Europe · Touring guide
Historic towns, islands and clear water, with the route deciding whether it feels relaxed or rushed.
Is it right for you?
A strong fit for
Couples, families and touring holidays.
We would think twice for
Travellers who picture long sandy beaches, because Croatia's coast is pebble coves, rock platforms and crystal water, beautiful to swim in and unforgiving to sandcastle ambitions.
What we would want you to know
Ferries, stairs and old-town access need planning.
We’ve been here
Our July 2022 trip took in the Plitvice Lakes, Zadar, Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik, so we have seen this coast in the thick of the summer season. That is why we plan Croatian routes around early starts, ferry bookings and at least one slow day, rather than squeezing every island into a week.
The route
Nights 1 to 3
Walk the walls at opening time, spend an afternoon on Lokrum and take a day along the Pelješac peninsula to Ston for the walls and the oysters.
Nights 4 and 5
A catamaran north to Korčula town for quieter evenings, a Moreška performance if the dates line up, and a boat across to the Pelješac vineyards.
Nights 6 and 7
On to Hvar for the harbour, the fortress at sunset and a taxi boat out to the Pakleni Islands for a lazy day of swimming.
Nights 8 to 10
Finish in Split with the palace and the Riva, a morning boat from Trogir to the Blue Lagoon, and a day at the Krka waterfalls.
Optional night 11
Drive inland, sleep close to the park entrance and walk the boardwalks at opening time the next morning, when the lakes are at their quietest.
An idea to react to, not a fixed package. We shape the real thing around your dates, your pace and what the flights are doing that season.
Map and stops
The walled old town is the reason to come, car-free and polished smooth by centuries of feet, but it is steep, stepped and packed on cruise-ship days. Staying just outside the walls, in Ploče or Lapad, is calmer and better value, with swimming off the rocks close by.
A small walled town on a peninsula, its streets laid out like a fishbone to catch the summer breeze and block the winter winds. It is calmer than Hvar or Dubrovnik, with the vineyards of Pelješac a short boat ride across the channel. Beaches are rocky coves, and the ferry timetable shapes every day out.
Hvar Town's harbour is the smartest address on the islands, with yachts moored stern-to the quay, a hilltop fortress and late bars. Lavender fields and quiet Stari Grad lie inland and on the north coast for anyone who wants the island without the party. August prices and night-time noise in the centre are the catch.
Croatia's second city grew up inside a Roman emperor's retirement palace, and people still live, shop and drink among its walls. It is the ferry hub for the central islands, with the wooded Marjan peninsula for walks and swims. Rooms inside the palace can be noisy at night, so light sleepers do better a few streets out.
A tiny medieval island town joined by bridges to the mainland and to Čiovo, close to Split airport. Its lanes take an hour to wander, the waterfront is lined with excursion boats, including those to the Blue Lagoon, and it makes a gentle first or last night of a trip.
Sixteen terraced lakes joined by waterfalls in forested hills far inland. Stay a night nearby, in a guesthouse or lodge, so you can be on the boardwalks at opening time before the coach tours arrive. Evenings are quiet and cooler than on the coast, and one night is usually enough.
Weather and seasons
Split's sea warms from 22°C in June to its peak in August, when the city averages 32°C and the island ferries run full. Late May and the first half of June give long, bright days before the European school holidays, and September keeps the warm water with far fewer people on the quays. Plitvice runs to a different climate altogether: cooler, greener and at its loudest in spring, when the falls carry snowmelt. From November the bura wind can close coastal bridges and cancel catamarans, and many island restaurants stay shut until Easter.
Worth timing a trip around
Dubrovnik's patron saint's day brings processions, relics carried through the old town and a city in its finest clothes, with none of the summer crowds.
Opera, theatre and concerts in Split's open-air settings, with performances staged in the Peristyle of Diocletian's Palace.
Six weeks of drama, classical music and dance on stages in the squares, forts and courtyards of the old town. The bigger performances sell out, so book when the programme appears.
A knights' tournament in the inland town of Sinj, held since 1715 to mark a victory over Ottoman forces, with riders galloping to spear a small iron ring.
A centuries-old sword dance performed in Korčula town, telling the story of two kings fighting over a captured princess, staged on set evenings through the summer.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11°C | 6°C | 14°C | 71 mm |
| February | 13°C | 7°C | 13°C | 44 mm |
| March | 15°C | 9°C | 13°C | 49 mm |
| April | 19°C | 12°C | 15°C | 48 mm |
| May | 23°C | 16°C | 18°C | 68 mm |
| June | 29°C | 21°C | 22°C | 26 mm |
| July | 32°C | 24°C | 24°C | 10 mm |
| August | 32°C | 24°C | 25°C | 40 mm |
| September | 27°C | 20°C | 23°C | 59 mm |
| October | 21°C | 16°C | 21°C | 60 mm |
| November | 16°C | 12°C | 19°C | 124 mm |
| December | 13°C | 8°C | 16°C | 77 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Split Marjan, 1 km away at 122 m. Rainfall is from the same station and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | -4°C | 109 mm |
| February | 8°C | -2°C | 46 mm |
| March | 11°C | 0°C | 78 mm |
| April | 16°C | 3°C | 84 mm |
| May | 20°C | 8°C | 118 mm |
| June | 25°C | 12°C | 120 mm |
| July | 28°C | 13°C | 84 mm |
| August | 28°C | 13°C | 69 mm |
| September | 22°C | 9°C | 153 mm |
| October | 17°C | 5°C | 103 mm |
| November | 10°C | 2°C | 172 mm |
| December | 6°C | -2°C | 134 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Gospic, 42 km away at 565 m. Rainfall is from Bihac, 22 km away and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it.
