Croatia itinerary - input?

[Scuba]

DH and I are getting serious about planning our itinerary for this summer’s trip. Initially we were going to start in Venice and go to Greece after Croatia, but we’ve decided with the COVID uncertainty, it’s better to minimize how many borders we have to cross. Plus, after researching, it seems that there is a lot to do in Croatia. Would love input from people who have spent time there. Timing of trip is July/August 2022 and unfortunately isn’t flexible as we are going there partly to celebrate my best friend’s 60th birthday.

Zagreb - arrive there and spend 2-3 nights acclimating and seeing some urban sights
Plitvice Lakes - rent car in Zagreb and drive to this National Park. See it in one day and head to Istria.
Istria - spend roughly a week, with a rental car, touring the area and experiencing food and wine tasting and possibly cooking classes.
Cruise on small ship (38 passenger max) along coastline from Opatija to Dubrovnik for 7 nights. Stops in Rab, Zadar, Krka National Park/Sibenik, Split, Metkovic, Korcula and Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik - spend 5-7 nights there seeing the city and doing day trips to nearby islands.
Korcula - spend a week visiting beaches, seeing the island, enjoying the food and wine, and possibly a day trip or two to nearby islands
Brac - spend a few days to a week exploring this island; rent a car, bikes and maybe a boat for a day.
Vis - same plan as Brac
Fly home from Split

Total time about 6 weeks, most of which will be exploring the countryside and enjoying beaches/islands. We have toured a lot of European cities and aren’t that into seeing churches, medieval walled cities, etc. We enjoy seeing mostly natural beauty and spending time on beaches. Food and wine are big for us too.

I keep wanting to do a trip like Brett does - just book a one way flight and do everything last minute, but I’m afraid to for this trip as we will be there in the peak of high season.

Any thoughts on destinations, length of trip, etc?

 

[Bamaman]

My initial thoughts are that you're going to an immense number of cities, especially if you throw in those visited on the mini-cruise. Your trip could easily be somewhat of a blur.

After years of traveling by car as far and fast as we could, we now travel and stay in one place taking day trips from that location. And we see so much more taking it slowly. But there again, you're going for 6 weeks which is much longer than our 2 weeks & 3 weekends.

I am jealous in that you're going to the last place in Western Europe that we've not been. I've been to Venice at least 9 times, and we just have not taken the time to make the short trip over the Adriatic to the eastern side opposite Italy.

We wish you well on your trip. Planning a trip is often half the journey, and there is a lot to prepare to see in the old Yugoslavia.

 

[Lucie]

We spent a week in Croatia when my husband was asked to speak at the University. 3 days in Zagreb was more than enough. I wish we had more time to spend in Dubrovnik. It's a beautiful country. I agree with Bamaman, don't over schedule your trip. Enjoy your trip!

 

[rwdflynavy]

I've visited Dubrovnik and Split. Both were great, but Dubrovnik was fantastic.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

This sounds like an amazing trip. Spread out over 6 weeks or so, I don't feel that you're being to aggressive with locations. Enjoy the trip!

 

[fosterscik]

We spent two weeks (wish it had been 6!!) in the fall of 2018 doing much of what you plan. In Zagreb we stayed at the Esplanade Zagreb - a very cool old luxury hotel in the center of downtown. A bit of a luxury but very comfortable. We did a lot of walking around Zagreb but I don't consider the days we spent there as being particularly memorable. We had some very good food (I especially remember the Stara Vura restaurant set in an old vaulted wine cellar in the old town). So 2 -3 nights is probably perfect. We rented a car in Zagreb and drove to Plitvice and spent two days there. (Stayed at a B&B just outside the park). Plitvice is a beautiful park. It was little crowded in the lower area because of busloads of day trippers from the coastal cities but we easily got away from the crowds. I'd recommend staying the night there. We did the lower loop on one day and the upper loop on the second. We drove from there to Zadar stayed overnight, made a day trip to Paklenika national park and after another night in Zadar drove to Krka national park. We spent two nights outside Krka at an agriturismo style farm (Agrotourism Kalpic). I'd highly recommend this place, inexpensive, great bedrooms with wonderful food. I think you'd be happier keeping the car a little longer and not making the usual cruise day trips from the coast.
Your inter-island cruise sounds wonderful but you may also want to consider using the high-speed passenger ferries to hop between islands. We drove along the coast from Zadar to Split to return our rental car with stops at the more famous tourist destinations of Sibenik and Trogir. From Split we took high speed hydrofoils to Hvar, Korcula and then Dubrovnic, but I believe you can get ferries to all the islands on your itinerary. That allowed us to stay in really nice hotels in the port cities and to eat in local restaurants. We rented motor scooters on both islands which gave us lots of time to explore.
We enjoyed Dubrovnik but it got very crowed when the big ferries dumped their passengers in to the city each day. We stayed out side the old town and really enjoyed being able to walk up the (steep) steps to get out of the crowds. It was also an easy walk down back to the old city to eat in the restaurants. If you want a lovely quiet place outside the daily bustle, it was an Airbnb (Mirjana’s place, Vicina 5, Dubrovnik). We enjoyed taking the ferry from Dubrovnik to Lokrum and swimming from the rocky inlets with the locals (an of course posing free of charge on the sword of thrones set up in the monastery!)
If you have any questions, let me know.

