Best Things to Do in Croatia in 6 Days
Croatia is a beautiful country with medieval cities, stunning national parks, and a beautiful coastline. The best way to explore Croatia is to rent a car and do a road trip through this interesting country. Follow this itinerary for how get a taste of Croatia’s cities, beaches, islands, and national parks in just 6 days.
Accommodation in Croatia
I used Booking.com to book accommodation for our entire trip and stayed in amazing places for a great price. It was helpful to keep all our bookings organized on one application, so we could keep track of our next reservations and quickly check the address or contact the host. I always try to find guesthouses with great reviews that are on the cheaper end but still in a good location, clean, and comfortable. I have included where we stayed in Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb in this article to help you save time on searching for places. I spent hours searching for the perfect place in these cities so you don’t have to.
Travel Medical Insurance for Croatia
Don’t forget to get a travel insurance policy for your trip! SafetyWing offers affordable, flexible, and reliable travel medical insurance that can be purchased ahead of your travels or while you are already traveling.
6 Days Croatia Itinerary
Day 1: Dubrovnik
Day 2: Krka National Park
Day 3: Split
Day 4: Hvar
Day 5: Plitvice Lakes National Park
Day 6: Zagreb
Day 1: Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a medieval city known as the Pearl of the Adriatic and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend the day exploring Dubrovnik, and then stay the night in a guesthouse outside of the Old Town.
Walk Along the Walls of Dubrovnik and Explore the Old City
Walls of Dubrovnik are 1,940 meters (6,365 ft) long walls around Old Town Dubrovnik with incredible views of the city. Note that as a student you can pay child prices at the Walls of Dubrovnik, so make sure to bring your student ID. Spend a couple hours walking around the city and visiting different shops and restaurants.
Ride the Dubrovnik Cable Car
Take the cable car to the top of the Srd Hill to see a view of Dubrovnik.
(When I was in Dubrovnik it was very cloudy and there was bad visibility, so I decided not to take the cable car).
Where to Stay in Dubrovnik
There is no need to stay right in Old Town because it is a lot more expensive and there are many places a short walk from Old Town. Note that many places in or near Old Town do not have parking included, so if you have a rental car try to find a place that has free parking as parking options near old town are very expensive.
We stayed in Old Town View Apartments which actually had an incredible view of Old Town Dubrovnik from the balcony. Parking is included but you do have to contact them before to let them know that you have a car. It is only about a 10 minute walk to Dubrovnik old town. The apartment was a dream for the price, we only wish we could have stayed here longer.
Day 2: Krka National Park
Spend the day at Krka National Park following walking trails that take you to beautiful waterfalls along the Krka River.
How to Get to Krka National Park:
Krka National Park is about 3 hours from Dubrovnik. There are 5 entrances to the park. Enter through the main road entrance called Lozovac, which has ample free parking and is the fastest and easiest way to get to the main waterfall. There are busses from April – October that will transport visitors to Skradinski Buk waterfall from the parking lot or you can also hike for about 10 minutes along the 800 meter trail from the parking lot. Note that as a student you can pay child prices, so make sure to bring your student ID.
If you dont have a rental car and don’t want to navigate the public transportation, you can reserve a public transfer to and from Krka National Park on Bookaway.
Things to Do in Krka National Park:
Skradinski Buk Trail
Follow the 1900 meter Skradinski Buk trail seeing the Krka River and waterfalls along the way. Comfortable waterproof sandals or sneakers would be the best for this hike.
Skradinski Buk
This is the longest and most popular waterfall on the Krka River. Below the waterfall is a pool where visitors are allowed to swim. Don’t forget to bring your bathing suit!
Visit the Krka National Park official website for more information on walking trails, hours and prices.
Day 3: Split
Spend the day exploring Split, a beautiful medieval city with many shops and restaurants tucked away in small streets. Visit Diocletian’s Palace, an ancient Roman palace and UNESCO World Heritage Site built for emperor Diocletian in 4th Century AD. Next, walk Along the Seafront Promenade (The Riva), admiring the ocean views.
