The Best of Croatia in 7 Days.
We’ve travelled and lived in Croatia. We know this country. Firstly, 7 days isn’t anywhere enough to really get to see all the highlights of Croatia. There’s lots to see and there’s something for all interests.
But if you absolutely only have 7 days, I’m going to tell you my opinion on the best places to see. And it won’t be the usual list of places you see on all those generic lists. I’m going to give you a mix: beautiful islands, incredible landscapes and historical highlights. You might only be in Croatia 7 days but you’re going to sample a bit of everything that makes this a great place to visit.
I’m also going to keep the itinerary tight and logical so you don’t spend time running around going to places. With my itinerary you’ll see a lot of different places while maximizing your time.
So where to start?
Day 1 – Split
Our favorite city in Croatia. Split is phenomenal and also makes for a great base being in the middle of Central Dalmatia. For this itinerary, you’ll be using Split as a base for 4 nights.
Hotel Recommendations*: High-end: Heritage Hotel Antique Split, Mid-range: Jupiter Luxury Hotel or Hostel BB, Budget: AI Hostel. More on this post: The Best hotels in Split.
*I should warn you: Croatia is a place where prices triple in the summer months. You can easily pay 250-300 Euros/night for a nice hotel room in summer. Go in October or November and they’ll be in the 100-150 Euro range. I always recommend to people that they visit Croatia in the shoulder seasons or even in winter (when you have clear, sunny days in the 15C-20C range).
Here is what you have to see in Split:
Diocletian’s Palace. Diocletian’s Palace is not a “palace” in the traditional sense of a palace. It is more like a large fortress, accessed through 4 gates along the four sides of the palace. Within the “Palace” lie the historical highlights of Split: the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (one of the oldest Cathedrals in the world), its bell tower (which you should climb), the Vestibule, Jupiter’s Temple, the cellars under the Palace.
Diocletian’s Palace isn’t big: it’s basically square-shaped and walking from one side to the other will take you about 3 minutes at a good pace. But there’s so much to see within the Palace that you can easily spend 2-3 hours. Besides being visually stunning, it is chock full of history. Remember, this Palace was built for a Roman Emperor. Don’t miss the 3500 year-old Egyptian sphinxes on the main square (the Peristyle).
Split’s old town is a Unesco World Heritage Site and Diocletian’s Palace is the jewel in the crown.
I have a whole post here on Diocletian’s Palace
The Riva. Once you’re done with Diocletian’s Palace, step out to the seaside promenade just outside the walls (The Riva). The Riva is a good place to sit down and have a drink and just soak in the atmosphere. Have a walk further along the promenade, enjoying the views of the city, the mountains behind it and the ship traffic in the harbour.
Marjan Hill. Marjan Hill has tons to offer and you could spend all day walking through the park enjoying the different views, the forest trails and the different beaches hidden in different spots. But for those with limited time, there is one must-see highlight: the 1st viewpoint (If looking it up on Google maps, it shows up as “Split viewpoint (belvedere)”
It’s a 10-15 minute walk up from Diocletian’s Palace/Riva. But the views are worth it and there’s a café there if you need to relax for a bit.
More on Marjan Hill (there’s also a 2nd lookout at the top of the hill. But it’s another 15 minutes walk up…)
If you still have some time left, walk back into the old town and just walk around. Explore around the gates of the Palace: see the Grgur Ninski statue (sculpted by famous Croatian Ivan Meštrović) outside the Golden Gate, visit the food and souvenir markets outside the Silver gate, and explore the old town beyond the Iron Gate (our favorite of the 4 gates).
Note: the next 3 days include day trips from Split. If ever feeling under the weather or just need a break from being on the move, just know that there are lots of things to see in Split if you want to skip one of the day trips. See A detailed Guide to Split.
Day 2 – Croatian Islands (Hvar or Brač) from Split
The Croatian Islands are beautiful and these are two of the most beautiful islands. And with the catamaran from Split’s port you can get to Hvar Town (on Hvar) or Bol (on Brač) in about an hour.
So which to visit? If you’re in the mood for sightseeing and seeing a very popular place, I’d say Hvar. If you want a beach day at one of Croatia’s most famous beaches (Zlatni Rat) and maybe a hike, I’d say Brač.
Hvar Town. Very pretty town in a bay with a large fortress overlooking everything (make sure to go up, the views are fantastic). Hvar is known as a party town for the jet set – but don’t let that deter you. It’s very pretty and there’s lots of history, you’ll see churches, palaces and the largest square in Dalmatia. It makes for a great daytrip.
