Day 1: arrive in Zagreb, overnight there
Day 2-3: bus to Ljubljana and check out the city and the Postojna caves (we wanted to start there, but the flight options for us were awful, hence starting in Zagreb)
Day 4: mid-day Flixbus to Rovinj
Day 5: relaxation day in Rovinj
Day 6: rent a car, day trip around Istria including Motovun, finishing up in Pula for the night
Day 7: early morning ferry from Pula to Zadar, then the bus to Split
Day 8-9: spend time in Split, including the Krka waterfalls
Day 10-11: ferry to Korcula for some relaxation, winery visit etc
Day 12-13: ferry to Dubrovnik and explore the city
Day 14: day trip to Mostar
Day 15-16: ?????
Day 17: explore Dubrovnik more
Day 18: fly out of Dubrovnik
As you can see, we have two days extra that haven't been allocated. We're torn between turning the Mostar trip into an overnight, adding another day to Istria, an extra night on Korcula, or more time in Ljubljana. Any recommendations?
One catch is that my husband has pretty bad anxiety around heights, including being on roads with a steep drop off on one side. We've tried to avoid being in that situation by using ferries as much as possible and avoiding places like Kotor that would require driving on mountain roads. Could anyone familiar with the areas we'll be traveling confirm whether we've avoided those kinds of roads?
If you want to sightsee main things in Zagreb in 1 day:Â One day in Zagreb: Walking guide by a local
From Ljubljana I would also recommend going to Bled if you will have time but with bus travel might be hard to accomplish. Lake Bled Day Trip from Ljubljana Guide
I would also suggest visiting Groznjan:Â Top 5 Places to visit in Istria
Day 15 you can go to Lopud from Dubrovnik
Lopud: How to spend one perfect day on this island (Great island to visit from Dubrovnik)
Day 16 you can go to Cavtat or to Ston on Peljesac
Cavtat Guide ( a great place to stay near Dubrovnik)
You could also add one day to Istria also an extra night on Korcula would be amazing. My question, how come you are not renting a car and returning it in Dubrovnik, all these locations would be easier to reach and you could sightsee more and be more flexible, not saying that having comfort of not worrying about driving or parking but just saying you get to see more.
Regarding the mentioned type of Roads you can avoid them if you keep on the highway, you wont encounter them then. It usually next to the coastline and one part towards Dubrovnik has such dropoff but its not high 10 meters cca.
Renting a car would most probably also be a cheaper choice. check these driving guides for more info, also these blogs are all updated and written by local Croatian blogger Karla Types:
Should you rent a car in CROATIA ? (Guide to Pros and Cons)
From Zagreb to Split drive (Best stops on the way) Guide
Road Trip from Split to Dubrovnik (Best stops along the way)
Thanks!