oscar1
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What must you see on a 1-2 week Croatia trip?
Croatia Must See?!
- Thread starter oscar1
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Bamaman
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First thing you must see is the Rick Steves website.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/croatia
The area on the eastern side of the Adriatic has incredible scenery, and it alone is worthy of a dedicated trip to Europe.
It's hard to believe that there was such a civil war over there, and most of Europe turned their backs on the people of then Yugoslavia. It's so close to Italy.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/croatia
The area on the eastern side of the Adriatic has incredible scenery, and it alone is worthy of a dedicated trip to Europe.
It's hard to believe that there was such a civil war over there, and most of Europe turned their backs on the people of then Yugoslavia. It's so close to Italy.
COcheesehead
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It’s Italy without the crowds.
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
I'd like to see the store where my AMEX card spent $21,000 when I (and my AMEX card) was in another country! 
davebarnes
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
1. TripAdvisor has a more active Croatia forum than Ricky.
2. Lake Bled is in Slovenija, not Hrvatska.
3. Must see are https://www.touropia.com/national-parks-in-croatia/
4. Ricky likes https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rovinj
2. Lake Bled is in Slovenija, not Hrvatska.
3. Must see are https://www.touropia.com/national-parks-in-croatia/
4. Ricky likes https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rovinj
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Nemo2
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Plitvice Lakes was nice.....haven't been there for 30+ years though.
stepford
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(All of these suggestions are based on a visit 7 years ago)
Dubrovnik is probably considered essential, but it's such a tourist madhouse these days I'd avoid it. Split will also be crowded, but may not suffer from the Game of Thrones mania that has beset Dubrovnyland in the last few years.
Everybody goes to Hvar also, but it really is lovely and is worth visiting even with the crowds. Brac has nice beaches and is faster to get to from Split, but can also be crowded. In a time crunch I'd choose Hvar.
If you get the chance, Vis is a really interesting and lower key island to try.
Further up the coast Zadar is a really nice smaller city with a pretty waterfront area that's worth a stop.
Up in Istria in the northwest, check out Opatija for a taste of the old Riviera and Pula for a full size roman Colosseum without having to go to Rome.
Zagreb is probably a must see and is a pretty European city, but frankly there are a lot of pretty European cities and if time is tight I'd pass this up for more time on the coast and especially the islands which really make Croatia special.
There's lots of other cool places to check out, but those were highlights off the top of my head.
Dubrovnik is probably considered essential, but it's such a tourist madhouse these days I'd avoid it. Split will also be crowded, but may not suffer from the Game of Thrones mania that has beset Dubrovnyland in the last few years.
Everybody goes to Hvar also, but it really is lovely and is worth visiting even with the crowds. Brac has nice beaches and is faster to get to from Split, but can also be crowded. In a time crunch I'd choose Hvar.
If you get the chance, Vis is a really interesting and lower key island to try.
Further up the coast Zadar is a really nice smaller city with a pretty waterfront area that's worth a stop.
Up in Istria in the northwest, check out Opatija for a taste of the old Riviera and Pula for a full size roman Colosseum without having to go to Rome.
Zagreb is probably a must see and is a pretty European city, but frankly there are a lot of pretty European cities and if time is tight I'd pass this up for more time on the coast and especially the islands which really make Croatia special.
There's lots of other cool places to check out, but those were highlights off the top of my head.
brett
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We have only been down the coast but it is on bucket list to go again.
We took the ferry from Ancona, Italy to Split, Croatia. Then we made our way down to Dubrovnik on the Jhardelina (sp) ferries. We stopped at several places along the way for a few days each. Enjoyed it very much.
We took the ferry from Ancona, Italy to Split, Croatia. Then we made our way down to Dubrovnik on the Jhardelina (sp) ferries. We stopped at several places along the way for a few days each. Enjoyed it very much.
athena53
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One of the most memorable excursions DH and I ever took on ANY of our trips was because I clicked on a banner ad while booking flights between Dubrovnik and Zagreb. It was for a kayak trip around the Dubrovnik city walls. You didn't have to be an athlete- DH had a creaky back at the time and had to be helped in and out of the boat by our guide (who was named Igor!) and a few other tourists, and I did most of the paddling from the back. It was beautiful, and a totally different view of the city. I'd brought a watertight plastic sandwich container that could be lashed to the boat to contain a small camera, and I still show people those pictures (even though many have DH's head in the foreground).
We also took a ferry to Lokrum Island- Napoleon had a fort up at the top. Not crowded at all. I think the trick is to avoid the hordes of cruise ship passengers when you can. They're on the city walls- that's where they all go- and in the shops and in the main square, but they go back on the ship in the evenings. Dubrovnik was a rare combination of fascinating history and natural beauty.
We also took a ferry to Lokrum Island- Napoleon had a fort up at the top. Not crowded at all. I think the trick is to avoid the hordes of cruise ship passengers when you can. They're on the city walls- that's where they all go- and in the shops and in the main square, but they go back on the ship in the evenings. Dubrovnik was a rare combination of fascinating history and natural beauty.
We really enjoyed Split, and Krka National Park as well as Zagreb.
Slovenia, not Croatia - nextdoor neighbors. But if time permits, I'd definitely recommend a side trip to Bled...
Chuckanut
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See old town Dubrovnik early in the AM or later in the PM. Definitely walk the wall around the old town.
The cruise ship crowds are overwhelming so avoid mid morning to late afternoon.
