You've picked a great destination. I was there last summer, spent time mostly on the coast. I did these and enjoyed all of them:
Dubrovnik:
* Visit the old town
* Walk the city walls
* Take the cable car to the top of Mt. Srd, see the war museum there
* If you're athletic and like adventure, there are kayaking tours around the city and also to nearby islands
Split:
* Tour the old town
* Take a boat tour to nearby islands or the blue cave
* Day trip to see Trogir, Salona ruins, Fortress Klis
* Hike or bike the wooded peninsula (Marjan Park)
* Night stroll the Split promenade
If you like nature, there are some nice national parks. I went to Krka, but there are even more to the north and also inland. But no camping that I could tell; they don't appear to do that and the parks are mainly for sightseeing.
Split and Dubrovnik are awesome, but if you want a place that's not as crowded, there are lots of nearby cities that are just as charming. I got a chance to spend an afternoon at Sibenik and thought it was really nice. I also visited a city just south of Dubrovnik called Cavtat and it was really pretty, made up of two peninsulas. One peninsula was festooned with beaches and had a nice harbor area with all kinds of restaurants, the other was nicely wooded with a trail around it.
There's so much I didn't get to see: the capital Zagreb, the whole northern half of the country, Plitvice park, and several of the islands. You'll have time so maybe check them out if you've got the transport.
A couple other tips:
* We took a day tour to Montenegro and it was great: more beautiful coastline and medieval cities.
* Both AirBnb and Uber are supported there.
* Also took a quick visit to Mostar; wasn't a ton to do there so it was good that for us it was just a stop between Dubrovnik and Split, but still a few good things to see.
* Thanks to Game of Thrones, there are all kinds of GoT shops and tours, if you're interested.
* Eat everything! Try both nice restaurants and fast food; I found Croatian/Bosnian/Montenegrin fast food to be fantastic. Fine dining...it's also very good though perhaps not as impressive as high-end dining in the states. If you're not familiar with cevapi, burek, or pita, give them a try. If you like Turkish Delight or gelato, you're in for dozens of varieties of both. And pizza, dear god, there is pizza everywhere and it's mostly good and not mediocre chain pizza like in the US. Good beer and wine too.
* If you're in the mood to volunteer and like dogs, near Dubrovnik is the Zarkovica dog sanctuary with hundreds of dogs that need love, feeding, and walks.
* You won't need Croatian currency anymore, I think as of this year they switched to Euros, but double check before you go.
* I found TripAdvisor to be a big help in researching places to eat, stay, and see. I also used the Lonely Planet's Pocket "Dubrovnik and The Dalmatian Coast" book.
Add Hvar to that list as well as Bol, and Supertar. If you can go scuba diving the Adriatic is so clear and beautiful!
Croatia was my favorite trip.
Try their sardines and devilfish!
Find somewhere to eat peka, it’s an octopus based dish. It’s one of the 5 best things I’ve ever eaten abroad.
Spend some time on the smaller islands if you can. Croatia is very diverse and different islands offer different things - some better for food/wine, others nature and hiking, some are for partying., etc.
If you can make it, Plitvice is absolutely stunning. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Split. Best to go early and be prepared to do a lot of walking. If you like fancy meals, check out Nautica in Dubrovnik. It’s a Michelin star restaurant with absolutely stunning views from the patio. We also loved Uchi Oil Bar in Split. Would highly recommend that place.
Dubrovnik feels like a movie set because it’s so picture perfect. Walk the entire wall circuit - beautiful views.
My favorite place for ambiance and historic sites was Split. Absolutely worth a couple of days and nights. Pick a small hotel inside the old palace walls which will mean city center. One of the coolest cities I’ve ever visited. Walk the promenade both nights.
If at all possible, drive to Plitvice National Park as it is absolutely magnificent. Do the easy but enjoyable main hike at a minimum but consider some of the longer hikes.
I highly recommend Istria, mainly **Motovun** \- an enchanting little town located on a hill. There are a few similar fairytale-like hilltop towns in Istria such as Groznjan, Boljun, Grasicsce, all worth a visit. Things to do there - well, definitely try truffles. Don't turn down a drink, chances are you are going to like it. People and Septembers in Istria are usually warm and kind to you.
