Sample Itinerary · Croatia

Highlights of Croatia

Zagreb · Plitvice · Split · Dubrovnik

Duration
10 Days · 9 Nights
Accommodations
4-Star or Higher
Transport
Private Transfers
Best For
Comprehensive · Mainland to Coast

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This is a sample itinerary — for inspiration only. Every Juniper trip is designed from scratch around you. Many clients travel a very similar route — if this resonates, book a free consultation and a specialist will build something just like it (or better) specifically for your travel style, dates, and group.

1
Day One

Arrive in Zagreb

Zagreb

Welcome to Croatia’s capital. Your driver meets you at Zagreb Airport (ZAG) and transfers you into the city center. Check in to your hotel in the Lower Town (Donji Grad), within walking distance of the main square (Trg bana Jelačića).

Afternoon at leisure. Zagreb rewards a first walk: the Lower Town’s Austro-Hungarian boulevards, the green horseshoe of parks, and the Dolac market (the open-air farmers’ market above the main square). Welcome dinner at a specialist-selected restaurant.

Arrive Zagreb
Dolac market
Welcome dinner

Overnight: Zagreb

2
Day Two

Zagreb City Day

Zagreb

Morning: guided walking tour of Zagreb’s Upper Town (Gornji Grad) — the medieval quarter on the hill above the city. St. Mark’s Church (the mosaic-tiled roof depicting the coats of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia), the Lotrščak Tower (the cannon fires at noon every day), the Stone Gate (a shrine built into the medieval city gate), and Zagreb Cathedral.

Afternoon: the Museum of Broken Relationships (Croatia’s most unusual museum — donated objects from failed relationships, each with its story) or the Mimara Museum (European art collection in a neo-Renaissance palace). Evening: Tkalčićeva Street — the pedestrianised bar-and-restaurant lane that is Zagreb’s social center.

Upper Town walking tour
St. Mark’s Church + Cathedral
Tkalčićeva evening

Overnight: Zagreb

3
Day Three

Zagreb → Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice

Morning: private transfer from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes National Park (approximately 2 hours south through the Croatian countryside). Plitvice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — 16 terraced lakes connected by waterfalls cascading through a forested limestone canyon.

Afternoon: guided walk through the Upper Lakes (the smaller, higher lakes with the most dramatic waterfalls) and the Lower Lakes (the larger, calmer turquoise pools). The boardwalk trails wind at water level so you walk alongside and over the falls. Your specialist has booked timed entry and arranged the visit to avoid the midday tour-bus peak. Check in to your Plitvice hotel (lodges near the park entrance). Evening at leisure.

Zagreb → Plitvice · 2hrs
Plitvice Lakes UNESCO
Boardwalk + waterfalls

Overnight: Plitvice

4
Day Four

Plitvice → Zadar

Zadar

Morning: optional second Plitvice visit (the Lower Lakes at dawn, when the park is empty and the light on the water is extraordinary) or depart directly. Private transfer from Plitvice to Zadar (approximately 1.5 hours to the Adriatic coast).

Arrive Zadar early afternoon. Zadar is the underrated gem of the Croatian coast — a 3,000-year-old city on a peninsula jutting into the Adriatic, with Roman ruins, Venetian architecture, and two installations that define the modern city. The Sea Organ (underwater pipes that turn wave energy into music — the Adriatic plays a different chord with every swell) and the Sun Salutation (a solar-powered LED circle that creates a light show at sunset). Check in. Evening: Zadar’s waterfront at sunset — Alfred Hitchcock reportedly called it the most beautiful sunset in the world.

Plitvice → Zadar · 1.5hrs
Sea Organ + Sun Salutation
Zadar sunset

Overnight: Zadar

5
Day Five

Zadar City Day

Zadar

Morning: guided walking tour of Zadar’s old town — the Roman Forum (the largest Roman-era public space on the eastern Adriatic), the Cathedral of St. Anastasia (Romanesque, 12th–13th century, climb the bell tower for panoramic views), the Church of St. Donatus (9th-century Byzantine round church, now a concert venue), and the medieval city walls (UNESCO).

Afternoon: Zadar archipelago boat excursion (optional) — the islands of Ugljan and Pašman are a short ferry ride from the city, or a boat trip to the Kornati National Park (a surreal archipelago of 89 barren limestone islands). Or free time in the old town. Evening: dinner at a konoba on the Riva waterfront.

