Travel advice for Croatia
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Croatia
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Jonathan Bousfield
updated 22.09.2021
Croatia’s bucket list includes Plitvice Lakes, Dubrovnik and at least one summer music festival. But what about more unusual things to do in Croatia. Plan a few detours into your trip for these offbeat Croatian attractions. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Croatia, your essential guide for visiting Croatia.
16 days / from5292 USD
Gorgeous gems of Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia
From the spas of Budapest to Lake Bled with its castle and further on to Croatia - this itinerary takes you across 3 countries, with a special focus on Slovenia's lake area and the Dalmatian coast in Croatia.
view tour ⤍10 days / from2800 USD
Sailing Croatia
If you want to experience the Dalmatian coast from a whole different perspective, then this trip is for you! Hop aboard a beautiful cruiser and sail along some of Croatia's most stunning islands.
view tour ⤍10 days / from2327 USD
Southern Pearls
This ten-day trip will take you around three adjacent countries, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Your tour starts in Split, Croatia, moving south (hence the name "Southern Pearls") over the island of Hvar and Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina to end up in Montenegro.
view tour ⤍12 days / from3046 USD
Gourmet Tour
You will visit three different adjacent countries and experience traditional local food and wines. You will visit some of the most intriguing restaurants and wineries in the area taste the delicious contrast between fine restaurants, and more traditional, authentic taverns.
view tour ⤍11 days / from5129 USD
Culinary Secrets of Croatia
This vintage holiday celebrates the wine and olive oil-making traditions of Croatia’s Adriatic coastline, which form the foundations of the country's Mediterranean culinary heritage. Visit world-class wineries, and sample Dalmatian delicacies as you travel south to Dubrovnik.
view tour ⤍13 days / from3153 USD
Balkan Extended
The Balkan Extended tour truly showcases the finest of Balkan’s heritage and natural beauty as you make your way through the 5 countries. Learn about the Serbian Athens, climb the splendid Old Bridge in Mostar, observe Slovenia's water castle and dive into the pearl of Croatia's beauty in Istria.
view tour ⤍11 days / from2678 USD
Love Thy Neighbor - Croatia and Slovenia
Slovenia and Croatia are neighboring countries, and the close proximity of Slovenian and Croatian Istria make them a perfect destination for a single trip. The area has numerous stories waiting to be discovered, from magical alpine landscapes of Slovenia to charming historical towns inland.
view tour ⤍8 days / from3499 USD
Croatia's Best Kept Secret - Vis Island
Surrounded by an archipelago of other islands and islets, the island of Vis is simple, sleepy and authentic. As a military base, the island was closed until 1991 and has remained its original charm. Come for the unique experience, stay for the hospitality and friendliness of the locals.
view tour ⤍9 days / from2111 USD
The Ultimate Croatian Adventure
This trip is designed for people searching for an exciting lifestyle and never-ending adventure. With so many different landscapes, beautiful nature, stunning mountains, and picturesque Adriatic coast, Croatia is a place that can offer a truly incredible and adventurous experience.
view tour ⤍9 days / from2527 USD
Dalmatian Honeymoon
This honeymoon trip was inspired by love towards our home that Dalmatia is. The tour is planned out to the last possible detail, but still respecting the time you wish to spend at your own pace in privacy. It will take you around the most romantic islands of Korcula and Hvar.
view tour ⤍10 days / from2569 USD
Balkan & Adriatic
The most relaxing Balkan & Adriatic tour! This trip is for travellers who are interested in visiting different locations in the Balkans but prefer a comfortable way of travelling. Get to know parts of Serbia, Montenegro and the beautiful towns of Croatia, all while travelling at a slow pace.
view tour ⤍12 days / from4535 USD
Croatia and Slovenia: An Adriatic Adventure
This expansive trip celebrates the splendour of Croatia and Slovenia, with their wondrous hilltop towns and stunning cities, such as Dubrovnik, Ljubljana and Split. Experience the wine and olive oil-making traditions of these two countries, and go truffle hunting on the Istrian Peninsula.
view tour ⤍8 days / from2419 USD
The Best of Croatia and Slovenia
Combine the highlights of neighboring countries Croatia and Slovenia on this self drive trip. Explore Dubrovnik, Plitivce Lakes, Zadar and Zagreb in Croatia before heading out to see Lake Bled and Slovenia's capital Ljubljana. Make stops along the way and soak in the culture, food and history.
