Croatia is becoming a popular summer destination for its beautiful cities and relaxing beaches. If you only have a week, we recommend you spend the week in the north east, on the Adriatic coast near Italy. We hope our 7-day Croatia itinerary helps you see the beauty of this stunning country.
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Here is a quick rundown of your 1 week exploring Croatia:
Day 1: Zagreb/Rijeka
Before you land in Zagreb, decide if you'd like to explore the city or head straight to the coast. The city shares the European charm of many other capitals, however if you cannot wait to see the beach it's reasonable to skip the city entirely.
Zagreb: City centre is only 20 minutes from the airport and the downtown core has a lot of charm - the main square, cathedral and numerous cafes. Seriously, the bar and cafe culture in Croatia is incredible. At night, Tkalčićeva Street is a lively area for bars and nightlife that we highly recommend.
Zagreb Best Things To Do: Ban Jelačić Square, Upper Town, Nikola Tesla Museum, Walking Tour, Zagreb Zoo, Dolac Market
Where to stay in Zagreb: Hotel Jadran
Travel to the coast: There is a daily bus to Rijeka straight from the airport or city centre starting at €2, which will be the simplest and most cost-effective way to get to the coast. Rijeka is the largest city in the region, and while it does not have a beach, its main attraction would be the numerous cafe bars. In the morning, you can enjoy a relaxing cappuccino and then return at night where the cafe transforms into a lively bar. Be sure to catch sunset at Trsat Castle overlooking the city before enjoying the Rijeka nightlife.
Rijeka Things To Do: Korzo Walking Street, Trsat Castle, Rijeka Cathedral, City Clock Tower (climb for great views at night), Kantrida Beach, Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle
Where to stay in Rijeka: Linden Korzo
Day 2: Istrian Peninsula
Before heading to the beaches, we recommend a trip to the peninsula that borders Italy. The cities are absolutely stunning. As they were once Italian territory, the ancient architecture of these cities are incredible.
Pula: This stunning seafront city is at the tip of the peninsula. The main attraction is the Pula Arena, one of the six surviving Roman amphitheaters. Estimated over 2000 years old, it's even older than the one in Rome and it's better preserved. Enjoy the Venetian fortress for €6 overlooking the city, from which you can take the underground tunnels all around the historical city centre.
Pula Things To Do: Amphitheater, Dolphin & Sunset Tour, Temple of Augustus, Pula Castle/Fortress, Brijuni Islands
Where to stay in Pula: Hostel Antique
Rovinj: This fishing port is a popular tourist destination for good reason. The old town and marinas are gorgeous. Walking around the city and getting lost in the narrow cobblestone streets was incredible. We sat at a cafe bar at night for some wine and couldn't get over the beauty of the city - since we passed on Dubrovnik we're glad we went here. Be aware however, that cruise ships often stop here and the port can be quite busy, and restaurant prices were much higher than other towns.
Rovinj Things To Do: Old Town (Stari Grad), Church of St. Euphemia, Rovinj Harbor Pominade, Dolphin & Sunset Boat Tours
Where to stay in Rovinj: Apartments Bella
Porec: It is the smallest of these three cities but is not lacking in history and charm. The 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica complex is famous for its gem-studded Byzantine mosaics and the coastline is an excellent spot for water sports. The town may not be as lively as the others, but some travellers who want a quiet base to stay may appreciate a town that feels less touristy.
Where to stay in Porec: Hotel Porec
Day 3 & 4: Krk Island
After two days of exploring, it's time to relax. Krk, the largest island of Croatia, is a great spot to just chill on the beach and enjoy the island lifestyle. Some of the best things to do with your time in Croatia is to just take life slow. We started many days with a cappuccino and croissant before going to the beach to cool down. Lunch and cafe lounging with sandwiches or calamari and a Gemišt (white wine and sparkling water) were very refreshing. After a sunset swim, be ready for a dinner of a wood-oven pizza or Ćevapi (grilled minced meat). We recommend two towns in particular for your stay on Krk.
Vrbnik: It is a very picturesque village built on the cliffs over the sea. The winding streets of old town were great to walk around and the city boasts the narrowest street in the world! The city is also famous for its wine cellars and nearby beaches. The drone gave us some incredible views of this town.
Vrbnik Things To Do: Old Town, Vrbnik Church, Narrow Street, Vrbnik Beach, Vineyards, Boat Tours
Where to stay in Vrbnik: Design Hotel Verbenicum
Baška: This town has a great coast line with dozens of restaurants and cafes lining the streets. The beach had beautiful views of the mountains and other islands in the distance as well. This was certainly one of my favourite views of the sea in our entire trip, especially at sunset.
Baška Things To Do: Baška Beach, Old Town, Boat Tours, Ziplining, Mountain Climbing
Where to stay in stay in Baška: Valamar Villa Adria
Day 5: Selce
We recommend taking this day to travel south along the coast and visit a new town and beaches. Crikvenica and Senj are larger cities, with a lot of restaurants, shopping and amenities. Our favourite town along this coast was Selce as it's a quiet town with a nice local charm. The town also has a great sandy beach which is very rare in this area.
Take some time to relax and enjoy the coast at night, as well as the amazing local cuisine. Book your stay for an additional night or two to have time for an important day trip.
Where to stay in Selce: Apartments Lino, Luxury Hotel Amabilis
Day 6: Plitvice Lakes National Park
Plitvice Lakes National Park is truly one of the most beautiful parks in the world, without exaggeration. As Senj is less than a 2-hour drive from the park, it's certainly worthwhile to see. We recommend going early and taking your time to see the park. If you are not staying in Senj, you can still visit this place by a tour from Zadar, Zagreb and Split.
This park has dozens of lakes and cascading waterfalls with incredibly vibrant colours. The water is so clear you'll spot numerous fish hoping you give them a snack. Your park pass also includes a bus and boat ride around the park to make getting around easier. The hike is quite easy, but it can take 4-5 hours to see everything.
We'll let the pictures speak for the beauty of this place.
Where to stay in Plitvice Lakes National Park: Rustic Inn River, or consider using Selce as your base.
Day 7: Pag Island
Some travellers may opt to stay in the Crikvenica area to avoid too much travel time, while others may want to explore new coastlines. The final place we recommend is Pag Island.
There are countless gorgeous beaches on the island, including Zrce Festival Beach and Beach Ručica. You could stay on this island for the full week and have an endless number of beaches to visit for a great island getaway.
Pag Island Things To Do: Pag Town, Salt Pans, Pag Cheese Sampling, Zrće Beach (nightlife), Ručica Beach (tranquility), Party Cruise, Island Hopping
Where to stay in Pag Island: La Mar, or again take a day trip from Selce.
Final Thoughts
Croatia is a beautiful country with lots to see. We stayed with several locals who were able to show us around daily. We took what we learned and consolidated this 7-day itinerary. Of course hopping towns each day might not be ideal for each type of traveller. Consider extending the duration of your trip or choosing one over the other for more down time to explore your favourite spots.
A couple other important tips; the country is still largely cash only, however grocery stores and gas stations will accept debit/credit. Also the summers are extremely hot, so be very mindful of the heat.
We also got our flights to Croatia for free. It's surprisingly easy to get enough points to travel across Europe. We recommend checking the complete guide here as we regularly update this page.
Looking for your next European destination, why not explore Paris? Check out how you can spend 4 days in the city of love.
Curious on what drone we have? We currently have the DJI Mini 4 Pro and we couldn't recommend it enough especially for beginners as it has good stabilization and obstacle avoidance (because you don't want to crash on a tree on day 1!)