Where to Stay in Split
Most accomodations in Split will not have parking if you are staying right in the old town, and these places will also be more expensive. Try to find a place walking distance from the old town.
We stayed in the studio at Apartment Koralj which is less than a 10 minute walk from Split Old Town. This adorable studio has everything you need including a washer which was perfect midway through the trip to wash some clothes.
Day 4: Hvar Island
This beautiful island in the Adriatic sea offers a great day trip from Split and a chance to explore a Croatian island.
How to Get to and Around Hvar
Take a 1.5 hour catamaran to Hvar Town from Split. There are two main companies that operate this route: Jadrolinija and Kapetan Luka. Make sure to book your tickets online before so you can ensure you have a ticket for the times you want in order to make this a day trip. You can search for ferry times and book tickets to Hvar on Bookaway. Taxis can be very expensive in Hvar, so it might be worth it to rent a car ahead of time to explore the island.
Another option is to book a cruise to Hvar from Split, such as this Catamaran Cruise To Hvar and Pakleni Islands. There are several boat tour options from Split to Hvar and other surrounding islands. This would cost more than traveling to Hvar on your own but it will reduce a lot of stress not having to get around on your own.
Things To Do in Hvar
When you arrive to Hvar, walk around Hvar Town and relax at a cafe. Next, spend time relaxing at a nearby beach. We chose to spend the day at Milna beach because it was only about 15 minutes from Hvar Town and it was an interesting and very quiet white pebble beach. If you have time, visit Hvar’s old town called Stari Grad. Note that a taxi to the old town would be very expensive because it is far from Hvar Town. If you have an extra day in Croatia you could spend a night in Hvar and explore the island more.
Day 5: Plitvice Lakes National Park
Known for its beautiful lakes and stunning waterfalls, Plitvice Lakes National Park will be the highlight of your trip to Croatia. The national park is located about 2.5 hours from Split. Leave Split early to ensure that you have at least 4 hours at the park.
There are several different trails that you can take to explore the park. All trail options are explained on the parks website here. I recommend trail C which took about 4 hours, including stopping to take pictures and enjoy the views. This trail is 8000 meters (about 5 miles) and allows you to see the most popular waterfalls, including Veliki Slap featured above which is 78 meters tall. Trail C will also allow you to see both lower and upper lakes areas which are both breathtaking.
Day 6: Zagreb
Spend the day walking around the capital and largest city in Croatia. This city is an interesting hub of cultures, with many different restaurants, interesting architecture, and relaxing parks.
Explore Upper Town
Try Different Food on Tkalciceva Street. This street is full of a variety of restaurants from local food, to Israeli food, to Italian food.
Shop at a Local Market
Dolac Market is full of vegetables, fruit, and flowers. Even if you don’t intend on buying anything it is an interesting local market to stop by in the morning.
Get a Different View of Zagreb from Zagreb 360
Look out at the city from all sides of the 16th floor of a skyscraper. Enjoy the view at the café with a refreshing drink.
Walk Through Parks in Lower Town
Break away from the city by walking around the green parks. Two of the popular parks are Park Zrinjevac and Park Josipa Jurja Strossmayera.
Where to Stay in Zagreb
The best area to stay in is Zagreb upper town which has a lot of restaurants and is very walkable. Note that many places in this area do not provide parking, but there are public parking garages that are not too expensive.
We stayed in Guest House Nokturno in Upper Town which is located on an exciting street and is surrounded by many restaurants. The room and bathroom were big and it felt very much like a boutique hotel.
Note: If your international flight is out of Dubrovnik you can return you rental car car in Zagreb and fly back to Dubrovnik to catch your international flight. This itinerary could also be done the opposite direction (starting in Zagreb and working down to Dubrovnik). If you have extra time, spend a day exploring the neighboring country of Montenegro, located only a 1 hour drive from Dubrovnik.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links for products and services I recommend. At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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