Are you planning a 7 day trip to Croatia? Check out my detailed ultimate 7 day Croatia itinerary, including things to do, restaurant recommendations, hotel suggestions, and other tips.
Before 2018 I didn’t know much about Croatia. But then I met my friend Elizabeth while working a contract job on the eastern shore of Maryland. She shared with me that she wanted to celebrate graduating with her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in 2022 in Croatia. So, of course, as a travel enthusiast, I happily agreed to tag along. Croatia has something for everyone, including the Adriatic Sea, stunning waterfalls, crystal clear beaches, Roman history, Game of Thrones filming locations, locally made wine, and fresh seafood.
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Getting to Croatia
Start your 7 day Croatia itinerary by flying into Zagreb’s International Airport, Franjo Tudman Airport Zagreb. Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is located in the northwest part of the country. Here I recommend picking up a rental car to have the most flexibility and freedom in Croatia. If you don’t want to drive, you can hire taxis right when you exit the airport.
Because there were 3 of us on the trip, we rented a car for our 7 days in Croatia. Unfortunately, I couldn’t drive while in Croatia because I forgot my license at home in the US, oops. But Elizabeth drove like a champ and said it didn’t seem any different than driving in the US; Croatians drive on the right side of the road.
Day 1 in Zagreb, Croatia
Start your 7 days in Croatia in Zagreb with a 2-hour walking tour. Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is located in the northwest part of the country. This walking tour includes exploring through tunnels built by fascists’ during World War 2, exploring the local farmers market, and a ride on the world’s shortest funicular that leads to the best view of Zagreb. What I really liked about this tour was that our knowledgeable guide, Irene asked what our interests were at the beginning and designed the walking stops based on this.
After the walking tour, grab a bite to eat. I really enjoyed the ramen at Torikaya Ramen Bar, which offers outdoor sitting. After lunch, explore the downtown square or head over to The Museum of Broken Relationships.
Day 2 in Croatia
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Wake up early today, after you’ve had breakfast hop into your car and start the drive to Split. The drive from Zagreb to Split is 4 hours. But I recommend splitting the drive up by stopping at Plitvice Lakes National park, which is 2hours from Zagreb and 2.5 from Split. You want to arrive as early as possible to Plitvice to beat the crowds from the tour buses.
Plitvice National Park is located in central Croatia and is the largest National park in the country. The park is home to 16 beautiful lakes, more than 90 cascading waterfalls, bears (we didn’t see any), and caves. Make sure to purchase tickets online in advance. There are 8 trails inside the park that vary in length, I recommend Trail B which includes a boat ride, allows you to see quite a bit of the park, and takes approximately 4 hours to complete.
After Plitvice head to Split where you can check into your Airbnb, hotel, or hostel. Spend the evening walking Riva, the waterfront of Split lined with restaurants, souvenir kiosks, and beautiful water views. It’s a great area to sit with gelato and just people watch.
Don’t have a car or simply don’t want to drive to the park? Here is a tour that includes transportation from Split to Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Day 3 in Croatia
Day 3 of your 7 day Croatia itinerary will be a chill day, allowing you to sleep in and take your time. After breakfast, head to one of the many beaches in Split. When traveling to beaches in Europe, I seek out beach clubs. You purchase a chair with an umbrella for day use, can buy food and beverages separately, and there’s usually a clean restroom available. The first beach club we visited in Split was Joe’s Beach Bar on Kasuni Beach. Joe’s offers sunchair and cabana day rentals. We paid $80 for a cabana.
TIP: Pack beach shoes, Croatia’s beaches are made of pebbles not sand.
Later in the evening, head out for a history and food tour. This three-hour guided tour will take you through the Green Market, Diocletian’s Palace, and the Old Town while enjoying Croatian dishes and wine and learning about Croatian history. My favorite was the fresh pasta and seafood.
After the tour, continue exploring the shops and stores in the Old Town area or unwind with a glass of Croatian wine at one of the many outdoor restaurants. There’s an entire store that only sales rubber duckies and a year round Christmas shop.