More about visiting Hvar on a Daytrip
Note: the Jadrolinija website has lots of departures per day between Split and Hvar and they take 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Bol Town (Brač)
I really like Bol. It’s a very pretty, laid back town. There’s a long promenade along the coast that takes you to Zlatni Rat beach. It’s Croatia’s most photographed beach, a split of land sticking out into the sea. Then there’s Vidova Gora, the highest peak in the Adriatic islands (it takes 2 hours to get to the top but you end up with fantastic views of Zlatni Rat).
Finish off with some wine tasting at Stina Winery back in Bol before taking the ferry back.
This alternative makes for a relaxing day in nature.
Note: Brač doesn’t have the number of catamaran departures that Hvar gets. But it’s still easily doable as a daytrip. Take Krilo to get to Bol (they usually have a ferry at 8:45 am and it will get to Bol in an hour. Coming back to Split, Krilo has a return voyage at 20:10.
Day 3: Šibenik & Krka from Split
Today you visit one of Croatia’s most beautiful (and underrated cities) along with a National Park famous for its waterfalls.
Šibenik
Šibenik is mostly known for its Cathedral, the Cathedral of St. James (Katedrala Sv Jakova). It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site built by the Venetians in the 15th century. It is the only European cathedral constructed using only stone. It lies on a beautiful square lying in front of a gorgeous City Hall, a 16th century Renaissance building that looks like it was transplanted from Venice. In fact, the whole of Šibenik’s old town is very photogenic.
Šibenik also has 4 fortresses, including 3 in town (the 4th is outside the city, protecting the mouth of the channel leading to the sea.
Getting there: Šibenik is 90 minutes away from Split by bus (there are buses roughly every hour between the two cities). Have a look at buscroatia.com.
Krka National Park
Šibenik is the jumping off point to Krka National Park (Šibenik is 19 km from the town of Skradin, one of the entrances to the park). Krka is the small brother to Plitvice National Park, having a series of 7 waterfalls where you can walk around.
At the center of the park, and the starting off point, is Skradinski Buk waterfall. From there you take walking paths that takes you over fast-flowing creeks and to waterfalls.
Getting there: You can take the bus to Skradin from Šibenik. It only takes 20 to 30 minutes (and Skradin itself is worth a visit). The problem is that there are only a few buses per day (7 per buscroatia) so you really have to plan it well.
Organizing your day and alternatives
The ideal way to visit Šibenik and Krka National Park in one day is by car. As you see above, it can be done by public transport but the Krka portion has to be well planned.
If the above worries you, there are alternatives:
- You can visit Krka easily (and cheaply) on a tour from Split. The end point of the tour is Skradin – at which point you could leave the tour and go to Šibenik on your own by either bus or taxi. From Šibenik it’s easy to get back to Split by bus.
- If seeing waterfalls is your main objective…skip all I have above and take a full-day tour of Plitvice National Park. I normally wouldn’t recommend Plitvice as a daytrip from Split (it deserves more than a day and it takes 2 ½ to get there) but if seeing waterfalls is your main objective then Plitvice is the best place. See this tour. I write all about Plitvice National Park here.
Day 4: Trogir & Klis Fortress from Split
This is a pretty easy day, both Trogir and Klis are within easy reach of Split.
Trogir
Trogir is a Unesco World Heritage Site and is known as one of the best-preserved medieval towns in all of Europe. See the 13th century cathedral and hike to the top of the belltower, walk the Riva and visit the Fortress of Kamerlengo, and walk through the narrow streets of town – all very photogenic and you’ll feel like you stepped back 500 years.
More: Photos showing you why you should visit Trogir
Getting there: you can take a bus from Split’s bus station (which leave on the hour and take 30 minutes) or get a city bus (#37) from the bus stop about 10 minutes outside the city walls (but this is slower. I suggest the bus from the bus station).
3 hours is more than enough to visit the highlights of Trogir.
Klis Fortress
You might recognize Klis Fortress from the Game of Thrones where it was the fictional city of “Meereen”.
The coast of Croatia is protected by a long line of mountains. Approaching Split you see one gap in that wall of defense, a pass between the mountains into the interior. And right there, right in that gap, is a high mass of rock with a huge stone fortress sitting on top of it. That’s Klis fortress. Just like in the Game of Thrones, this spot has always marked the frontier between the interior and the coast. From the Romans to the Slavs to the Kingdom of Croatia, a fortress has always stood in this spot to repel invading hordes.
