CROATIA 7-DAY ITINERARY: A MAGICAL WEEK ON THE COAST

Planning your Croatia 7-day itinerary? You’re in the perfect place!

As an ever-growing favourite tourist destination, Croatia is probably on your bucket list. While you’d need months to see Croatia completely, it’s understandable that not many people can afford that. Therefore, I’m bringing you top destinations to visit during your Croatia 7-day itinerary.

7 days won’t be nearly enough to see everything you should, but it’s a good starting point that requires you to come back. As a Croatia native, I’ll try my best to show you why are some of these locations an absolute MUST visit.

BASIC INFO ABOUT CROATIA

WHERE IS CROATIA?

Croatia is a small country in Europe tucked away in the southeastern part of Europe. Croatia is often connected to the Balkans due to it’s proximity to the area, but the country also has close ties to the countries of central Europe.

Today, Croatia is among the most visited European countries due to its beautiful Adriatic Sea, and the popularity that came as a result of Game of Thrones.

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WHAT TO BRING TO CROATIA?

CURRENCY

Croatia uses Euro as their main currency, and that’s the only currency you can pay in. At most places you can pay with cards so there’s no need for big amounts of cash, but still have some around for restaurant tips, streets vendors and some coffee shops which don’t take cards.

ELECTRICITY OUTLETS

Same as most of European countries, in Croatia you need a Type-C electrical outlet in order to charge your gadgets. Buy a travel plug adapter and make your life easier!

TRANSPORT IN CROATIA

Transport is really easy in Croatia, since you have many options. It really depends on whether you want to drive or be driven.

The most comfortable and the easiest option is to rent a car. There are several rental companies on each airport and in each city, so renting a car won’t be a problem if you’re of age and have a credit card. Depending on your home country, check if you need an international driving permit.

If you don’t want to drive you can easily get around by bus since the coast is very well connected, or you can also use ferries.

7-DAY ITINERARY

Split – 2 days

Split is the second biggest city in Croatia and the second most popular tourist destination on the Croatian coast. It’s popular for its beautiful old town and incredible night life.

Where to stay in Split

Split is a huge city so there’s a number of beautiful and comfortable accommodations available. Here’s a short list of lovely stays in different price ranges:

• Luxury – Amphora’s Garden, Hotel Ambasador
• Mid-range – Hotel Batuda, Luxury Rooms Floramye
• Budget – Villa Spalatina, Hurricane Hostel

Where to eat in Split

Split has some great food places and here’s three you should definitely check out:

• Bakra Steak and Pizza Bar
• Lucica restaurant
• Bokeria Kitchen & Wine

What to do and see in Split 2 days

If you need more information read the full 2-day itinerary for Split, but here are the absolute musts:

Old town

Split’s old town is the most magical part of the city, and it’s a must once you’re there. One afternoon will be more then enough to explore the cobbled old town, and here are some of the landmarks you must see:

Diocletian’s Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of many in Croatia. Built by Roman Emperor Diocletian, today the palace is Split’s number one visited landmark. The entrance is free since the palace is part of the old town, but if you want to visit the rooms underneath you have to pay.

the Bell Tower of St. Domnius Cathedral is right next to the palace, and it’s stunning. You can climb it for less than 5 euros and get an incredible view of the old town.

Once you’ve seen the old town, you exit on Split’s famous Riva. Riva is a beautiful promenade along the sea, with many bars, restaurants, street vendors and musicians there. Riva is always lively, so get there at sunset and enjoy the beautiful views and people watch!

Marjan Hill

The greenest point of Split and it has one of the best views of the city. At the end of the Riva you’ll find many steps which will take you all the way to the top of the hill and to the viewpoint.

Trogir

Trogir is only a 30 minute drive from Split. You can get an Uber for 30 euros or take the public transport – bus 37 takes an hour from Split to Trogir. There, explore the old town and go for a swim, because Trogir has much nicer beaches than Split.

Hvar – 1 day

Croatia’s most famous island is very close to Split, which makes it super easy to hop there for a day trip.

You can reach Hvar by ferry from Split; the boat ride lasts for an hour and it costs from 10-20 euros, depending on the demand and ferry company that you choose.

Hvar is the perfect day trip you can take from Split.

