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I have been keen to get to Croatia for some years, but every time we had planned to go, something else would come up and we would have to change our plans. Not sure if this was a sign from the universe or not, but when we did finally get to Croatia, it ended up being a very bumpy trip. Our flights were cancelled, causing delays and having to be redirected to another airport, my husband came down with a bad flu, I forgot all but two pairs of my knickers, and our hire car was badly hail damaged in a sudden storm. However, we managed to overcome these obstacles to make the most of it and still have a good time!
Below I have outlined my self-drive itinerary, (slightly altered due to the flight delays we experienced) but have also tried to give you other options that you might want to consider depending on what you want to get out of your holiday.
Day 1: Arrive in Zadar or Rijeka
- Staying in: Zadar or Rijeka
As I mentioned above, we had planned to fly into Zadar. But storms had closed the airport, so we ended up being delayed and redirected into the city of Rijeka the following day which meant we had to change our plans, including our car hire, at the last minute. I was disappointed that we didn’t get to visit Zadar, but thankfully we ended up squeezing it into our itinerary later in our trip, which I will mention later. On the first day of your trip, I recommend spending the remainder of your day exploring the city that you fly into.
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- Luxury Apartments Villa Morea
- Bastion Heritage Hotel – Relais & Châteaux
- Art Hotel Kalelarga
- Family friendly resort Falkensteiner Club Funimation Borik
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Day 2: Zadar or Rijeka to Plitvice National Park
- Approximate driving time: From Zadar 1hr 30min (119km) + depending on detours; from Rijeka 2hrs (155km) + depending on detours.
- Staying in: Plitvice National Park
As I explained above, our plans had changed due to cancelled flights, so we landed at the very small airport in Rijeka in the afternoon and collected our hire car. We were relieved to finally be heading out on the road, as the past 24 hours had made us feel like we were never going to get here. The drive was very picturesque, leading us along winding coastal roads before heading up into the mountains.
It had been very stormy, but appeared to be clearing on the coastline, however, as we headed towards Plitvice National Park it began raining. And when I say raining, I mean bucketing down. We were worried that we would find blocked roads due to the volume of water. However, we were relieved to eventually make it to our accommodation in the evening. Needless to say, we didn’t get up to much in the evening except hover over the weather forecast and rain radar praying for good weather the following day.
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For those of you looking for a unique experience staying at a horse ranch in the Croatian countryside, then stay at Linden Tree Retreat & Ranch.
Day 3: Plitvice National Park
- Staying in: Plitvice National Park
By the next morning, the rain had thankfully cleared and the clouds were parting. As our accommodation was only a short distance to the north entrance 1, we walked down to buy our tickets and enter the park. Plitvice is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its magnificent falls and bright turquoise lakes. For a detailed guide on visiting Plitvice National Park, see my post The Practical Guide to Visiting Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Day 4: Plitvice National Park to Krka National Park Via a Detour to Zadar
- Approximate driving time: 2hr 30min (195km) + depending on detours. If driving direct from Plitvice to Krka 1h 45min (161km)
- Staying in: Skradin, Krka National Park
As I mentioned, due to our travel disruptions we had missed out on visiting Zadar, so decided to squeeze it into our trip from Plitvice to Krka. Zadar is a coastal town which was elected Best European Destination in 2016. It has lots of interesting historical sites such as Roman ruins, churches and a fascinating sea organ. See my post on how to spend a day in Zadar.
It was a beautiful sunny day when we arrived in Skradin, a picturesque town with a marina on the river Krka that is one of the entry points into Krka National Park. It’s one of the oldest Croatian towns with history dating back to the time of the Illyrians and received its name ‘Scardona’ during the Roman rule. After it was ruined, it was rebuilt by the Slavs and renamed Skradin. Its authentic stone town centre makes it a very pretty town and as the boat to the famous waterfall Skradinski buk leaves from its marina, it is the perfect base in which to explore the area. There’s even a small beach a short walk from the town centre to relax at as well as lots of restaurants serving delicious Croatian food and wine.
