Croatia: What to Do and Where to Stay

Aside from fashion, traveling is another one of my passions. Whenever I get a chance, I grab my passport, maybe my sister and cousin and pick a new spot to explore. I even quit my job a few years ago and traveled through Europe for almost 6 weeks! So when my friends book their trips, they usually reach out to me to to be their personal travel planner.

Recently, I’ve received a few requests for my itinerary on Croatia. This has to be one of my most favorite places to visit. It is absolutely stunning! I’m sure you’ve heard of Dubrovnik or if you’re a Games of Thrones fanatic, you’ve seen it on TV. Dubrovnik is a city in southern Croatia. It’s known for its distinctive Old Town, encircled with massive stone walls.

Below are the cities I visited and pictures to give you a feel of beautiful Croatia:

DUBROVNIK

You should spend at least 2-3 days.

Things to do:

• Walls of Dubrovnik
• SRD – Round hill with a fort and a cable car to the summit. Beautiful panoramic views from here
• Lovrijenac – Historic fortress with panoramic views
• Rector’s Palace – Gothic-renaissance mansion & museum
• Minceta – Historic stronghold overlooking the city
• Dubrovnik Cathedral – Grand baroque church with notable art
• Dominician Monastery – Long-standing church, cloister & museum
• Charter a boat – On the walk over to the Old City, you’ll hit a little tourism shop where we booked an impromptu boat ride and it was the best decision ever! We had it for the day, skipper and all. He was friendly and made recommendations for great swimming spots, beaches, caves and a cute little town for lunch.

Where to stay:

Hotel Excelsior – I absolutely loved this hotel and the location

Check it out Dubrovnik and the hotel’s location on google maps to get a feel for what it would be like. You can swim in the ocean right outside the hotel. It’s like a pool. The hotel is also a short walk from the Old City where the views at night are just incredible!

Next stop…

SPLIT

We rented a car front Dubrovnik and drove to split. We only spent one night here.

Things to do:

• Diocletian’s Palace
• Cathedral of Saint Domnius
• Ivan Mestrovic Gallery
• marjan Hill
• Split seafront promenade (Riva)

Where to stay:

• Murum Heritage Hotel
• Vida Boutique Hotel
• Hotel Luxe
• Hotel Park Split

Our next destination…

HVAR

To get to this island, you need to take a ferry from Split. The Ferry is a little over an hour ride. You should spend at least 2 days here

Ferry: https://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/ferry-croatia

Things to do:

• Charter a boat – We did this on this island as well and had an amazing time. we were able to explore the blue and green caves and other beaches
• St. Stephen’s Cathedral
• St. Stephen’s Square
• Spanjola Fortress

Where to stay:

Amfora, Hvar Grand Beach Resort – Amazing hotel with a gorgeous pool and right on the water

Last and final stop…

ZAGREB

We rented a car from Split and drove to Zagreb. This is approximately a 4-hour drive. We only spent one night here. The main reason for visiting was to see Plitvice Lakes National Park. Zagreb was not an area I’d need to visit again. There are more beautiful locations to visit.

Where to stay:

• Palace Hotel Zagreb
• Hotel Le Premier
• Esplanade Zagreb Hotel
• Hotel 9

Dubrovnik: Hotel Excelsior

Walking the Walls of Dubrovnik

The Old City, Dubrovnik

Ahoy Skipper: Private Boat Ride

Dubrovnik to Split: Road Trip

Split

Split Ferry Ride to Hvar

Hvar

Drive to Zagreb: Purposeful Pit Stop at Plitvice Lakes National Park

What a Beauty! If only we had more time.