What to do on Hvar in 1 day

Hvar old town

Croatian towns are known for gorgeous old towns, and Hvar’s old town is no different. Stunning cobbled streets will lead you to some of our favourite places in the old town, such as St. Stephen’s Square, Bishop’s Palace, Franciscan Monastery…

Spanish Fortress

The old Spanish Fortress is situated on a hill above the old town and gives you the most incredible views of the island and Pakleni islands as well. You can reach it by hiking or by taxi, and the entrance ticket is around 5 euros.

Beach club Carpe Diem

Visit one of the most famous beach bars in the world on Hvar! Carpe Diem is a luxury beach bar by day and a club by night. During the day, you can rent chairs and parasols and enjoy a private beach at one of the nicest beach bars in Croatia.

Krka NP – 1 day

National Park Krka is an incredible day trip for anyone, but especially nature lovers. Only an hour away by car from Split, this NP should be on top of your Croatia bucketlist.

The tickets are 40 euros in high season and around 20 or less during off-season, but Krka is worth the price. There are several incredible stops in Krka NP but these locations are the ones you must visit: Skradinski Buk, Krka Monastery & Viskovac Monastery.

If you’re looking for a short stop at NP Krka, you’ll need around 2 hours to explore the most popular waterfalls around Skradinski Buk. However, you if have the whole day, you can easily explore the whole park. You can also stop for lunch at Seosko Domaćinstvo Kristijan – this lovely family restaurant is situated IN a waterfall, so you can eat directly beside it!

If you don’t have a car and are looking for excellent tours from Split to Krka, here are some of my favourites on GetYourGuide. I was never disappointed by a GYG tour!

Dubrovnik – 3 days

Lastly, the perfect cherry on top is Dubrovnik. Croatia’s most beautiful and most well-known city deserves 3 days and you’ll see why. From the beautiful old town, crystal sea, and wonderful islands nearby, Dubrovnik deserves even more, but let’s see what’s your best option if you have 3 days available in Dubrovnik.

Where to stay in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik has an abundance of incredible hotels and apartments, so you won’t have any problems booking them if you start on time! The prices vary a lot, depending on where you want to stay – the closer to old town the bigger the price. Here’s how to choose a hotel in Dubrovnik according to your budget, but these are my top 3:

• Luxury – Rixos Hotel
• Mid-Range – boutique Villa Dorma
• Budget – The View

Where to eat in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is a great place for foodies as it offers incredible food from various cuisines. Read our ultimate guide to Dubrovnik’s restaurants, but in the meantime, these are our absolute favourites:

• Luxury – 360, Nautika
• Mid-range – Dubravka, Panorama
• Budget – Preša

What to do and see in Dubrovnik in 3 days

Walk the city walls

Dubrovnik’s pride and joy are its well-preserved city walls surrounding the old town. It will take your around an hour and a half to walk the city walls, and the entry ticket is 35 euros during peak season. In the off season the tickets are cheaper. You’ll get incredible views of the Adriatic Sea, fort Lovrijenac, and the gorgeous red rooftops of Dubrovnik’s old town.

Take a Game of Thrones tour

Dubrovnik has played the part of King’s Landing for many seasons, and today that’s one of the main reason a lot of people come to see Dubrovnik. There are many ways to visit all the GoT filming locations. You can do a self-guided tour or you can book a tour and have a guide show you around. Either option is great!

Climb or take the cable car to mount Srđ

If you’ve seen those glorious shots of Dubrovnik from above, you’ve seen the viewpoint of mount Srđ. The view is as heavenly as it looks on social media, and Srđ during sunset is a place you cannot miss.

You can get to the top in many different ways but the main three are hiking up, going by car or taxi, or taking the cable car. If you want an especially memorable sunset, book a dinner at Panorama, restaurant on top of mount Srđ with definitely the best view of Dubrovnik.

Visit Lokrum island

Lokrum island is a perfect afternoon activity if you like nature and swimming. Only 15 minutes away from Dubrovnik’s old town port, this wonderful green oasis will take you away from the bustling crowds of the old town. The ferry is 27 euros return trip and it covers the entrance to the island. On the island there’s a lovely botanical garden, several rocky beaches and Croatia’s very own Dead Sea.

Visit Elaphiti islands

One of the best day trips you could take is a tour of the Elaphiti islands. The three main islands are Koločep, Šipan, and Lopud, and you can reach them by ferry or by booking a group or private tour of all three islands. Our absolute favourite is Lopud and it totally deserves a day for itself.

Take a boat tour on a pirate ship

Another incredibly fun activity can be sailing into sunset or all the way to Elaphiti islands on an incredible galleon replica called Tirena. We have a whole review of this activity which we highly recommend.