Getting there: You would normally take the 22 bus from Split to get to Klis. But if combining with Trogir, I would recommend you take a taxi (or Uber) from Trogir to Klis fortress (that should take you about 20 minutes). When you’ve finished visiting the fortress, take the 22 bus outside the fortress…it’ll take you back to Split.
As I said above, this is a light day. You’ll have time left over to see more of Split, go to the beach etc.
Day 5: Omiš, Makarska, Mt. Biokovo
Today you’ll be leaving Split and will overnight in Makarska. You’ll see some of Croatia’s most spectacular mountain geography on this day.
Omiš
Leave Split early and stop in Omiš (about 30 minutes down the coast if traffic conditions good). It’s my favorite town in Croatia, a beautiful place with incredible geography. It’s also the adventure capital of Croatia if looking to do activities like ziplining, canyoning or rafting.
Hike up to the Starigrad Fortress (which overlooks town and is in a crazy position at the top of a peak), go to the Mirabella Fortress in town (more great views) and sit down at the main town square for a beer.
Getting there: There are buses that leave Split’s bus terminal and go to Omiš’ bus terminal, they leave every 2 hours and take about 30 minutes. But Omiš’ bus terminal is a bit out of town – instead I recommend you take the 60 bus from behind Split’s green market. It’ll bring you right into Omiš’ town.
Note: Omiš is just a stopover on your way to Markarska. If you don’t have a car and you have baggage, you may wonder what to do with it while discovering the town. If you’re in this situation, I would recommend that you write Hotel Plaža Omiš which is right by the bus stop [email protected]. They might be open to storing your baggage for a fee.
Makarska
Continuing down the coast, Makarska is only about 45 minutes from Omiš. It is at the foot of spectacular Mt. Biokovo (which has the 3rd highest peak in Croatia. More on Mt. Biokovo soon).
Makarska is about beautiful beaches, walks around the paths and trails around town, and incredible views of sea and mountain. There’s a town museum and a shell museum…but honestly it’s about the nature here.
Hotel Accommodation. You have 1 night in Makarska. A few Recommendations: Hotel Park Makarska (big modern hotel on the beach with a pool. Fantastic views), Hotel Osejava (modern hotel, pool, great views).
More: Why you HAVE to visit Makarska
Mt. Biokovo
Many years ago I drove up Mt. Biokovo with some friends – the mountain has the highest road in all of Croatia and you can drive up to the highest peak (Sv. Jure) at 1762 meters. Incredible, one of the most fantastic experiences I’ve had, there are lots of walks, viewpoints, wildlife…
All about driving up Mt. Biokovo.
But if you don’t have a car, you can still visit Mt. Biokovo. There are various tours you can take and most will take you to the new skywalk. One I’d recommend as a perfect end to your day is a Biokovo Sunset Tour by TukTuk.
Day 6 and 7 – Dubrovnik
From Makarska you’ll be driving (or taking the bus) to Croatia’s most popular destination – Dubrovnik. It’ll take about 2 ½ hours and you’ll have lots of fantastic views of the Croatian coastline along the way.
Hotel Recommendations in Dubrovnik: Casa Arancia which is a bargain by Dubrovnik standards (we stayed here on our last visit). But if you have money to burn and want to have an out-of-this-world Dubrovnik experience try The Pucic Palace (one of the few hotels in the center, beautiful old world hotel), Hotel Excelsior (gorgeous 5 star hotel, a quick walk outside the old town looking over the sea), Apartment Cativla (right in the old town, gets great reviews, better value).
There’s lots to see in Dubrovnik. Start with a walk along the top of the city walls. Also included in the ticket is a visit to the St. Lawrence fortress (also known as Fort Lovrijenac). See the Pile Gate, Big Onofrio’s fountain, St. Saviour Church, the Franciscan Monastery. Walk the Stradun (the main street through the old town), see the Bell Tower, the Sponza Palace, St. Blasius Church , the Rector’s Palace, Dubrovnik Cathedral and St. Ignatius Church.
Really, there’s so much to see in Dubrovnik, enough to keep you busy for a day and a half. And when you’re done, hike up (or take the cable car) up Srd Hill.
More: The Highlights and Lowlights of Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is expensive by any standard. But it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and has to be experienced at least once.
So that’s my 7 day “Best of Croatia itinerary”. As I said off the top, there are many beautiful places in Croatia and they can’t all be covered in 7 days. But if you’ve done the above I guarantee you’ll leave Croatia amazed by the beauty you’ve seen.
Note: if you have more time and want to visit more of the region see The Best of Croatia (and around) Itinerary
Related: The Best Balkan capitals
Related: Our Top “Travel Experiences” over the last 10 years
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