat at local bistros and avoid the tourist focused food. 

Booking

If you travel during peak season, make sure to book ahead to be safe, but I would recommend booking with free cancellation. Then while you are there, ask and look around for options which benefit the local people and economy because they will likely be more authentic and affordable! Most of the tours and restaurants that we experienced were through our hosts or hostel recommendations. I was very glad in the end that we went with more of the local recommendations rather than online tour options. Airbnb experiences is also a great place to look in case you don’t find local recommendations. 

5 cities of Croatia: Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, Rijeka, Zagred. 

Dubrovnik

After an amazing time in Kotor, we started our Croatian vacation in the historic town of Dubrovnik. (By the way, I highly recommend short trip to Kotor, Montenegro as part of your Croatia itinerary! Read my full travel guide for it here.)

Activities in and near Dubrovnik 

Island hopping boat tour - so worth it! Yes it is a little bit of a tourist trap feel but its that all inclusive no hassle day that you probably didn’t know you needed…multiple islands, lots of sea time on the boat and even a fair amount of beach time. Some historic places too such as this pink church pictured below. The food and drinks are standard but the lunch had great fresh local fresh and bottomless drinks!

Dubrovnik cable car (or hike up) - incredible views and experience. I personally loved the hike up and down and it was one of the most peaceful moments of spending time in a pine forest that I totally needed. But my friend loved the cable car option and it’s quite affordable, too! 

Lokrum Island - whether or not you are big into Game of Thrones, this is a simple and beautiful half day island trip. Here you will find 1 of the 3 actual iron thrones that was used in the filming of the show/series, and you can sit on it! We were the only ones there that morning before other visitors came on later boats. The museum is pretty interesting and really gives insight to what it was like for the actors and film makers during filming! Apart from movie buff stuff, there is a small dead sea to swim in and beautiful gardens to walk around!

Old town walking tours - A game of thrones tour is a must and really even if not that into the show it is still so fun and gives a great perspective of the old town and beautiful vantage points. From my experience, I would have skipped the $30 booked tour and taken the free game of thrones tour which is one of the free walking tours available. After talking with other travellers and guides, it sounds like the experiences are pretty much the same. I did both the old town walking tour and the paid game of thrones tour and the paid for one had much less information and felt like it catered to a company style rather than the individuals. And of course always give your free walking tour guide a generous tip, they are the most amazing tour guides from all my experiences! 

Split

We only spent a few hours here for a layover on the bus when traveling between Dubrovnik and Zadar. I had heard that it is very touristy and crowded so we planned it this way just for a quick feel of the city and beach without a stay. If you do stay longer, the islands are a main attraction here. We were able to store our bags with a locker system at the bus station and venture out for lunch and time around the city. It was really small so it was great to just walk through the old town and then later by the shore. We enjoyed street food with some delicious sandwiches and then later fresh smoothies and coffees at a fruit stand. 

Zadar

We had 2 days here and honestly it felt like more than enough. If we had stayed here longer or even within the time we had, a guided day trip with transportation to Krka National Park, known for its magical waterfalls, would be a great option! Instead, I took the walking tour of old town here and we spent a lot of time relaxing in cafes, bistros, by the sea. There was a beautiful park right outside the old town and we also found it worth walking across the river into the new side of town. Staying within the old town was a nice experience and you can get a good feel of the old town in just a couple days or even one day if you don’t have a lot of time. 

Zadar must do activities

• Sunset by the sea

• Listen to the sea organs 

• Night market

• Dinner with fresh tuna along the shore

• Boujee dessert cafe

• Local bistro with lunch special

• Old town walking tour

• Walk to new part of city and the park nearby

Rijeka

This was our longest stay towards the end of the trip. We really got a local feel for the city and had time to go back to some of the same places. Much more downtime, wandering the markets, chilling in our space, shopping and a lovely beach day. Rijeka feels like a different country as compared to southern Croatia; the architecture, the culture, everything feels a little quicker paced and less into the mediterranean and aegean sea lifestyle. 

Rijeka must do activities

-Beach day at Sablićevo Beach

-Ride scooters - to the beach or just around town

-Thrift shopping, not too many options but found 3 stores and really enjoyed the experience

-Walking the sea at sunset

-Food and farmer’s market

-Castle fortress for sunset cocktails and charcuterie, with incredible views

Zagred 

I only spent a half day in Zagred as I flew out in the evening and my friend stayed behind for a few more days to herself. This is the perfect starting or ending point to the Croatia trip as it is a huge city and closer to other european cities and countries, with better access to flights and international transportation options. Despite it being a large city and the capital, it still felt quite walkable. I stored my luggage at the bus station and booked an airport shuttle upon arrival in the early morning. Then we went off to see what is known as, “The City of Love!” We enjoyed seeing some of the main sites, statues, cathedrals, architecture and views over the city and surrounding area. There are so many places to each with all types of food really gives a diverse metropolitan feel as compared to the other cities in Croatia. It would be nice to spend more time here but I am so glad that we focused our time on the other smaller coastal cities instead! If you do have more time in and around Zagred, there is a lovely wine region and national parks nearby to explore.