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Day 5: Krka National Park
- Staying in: Skradin, Krka National Park
Most people have heard of Croatia’s famous Plitvice National Park, however, the lesser known Krka National Park is equally as beautiful and you get to swim right next to its amazing Skradinski buk waterfall. However, this isn’t the only highlight of Krka, it has many other amazing sights to visit as well, including a cave that people have lived in since Neolithic times, Roman ruins, an island with a monastery and lots of breathtaking waterfalls. You can easily spend several days exploring all the amazing sights. Read my Ultimate Guide to Exploring Krka National Park.
Day 6: Krka National Park to Split
- Approximate driving time: Krka National Park to Split 1hr 10min (93km) + depending on detours
- Staying in: Split
We decided to head to Split early in the morning so we could spend some time at the beach before checking in and exploring the old town in the afternoon. The drive to Split was very scenic. We drove through beautiful Croatian countryside, and then as we drove into Split, the road took us along the cliffs above the city, offering up great views.
Split’s highlight is the amazing Diocletian’s Palace and old town. Built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD, the Diocletian Palace is one of the best preserved monuments of the Roman architecture in the world. It was constructed between 295 and 305 AD and is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Read my guide on how to spend a day in the historic city of Split.
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Day 7: Split to Brač
- Approximate driving time: Split to Bol, Brač 1hr 10min (93km) + depending on detours
- Staying in: Bol, Brač
We got to Brač via the car ferry from Split. Unfortunately, our wait for the ferry did not pass uneventfully. About 10 minutes before we were due to board, a massive storm swept through and with it came devastating hail. Our hire car looked like someone had taken to it with a bat.
The ferry crossing only took just under an hour. When we arrived in Supetar the sun had finally come out and it had warmed up, so we decided to explore the town for a few hours before heading onto Bol. Supetar is the main city on the island and many people pass just pass through it, but Supetar also has a lot to offer including a historic church an interesting mausoleum and a lovely beach. It’s a lovely spot to stay.
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There are no 5 star super luxurious hotels here, but there are some nice 4 star properties:
We headed on to stay in Bol, which is about about a 45 minutes drive from Supetar, over a picturesque, winding mountain range. Bol is a picturesque coastal resort town with lots of lovely bars, restaurants and gorgeous beaches.
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Day 8 – 9: Brač
- Staying in: Bol, Brač
There are a huge range of activities to enjoy in Bol, so I think it is the perfect holiday destination for active people and families. There are lots of small beaches dotted all along the Bol coastline, all in walking distance. It’s a great place to indulge in some water sports and you can also hire a boat and explore the island coastline, go quad biking, kayaking, segway tour, or go on a variety of boat tours. For those looking to relax, the larger resorts such as Bretanide Sport & Wellness Resort and the Thalasso Wellness Centre at the Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa near the famous Zlatni Rat beach offer wellness centre and spa experiences. Read my detailed guide on exploring the beautiful island of Brač.
If you are short on time, you could reduce your stay here to only 2 nights, but if you are looking to include some chill out time in your itinerary as we did, then I recommend staying a bit longer.
Day 10-11: Brač to the Dalmatian Coastline
- Staying in: Dalmatian Coastline or more island hopping
When our time to leave Brač arrived, I was sad that we couldn’t spend more time here as it really is a special place. We were heading back to the mainland to Makarska, so took the ferry from Sumartin. If you are planning on taking the same journey, the ferry is much smaller than the one from Split and doesn’t leave as regularly.
This part of your itinerary can be as flexible as you want it to be depending on whether you just want to pull up and relax in one place, or whether you want to do some island hopping. You could also consider leaving Brač a day earlier to get more island hopping into your schedule.
Option 1: From Brač, leave your car parked up and take the foot passenger only ferry from Bol to explore the island of Hvar.