 

[Callitaday2022]

Stationed with MASH in Zagreb and had fun swimming and cliff jumping in quarry, going to museums, ballet, and symphony. Great restaurants and coffee bars around center city. We also did some mountain biking and white water rafting not too far outside of Zagreb.
Also traveled to Brac, Hvar, and Bol on different vacations and all were awesome.

 

[HarveyS]

Very interested in all the input here. We are doing a similar cruise in 2023 and will plan many weeks around the cruise like you are doing.

 

[brett]

We took a ferry from Ancona, Italy to Split Croatia.

Then we did our own thing by going down the coast on Jardelina (sp) ferries and stopping for several days at various places. Ended up in Dubrovnic. Rented a car for a few days. Then took an overnight ferry to Bari, Italy and spent time along the Amalfi coast.

Nothing planned out in advance other that a general idea of where we wanted to go and when we had to be home Just decided day by day. Great trip.

 

[steelyman]

Great thread! I am of Croatian background but have never visited. WWI prompted my ancestors to come to the US.

 

[ventoux]

Croatia is beautiful Wife and I were in Croatia for 4 months approximately March 2020 - July 2020. We got into Croatia just when the country shut down for Covid reasons that's why our planned 6 week stay turned into 4 "wonderful" months in Croatia.

Zagreb we only did for a few days, but worth a trip to Museum of Broken Relationships.

Spent 2.5 months in Split which is a picturesque city. Did kayaking, rock climbing, hiking but many of the activities weren't operating due to covid. Marjan Forest is beautiful, we're runners so we'd often run from our Airbnb in center of old city to Marjan Forest. Beautiful road through Marjan to run or bike, pretty popular with locals and travelers. Traveled to Hvar, which was okay but not much going on when we were there, usually quite a popular place.

Pula, Roman Coliseum and Olive Oil museum.

Rovinj, in Istrian region, beautiful...water did some swimming here and laying around pretty relaxed vibe. Also, were able to rent car and take day trips to Motovun and othere small villages in Istrian region.

Also, Plitvice Lakes was incredible, in high time it sees apparently 10,000 people per day but most likely about 200 per day when we were there. We stretched our visit here to two days one day for upper and one for lower lakes.

Hope you enjoy your trip.

 

[rodi]

I haven't been. The only think I know is from my vagabond son who ended his month in Europe last August in Hvar Town - apparently it's a jet set party scene. Of course he was poor and staying in a hostel and couldn't afford the cover charges, LOL. He said the beaches were nice and he met some fun people. He was not impressed by Zagreb when they hung out there between trains.

 

[stepford]

I note the OP expects to spend a few days on Brac and Vis, but not Hvar. while they're all lovely, my wife and I enjoyed Hvar the most. Brac might have the most picturesque beaches, but is pretty quiet. Vis has some interesting mountainous terrain for hiking and some really fascinating old military installations (Tito's Tunnels). But Hvar just had more going on - including its own set of nearby tiny islets. Visit all three.

We spent a month there in the shoulder season. Major tourist destinations like Plitvice and Dubrovnik were already madhouses. We found quieter towns like Zadar, Opatija and Pula much more enjoyable.

BTW it may be out of scope for the trip, but neighboring Bosnia and Serbia have some really interesting parts too. Easily accessible from Croatia if you can make the extra time.

 

[Scuba]

We took a ferry from Ancona, Italy to Split Croatia.

Then we did our own thing by going down the coast on Jardelina (sp) ferries and stopping for several days at various places. Ended up in Dubrovnic. Rented a car for a few days. Then took an overnight ferry to Bari, Italy and spent time along the Amalfi coast.

Nothing planned out in advance other that a general idea of where we wanted to go and when we had to be home Just decided day by day. Great trip.

What time of year was this, Brett? Do you think it is possible to travel "on the fly" during high season? Unfortunately we cannot change the timing as my friend's birthday we'll be celebrating is in mid-July. I've read on some travel forum sites that already places are booking up in the most desirable locations.

 

[Scuba]

I note the OP expects to spend a few days on Brac and Vis, but not Hvar. while they're all lovely, my wife and I enjoyed Hvar the most. Brac might have the most picturesque beaches, but is pretty quiet. Vis has some interesting mountainous terrain for hiking and some really fascinating old military installations (Tito's Tunnels). But Hvar just had more going on - including its own set of nearby tiny islets. Visit all three.

We spent a month there in the shoulder season. Major tourist destinations like Plitvice and Dubrovnik were already madhouses. We found quieter towns like Zadar, Opatija and Pula much more enjoyable.

BTW it may be out of scope for the trip, but neighboring Bosnia and Serbia have some really interesting parts too. Easily accessible from Croatia if you can make the extra time.

We decided to avoid as many border crossings as possible on this trip since each country has different COVID restrictions and requirements. Greatly simplifies the trip if we just stay in one country.