view tour ⤍9 days / from2354 USD
Adriatic Roadtrip from Istria to Dalmatia
Croatia from North to South - start your trip in Rovinj, a town close to the Italian border with a lovely medieval port. Pick up your rental car and make your way through Croatia's inland with Plitvice Lakes and further down to Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. Nature, culture and adventure await!
view tour ⤍7 days / from1026 USD
An active trip to authentic Hvar
Meet an entirely different Hvar, discover its hidden corners, learn about the local food and wine production and day-to-day life of a typical island family. Easy hikes will allow you to experience the island with a local, through many vineyards, olive groves and dense pine forests.
view tour ⤍6 days / from1507 USD
Wine & Adventure in Croatia
Land in Dubrovnik and explore the city on a guided tour before basing yourself in Split for the remainder of your trip. Explore the surroundings in your rental car, including Krka National Park, rafting on the Cetina river, Zadar, a special wine tasting, kayaking and more.
view tour ⤍10 days / from3661 USD
Highlights of Croatia Trip: Zagreb, Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik
Discover Croatia, with its fascinating history and glistening Adriatic coast. Your adventure begins in the capital, Zagreb, before moving on to Split, via the stunning Plitvice Lakes. Continue to the beautiful Hvar Island, before ending your trip in dazzling Dubrovnik, 'the Pearl of the Adriatic'.
view tour ⤍12 days / from2959 USD
Nature & Culture
Inspired by timeless natural and cultural landmarks of the area, this trip is taking you through the highlights of Croatia, Southern part of Bosnia & Herzegovina and coastal Montenegro.
view tour ⤍8 days / from2699 USD
The Pearl of the Adriatic - Dubrovnik
Stay in a beautiful hotel in Dubrovnik and take day tours, either in small groups or privately guided, all throughout Dalmatia. Visit vineyards, hidden bays, islands, a stint to neighboring Montenegro and more. Ideal for those hating to unpack and pack again, discover on day tours.
view tour ⤍8 days / from1458 USD
Croatia Game of Thrones and Highlights
Discover the lakes and waterfalls of forested parks that are Croatia Game of Thrones locations, before exploring medieval walled Trogir and the Diocletian’s Palace in Split. Ancient fortresses on the stunning Makarska coastline await en route to dramatic Dubrovnik and Lokrum Island monastery ruins.
view tour ⤍11 days / from2549 USD
Feel & Taste Dalmatia
This trip is inspired by the traditional Dalmatian lifestyle, including some of the most amazing and dream-like Croatian islands. It is tailored for people who wish to take a break from everyday life, get a genuine insight into the local culture and taste local products.
view tour ⤍10 days / from2191 USD
Balkan Essentials
The Balkans are stunning and you will have a chance to experience their beauty during this 10 day-multiple country trip. Feel the welcoming vibe of Belgrade, visit Kotor, Europe's unmissable town, walk down the famous Bridge on Drina and observe stunning Plitvice Lakes.
view tour ⤍10 days / from1970 USD
Explore the Balkans
Enjoy the sights of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia in one trip - the best of the Balkans! Stroll through the old towns, marvel at the historic buildings and stunning natural landscapes as you make your way through these four interesting countries.
view tour ⤍7 days / from1814 USD
Treasures of Slovenia
This trip will take you around a rather small country that is Slovenia, yet a place full of natural wonders, cultural landmarks and delicious foods. In 7 days, you will go from Europe-worthy capital of Ljubljana, along a charming part of the Slovenian Adriatic coast all the way across the Alps.
view tour ⤍11 days / from3186 USD
Sailing across Dalmatia
With some of the most exciting islands, pristine Adriatic sea waters, intoxicating lagoons, bays and inlets, charming and historical coastal towns, rich culture, delicious food, and easy-going locals, Dalmatia is easily one of the most valuable and desirable regions of Croatia.
view tour ⤍Explore recesses of the human psyche at the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb.
This travelling art installation became a permanent museum in 2010. And the collection is built on donated mementoes. It’s a unique gathering of memory and raw emotion. Exhibits range from garden gnomes to prosthetic limbs. And each has a text explaining its significance to the donor. Some are touching, some kinky, and some belong in a David Lynch film.