Option 2: Cross the ferry from Sumartin, Brač to Makarska to explore the sunny Dalmatian coastline. You could also visit and relax at one of the beach villages such as Drvenik, Zaostrog, Podaca, Gradac.
Option 3: Head down to Ploče where you can island hop and visit Trpanj and then Korčula.
Option 4: Head down to Drvenik and island hop to Hvar, Korčula, then Trpanj where you can drive down to Ston and back onto the mainland towards Dubrovnik (see day 12).
Day 12: Dalmatian Coastline to Dubrovnik Via a Detour to Ston on the Peljesac Peninsula
- Approximate driving time: Makarska to Dubrovnik 2hr 30min (153km) + depending on detours.
- Staying in: Ston or Dubrovnik
The drive along the Adriatic highway from Makarska south towards Dubrovnik provides absolutely stunning views of the Dalmatian coastline. This has to be one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Dotted along the way were lots of local stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese and honey.
The road actually goes through Bosnia, so make sure that you have your passports and visa (if required) on hand because you will need to pass through the Neum corridor, which provides Bosnia access to the coast. You will need to pass through customs into Bosnia and then back into Croatia, all within a short drive of each other.
On our journery we decided to take a detour and spend some time on the Pelješac peninsula which is famous for its oyster farms, salt works, defensive walls, and many wineries. Read my detailed guide to exploring the Beautiful Pelješac Peninsula.
You may even want to stay here for the night and then head onto Dubrovnik the following day, as it is only about an hour drive away. This is what I wish we had done, as I really would have loved to go wine tasting and explore more of the peninsula.
Tips
- Make sure your rental car company allows you to drive the car into Bosnia. This shouldn’t be a problem if you are renting a car in Croatia, but could be if you are hiring a car from another EU country, as Bosnia is not in the EU. If you need to avoid the border crossing, then take the ferry from Ploče to Trpanj where you can drive down the Peljesac Peninsula back onto the mainland.
Day 13-14: Dubrovnik
- Staying in: Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is the final destination on this amazing two week Croatian holiday. It has a wonderful old town to explore which overlooks a stunning coastline. It gets extremely busy with tourists, as it is packed with things to see and do. Read my two days in Dubrovnik post for a guide on what to see and do.
Did you know that they filmed Game of Thrones here? I’ve written a detailed guide to all of the famous sites including the ‘Jesuit steps’ where cersei did her walk of shame, World of Ice and Fire, House of the Undying and Blackwater Bay. Read my guide to the Game of Thrones filming locations in Dubrovnik.
To get to the airport- To get to the airport, take the airport bus which gets you there in about 30 minutes from western entrance to the Old Town, Pile Gate.
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Practical Tips for Visiting Croatia
- Car hire: This itinerary is one way. Some car hire companies may charge an additional fee for this. However, shop around as a number of Croatian companies don’t charge (we never had to pay extra).
- Driving tips:
- Drivers are required to drive with the lights on at all times
- Road speeds in Croatia are actually quite slow. However, the roads are in very good condition, just very windy, so take your time.
- Save your coins: You will need to pay for public toilets. Also, you will need coins for parking. However, if you have a Croatian SIM card, you can pay via text. Just follow the instructions on the street sign and text your car registration and the number on the car park sign to the number provided.
- Language: Croatian. Although most people we came across spoke English in the tourist areas. However, do try your hand at a few Croatian words:
- Yes = Da (da)
- No = Ne (ne)
- Please = Molim (MOH-leem)
- Thank you = Hvala (HVAH-lah)
- Hello = Bok (bohk)
- Currency: Croatian Kuna
- Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up.
- Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets generally take the European two round prong plugs. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in Croatia as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
- Navigating: We used Google’s free Offline Maps. Google Offline Maps allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow this detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps. Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices. If you prefer a paper map, then purchase a Croatian road map before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!
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