We did not plan on Hvar for the same reason we skipped Mykonos while in Greece. We are just not into the party/clubbing scene and it seems Hvar is famous for that. Are there prettier islands/beaches off the coast of Hvar vs Brac and Vis? We really like beaches, nature, wine and food, but aren't into "jet setting" or clubbing.

 

[Scuba]

Croatia is beautiful Wife and I were in Croatia for 4 months approximately March 2020 - July 2020. We got into Croatia just when the country shut down for Covid reasons that's why our planned 6 week stay turned into 4 "wonderful" months in Croatia.

Zagreb we only did for a few days, but worth a trip to Museum of Broken Relationships.

Spent 2.5 months in Split which is a picturesque city. Did kayaking, rock climbing, hiking but many of the activities weren't operating due to covid. Marjan Forest is beautiful, we're runners so we'd often run from our Airbnb in center of old city to Marjan Forest. Beautiful road through Marjan to run or bike, pretty popular with locals and travelers. Traveled to Hvar, which was okay but not much going on when we were there, usually quite a popular place.

Pula, Roman Coliseum and Olive Oil museum.

Rovinj, in Istrian region, beautiful...water did some swimming here and laying around pretty relaxed vibe. Also, were able to rent car and take day trips to Motovun and othere small villages in Istrian region.

Also, Plitvice Lakes was incredible, in high time it sees apparently 10,000 people per day but most likely about 200 per day when we were there. We stretched our visit here to two days one day for upper and one for lower lakes.

Hope you enjoy your trip.

Wow - 4 months - that's amazing! We are planning 8 nights in Istria. Do you recommend staying in one place (maybe Rovinj) for the entire time, or splitting time between Rovinj and somewhere east such as Opatija? We plan on having a rental car there.

 

[HarveyS]

What time of year was this, Brett? Do you think it is possible to travel "on the fly" during high season?

I'd be cautious about what may have worked in the past vis a vis on the fly travel. First, there is pent up demand for travel after two summers of pandemic. Secondly, there may be limited staff and thus less options on hotels, etc.
Last August DW, DS and I went to Alaska. While planning the trip in May, we were told by many vendors that reservations were not needed, just come on up...there's plenty of room. We booked all of our hotels and rental car anyway. Turns out that several excursions were fully booked when we got there. Restaurants were very busy. Rental cars were not available without a reservation. Some hotels and restaurants were closed due to lack of staff. It was explained that there was a rush of tourism that wasn't expected and many of the overseas summer help couldn't travel to US.
Just my $0.02

 

[ventoux]

Wow - 4 months - that's amazing! We are planning 8 nights in Istria. Do you recommend staying in one place (maybe Rovinj) for the entire time, or splitting time between Rovinj and somewhere east such as Opatija? We plan on having a rental car there.

Scuba, I think both areas would be a decent option for 8 days. Personally, we'd probably select just one place for an 8 day stay. We stayed 3 weeks in Rovinj and 1 week in Opatija. To us, Rovinj was more interesting and beautiful than Opatija. However, the wine, food and olive oil (Istrian olive oil is deemed best in world quite often) was great in both places. But, if you put a premium on actually getting in the water easily for swimming purposes then Opatija is better suited for that. It's a tough decision but there were some really nice places to have dinner and wine and watch the sunset in Rovinj.

 

[kcowan]

We did an Adriatic tour of the islands for eight days then rented a car in Dubrovnik and did the coast to Zagreb. Highly recommend the islands. We were not impressed with Pula. We cut our stay short. The colosseum is impressive though.

 

[Scuba]

Scuba, I think both areas would be a decent option for 8 days. Personally, we'd probably select just one place for an 8 day stay. We stayed 3 weeks in Rovinj and 1 week in Opatija. To us, Rovinj was more interesting and beautiful than Opatija. However, the wine, food and olive oil (Istrian olive oil is deemed best in world quite often) was great in both places. But, if you put a premium on actually getting in the water easily for swimming purposes then Opatija is better suited for that. It's a tough decision but there were some really nice places to have dinner and wine and watch the sunset in Rovinj.

Thank you for this input. We decided to stay 3 nights in Rabat, 5 nights in Rovinj, and just one night (before catching our cruise) in Opatija. We’ve planned the pre-cruise and Dubrovnik part of our trip but have 3 weeks after that to spend in the southern islands and haven’t planned those details. Since we will be there during the peak of high season, we will plan accommodations in advance though.

 

[starry night]

Zagreb - Museum of Broken Relationships

This one was a real treat and surprise...quirky, funny, heartwarming and reflective, even shattering.
The Museum of Broken Relationships, in Upper Town of the Old City Zagreb.
It toured the world as a traveling exhibit, winning many awards, finally finding a permanent home in Zagreb.
It’s worth a 2-hour visit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Broken_Relationships

 

[Scuba]

This one was a real treat and surprise...quirky, funny, heartwarming and reflective, even shattering.

The Museum of Broken Relationships, in Upper Town of the Old City Zagreb.

It toured the world as a traveling exhibit, winning many awards, finally finding a permanent home in Zagreb.

It’s worth a 2-hour visit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Broken_Relationships

I definitely want to go there, as well as the Museum of Illusions. Thanks!