Things to do
The full circuit gives the classic view over terracotta roofs and open sea. Start at opening time, carry water and a hat, and remember that the walk runs one way, with steep steps and very little shade.
Split's Roman palace is a living neighbourhood rather than a museum. Walk the vaulted cellars beneath it, stand in the Peristyle, then climb the cathedral bell tower for the view over the harbour.
Wooden boardwalks thread over turquoise lakes and past dozens of waterfalls, with an electric boat across the largest lake. Summer tickets are sold for timed entry and should be booked ahead, and swimming is not allowed anywhere in the park.
A shallow, glassy channel between small islands off Drvenik Veli, reached by boat from Trogir or Split. In high summer it is busiest in the middle of the day, so an early departure makes the swim far more peaceful.
A long tongue of fine pebbles on the island of Brač that shifts its shape with the wind and currents. The afternoon breeze makes it a windsurfing favourite, so mornings are the calm time for swimming. Catamarans run from Split.
A scatter of wooded islets just off Hvar Town, reached by taxi boat, with swimming coves, a naturist beach and beach bars. Go in the morning and pick your cove before the yachts drop anchor.
Waterfalls and wooden walkways within an easy day of Split or Trogir, with a riverboat from Skradin up to Skradinski Buk. Swimming beneath the falls ended in 2021, so bring walking shoes rather than a swimsuit.
On the Pelješac peninsula, medieval walls climb the hillside above Ston's salt pans, and the bay at Mali Ston has farmed oysters for centuries. Walk the walls first, then eat oysters by the water.
A wooded island a short boat ride from Dubrovnik's old harbour, with peacocks, a botanical garden and a small salt lake for swimming. Nobody may stay overnight, so the last boat back is not optional.
Food and drink
Lamb, veal or octopus slow-cooked with potatoes under an iron bell buried in embers. It takes hours, so most taverns need the order a day ahead.
Black risotto coloured with cuttlefish ink, a Dalmatian staple that leaves your teeth grey for an hour afterwards.
Beef marinated in wine vinegar, then braised slowly with prunes and red wine and served with gnocchi. A Split family dish for feast days.
A thin pie of Swiss chard, onion and parsley baked on an open hearth, from the villages behind Split and protected by EU status.
Whole fish grilled over wood and dressed with olive oil, garlic and parsley. It is usually priced by the kilo, so ask for the weight before it goes on the fire.
Croatia's big red grape, grown on sun-baked slopes on Pelješac and Hvar, making strong, dark wines for grilled meat.
Money
The calendar sets Croatia's prices more than anything else: the same room in Hvar Town or inside Dubrovnik's walls can cost far more in August than in June. Catamarans and car ferries are good value, but they sell out on summer weekends, so we book the island legs early. A private boat for a day is where we think extra money goes furthest, reaching coves the big excursion boats skip. A hire car only pays its way for Plitvice and the interior.
Flights and transfers
Direct seasonal flights run from Leeds Bradford and Manchester to Dubrovnik and Split, roughly May to October. The two cities anchor opposite ends of the same coast, which makes fly-in-one, home-from-the-other routes the smart shape.
Flights from UK airports
Route check September 2026. Some routes are seasonal and schedules change, so we confirm the live options when we quote.
Practical details
1 hour ahead of the UK
Euro (€)
Croatian
Type C and F, 230V
On the right
Safe to drink
Around 10 percent for good table service is appreciated, ideally in cash
Entry for British passport holders
Visa. No visa needed for tourist stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
Passport. Issued less than 10 years before you arrive, and valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave the Schengen area.
The EU Entry/Exit System is now in use, so you may be asked to register your fingerprints and photo at the border on your first visit. It is free.
Summarised from the FCDO travel advice on gov.uk, checked 29 September 2026. Rules change: read the current entry requirements and the full travel advice before you go.
Questions we get asked
For island hopping, Split, because most ferries to Hvar, Brač and Vis leave from its harbour. For a city stay with day trips, Dubrovnik. On a week or more we would use both, arriving at one and leaving from the other, so nobody doubles back along the coast.
Mostly not. The coast is pebble coves, rock platforms and concrete sunbathing terraces with ladders into very clear water. A handful of sandy bays exist, notably around Lopar on Rab, but plan on water shoes and swimming off rocks rather than building sandcastles.
One full day covers the upper and lower lakes on foot and by boat. Stay the night before or after nearby so you can start at opening time, when the boardwalks are quiet and the light is soft; by late morning in summer the narrow paths queue with tour groups.
Not for a coast and islands route, where catamarans, ferries and transfers do the work and parking in old towns is a headache. A car makes sense for Plitvice, the interior and Istria. Since 2022 the Pelješac Bridge has let the coast road skip the short Bosnian stretch at Neum.
Easily. Public catamarans and car ferries link Split and Dubrovnik with Hvar, Brač, Korčula and more, and they are reliable in summer. Book the popular sailings for July and August weekends, and allow slack in winter, when the bura wind can cancel crossings.
Yes, if you go early. The water is shallow, clear and calm, which suits children and nervous swimmers, but by midday in high summer the excursion boats moor side by side. A morning departure from Trogir, or a private boat that times the visit around the crowds, makes all the difference.
Photographs
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