Croatia
May 26 - June 1, 2022 (7D6N): Croatia marks the first stop during our visit to the Balkan region: Croatia - Montenegro - Bosnia & Herzegovina. Game of Thrones (GOT) fans will recognize a few filming locations noted in Split and Dubrovnik, but the county is a lot more than just GOT. We had a round-trip flight in and out of Zagreb, where we spent our first and the last night in the capital. We rented a car to visit all the major cities (Zagreb/ Zadar/ Split/ Dubrovnik) as well as two Croatian islands (Hvar & Korcula).
*Highly recommended food & hotel
Day 1 (Zagreb):
Evening arrival from JFK (via AMS)
Pick up the rental car from National (See Tips below)
Check-in @ Canopy by Hilton Zagreb City Centre* or Hilton Garden Inn*
If your flight arrives earlier, take the Free Spirit Walking Tour*(2 hrs; we did this at the end of our trip); here are some highlights:
Zagreb Cathedral (tallest building in Croatia)
St. Mark’s Church (known for the colorfully tiled roof)
Walk through Trg Nikole Subica Zrinskog | Zrinjevac (the largest park in Zagreb)
Coffee/rakija @ Cafe Cvjetni (iced latte with Pelinkovac on the side - the perfect combo to combat a jetlag)
Walk through Trg krlia Tomislava / Umjetnicki Paviljon
Dinner @ Cheese Bar* (locally sourced)
Bas Nas (free outdoor musical festival from 5/26 to 6/25)
Day 2 (Plitvice Lakes National Park/Zadar/Split):
Breakfast @ hotel (Amazing breakfast buffet)
Plitvice Lakes National Park (2 hrs drive; Need to book tix ahead; opens 7 am-8 pm)
Follow Program C route (suggested duration 4-5 hrs)
Zadar (1.5 hr drive):
Dinner @ Konoba Dalmatina*
Walk around the old town
Split (1.5 hr drive):
Overnight parking by the ferry (170 HRK/day)
Check-in @ Apartments Salvezani* (Great location)
Cocktail @ Caffe Bar Chiba
Diocletian’s Palace (Empty at 2 am!)
Day 3 (Split/Hvar):
Breakfast @ Fig Split*
12-1:30 pm: Spectacular Split free walking tour:
Split sign
Triklinij @ Diocletian’s Palace (Off the beaten path)
Diocletian's Cellars (GOT filming scene)
The Church of St Martin (A very small church)
Drinks @ Jimmy Bar (Close to the ferry)
4-4:55 pm: Catamaran to Hvar
Check-in @ Apartments and Rooms Kampanel*
6-7:15 pm: Free walking tour of the town of Hvar (Skip! It was not worth it)
St. Mary’s Gate
St. Stephen’s Square
Venetian Loggia and Clock Tower
Climb the Spanjola Fortress for the view
Dinner @ Konoba Luviji* (Get the whole baked fish)
Day 4 (Split/Makarska/Korcula):
9:15-10:20 am: Catamaran to Split
Makarska Beach (1 hr 12 mins drive):
Lunch @ Bounty*
2:15-3:14 pm: Car Ferry from Ploce (1 hr 42 mins drive) to Trpanj
Orebic (22 mins drive):
Coffee @ Caffe Bar Riva*
Ice cream @ Croccantino*
4:30 pm-4:45 pm: Car Ferry to Korcula (Domince Port)
Check-in @ Adriatic Pearl Korcula* (Free parking)
Galerija Vapor (Closed when we were there)
St. Mark’s Church/Climb Bell Tower (20 HRK)
Pic of the House of Marco Polo
Korcula Town Gate
Dinner @ LD Terrace* (One Michelin star, highly recommended)
Day 5 (Ston - Dubrovnik):
Breakfast @ Kavana No 1*
11-11:15 am: Ferry to Orebic
Pelješac peninsula:
Vinarija Mili* (Award-winning red wines; contact me if you plan on visiting)
Dubrovnik bridge viewpoint
Check-in @ Airbnb in Dubrovnik (Free parking on-site; walking distance to the walled city)
