A 10 Day Itinerary to See the Best of Croatia

Croatia is a stunningly beautiful country located near Italy on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. If it is your first time heading to Croatia, and you have 10 days to try and see as much as you can, but don’t want to feel rushed, then I have the itinerary for you!

You may be tossing up between an organized tour or planning and organizing your itinerary yourself. I say why not combine both?! The beginning and end of our trip we planned ourselves and after much research decided that the best way to see the stunning Croatian Islands was to go on a small ship cruise with Sail Croatia, along the Dalmatia coast. To read more about our small ship, the Salve Di Mare, and our Sail Croatia experience, read my review here.

We explored on our own before boarding our boat in Dubrovnik and again when we disembarked in Split.

Milana and I were literally going to split in Split! She was heading to Italy, and I was staying a few extra nights in Croatia.

My motivation to stay a little longer in Croatia was twofold. I really wanted to see the Plitvice Lakes National Park, every photo I had seen of the Lakes was stunning. I also needed to fly to Scotland to see my daughter and there were more flight options available from the Croatian capital of Zagreb.

To kill two birds with one stone, I booked a small group transfer from Split to Zagreb including a guided tour of Plitvice Lakes. Perfect solution! The pick-up point was very central, at a bus terminal on the esplanade. One bus took us to the Lakes, our luggage was then transferred to another bus, which took us onto Zagreb after we toured the Lakes.

Our best of Croatia Itinerary begins in the extraordinary medieval walled city of Dubrovnik.

Day 1 & 2 – Dubrovnik

We were only in Dubrovnik for 1 night before setting sail on our Croatian cruise of the Dalmation coast. Therefore, we decided to stay near the marina rather than within the city walls. We chose to stay at Bova Luxury Suites, which offers an airport shuttle service. This was a lovely boutique hotel with very friendly and helpful staff.

After settling in, we made use of the local bus network to take us into Dubrovnik Old Town.

Things to do in Dubrovnik

1. Walk the Walls

My one must-do in Dubrovnik is to walk the walls of this spectacular medieval walled city. We purchased our tickets, which weren’t cheap, but you simply have to do it! Enter the city through the elaborate Pile Gate, built in 1537. From there, head down the ramp to pass through the inner gate and into the main square. There are a few different entry and exit points along the wall, but to reduce congestion, everyone has to walk in the same direction. We chose the closest entry to the main gate. Walk the wall, take in the magnificent view of the Old Town and the sparkling Adriatic Sea. Admire the forts and towers that date back to the 16th century, as well as the marina.

2. Have a Drink on the Wall

All that stone can make things a little heated. We were there in September, and we worked up quite a thirst walking those walls. Only one thing for it really…. a refreshment break at the wonderful Buza Bar! Located on the rocks outside the city walls, it offers exceptional views of the sea, sunsets, and daring patrons swan diving into the ocean! I received some feedback that the line to get into the Buza Bar, and then to try and get a seat, was ‘soul destroying’ …. I have to say, that wasn’t our experience. Maybe it was the time of year or time of day that we visited, but we just walked straight in. We loved our time at Buza bar, but no time to linger…. we had a walk of shame to do!

3. See Game of Thrones filming sites

Once you have completed the city walls walk, explore inside the walled city itself. Any Game of Thrones fans will know that Dubrovnik was the filming location for the fictional King’s Landing. There are numerous GoT tours that you can do, or if you are short on time like we were, choose one or two of your favourite locations and find them yourself – easy with Google!

The iconic scene where Cersei does her walk of shame was partly filmed on the Jesuits Staircase. Of course, we had to re-enact it, as did everyone else on the stairs. In fact, we were told that shop owners and residents along that street are cursing the day they agreed to filming, because all they hear day-in, and day-out is one word on repeat – SHAME!

4. Explore the Main Square and Alleys of Old Town

Dubrovnik has become very popular with tourists and therefore can get super busy. I have to say, in September the tourist numbers weren’t too bad, and we didn’t feel like we were drowning in a sea of tourists. Take your time wandering down narrow alleys, really get a feel for what life was like to live inside the walls of a medieval city. Take a look inside the Franciscan pharmacy, dating back to 1317, it is perhaps the oldest operating pharmacy in Europe.

