For years, the same picture of multiple waterfalls cascading from turquoise lakes spilling over vibrant green moss kept appearing on my Pinterest Home page. I did not know where this fairytale place was located, but I knew I had to find it. Turns out, it is Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. After a bit of research about Croatia, I discovered not only does the country host this magical place, but it is home to ancient fortresses, blue sea caves, and a plethora of filming locations for Game of Thrones. Read this Croatia itinerary for the ultimate bucket list destination!
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Where to Stay
All the top Croatian destinations are spread throughout the country, so I had two choices: road trip through Croatia staying at different hotels along the way or choosing a central location to call home all week while making day trips. The idea of traversing in a foreign country did not appeal to me, so for this Croatia itinerary we chose to stay in centrally-located Split. We lodged at a reasonable priced AirBnB that was built into the fortress walls of Diocletian’s palace. We were a short walking distance to great restaurants, a farmer’s market, souvenir shops, Port of Split, and the common meeting place of tours. Our AirBnB was host was very helpful as she gave recommendations on things to do and organized our airport transfers.
Currency
The Croatian kuna (HRK) is the currency used in Croatia. There are currency exchangers in the airport. However, the locals recommend withdrawing money from ATMs located in the airport and around the city for better exchange rates. I found we only needed cash for small shops, restaurants, and the farmers market.
Croatian Language
Croatian is the official language of Croatia, but do not fret; most Croatians also speak English. We did not come across one person who did not speak English on our travels.
DAY 1 – CROATIA
Upon arrival, we met our airport transfer driver for the 25-minute drive to our AirBnB in Split. Our home for the next week had beautiful views of the city inside Diocletian’s Palace on one side and of a city park on the other. After we unpacked and rested from the long journey, we were ready to explore the city. The street that traveled just outside the palace wall was lined with booths selling all kinds of souvenirs including dresses, shirts, hats, fans, key chains, postcards and more.
Halfway down the corridor was an entrance leading us inside Diocletian’s Palace where we marveled at the limestone and marble structures. A short walk inside the palace walls, a quaint outdoor restaurant emerged that looked inviting, so we ate dinner and drank a glass of wine. After dinner we spotted a grocery store where we stocked up on bottled water and snacks, including ketchup flavored potato chips.
DAY 2 – CROATIA
Next on the Croatia itinerary, we opted for an all-day Blue Cave and Island Hopping Tour. The tour began with an hour and half speed boat ride to Bisevo Island to see the infamous Blue Grotto. Inside this sea cave, sunlight reflects off the water and white seabed filling the cavity with stunning blue hues. We entered the sea cave through a small opening just large enough for our boat to fit while passengers ducked their heads.
The island of Vis was next on the itinerary for a short visit to explore the town. We walked along the streets engulfed with white-washed buildings taking in the picturesque beauty of this small town.
Our next stop was the Blue Lagoon at Budikovac Island where the crystal clear waters invited us in for a swim. Be sure to bring water shoes on this vacation as most of the beaches are pebbled, not sand.
Have you ever seen a donkey in a bar? I have! Just ashore of this pebble beach was a small tavern that served the worst pina colada I have ever had, but I didn’t mind for I was astonished at the donkey roaming among the tables. And don’t leave food out on the beach either because the donkey will find it!
Hvar, the next island to discover, is home to a medieval castle above the hilltop. We trudged up the steep, old town streets and past the town walls to the entrance of Fortica. Inside the fortress are cannons ready to protect to town, a dungeon equipped with jail cells for prisoners, views of Hvar town and the Adriatic Sea on the horizon.
DAY 3 – CROATIA
Our third day the Croatia itinerary involved another full day tour to my epic bucket list destination, Plitvice Lakes National Park. The drive each way was just under 3 hours, but our tour guide made that time bearable by entertaining us with Croatian history and fun facts. At the park, we strolled the wooden planks of a boardwalk that was elevated just above lake level for premiere viewings of the cascading lakes.