Day 4 in Croatia
On day 4 of your 7 day Croatia itinerary, wake up early to beat the heat and crowds from the tour buses and drive a little over an hour to Krka National Park. I recommend purchasing tickets online to avoid waiting in a long line. You can enter the park in a few different ways. We entered at Skradin and then hopped on a 30-minute ferry ride along the Krka River. Once off the ferry, follow the path to the waterfalls. Skradinski buk is the largest and most impressive waterfall in the park, and the cascading waterfalls are a beautiful greenish blue surrounded by lush green trees. It takes an hour and a half to two hours to see the waterfalls along the 1.18-mile-long trail. The trail is primarily flat.
Per Krka staff swimming at Krka became prohibited in 2020 due to safety concerns and attempts to protect the national park.
After spending a few hours at Krka, spend some time relaxing by the beach. The Adriatic Sea is incredible. The beautiful blueish- green color water is crystal clear and warm. We opted to rent lounge beds at Taboo Beach Club, a posh luxury beachside club. Taboo is more bougie compared to Joe’s and sequentially more expensive. You can rent a lounge chair for the day for just $50 and a minimum spend limit of $130, which adds up quickly between drinks and food. They also have sunbeds and cabanas for rent, a live DJ, and daily aerial performances. You can make reservations online for Taboo in advance.
Day 5 in Croatia
Spend today exploring nearby islands on a 3 Island with private lunch and wine tour. This 8-and-a-half-hour speed boat tour departs from the port of Split and visits Brac, Hvar, and Solta. In Brac, you can explore the harbor, grab a bite to eat, or relax with an Aperol spritz at one of the many restaurants along the shore while people-watching. You’ll spend the most time on Hvar eating lunch, swimming, snorkeling, and paddle boarding. Lunch includes freshly caught fish or pork chops with locally made wine while soaking up the sun. The last stop is visiting a sunken ship where you can snorkel and swim in the warm water. Keep your eye out for the bartender on a small boat. He makes delicious mojitos. One of my best memories of my time in Croatia was this day sipping margaritas and jumping off the side of the boat with my friends while blasting music. On the way back to Split, take in the beautiful sights of the sun setting over the Adriatic Sea.
DAY 6 in Croatia
Today you will head south to one of the best-preserved medieval cities, Dubrovnik. The drive from Split to Dubrovnik is 3 hours and requires you to drive through Bosnia. We stopped at one of the many roadside restaurants with beach views for lunch while driving through Bosnia.
On the way from Split to Dubrovnik, stop at Winery Rizman, located just 1 hour and 45 minutes from Split. Rizman is an excellent stopping point to get out and stretch, use the restroom, and enjoy a delicious glass of Croatian wine while overlooking the water. This beautifully bright, airy winery is open April 1st through November 1st and offers wine tastings, wine and brunch, and wine with lunch or dinner. Reservations are required for lunch and dinner, which can be made online. We did the wine tasting and brunch option. We tasted four wines while nibbling on cheese, prosciutto, olives, and crackers. I’m not a huge wine fan, but I did enjoy the blush Rizman Rusula. My favorite part of the winery was the beautiful grounds and the view of the water from the veranda.
DAY 7 in Croatia
Today is your last day of the 7 day Croatia itinerary and is pretty chill. Start the day off with a morning photoshoot before the Old Town is filled with tourists. Photoshoots while traveling are one of my favorite things to do especially when traveling solo because I’m guaranteed quality photos of the attractions and don’t have to worry about asking strangers to take my photo or dealing with a tripod. I did a photoshoot in Rome and the photos were beautiful, too the photographer had some awesome restaurant recommendations. However, the morning of my photoshoot in Dubrovnik I woke up feeling awful and canceled. (Two days later I tested positive for Covid.) My friend Elizabeth still went on the photo shoot and said the photographer did a really good job making her feel comfortable. Elizabeth’s photos turned out amazing.
Again because I didn’t feel well I didn’t do anything in Dubrovnik, I wanted to rest before my long flight back home. But there are so many things to do in Dubrovnik including Games of Thrones tours, walking tours of the Old Town, and traditional Dalmatian cooking classes.
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Cosette says
Love your Croatia itinerary. We did almost all these things also in Croatia and more, but in a different itinerary and divided over 2 trips. Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes, Krka NP and Zagreb are so much worth your time.