After an early dinner at Renaissance restaurant, which we really enjoyed, we did a little souvenir shopping, a little more wandering, a little ice-cream for dessert, and then back on the local bus to the marina. The bus was a little crowded outbound, I guess everyone had the same idea, and we managed to miss our stop. Thank goodness for Google maps, that navigated us in the dark, back to our hotel!

Our plan in the morning was to be close enough to where our ship was docked, to be able to walk there with our suitcases. However, it ended up being too far to walk, but only about a 5-minute taxi ride. We were so excited to see our ship and meet our fellow cruisers!

Setting Sail

The embarkation process was very smooth. The tour manager greets everyone as they arrive, checks you off and a crew member offers to carry your luggage onboard to your cabin. This was most welcome as I wasn’t sure how I was going to get my suitcase across the gangplank! The advice is to pack light for your cruise, but we had come from 2 weeks in the Greek Islands and still had 2 weeks to go, so a suitcase it was!

From then, until everyone was on board, our time was our own. We enjoyed meeting fellow guests, who I have to say were the loveliest bunch of people to spend a week with. For more information about our ship, the Salve di Mare, and our overall Sail Croatia experience, read my review.

Below is just a brief summary of the sailing itinerary and our ports of call that you should definitely include in your 10-day Croatian itinerary. For more details about each port of call read my post on our Croatian Island cruise.

First stop on the cruise itinerary was Mljet.

Day 3 – Mljet and Korcula

Mljet

Sailing through the night, we disembarked after breakfast, within a short walking distance from the entrance to the Mljet National Park.

Most of the guests on board opted to hire a bicycle as we did, to explore the park on 2 wheels. The National Park is huge and covers the entire northwest of Mljet Island. Inside the National Park are 2 saltwater lakes, and in the middle of the largest lake is a little island called Islet Melita which is the site of a Benedictine Monastery.

We spent a wonderful morning, cycling around the park, swimming in the sparkling lake, taking a wrong turn, getting lost and almost missing the boat that was due to leave at lunch time! Thanks to some life-saving Swedish tourists, we made it back in time.

After lunch and a beverage to calm our frayed nerves, we sailed for Korcula.

Korcula

Having recovered from our cycling adventure, we were keen to explore Korcula Old Town in the afternoon.

Korcula is a small island and supposedly the birthplace of Marco Polo. The Old Town has been nicknamed mini-Dubrovnik, with its surrounding walls, gates and towers.

Most of the guests opted to do the buggy tour and the dinner in a local village. Milana and I, conscious of our budget, opted to explore the town by foot and have dinner in town. We met up with everyone after dinner for drinks at a very cool bar atop one of the fortifications.

Day 4 – Vela Luka

After a gorgeous swim stop, we docked in Vela Luka. Vela Luka is on the far western side of the same island as Korcula.

Vela Luka is a larger town than Korcula Old Town but has a more relaxed, laid-back vibe.

We ended our day with a short 30-minute hike to the Great Cave, an archeological site. This was followed by a BBQ dinner on the boat, which was a great night.

Day 5 – Vis

After another gorgeous swim stop, we docked at Vis. I really loved our swim stops. The water was so clear and blue, and it was lovely to have a bit of fun with our new friends on board.

Vis until recently was a Yugoslavian military base and has only been open to tourists since 1991. Although it is no longer a military base, evidence of its military past can be found around the island with military tunnels that you can explore.

Here we tempted fate and once again opted for renting some bikes. We cycled up to an old monastery, now a gorgeous wedding venue, with wonderful views of the island.

Day 6 – Hvar

Before dropping anchor in Hvar, we were able to visit the nearby Blue Cave, that we were not able to see the day before. Entering the cave was an adventure in itself, but the blue water inside was amazing! See my more detailed post on the Croatian Islands to see the video.

After exploring the picturesque town of Hvar, we did a hike up to the Fortress overlooking Hvar, which had gorgeous views of the town and marina.

The evening was spent in a local bar with everyone having lots of fun and dancing…. until THE accident happened! Someone fell on top of me, and I knew straight away that my arm was not in a good way.

I made the decision to wait until we got to the mainland before seeing a doctor. So, we fashioned my sarong into a sling and soldiered on to Stari Grad!