Roman Forum + Cathedral
Medieval walls UNESCO
Kornati islands optional

Overnight: Zadar

6
Day Six

Zadar → Split

Split

Morning: private transfer from Zadar to Split (approximately 2.5 hours along the coastal road, with views of the Adriatic islands). Optional stop in Šibenik — the Cathedral of St. James (UNESCO, the only cathedral in Europe built entirely of stone without mortar) and the fortress of St. Nicholas.

Arrive Split early afternoon. Split’s old town is built inside Diocletian’s Palace (UNESCO) — a living neighborhood within 1,700-year-old Roman walls. First walk: the Peristyle (central courtyard), the Riva waterfront promenade. Check in. Evening: dinner in the palace quarter.

Zadar → Split · 2.5hrs
Šibenik Cathedral optional
Arrive Split

Overnight: Split

7
Day Seven

Split City Day

Split

Morning: guided walking tour of Diocletian’s Palace — the basement halls (the vaulted Roman substructure), the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (built inside Diocletian’s mausoleum), Jupiter’s Temple, and the Golden Gate. Then Marjan Hill — the forested peninsula with panoramic views over the city, the islands, and the mainland mountains.

Afternoon: at leisure in Split — the Grgur Ninski statue (rub the big toe for luck), the fish market at the eastern wall, or a swim at Bäcviče beach. Evening: Split’s restaurant scene — your specialist has the konoba reservation where the pašticada (Dalmatian braised beef) is the reason to visit.

Diocletian’s Palace tour
Marjan Hill panorama
Pašticada dinner

Overnight: Split

8
Day Eight

Split → Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

The most scenic drive in Croatia. Split to Dubrovnik along the coastal road (approximately 3.5 hours) — the Adriatic on your left, the Dinaric mountains on your right, and the islands of Brač and Hvar visible offshore. Optional stop in Ston — the ‘Croatian Great Wall’ (3.4 miles of medieval fortification walls) and the oyster farms in Mali Ston bay (fresh oysters pulled from the Adriatic).

Arrive Dubrovnik late afternoon. Check in to your hotel. First Dubrovnik evening — a walk through the Stradun (the main limestone street of the Old Town, polished to a mirror finish by centuries of footsteps) and dinner in a candlelit courtyard restaurant.

Coastal drive · 3.5hrs
Ston walls + oysters optional
Arrive Dubrovnik

Overnight: Dubrovnik

9
Day Nine

Dubrovnik City Day

Dubrovnik

Morning: Dubrovnik city walls walk — the complete 1.2 miles circuit of the medieval walls (your specialist times this for early morning or late afternoon when the cruise ships have departed). The views down into the Old Town’s terracotta rooftops, the harbor, and Lokrum Island are the defining image of Croatia.

Afternoon: explore the Old Town at ground level — the Rector’s Palace (now a history museum), the Franciscan Monastery (with the third-oldest pharmacy in Europe, operating since 1317), the Sponza Palace, and Fort Lovrijenac (‘Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar’ — the fortress overlooking the sea). Optional: cable car to Srđ hill for the panoramic view. Farewell dinner.

City walls walk · 1.2 miles
Rector’s Palace + Franciscan Monastery
Srđ cable car optional

Overnight: Dubrovnik

10
Day Ten

Depart Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Morning: Lokrum Island (15-minute ferry from Old Port) — forested nature reserve with Benedictine monastery ruins, botanical garden, and the Dead Sea saltwater lagoon. Or a final morning walk through the Old Town’s quietest lanes before the day-trippers arrive.

Afternoon: transfer to Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) for your departure flight. Ten days from Zagreb to Dubrovnik — the mainland’s green hills to the coast’s limestone cliffs, Plitvice’s waterfalls to the Adriatic’s turquoise. Your Juniper specialist remains reachable throughout. Safe travels home.

Lokrum Island
Transfer to DBV
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Love this itinerary? Make it yours.

This is a sample luxury custom route — a starting point, not a fixed package. Many clients travel something very close to this, customized for their travel style, group, and dates. Book a free consultation and a specialist will build from here.

Accommodations
Boutique hotels, charming B&Bs, or historic castle stays — chosen based on your preferences and travel style.
Transportation
Private driver-guide, self-drive rental, or a mix of both — all transfers confirmed before you travel.
Experiences
Pre-arranged tours and activities built around your interests — entrance tickets sorted, no queuing.