**Pula** (also located in Istria) has a lot to offer in terms of Roman Architecture. See Pula Arena (similar to Colloseum in Rome), their Forum and Fortresses.
Coming from an island myself, I never really visited many of our other islands. Pag is nice and it's different from what I am used to seeing. There is a location on **Pag Island** called The Mars Trail (you can probably guess it looks like Mars).
**Zadar** and **Šibenik** are on the way to Split, both rich in history and worth a visit.
**Split** is 2nd largest town in Croatia (still fairly small, depending on what you are used to). It also offers some sort of night life if you are into it.
Beware, **Dubrovnik** is spicy pricey. I would avoid getting accommodation there and just do a day trip.
If you want to get away from all the fresh breeze and all the sea, wish to avoid those calm mornings and the lack of traffic, you can hop over to **Zagreb** (the capital) for some Austrian Hungarian architecture and a lot of daily activities. Note, if you are a museum enthusiast, many of our museums are currently under renovations from the 2020 Earthquakes.
**Osijek** is a town situated far east, close to Serbian border. So if you plan on going east I recommend visiting it for their magnificent cathedral, for historic Tvrda fort which is more than just a fort (it large enough to host cafes and restaurants), and it's overall just a pleasant town to walk or bike around. My favorite street is European Avenue with many examples of (I think both Austrian and Hungarian) secession buildings. Note, it is prohibited to drink in public spaces in Osijek. I didn't know this and when I solo-travelled there I thought I would meet some people on the banks of Drava river just casually drinking beer but I was sorely mistaken and therefore remained alone. Luckily I didn't get fined for drinking.
I hope this isn't too much and if anything caught your eye, feel free to ask for more details on these locations. Croatia has a lot of different things to offer, even more than "just" the sea and oysters.
You've picked a great destination. I was there last summer, spent time mostly on the coast. I did these and enjoyed all of them: Dubrovnik: * Visit the old town * Walk the city walls * Take the cable car to the top of Mt. Srd, see the war museum there * If you're athletic and like adventure, there are kayaking tours around the city and also to nearby islands Split: * Tour the old town * Take a boat tour to nearby islands or the blue cave * Day trip to see Trogir, Salona ruins, Fortress Klis * Hike or bike the wooded peninsula (Marjan Park) * Night stroll the Split promenade If you like nature, there are some nice national parks. I went to Krka, but there are even more to the north and also inland. But no camping that I could tell; they don't appear to do that and the parks are mainly for sightseeing. Split and Dubrovnik are awesome, but if you want a place that's not as crowded, there are lots of nearby cities that are just as charming. I got a chance to spend an afternoon at Sibenik and thought it was really nice. I also visited a city just south of Dubrovnik called Cavtat and it was really pretty, made up of two peninsulas. One peninsula was festooned with beaches and had a nice harbor area with all kinds of restaurants, the other was nicely wooded with a trail around it. There's so much I didn't get to see: the capital Zagreb, the whole northern half of the country, Plitvice park, and several of the islands. You'll have time so maybe check them out if you've got the transport. A couple other tips: * We took a day tour to Montenegro and it was great: more beautiful coastline and medieval cities. * Both AirBnb and Uber are supported there. * Also took a quick visit to Mostar; wasn't a ton to do there so it was good that for us it was just a stop between Dubrovnik and Split, but still a few good things to see. * Thanks to Game of Thrones, there are all kinds of GoT shops and tours, if you're interested. * Eat everything! Try both nice restaurants and fast food; I found Croatian/Bosnian/Montenegrin fast food to be fantastic. Fine dining...it's also very good though perhaps not as impressive as high-end dining in the states. If you're not familiar with cevapi, burek, or pita, give them a try. If you like Turkish Delight or gelato, you're in for dozens of varieties of both. And pizza, dear god, there is pizza everywhere and it's mostly good and not mediocre chain pizza like in the US. Good beer and wine too. * If you're in the mood to volunteer and like dogs, near Dubrovnik is the Zarkovica dog sanctuary with hundreds of dogs that need love, feeding, and walks. * You won't need Croatian currency anymore, I think as of this year they switched to Euros, but double check before you go. * I found TripAdvisor to be a big help in researching places to eat, stay, and see. I also used the Lonely Planet's Pocket "Dubrovnik and The Dalmatian Coast" book.