Day 7 – Stari Grad

This was a different swim stop for me, I used it as an opportunity for a little aqua therapy for my arm and stayed tethered to the ladder off the back of the boat.

Stari Grad, also on the island of Hvar, is a UNESCO protected, quiet little town. It boasts many vineyards and the highlight of Stari Grad was a wine tasting tour to Hora Farm, organized by our cruise company.

That evening was the captain’s dinner on board the ship, but I was feeling a bit tired, sore and sorry for myself so had an early night.

Day 8 & 9- Split

When we arrived in Split, I had made the decision to get my arm checked out properly. Our cruise manager, Steve, kindly offered to take me to the hospital, and so I spent most of my first day in Split, in hospital getting x-rays done.

My arm was fractured. That was inconvenient. No ziplining for me!

Trussed up like a Christmas turkey, I made it back to the ship in time for the walking tour with our ship manager and local lad, Steve. Focusing mainly on the Diocletian’s palace, Steve showed us some of the top sites before heading back to the ship for farewell drinks.

We spent our last night on the ship and bid farewell to our new friends. We were a little sad to say goodbye to everyone as we had the most wonderful week and were so lucky to have shared it with such a great group of people.

After disembarking, Milana and I said our farewells as well. She was excited to be heading to Italy and I was feeling a little worried about how I was now going to manage the rest of this trip on my own with one functioning arm!

Where to Stay in Split

My accommodation in Split, Centro di Centri Rooms, was lovely, right in the middle of old town, very comfortable with a cute little private balcony.

First problem was getting my heavy suitcase up several flights of stairs to my room. Luckily, one of our new friends from the cruise offered to help me. I don’t know how I would have managed without him! The manager of the rooms was also very helpful, organizing for someone to help me with my luggage the next morning, to get to my transfer pick up point.

Things to Do in Split

Explore the Diocletian’s Palace

I had booked into a food tour for the evening. In the meantime, I took a leisurely walk through Split old town with camera in hand, happily clicking away until the rain began to fall. The rain didn’t dampen my spirits though, as I explored the Diocletian’s Palace, with the impressive Cathedral of Saint Dominus and its labyrinth of narrow streets lined with shops and bars.

Admire the Italian influenced architecture

I admired the cities architecture, that clearly has Italian influences. Republic square has elements of St Mark’s Square in Venice, form its arches and layout. outside the gate of the Diocletian’s Palace you will find a large statue of Gregory of Nin. Rubbing his big toe is supposed to bring you good luck. I needed all the luck I could get!

Go on a Food Tour

The food tour was a highlight. We tasted traditional Croatian meals in historic restaurants and there was the added benefit of not having to eat alone! Our guide and host also gave a little history tour as we walked from one restaurant to another. Here is the link for more information on the food tour.

Day 10 – Zagreb via Plitvice Lakes National Park

Grateful for the pre-arranged assistance to help me with my suitcase, I arrived at the bus/departure point in plenty of time for my transfer to Zagreb. I met a few fellow passengers while waiting, and before we knew it, we had arrived at the Lakes.

A guide walked us through the Lakes showing us the highlights and best viewing points. The rain from the previous day was hanging around so the sky was grey and dull. Even so, the colour of the water in the Lakes was spectacular. The rain actually helped to keep the crowd numbers down. I heard there can be bottlenecks along the boardwalks when tourist numbers are high. Highly recommend adding a tour to Plitvice Lakes to your Croatian itinerary. For more information on the Plitvice Lakes Tour, click here.

Back on the bus and onto Zagreb. I was staying in an airport hotel. The plan being to get an early night and an early start to get to the airport. The transfer service was into central Zagreb so I had them drop me as close as they could to the airport. It was then a short taxi ride to the hotel.

I slept. It had been a big couple of days but the pain in my arm was finally becoming manageable. However, a new problem was starting to arise. Being bandaged as I was, I was unable to shower, sponge bath only, so I was starting to smell, and my hair was filthy!

When I finally met up with my daughter in Scotland, after a big hug, I begged her to please wash my hair! Isn’t this why we have children??

We loved Croatia! It is rapidly becoming a tourist destination hotspot for a very good reason, it is stunning!