If you are dreaming of a vacation of old medieval and roman towns, national parks, beaches and great Mediterranean food, you picked up the right itinerary!
Inspire yourself from this itinerary to combine the discovery of the Croatian coast and the exploration of 3 great islands (Read related post: 3 beautiful croatian islands accessible by ferry). With this trip is doable by public transportation – i.e ferries and buses- you can get the best of both worlds, even if you don’t sail.
Croatia itinerary: coast and islands hopping
Sunset in Zadar
Day 1 – Zadar: Spend a day in Zadar, exploring the roman and medieval city and walking along the seaside. Enjoy the sunset by the famous sea orchestra.
Day 2 – Dugi Otok: take the public ferry from Zadar to Sali, located on the island of Dugi Otok. Discover the island by bike, its bays and national park, the green lake and the cliffs. Night in Sali
Day 3 transfer day: take the ferry back to Zadar and bus to Split. Walk along the pier and enjoy Split night life with drinks in one of the many bars of the vibrant city.
Day 4 – 5 Split. Enjoy the historical quarter, go beach hopping, and don’t forget to try a kava (coffee) on one of the many squares of the town. Take the ferry to Hvar at the end of the second day.
Day 6 – 7: Spend 2 days in Hvar and get a taste of the jet-set life.
Day 8 – Cruise day: Take the ferry to Korcula (Vela Luka), the supposed place of birth of Marco Polo. Spend the afternoon and night on the greenest island of Croatia, famous for its olive trees and vineyards.
Day 9: Transfer to Dubrovnik: Take the ferry and bus around lunch. Night in Dubrovnik
You will not be disappointed by Dubrovnik
Day 10-11: Dubrovnik. They are many ways to explore the UNESCO protected capital of Dalmatia: take a walk on the walls, go for a swim or a kayak tour, or just enjoy some amazing local dalmatian food and wine.
Another alternative
Arrival in Split by ferry
Another itinerary if ferry schedules do not really fit your plans.
Day 1-7 as above.
Day 8 – Split: take the ferry back to Split and enjoy the rest of the day there. night in Split
Day 9 – Transfer to Dubrovnik: most probably you will be able to choose between the daily ferry (10h) or the bus (5h). Choose depending on your mood! If it’s a beautiful day, it’s nice just to spend the time relaxing on the ferry, sunbathing, reading and enjoying the view. It will cost you around the same price.
Day 10-11: Enjoy Dubrovnik!
Good to know:
To save time, land in Zadar and fly out for Dubrovnik (or vice versa and do the itinerary in reverse).
If you enjoy taking a swim or relaxing on the beach, go between mid May to end of September.
Don’t rely too much on ferry schedules: ferries schedules can be really tricky and they change quite often. Read carefully the ferry schedules, all lines don’t go every day and I am not even talking about bank holidays! Don’t plan too much in advance and stay flexible. Before taking a ferry to an island, always check the possibilities to come back/ continue your journey, don’t hesitate to ask confirmation at the office. There is nothing more frustrating than realizing on the third day on the island that the next ferry is in 2 days…
Take a look at 3 beautiful croatian islands accessible by ferry if you have not done it yet.
If you like this post, check my Bosnian itinerary and extend your Balkan trip!