Late lunch @ Gradska Kavana Arsenal (Beautiful setting, but the food was overpriced)
6-7:45 pm: Tour by Dubrovnik Local*
Amerling Fountain (Refill your water bottle)
Franciscan Monastery (Look for the gargoyle head where people are jumping on in hopes of some luck in love)
Jesuit Steps (GOT filming site)
Dinner @ Take Away Dubrovnik* (Great local “fast” food & a very clean WC)
Drinks & live music @ Pub Dubrovnik*
Day 6 (Dubrovnik):
Hike to the top of Mount Srđ (~1.5 miles OW; alternatively, you can take a cable car for 220 HRK RT or 110 HRK OW):
Lunch @ Lucin Kantun* (Get the lavender G&T)
Swim @ Banje Beach (Public beach with a restaurant & lounge; chairs/beds are available for rent)
Visit sites covered under Dubrovnik Pass (See Tips below):
Lovrijenac Fortress (Suggested duration 0.5 hrs)
Dubrovnik West Harbor (GOT filming site)
Dom Marina Drzica (Museum of Marin Drzic; okay to skip)
Rector’s Palace (Suggested duration of 0.5 hrs)
Church of St. Ignatius (Climb up the famous staircase featured in GOT)
Sunset walks @ Dubrovnik City Walls (~1.5 hrs self-guided)
Look out for cliff jumpers near Cafe Buza
Dinner @ Heritage of Dubrovnik*
Cocktails @ The Bar* (Try the strawberry cheesecake drink)
Ice cream @ Aroma Gelato Dubrovnik*
Other points of interest:
Visit small towns such as Sibenk/Trogir on your drive to Split
Split:
Hiking @ Marjan Hill (Great view)
Hvar:
Party @ Carpe Diem Bar Hvar
Beach time @ Plaza Lucica or Hula Hula Hvar - Beach Bar & Restaurant
Golden Horn Beach @ Bol
Sjekirica Beach (Small island)
Dubrovnik:
Stay @ Guesthouse Giron for the inside the walled city experience
Lokrum Island (Known for tons of peacocks, great views of Dubrovnik in the distance, and the French Port Royal Castle)
Organized boat tour to Elafiti Islands (Find the tourist desks by the Old Harbor)
Dubrovnik City Shop for a photo op on a plastic iron throne
Other Food & Drinks:
Zagreb:
Drinks @ Ro & Do*
Burger @ Submarine BBQ
Split:
Drinks @ Pun Kufer Cocktail Bar or Sanctuary Cantina
Lunch @ Pandora Greenbox
Dinner @ Galerija
Hvar:
Drinks @ Lola Bar or Aloha Bar Hvar
Dinner @ Konoba Maestro or Konoba Bunar
Korcula:
Fast food @ Leo Food
Lunch @ Konoba Maslina
Seafood @ Konoba Belin
Local food @ Konoba Mate (Michelin Guide)
Dinner @ Konoba Marco Polo
Waterfront dining @ Restaurant Filippi (Michelin Guide)
Dubrovnik:
Wine & cheese @ D'vino Wine Bar Dubrovnik
Cocktail @ Buzz Bar
BBQ @ Lady Pi-Pi
Fast local food @ Barba
Seafood @ Fish Restaurant Proto or Restaurant Dubrovnik (Both are on Michelin Guide)
Romantic dinner @ Nautika (Michelin Guide)
Tips:
If you plan to cross the border with your rental car (which is what we did), you will see an additional charge of approximately 50€ per rental or 10€ per day for a “green card”, which must be shown at the border control. Most rental cars already come with this card, so try to be firm and insist on not paying extra.
Get the Dubrovnik Pass @ Tourist Board Dubrovnik (1 Day for 250 HRK, which includes the admission to the City Walls @ 200 HRK)
Korcula was our favorite Croatian island, definitely don’t miss out!!!
Refer to the 2022 Ferry Blog for ferry information between Split and Hvar
Bring your water shoes for the Croatian pebble beaches.
Take advantage of Amex Centurion Lounge and visit the speakeasy (1850) if you fly out of JFK T4.
