Sample Itinerary · Croatia

Complete Croatia

Zagreb · Plitvice · Islands · Dubrovnik

Duration
13 Days · 12 Nights
Accommodations
4-Star or Higher
Transport
Transfers + Ferries
Best For
Comprehensive · Mainland + Islands

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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 Lower Town. Check in and walk the Dolac market, the main square, and the green-horseshoe parks.

Afternoon at leisure. Welcome dinner at a specialist-selected restaurant — štrukli (cheese-filled pastry), kulen (spiced sausage from Slavonia), and a glass of Graševina.

Arrive Zagreb
Dolac market
Welcome dinner

Overnight: Zagreb

2
Day Two

Zagreb City Day

Zagreb

Morning: guided Upper Town walking tour — St. Mark’s mosaic-tiled Church, Lotrščak Tower (noon cannon), Stone Gate shrine, Zagreb Cathedral. The Museum of Broken Relationships or the Mimara Museum.

Afternoon: Tkalčićeva Street and the Lower Town’s Austro-Hungarian architecture. Optional: Jarun Lake for a late-afternoon walk. Evening: Tkalčićeva bar-and-restaurant lane.

Upper Town tour
Museum of Broken Relationships
Tkalčićeva evening

Overnight: Zagreb

3
Day Three

Zagreb → Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice

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

Afternoon: guided walk through the Upper and Lower Lakes. Boardwalk trails at water level alongside and over the falls. Timed entry avoids the midday tour-bus peak. Check in to a park-area lodge.

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

Overnight: Plitvice

4
Day Four

Plitvice → Zadar

Zadar

Morning: optional dawn return to Plitvice (empty park, extraordinary light) or depart directly. Transfer to Zadar (approximately 1.5 hours to the Adriatic coast).

Afternoon: Zadar’s Sea Organ (underwater pipes turning waves into music) and Sun Salutation (solar LED light show at sunset). Walk the old-town peninsula. Evening: waterfront dinner as the Adriatic plays.

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

Overnight: Zadar

5
Day Five

Zadar City Day

Zadar

Morning: walking tour — the Roman Forum (largest on the eastern Adriatic), Cathedral of St. Anastasia (climb the bell tower), Church of St. Donatus (9th-century Byzantine), medieval walls (UNESCO).

Afternoon: at leisure or Kornati National Park boat excursion (89 barren limestone islands). Evening: konoba dinner on the Riva.

Roman Forum + Cathedral
Medieval walls UNESCO
Kornati optional

Overnight: Zadar

6
Day Six

Zadar → Split

Split

Morning: coastal drive from Zadar to Split (approximately 2.5 hours). Optional stop in Šibenik — the Cathedral of St. James (UNESCO, entirely stone, no mortar).

Arrive Split early afternoon. First walk: Diocletian’s Palace Peristyle and 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 + Ferry to Brač

Brač

Morning: guided tour of Diocletian’s Palace — basement halls, Cathedral of Saint Domnius, Jupiter’s Temple, Golden Gate. Then Marjan Hill for panoramic views.

Afternoon: ferry from Split to Supetar on Brač (approximately 50 minutes). Check in to your Brač hotel. Evening: grilled fish, olive oil, and local Bolač wine. The island chapter begins.

Diocletian’s Palace tour
Ferry Split → Brač
Arrive Brač

Overnight: Brač

8
Day Eight

Brač → Hvar

Hvar

Morning: Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn) — Croatia’s most famous beach. Optional hike to Vidova Gora (778m, highest Adriatic island point) for the panoramic view.

Afternoon: catamaran to Hvar Town (approximately 1 hour). Hvar is the glamour stop — Venetian harbor, fortress above, yacht marina below. Check in. Evening: harborside dinner.

Zlatni Rat golden beach
Catamaran Brač → Hvar
Hvar Town harbor

Overnight: Hvar

9
Day Nine

Hvar Island Day

Hvar

Morning: Fortica fortress, Renaissance main square, Arsenal theater, Franciscan monastery. Stari Grad Plain (UNESCO, 4th-century BC Greek agricultural landscape) or lavender fields (June–July).

Afternoon: Pakleni Islands by water taxi — Palmizana beach clubs, Jerolim’s quiet coves. Evening at leisure — Hvar’s nightlife is the most vibrant on the Dalmatian Coast.

Fortica fortress
Pakleni Islands boat
Hvar nightlife

Overnight: Hvar

10
Day Ten

Hvar → Korčula

Korčula

Morning at leisure on Hvar or Stari Grad Plain visit. Afternoon: catamaran to Korčula (approximately 1 hour). Korčula’s fortified medieval old town on a peninsula — herringbone streets designed to channel breezes and block wind.

Check in. Evening: dinner in the old town — fresh fish, Grk and Pošip wines from the island’s own vineyards.