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Activities on this itinerary

Your specialist pre-arranges the right luxury experiences based on your interests and travel style. These are the custom experience types available on this route — specific choices are made with you, not for you.

Zagreb Upper Town TourSt. Mark’s Church · Lotršcak Tower

Museum of Broken RelationshipsZagreb’s most unusual museum

Plitvice Lakes UNESCO16 terraced lakes · waterfalls · boardwalks

Zadar Sea Organ + Sun SalutationAdriatic wave music · sunset LED

Roman Forum ZadarLargest Roman square on the Adriatic

Šibenik Cathedral UNESCOAll-stone construction · optional stop

Diocletian’s Palace Split1,700-year-old UNESCO Roman palace

Marjan Hill SplitForested peninsula · panoramic views

Ston Walls + OystersCroatian Great Wall · Adriatic oysters

Dubrovnik City Walls1.2 miles circuit · golden-hour timing

Lokrum IslandMonastery ruins · Dead Sea lagoon

Coastal Drive Split–DubrovnikEurope’s most scenic coastal road

Activities are selected and pre-booked with your specialist based on your interests — not all activities are included in every trip version. Availability varies by season.

The people who will design your Croatia trip

You work directly with a specialist who knows Croatia deeply — not a call center or booking agent. Every consultation is with someone who has been there, knows which Zagreb restaurant has the štrukli worth the Upper Town climb, which Plitvice boardwalk entrance avoids the morning tour buses, and which Dubrovnik wall-walk time gives you the golden light without the crowds.

Ireland · Scotland · Iceland · Portugal · Croatia

Taryn Harrison

Juniper Tours’ most tenured specialist with 25 years of experience. CMSC certified and a former Peace Corps volunteer. Taryn brings the same detail-orientation to Portugal that she’s known for across Ireland and Iceland — she knows which Lisbon neighborhood hotel has the best terrace view, which Sintra entry time avoids the coach-tour peaks, and which Douro Valley quinta pours the reserve that doesn’t appear on the standard tasting menu.

25 Yrs
CMSC
Croatia & Adriatic

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Italy · Portugal · Spain · Switzerland

Lexi Blade

Florence and Salzburg-based with 8 years of experience across Southern Europe. Lexi covers Portugal, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland with the same firsthand knowledge she brings to every destination — sourced from living there rather than visiting. Her Croatia itineraries are built around the konobas that require a local’s recommendation, the Dalmatian wine producers who don’t export, and the island beaches that haven’t been found by the yacht-charter crowd yet.

8 Yrs
Florence Based
Southern Europe

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About this itinerary

What makes this different from the island-hopping itinerary?


This itinerary covers mainland Croatia (Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes) plus the coastal cities (Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik) — a comprehensive introduction to the whole country. The island-hopping itinerary skips the mainland and focuses on the Dalmatian islands (Brac, Hvar, Korcula). If you want both, the Complete Croatia itinerary combines mainland, islands, and coast in 13 days.

Is Plitvice Lakes worth the detour?


Absolutely — Plitvice is one of the most extraordinary natural sites in Europe. Sixteen terraced lakes connected by waterfalls cascading through forested limestone canyon. The boardwalk trails wind through the park at water level so you walk alongside and over the falls. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the single most visited attraction in Croatia. Your specialist books timed entry and arranges the visit to avoid peak hours.

How does the transport work on this route?


Private transfers throughout — no ferries needed since this itinerary stays on the mainland and coast. Zagreb to Plitvice is approximately 2 hours. Plitvice to Zadar is approximately 1.5 hours. Zadar to Split is approximately 2.5 hours along the coastal road. Split to Dubrovnik is approximately 3.5 hours along one of Europe’s most scenic coastal drives. Your driver handles all navigation and the drives themselves are part of the experience.

When is the best time for this itinerary?


May through October. The shoulder months (May, June, September, October) are ideal — pleasant weather, Plitvice at its fullest flow, and manageable crowds in Dubrovnik. July and August are peak season with the warmest water for swimming but the highest crowds and prices. Zagreb is a year-round city. Plitvice is stunning in autumn (foliage) and spring (highest waterfall flow) but some boardwalk sections may be closed in winter.

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“We had an absolutely FANTASTIC trip booking with Juniper! Absolutely plan on using them again on future travel!”

Michael J.  ·  Croatia Mainland to Coast Tour  ·  Verified Google Review

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