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My first trip to Croatia was magical, but if I could do it again, there are some parts of my Croatia itinerary I’d do differently.

I recently returned from my very first trip to Croatia; home to clear sapphire waters, beautiful Mediterranean weather, and ancient walled towns. I spent nearly three weeks in the country, mostly exploring the coastline from Dubrovnik to Split.

My Croatia itinerary looked a little something like this: 

• 3 days in Dubrovnik before boarding a boat 
• The boat travelled from Dubrovnik to Mijet, Korčula, Hvar, Makarska, Ômis, and Split (each destination for a little less than a day)
• After the boat, I spent 3 days in Split 
• Then ended with 3 days in Ston and a day trip to the Pelješac Peninsula before heading back to Dubrovnik to catch my flight home 

I had a blast on my trip had the opportunity to explore so much, including the country’s most famous wine region, it’s largest oyster bay, and the second-largest city. However, I did have a bit of FOMO about some of the things that I couldn’t fit into my Croatia itinerary. There were also some areas I visited where I spent waaaay too much time, when a simple day trip would’ve sufficed. To save you from making the same mistakes, I wanted to share my Croatia itinerary and how I’d change it if I did it again. 

If I could do it again, here’s what my Croatia itinerary would look like.

Dubrovnik 

You really only need one day here. Dubrovnik is not a massive city and you can easily see all of Old Town in half a day. I spent two days here on my own, plus another day with my crew from the boat. That was definitely too long. 

I really did enjoy Dubrovnik; the city is beautiful, there were lots of great dining options, and a really cool Medieval history to learn about. There is also a ton of Game of Thrones stuff happening. Like seriously, a gift shop on every corner and hundreds of tours taking tourists to filming locations. If you’re into the show, you’ll be able to spend a lot of time here.

Croatian Sailing 

I LOVED my time on the boat strictly because the people I was with were some of the most high-energy, successful, passionate people I’ve ever met. I was honestly quite nervous about being on a boat with 20+ strangers for a week because I am so comfortable solo travelling. But this group was so incredible, they made every second of the trip a moment to be remembered. 

With that said, there are a few things about sailing in Croatia I didn’t realize ahead of time, that would’ve changed the way I planned my trip if I’d known. Most notably, I wasn’t clear on how little time we’d actually get to spend on each island. The Croatian sailing tour we went on was perfect for relaxing, soaking up the sunshine, and enjoying the Croatian nightlife, but there wasn’t time for too much else. On most days we didn’t port at our location until 3pm or later, so there was limited time to explore. 

Now, for some of the spots we visited, this was entirely appropriate. For example, Ômis. This is a crazy small city that doesn’t have too much going on, so a few hours is enough to explore. However, I was bummed that I didn’t get to spend more time on the islands of Korčula and Havr. I really enjoyed the short time that I did get to spend there and in hindsight, I wish I used one of my days in Split to take a catamaran back to the islands to explore some more. 

If you’re planning a Croatian sailing trip, make sure you’re clear on how much time you’ll get to spend on each island to avoid disappointment. 

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Read next: What I wish I knew before travelling to Croatia 

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Split 

I think Split was probably my favourite place that I visited during my trip. Some people say that Split is becoming too touristy and commercialized, which I can understand. Split is Croatia’s second-largest city, so there is a lot of tourist traffic. It’s definitely a change of pace coming from some of the islands, or even Dubrovnik. But I think I was ready for a change of pace. I really enjoyed how much there was to see and do in Split. I also found the best restaurants in Split. It might be the best foodie city in Croatia. 

Ston 

I was visiting Ston for some partnership work because this area is known as the seafood capital of Croatia. The country’s oysters and mussels that are grown here, in Mali Ston Bay. It’s a more “off the beaten path” area of Croatia that doesn’t get too much tourist traffic. There are a lot of day visitors who travel one-hour from Dubrovnik to climb the walls of Ston, which are the second longest defense walls in Europe. But other than that, the town is very quiet and the village of Mali Ston (where I stayed) is even quieter. Only 80 residents live there year round. 

I think Ston is a very beautiful place to visit if you want to get away from the tourist traffic and enjoy a peaceful holiday. I was initially supposed to spend 4 days here, but ended up leaving a day early. Honestly, I had a bit of a rough go in Ston. I had some issues with my Airbnb and I didn’t realize exactly how difficult it was to get around without a car. As a result, I ended up missing the scuba diving excursion I had planned and had a full day to do nothing in the town. The village of Mali Ston only has three restaurants, so I also quickly ran out of dining options. 

I was able to get a lot of work done at my Airbnb in Mali Ston because it was so quiet and the view overlooking the bay wasn’t too bad either. But after a couple of days, I was ready to get moving again. I definitely think Ston is worth a visit, but maybe only for a day trip or a single night. In that time you can easily climb the walls of Ston and do an oyster tour of Mali Ston Bay. If you really just want to get off the grid and escape completely, this is the place to do it. 

Pelješac Peninsula 

On the day I left Ston, I took a day trip to the Pelješac Peninsula, Croatia’s best wine region. This trip would’ve been impossible without a car, but luckily for me, I befriended a local winemaker who was kind enough to pick me up in Ston and drive me 45 minutes to the Peninsula for a day of wine tasting. 

A day trip to the peninsula is a must if you can fit it in. The region makes really incredible red wines. They also have unique, very steep vineyards that should be seen in person. If you’re able to rent a car, definitely take a drive out here and spend a day wine tasting. 

What I missed & would go back for 

Croatia is a small country, but it’s long. It takes 14 hours to drive from top to bottom! I didn’t realize that when I was first booking my trip. When I had started planning my trip, I looked at travelling north to Istria, but ultimately decided it was too far. This is probably what I regret most about my trip. There is so much in Croatia north of Split including the Plitvice Lakes and the Istria peninsula, which makes up the country’s second-largest wine growing region and is home to Croatian truffles! 

In hindsight, I could have taken a bus from Split to the Istria area and been there in five hours. Unfortunately, by the time I decided I wanted to do that, I didn’t have enough time to travel up north and make it back down south for some work obligations. 

Next time I visit Croatia, I plan to fly into Zagreb. I’ll spend a couple of days exploring the capital city before visiting the Plitvice Lakes and going wine tasting and truffle hunting in Istria! 

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At the end of the day, hindsight is 20/20. Even though I missed some things, I still had an amazing time in Croatia. And now I just have another excuse to go back! 

Looking for more Croatia tips? Check out this post for more logistical info to help you plan your trip!