The Ultimate 2-Week Croatia Itinerary: Best Destinations, Tips, and Hidden Gems

Planning a trip to Croatia and not sure where to start? This post summarizes top destinations, number of days I spent on each, and suggested routes to help you decide. 

We started on the northern coast and drove down to Split. Best way to move from the northern part of Croatia (Rovinj, Pula) to southern cities (Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik) is either by driving down or taking a quick flight. We didn’t plan on visiting Zagreb, which is the largest transportation hub in the north and wasn’t able to find many options in terms of train or bus that provided reasonable traveling time. 

Rovinj + Pula: 3 nights 

Rovinj was actually my favorite town. Main old town is small but has all the varieties of food, drinks, and so many adorable streets. If you are interested in just seeing the town vs. you can technically see everything in a day.

  • Bar hop: this might sound weird but Rovinj is filled with the cutest bars on small streets! You can spend an entire day visiting all the cute spots to grab a drink! 

  • Beach day 

  • Visit Pula 

Drive down to split or fly from Pula to Split. If you drive down, you can stop by Krka or Plitvice National Park. Toll road between Rovinj and Split was really easy to drive on.


Split: 2 nights 

Split was mainly a stop to access various islands along the coast via ferry but we were glad we spent at least a full day to explore. 

  • Tour the main old town city

  • Beach day or visit near by cities (Sibenik, Trogir)

Hvar: 3 nights 

There are many small islands nearby but with limited time, it’s hard to visit all of them. Hvar is a good base for island hopping or visiting swimming spots via boat so recommend spending a few more days here!

  • Boat tour 

  • Beach + city tour 

  • Stari grad/winery tour 

Korcula: 3 nights 

This is another small adorable old main town. Island itself is actually pretty big so you can explore other parts of the island with more time. 

  • Explore old town

  • Beach day or drive out to western part of the island

  • Winery tour 

Dubrovnik: 1 night  

We flew out of Dubrovnik and felt like a 1.5 or 2 days would be enough to see everything. You can definitely see everything in the old town and go up to the panoramic view point to enjoy what the city has to offer.  

  • Old city tour 

  • View/panorama 

Note that this itinerary prioritizes coastal cities and islands vs. big cities (we skipped Zagreb and didn’t spend too much time in Split and Dubrovnik). If you prefer more historical sites and residential cities, definitely spend more time in Dubrovnik, other cities near Split, and Zagreb.

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Best restaurants and wine bars in Hvar 

Hvar had a good mix of trendy and traditional style restaurants. You can find lots of restaurant options with similar menu items with fresh or grilled seafood and meat. You can take a pick between cozy family run spots or more chic seaside venues. Here are some of the best restaurants and bars I recommend.

Restaurants 

  • Dalmatino: Grilled seafood and meat in the city center. We were greeted with a welcome shot of and after dinner shot of.  

  • Stajun Hvar: Traditional grilled seafood and meat, great appetizers and bread as well  

  • Fig Hvar: Great if you want some change from traditional cuisine. 

  • Konoba "Luviji Rooftop": Traditional cuisine with a view of the fortress. We had one of our best meals here, simple but well done. 

Wine and bar

Wines to try and wineries to visit in Korcula, Croatia

Croatia is a hidden gem of a wine country as most of the wines are consumed domestically and not a lot of people know about their wines. I got to try a few different Croatian wines during my recent trip and loved trying unique grape varieties! One of their island, Korcula, is known as the wine island and is a must visit for wine lovers. Here’s a quick summary of wineries and wines you can find in Korcula. 

Most wineries in Korcula have similar offerings and have below wine varieties for a tasting flight or by the glass 

  • GRK - White wine, only available in Korcula. Unique grape that does not self pollinate and needs Plavac Mali planted next to them to fruit. Dry, subtle minerality, citrus, refreshing with a slight bitterness 

  • Posip - White wine, more widely available around Croatia. Balanced acidity with a full-bodied texture

  • Rosé - Mostly made using Plavac Mali. Light and refreshing with crisp acidity and a touch of salinity from the island's coastal terroir.

  • Plavac Mali - Most common red, rich flavors of dark berries, spices, and earthy undertones.

Wineries to visit

All of these wineries offer a fun view of the town and a bit of the ocean. Tasting flights are usually €12, €20 with snacks, €3-4 by the glass.  

Wineries in Korcula are all very small family owned and operated, and production is limited (especially GRK). Which means they sell out of their bottles by the end of the tourist season in the beginning of October. Highly recommend visiting an adorable wine island and trying their wines!