The 1960s and 70s saw a boom in modern Adriatic architecture. Now it seems Croatian Modernism is back. Discover Hotel Lone as proof. You’ll find it looming above Lone Bay, outside chic Rovinj in Istria.
The amoeba shaped design is by Zagreb architects 3LHD. The interior’s furnished by Croatia’s leading creatives. And it’s a rare example of an hotel which is also an artwork.
Don't want to stay over? Then just peek inside to see Ivana Franke’s Room for Running Ghosts. Don’t miss textile wall-hangings by Zagreb fashion designers I-GLE. And spare a glance at the circular lobby.
If you like the idea of a tailor made trip, get in touch and we can connect you with a local expert to plan and book your ideal holiday.
The discovery of Neanderthal bones in 1899 put Krapina on the map. However, it took until 2010 for the town to get the museum it deserved.
An ambitious, ultra-modern building houses the museum. And visitors ascend a spiral pathway round the earth’s development. It’s a tour de force in Evolutionary Theory. But the most entertaining aspects are devoted to Neanderthals themselves. A film shows actors re-creating a day in the life of a Neanderthal tribe. And the display ends with a diorama featuring Neanderthal figures.
Few European cemeteries are as meditative as Varaždin. It’s a minor horticultural masterpiece. And was very much the lifework of park keeper Hermann Haller (1875-1953).
Haller believed cemeteries should be life-enhancing public parks. To this end he planted rows of conifers. He then sculpted them into stately green pillars. Ultimately they towered over the graves. To create, in Haller’s words, “quiet and harmonious hiding places” for the dead.
The cemetery is also something of an exterior art gallery. Look out for fine funerary sculpture in the greenery.
In a league table of outstanding small museums Novigrad Lapidarium would be in the top ten. Designed by Rijeka-based architects Randić and Turato, it consists of two black-box exhibition spaces within a glass pavilion.
The collection features stone carvings taken from Novigrad’s medieval churches. And gryphons, peacocks and cypresses show the lust for beauty in early Croatian art. For more early Novigrad stonework, consider a stay at San Canzian Village in Buje.
Set on Zadar’s seafront promenade The Sea Organ consists of a stone stairway descending to the sea. Wave action then pushes air up through a series of underwater pipes. The air enters niches cut into the steps. And finally the organ produces a range of mellow musical notes.
Its architect, Nikola Bašić, also designed the nearby Greeting to the Sun. A huge disk paved with light-sensitive tiles, it stores solar power during the day. Then at night it radiates a seemingly random sequence of coloured lights. The effect is hypnotic. And it’s enormously popular with tourists.
Head to Joker shopping centre in Split to meet a bronze sculpture of Orson Welles. The statue was designed by Croatia-born actor and sculptor Oja Kodar. She was Welles’ long time companion. And the pair met in 1961while filming The Trial in Zagreb. Croatia then became a second home to the director. He acted in local films. He even had a holiday villa at Primošten. And, according to lore, he was also a fan of Hajduk Split football team.
Orson Welles in Amsterdam © Harry Pot/Anefo/WIkimedia Commons
Seeing world’s first torpedo tops the list of unusual things to do in Croatia. Designed by Croatian engineer Ivan Blaž Lupis and his English colleague Robert Whitehead, it was built at the 19th century naval yards in Rijeka.
But to view the surviving example, you have to go to Split. There in an anonymous corner of the Maritime Museum it sits. One of Croatia's greatest feats of engineering, looking like something out of a Jules Verne novel
For open-air concerts with a difference, head to Orsula Park just outside Dubrovnik. This sloping landscape of shrubs and pathways commands great views of the city.
Each summer the park’s amphitheatre-style bank of seating is used during the Mali Glazbeni Festival. A season of concerts which attracts big local names in rock, rap and world music.
For more inspiring ideas for your holiday in Dubrovnik, read our guide to the best things to do in Dubrovnik.
Ready for a trip to Croatia? Check out the snapshot Rough Guide to Croatia. Read more about the best time to go to Croatia, the best places to visit and best things to do in Croatia. For inspiration use the Croatia Itineraries from The Rough Guide to Croatia and our local travel experts. A bit more hands on, learn about getting there, getting around the country and where to stay once you are there.
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written by Jonathan Bousfield
updated 22.09.2021
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From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Croatia