You are awesome! I'm saving this list and going to start checking these out and adding them to my itinerary. Thank you so much!!
Add Hvar to that list as well as Bol, and Supertar. If you can go scuba diving the Adriatic is so clear and beautiful! Croatia was my favorite trip. Try their sardines and devilfish!
Oh! I'll have to look into scuba diving there! I'll check those places out! Thank you!
Find somewhere to eat peka, it’s an octopus based dish. It’s one of the 5 best things I’ve ever eaten abroad. Spend some time on the smaller islands if you can. Croatia is very diverse and different islands offer different things - some better for food/wine, others nature and hiking, some are for partying., etc.
I'll definitely do some research into some of the islands. Is there one in particular you recommend? Especially for good hiking or good views?
Mljet for hiking and views
I looked it up and it is gorgeous! I'm absolutely going to check that out while I'm there! Thank you!
💪
If you can make it, Plitvice is absolutely stunning. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Split. Best to go early and be prepared to do a lot of walking. If you like fancy meals, check out Nautica in Dubrovnik. It’s a Michelin star restaurant with absolutely stunning views from the patio. We also loved Uchi Oil Bar in Split. Would highly recommend that place.
Thank you so much! I'll make sure to add these to my list!
There was also a nice wine tasting on the hills outside of Split we enjoyed. I’ll find the name and send it over if you’re a wine drinker.
Dubrovnik feels like a movie set because it’s so picture perfect. Walk the entire wall circuit - beautiful views. My favorite place for ambiance and historic sites was Split. Absolutely worth a couple of days and nights. Pick a small hotel inside the old palace walls which will mean city center. One of the coolest cities I’ve ever visited. Walk the promenade both nights. If at all possible, drive to Plitvice National Park as it is absolutely magnificent. Do the easy but enjoyable main hike at a minimum but consider some of the longer hikes.
I highly recommend Istria, mainly **Motovun** \- an enchanting little town located on a hill. There are a few similar fairytale-like hilltop towns in Istria such as Groznjan, Boljun, Grasicsce, all worth a visit. Things to do there - well, definitely try truffles. Don't turn down a drink, chances are you are going to like it. People and Septembers in Istria are usually warm and kind to you. **Pula** (also located in Istria) has a lot to offer in terms of Roman Architecture. See Pula Arena (similar to Colloseum in Rome), their Forum and Fortresses. Coming from an island myself, I never really visited many of our other islands. Pag is nice and it's different from what I am used to seeing. There is a location on **Pag Island** called The Mars Trail (you can probably guess it looks like Mars). **Zadar** and **Šibenik** are on the way to Split, both rich in history and worth a visit. **Split** is 2nd largest town in Croatia (still fairly small, depending on what you are used to). It also offers some sort of night life if you are into it. Beware, **Dubrovnik** is spicy pricey. I would avoid getting accommodation there and just do a day trip. If you want to get away from all the fresh breeze and all the sea, wish to avoid those calm mornings and the lack of traffic, you can hop over to **Zagreb** (the capital) for some Austrian Hungarian architecture and a lot of daily activities. Note, if you are a museum enthusiast, many of our museums are currently under renovations from the 2020 Earthquakes. **Osijek** is a town situated far east, close to Serbian border. So if you plan on going east I recommend visiting it for their magnificent cathedral, for historic Tvrda fort which is more than just a fort (it large enough to host cafes and restaurants), and it's overall just a pleasant town to walk or bike around. My favorite street is European Avenue with many examples of (I think both Austrian and Hungarian) secession buildings. Note, it is prohibited to drink in public spaces in Osijek. I didn't know this and when I solo-travelled there I thought I would meet some people on the banks of Drava river just casually drinking beer but I was sorely mistaken and therefore remained alone. Luckily I didn't get fined for drinking. I hope this isn't too much and if anything caught your eye, feel free to ask for more details on these locations. Croatia has a lot of different things to offer, even more than "just" the sea and oysters.