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.

See more clips and photos from Croatia @fine.vining

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

Best wine restaurants in Piedmont Italy

Piedmont region in Italy is food and wine lovers’ paradise, known for traditional Italian dishes like Tajarin and Vitello tonnato, top wines from Barolo and Barbaresco, and truffles! I recently spent a few days in the region and had the best time drinking lots of delicious wines and ordering Vitella Tonnato for every meal. I always look for the combination of good food AND a good wine list.

Here are all the places you need to go if you love wine and food. A lot of these places also get bonus points for an amazing view of the vineyards!

La Morra

  • Osteria Veglio: Located on the hill on the way to La Morra, beautiful view. They do amazing pastas, shrimp bisque pasta I had was filled with flavors! We went with the 2019 Conterno Cerretta

  • Osteria More e Macine: Unassuming causal place in the middle of the town with amazing food and wine list. Their tiramisu was one of the bests too! .

Castiglione Falletto (small town next to La Morra)

  • Le torri: Probably one of my favorite meals during the trip. It helped that we were staying at the same hotel, but everything was perfect from the view, food, wine list, hospitality, and dessert. Got to see their huge wine cellar and it was filled with Champagnes and all the best regional Barolos and Barbarescos. Loved the rare grower Champagne we got Jules Brochet, and 2014 Roagna Albesani Barbaresco.

  • Bar la Terrazza da Renza: Technically more of a snack bar but their wine list is too good to pass. Great Barolos, Burgundy, and Champagne. Tried 2018 Burlotto Monvigliero (this was my favorite wine from the trip!!) and 2019 Rivella Serafino Barbaresco.

Alba and near by cities

  • La Ciau del Tornavento: Another one of my favorite meals! They have the second largest wine cellar in Italy and it’s simply amazing. Have a few different tasting menu options and they are flexible with substitution so it was easy to enjoy everything from the meal! We had a bottle of Ulysse Collins Les Maillon and 2012 Pavlo Scavino Bric del Fiasc

  • Hostaria dai Musi, Ventuno.1, Osteria Lalibera are all located in the town center and have great food and wine selection

Turin

  • Ristorante Consorzio: Known for their natural wine selection, overall had great list of French and Italian wines. Had one of the best sweetbread dishes here!

  • Condividere: If you get tired of all the traditional dishes, perfect spot with a lot creative fusion dishes! Had a delicious 2008 Champagne and Jura wine and loved both.




Where to stay in Lake Como: Bellagio or Varenna?

Picking a hotel and town to stay can be critical to your trip as it determines accessibility to major attractions you are interested in and influence how you want to schedule your days. This is especially true in Lake Como where lots of small towns are accessible only via ferries.

We did a 2 day trip and if you are planning a short trip as well, you are most likely looking at either Bellagio or Varenna as they are the two most popular cities in Lake Como. Here are a few things to consider when deciding where to stay.

Which is better? Bellagio vs. Varenna

  • Accessibility from the central train station/Miilan: Varenna. Direct train to and from Milan is located in Varenna. This is helpful when you arrive in the morning and want to store your luggage and makes your trip back a lot shorter because you don’t have to consider both ferry AND the train schedule

  • Accessibility to other Lake Como towns : Bellagio. Most ferries to other Lake Como towns leave from Bellagio. If you stay in Verenna, ferry will most likely stop by Bellagio and there are more ferry options from Bellagio

  • Hotel and restaurant options: Bellagio. Verenna is just a smaller town compared to Bellagio. if you have a specific criteria for hotels (walkability, view, price range etc etc), it’s much easier to find options in Bellagio. Most options that I liked were already sold out for Varenna when I tried to book a few months in advance.

  • Prettier town: More of a personal preference, really can’t go wrong. Varenna is a bit smaller and has an adorable vibe while Bellagio is a bit larger. Personally liked the lake view from Varenna and thought Bellagio had adorable small streets everywhere!

Hotels and Airbnbs to stay in

I chose where to stay based on

  • being close to the ferry or train station and restaurants

  • view of the lake

  • good quality to price ration. I didn’t want to to pay a ton of premium for a luxury accommodation at an expensive town!

I debated between Varenna and Bellagio up until the very last minute and ended up going with the Hotel Bellagio. Other options I looked were

Varenna

Bellagio


You can find the full 2 day Lake Como itinerary in this post.

If you end up booking one of the hotels recommended in this post, I may get a small commission at no additional cost to you. It helps support posts like this to bring more travel tips to you!

Best rooftop bars in Milan with a Duomo view

Rooftop bars are always one of my favorite activities when I’m traveling. You always get a nice view of the city and what’s better than a glass of your favorite drink?! Especially if you are traveling in a city like Milan with an iconic Duomo. I visited as many rooftop bars in Milan with a Duomo view and here’s my honest opinion of all of them!


𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 (IMHO) – Terrazza Aperol: Lots of creative spritz options, can’t go wrong! We got lucky with the table but note that there was a line to get in by the time we left so expect the place to get busy

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Signorvino: This is actually a wine shop chain, where you can purchase any bottle and open it there. Fair prices on Italian wines and Champagnes. They also have a variety wines available by the glass. Rear view of the Duomo, could be a bit covered depending on your table.

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗮 – Pino in Duomo: Located right on the plaza. Primarily a restaurant and requires food purchase. Enjoyed the spicy seafood pasta!

𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 – La Rinascente Rooftop is a good option if you want a close up view from the rooftop. Top of the Duomo is right next to you. Located on top of the shopping mall, a bit hectic but there are a few different restaurant/bar sections to choose from.

𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀: View of the central station with AMAZING creative cocktails @excelsiorhotelgallia rooftop bar



Best places to eat and drink in Florence

Florence is a super fun city, I feel like it’s just the right size that’s small enough to walk everywhere but also big enough to have lots of things to see, eat, and drink. Here are some places I’ve enjoyed during my last trip.


Where to drink

  • Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina - Located right in front of Palazzo Pitti with a nice view outside. Great wine selection and fun wine flights with various older vintages. Food was great too!

  • Signorvino Firenze - Wine shop/bar with a great view of the Ponte Vecchio. Make sure to reserve in advance for the patio table. Long lists of wines by the glass.

  • Rasputin - Fun speakeasy with creative and delicious cocktails

  • View on Art Rooftop Cocktail Bar - Rooftop bar with the view of duomo

Best restaurants

  • Osteria dell'Enoteca - Affiliated with Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina so great wine selection. No official wine menu but you work with the Somm to pick a bottle from their selection! Known for steak.

  • Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino - Fun tripe dishes if you are up for it! Tripe ragu pasta and tripe in tomato sauce were both delicious.

  • La Buchetta Food & Wine Restaurant - We skipped the more famous Osteria Dall'Oste and went here instead for steak. Felt cozier and the steak did not disappoint especially with a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino.

  • ANTICA FRIGGITORIA DELL'ALBERO - Napoli style pizza to-go spot for under 10 euro! Recommend if you are in the area

Others

Todo Modo - had this book store/wine shop bookmarked but never made it

Wine windows

See the full detailed post about best wine windows in Florence here.


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Where to go wine tasting in Tuscany: Montalcino wineries

Tuscany is a dream destination, not only for wine lovers but for anyone dreaming of picturesque vineyard hills and cypress trees. If you are planning a wine focused trip to Tuscany, Montalcino might be on top of your list as the birthplace of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy's most celebrated red wines.

I recently spent two nights exploring wineries and restaurants, and did a lot of research to visit mix of wineries that are small and big. Here’s the list of wineries with good wines and views:

Winery in an ancient Castle: Castello Tricerchi

Working winery is part of the family castle from 1441 located on top of the hill with an amazing view.

Historical family winery: Conti Costanti

Constanti family was the first to call red wines “Brunello” along with other producers in Montalcino in 1800s.

Most unique: NostraVita

Small family owned winery with lots of arts and unique museum like elements throughout the property. Amazing view.

Picturesque ground: Le Prata

Boutique winery and a hotel with a quintessential Tuscany building and ground.

Best tour and cellar: Argiano

One of the biggest wineries I’ve visited. Impressive cellar tour including their own wines along with a private collection of world class wines.

Other wineries I didn’t get to visit

I didn’t personally get to visit but have heard great things or got to taste them throughout the trip: Le Chiuse, Castel Giocondo, Tenuta Le Potazzine, Casanova di Neri, Uccelliera

Discover Florence's Best Wine Windows: A complete guide and review of 7 different wine windows

Florence is such a charming Italian city with amazing food and drinks. Tucked away in its narrow alleys and quaint corners are the cherished wine windows—portals to a delightful sip of local culture. The historical “Buchetta del Vino” (little wine doors) started back in 1600s to safely sell food and wine during the plague. There were 100+ of them but only a handful of them operate now all over the city.

When I found out there are more than one operating window, I had to try all of them. I ended up trying 7 out of 8 and thought each of them had their own charm. Here’s the summary of the ones I tried.

  • Babae: Window with the most wine selection. Most places have red, white, and prosecco but Babae also has orange wine! This might be the most well-known window.

  • Osteria San Fiorenzo Close to Bascilica of Santa Croce. There was a Christmas market in the plaza when we went. Has outdoor seating.

  • Ristorante Pietra Bianca They had a variety of spritz and cocktails on the menu. Their bell was the most fun to ring. Has outdoor seating.

  • Cantina de pucci Close to Duomo, friendly staff. You can sit and drink on their outdoor patio.

  • Il Latini Enjoyed their Prosecco! Not a huge difference, but was €6 a glass compared to €7 or €8 at others.

  • Osteria Belle Donne Pretty flower decoration. Make sure to knock hard 🤣

  • Fiaschetteria Fantappie Doubles as a wine shop, you can make a longer wine stop out of it. Didn’t see an official menu but I think you have a bit more wine choices here if you order inside and receive from the window. Has outdoor seating. Super friendly and gave us the wine map that started this tour of wine windows.

A few of them had outdoor seatings where you can sit and drink. You have to return your glasses or you can get them in a to-go cup. Note that wine selections are limited (you are not choosing between a Barolo or BDM), think house wines by the glass at restaurants. But all wines I’ve tried were decent and you can always opt for an Aperol Spritz! The only places with a very short line were Babae and Osteria Belle Donne, but there were just 1 or 2 other groups (I went in November). Wines cost €6-8 and spritz are usually ~€8-10. If you are in Florence and walking around the city, you will most likely find one nearby so definitely stop by!