Also, if you enjoy wakilng, there is a wonderful walk along the coast line where, if you enjoy adult beverages, you can enter the Cave Bar that is carved out of the local rock. Very interesting and worth the price of a glass of wine. And at least when I was there, the cruise ship crowds never get to the walk or the bar.
Boutique hotel More Dubrovnik
The cruise ship crowds are overwhelming so avoid mid morning to late afternoon.
Also, if you enjoy wakilng, there is a wonderful walk along the coast line where, if you enjoy adult beverages, you can enter the Cave Bar that is carved out of the local rock. Very interesting and worth the price of a glass of wine. And at least when I was there, the cruise ship crowds never get to the walk or the bar.
Boutique hotel More Dubrovnik
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fosterscik
Full time employment: Posting here.
We were in Croatia in October 2018. Flew into Zagreb, rented a car and drove to the coast stopping at Plitvice Lakes, Krka and Paklenika National parks. Each park was wonderful. I would return in a heartbeat - however I have heard the crowds can be fearsome earlier in the year. We stayed at an Agritourismo outside Krka. That was a great choice. The rooms and set evening meals were excellent and it was nice to eat at our "hotel" after walking all day (BED & BREAKFAST AGROTOURISM KALPIĆ - Family farm).
We drove into Zadar then Split and dropped the car in Split. From there we island hopped on fast ferries (Split -> Hvar -> Korcula -> Dubrovnik) ending in Dubrovnik and flew home from Dubrovnik.
We really enjoyed the Croatian islands. Our experience was enhanced by travelling off season. I have read that Hvar is a zoo earlier in the year, but the islands have small ports and are not visited by the big cruise lines. We spent 2 days on each island and I could have spent more time exploring. We loved driving our rented scooter around Hvar!
So much of this is personal preference. We love hiking and getting off the heavily traveled tourist track whenever possible. For us the parks and islands were the highlights. Dubrovnik was my favorite city, but that was because we used it as a dining hub and stayed out of the city center (a short steep walk up the hill to our airBnB rental). Even in October it was filled with cruise ship tourists. There was an endless stream of shuttle buses dropping and picking up passengers throughout the day. We avoided the old city between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm to miss the worst of the crowds.
We drove into Zadar then Split and dropped the car in Split. From there we island hopped on fast ferries (Split -> Hvar -> Korcula -> Dubrovnik) ending in Dubrovnik and flew home from Dubrovnik.
We really enjoyed the Croatian islands. Our experience was enhanced by travelling off season. I have read that Hvar is a zoo earlier in the year, but the islands have small ports and are not visited by the big cruise lines. We spent 2 days on each island and I could have spent more time exploring. We loved driving our rented scooter around Hvar!
So much of this is personal preference. We love hiking and getting off the heavily traveled tourist track whenever possible. For us the parks and islands were the highlights. Dubrovnik was my favorite city, but that was because we used it as a dining hub and stayed out of the city center (a short steep walk up the hill to our airBnB rental). Even in October it was filled with cruise ship tourists. There was an endless stream of shuttle buses dropping and picking up passengers throughout the day. We avoided the old city between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm to miss the worst of the crowds.
Efficient Way to see Croatia
We did a bike and cruise tour last summer that turned out to be a great way to see a lot of different parts of Croatia. There are several tour companies providing this service (we used Pedal and Sea Adventures) where you join a small group of cyclists (our group was about 40 people) on a moderately sized boat (each group or individual gets a berth with private bathroom/shower) and cruise to several different Dalmatian islands (Hvar, Korkula, Vis, Brac, etc.) as well as several major port cities like Split, Dubrovnik, Trogir and bicycle either the cities, in the country, across islands, etc. Our tour had e-bikes which I highly recommend since there are some very steep grades and it gives you a great chance to relax on the scenery instead of your pedaling. Meals are included (not the greatest; we'd often skip the onboard meal and go have dinner in town for instance), the boats/rooms are very comfortable, and everyone was very friendly. Above all else, the biking tour guides would take us to special places for swimming, dinner, etc. and shared a lot about the history of the area. I wouldn't recommend it all the time, but if you want to quickly see the better spots of Croatia, learn the history, and not really stress about it, consider a bike and curise tour in the area.
We did a bike and cruise tour last summer that turned out to be a great way to see a lot of different parts of Croatia. There are several tour companies providing this service (we used Pedal and Sea Adventures) where you join a small group of cyclists (our group was about 40 people) on a moderately sized boat (each group or individual gets a berth with private bathroom/shower) and cruise to several different Dalmatian islands (Hvar, Korkula, Vis, Brac, etc.) as well as several major port cities like Split, Dubrovnik, Trogir and bicycle either the cities, in the country, across islands, etc. Our tour had e-bikes which I highly recommend since there are some very steep grades and it gives you a great chance to relax on the scenery instead of your pedaling. Meals are included (not the greatest; we'd often skip the onboard meal and go have dinner in town for instance), the boats/rooms are very comfortable, and everyone was very friendly. Above all else, the biking tour guides would take us to special places for swimming, dinner, etc. and shared a lot about the history of the area. I wouldn't recommend it all the time, but if you want to quickly see the better spots of Croatia, learn the history, and not really stress about it, consider a bike and curise tour in the area.
kcowan
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We took a 19 passenger cruise from Dubrovnik to the islands that are where the history is. 8 days. Then we rented a car and drove, spending more time in Split and then stopping all the way up the coast. We found Pula interesting and dominated by Russian bus tours. Their coliseum is in better shape that the one in Rome but smaller. Zagreb is nice but nothing special.