Catamaran Hvar → Korčula
Medieval old town
Island wine dinner

Overnight: Korčula

11
Day Eleven

Korčula → Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Morning: Korčula walking tour — Marco Polo House (climb the tower), Cathedral of St. Mark (Tintoretto altarpiece), fortified walls. Optional: wine tasting (Grk, Pošip) or kayaking.

Afternoon: catamaran to Dubrovnik (approximately 2 hours) via Pelješac. Optional stop: Ston walls and Mali Ston oysters. Arrive Dubrovnik. Evening: Stradun walk and first Old Town dinner.

Marco Polo House
Catamaran Korčula → Dubrovnik
Ston oysters optional

Overnight: Dubrovnik

12
Day Twelve

Dubrovnik City Day

Dubrovnik

Morning: city walls walk — 1.2 miles circuit timed for golden-hour light after the cruise ships depart. Views over terracotta rooftops, the harbor, and Lokrum Island.

Afternoon: Old Town at ground level — Rector’s Palace, Franciscan Monastery (pharmacy since 1317), Fort Lovrijenac. Srđ cable car for the panoramic view. Farewell dinner — wall-view terrace restaurant.

City walls walk · 1.2 miles
Srđ cable car
Farewell dinner

Overnight: Dubrovnik

13
Day Thirteen

Depart Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Morning: Lokrum Island (15-minute ferry) — monastery ruins, botanical garden, Dead Sea lagoon. Or a final quiet walk through the Old Town before the day-trippers arrive.

Transfer to Dubrovnik Airport (DBV). Thirteen days from Zagreb to Dubrovnik — the mainland’s green hills, Plitvice’s waterfalls, four Adriatic islands, and the ancient walls at golden hour. Your 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 · Lotršcak · Cathedral

Plitvice Lakes UNESCO16 lakes · waterfalls · boardwalks

Zadar Sea Organ + Sun SalutationWave music · sunset LED

Diocletian’s Palace Split1,700-year-old UNESCO · living city

Zlatni Rat Golden BeachBrač · Croatia’s most famous beach

Hvar Fortress + Pakleni IslandsHarbor town · island boat trip

Korčula Medieval Old TownMarco Polo · Grk + Pošip wines

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

Lokrum IslandMonastery ruins · Dead Sea lagoon

Adriatic Ferry Crossings4 island hops · part of the experience

Ston Walls + OystersCroatian Great Wall · Mali Ston bay

Coastal Drive Zadar–SplitAdriatic views · Šibenik optional

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 Hvar restaurant has the grilled fish worth the harbor walk, and which Dubrovnik wall-walk time gives you the golden light without the cruise-ship 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

Why 13 days for Croatia?


Croatia has two distinct halves — the mainland (Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes) and the Adriatic coast and islands (Zadar, Split, Brac, Hvar, Korcula, Dubrovnik). Most itineraries cover one half or the other. Thirteen days gives you both without rushing — enough time to feel each place rather than just photograph it. The mainland-to-coast progression and the island-hopping second half create natural pacing, with the ferry crossings as built-in rest days.

Can I shorten this itinerary?


Yes — this is a sample and every trip is custom. The most common modification is removing one or two islands. Dropping Brac saves a day, dropping both Brac and Korcula saves two days and gives you an 11-day trip. Our Highlights of Croatia itinerary covers the mainland plus coast in 10 days without islands. Our Island Hopping itinerary covers four islands plus Split and Dubrovnik in 8 days without the mainland. Your specialist can build any combination.

How does the transport work with both mainland and islands?


Private driver for the mainland segments (Zagreb to Plitvice, Plitvice to Zadar, Zadar to Split). Ferry and catamaran for the island-hopping segments (Split to Brac, Brac to Hvar, Hvar to Korcula, Korcula to Dubrovnik via Peljesac). Your specialist pre-books all ferry tickets — the popular summer routes sell out. The transition from car to ferry at Split is seamless and the ferry crossings are part of the experience.

When is the best time for this itinerary?


June and September are the ideal months — warm weather, swimmable water, all ferry routes operating, and manageable crowds in Dubrovnik and on Hvar. July and August are peak season with the warmest temperatures but the busiest islands and highest prices. May and October are beautiful on the mainland (Plitvice at peak waterfall flow in spring, autumn foliage in October) but some island restaurants and beach clubs may be closed.

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“Our specialist was amazing from start to finish! If only there was a 6 star review. I was nervous at the start of the process but she made me feel at ease and made everything and every part of the trip amazing and easy.”

Chris V.  ·  Complete Croatia Tour  ·  Verified Google Review

Build your luxury custom Portugal trip with one of our top travel specialists.

30 minutes, completely free. Walk away with a clear picture of what your luxury custom Portugal trip could look like — dates, route, 4 and 5-star accommodations, and all.

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