After we serpentine through the upper lakes, we enjoyed a short boat ride across Kozjak Lake and walked the boardwalks along the lower lakes. We soon began to descend down hillside stairs to the bottom of a 256-foot waterfall spilling over a cliff.
DAY 4 – CROATIA
The original plans on the Croatia itinerary for this day was to find a local beach in Split and enjoy the day seaside. However, mother nature had different plans for us. We awoke to a rainy and cold day, so we quickly had to come up with a new plan. We opted for olive oil tasting which involved sipping olive oil from tiny blue cups while trying to taste all the flavors that influenced it, much like you do with wine tasting. The event ended with homemade bread, fig jam, and cheese to enjoy with the olive oil of your choosing. I bought my favorite of the four olive oil tastings and natural sea salt from their gift shop.
The rest of the day was spent exploring all of Diocletian’s Palace including St. Duje Cathedral, Golden Gate, Split Peristil, Riva promenade, and Vocni Trg. We shopped in the local boutiques searching for souvenirs and found a farmers market that had the most delicious and inexpensive figs.
DAY 5 – CROATIA
Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic, was today’s destination in the Croatia itinerary, and it was another long ride to the historic town. We trekked through Croatia with a small part of the journey through Bosnia, so be sure to bring your passport. The scenic road did not disappoint with its deep blue rivers running between mountains and farmlands on rolling valleys.
We entered the town walls, which were built in the 13th century through Pile Gate and meandered through the town streets. We walked atop the 1.25-mile city walls marveling at the stunning views of the Dalmation Coast and a sea of terracotta rooftops. The views were breathtaking, but the walk was hot and offered no shade.
While Dubrovnik is stunningly beautiful city and worth a visit on its own, many Game of Thrones fans come here to see filming locations of King’s Landing and several other famous GoT scenes. Some of the locations I recognized were Blackwater Bay, the “Shame” scene, and the House of the Undying. Even though I had never been to Dubrovnik, every street and alleyway looked familiar because some scene of Game of Thrones was filmed there.
DAY 6 – CROATIA
We packed an overnight bag and boarded the 2-hour ferry to Hvar island. We got a small taste of this bustling island on the Blue Cave tour but wanted to fully delve into the life of this island. After disembarking the ferry, we stopped for lunch and had the most unusual burrito. The burrito filling was edible, but the tortilla was topped with spaghetti sauce and peanuts. Gross!
At the end of St. Stephen’s Square, located near the port, was St. Stephen’s Cathedral. We entered what we thought was the entrance to the cathedral. The path led to a courtyard surrounded by several doors. Not knowing which one entered the church, we picked a door and opened it. The next thing we knew, we were in someone’s home. Oops! We quickly exited for fear of trespassing and walked around the building looking for the entrance. Of course, we never found it.
Then, we moved along the promenade to the Franciscan Monastery, which we did gain access to, was beautifully located on the edge of a turquoise cove. Inside the monastery was a courtyard surrounded by multiple stone arches with a view of the bell tower over head.
Before dinner we watched the sunset falling behind the Adriatic Sea from the island shores. The dark blue sea and yellow sky quickly morphed into hues of oranges, pinks, and purples.
After wandering the promenade, we found a nightclub that boasted dance music and party lights. Inside bartenders donned with glow in the dark bracelets and glasses poured drinks to the masses. We fist-pumped the night away with the other patrons who were mostly European travelers.
DAY 7 – CROATIA
The Hula Hula Hvar Beach Bar is the premiere location for lounging by the sea. The bar offers a menu of various snacks and fruit cocktails. Tread carefully down the slippery stairs to the cool green waters and swim to the large float anchored to the ocean floor for superior sunbathing.
The Croatia itinerary had us boarding the last ferry of the day back to Split and began to mentally prepare for our vacation to end. Lastly, we spent our last few hours in Split on last-minute souvenir shopping and snacking on gelato. This was the perfect end to a perfect Croatia itinerary.
