9 Days on Croatia's Dalmatian Coast
I recently traveled to Croatia and enjoyed this itinerary with my 22 year old daughter, but it would work for singles, couples and, with some minor modifications, even for families with younger children. Our flights went in and out of Dubrovnik but you would easily flip it around if you are flying in/out of Split. Accommodation recommendations can be found at the end of this itinerary.
Here is a brief overview of the itinerary before I give you the details:
Day 1 – Dubrovnik
Walk old town
Visit Buža Bar & Fort Lovrijenac
Possible Game of Thrones Tour
Day 2 – Dubrovnik
Walk the walls
Cable Car
Horse Riding or Buggy Sunset tour
Day 3 – Korcula
Ferry to Korcula
Buggy tour including Lumbarda beach swim
Day 4 – Korcula
Kayaking around Archipelago Islands
Day 5 – Split
Ferry to Split
Game of Thrones tour including Klis Fortress
Shopping
Day 6 – Split
Krka Falls National Park tour
Day 7 – Split
Zip lining and beach in Omiš
Fly back to Dubrovnik
Day 8 – Dubrovnik
Lokrum Island
Day 9 – Dubrovnik
Jet Ski or boat rental around Elaphiti Islands – visit Blue Cave, sandy beach, BOWA restaurant
For dinner ideas, check out the list of recommended restaurants at the end of this itinerary.
If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you can find tour options everywhere, or you can find places on your own during your few days in Dubrovnik, using this list:
Dubrovnik – Kings Landing
Fort Lovrijenac – Red Keep
Gradac Park (visible from Fort Lovrijenac on the West side)
West Harbor Pier – Blackwater Bay
Pile Harbor (beach in West Harbor) – Kings Landing Harbor
Pile Gate – Season 2 riot scene
Fort Bokar (on the walls) – Place of conversation between Tyrion & Lord Varys in Season 2
Jesuit Staircase to St Ignatius Church – Walk of Shame
Minčeta Tower (on the walls) – House of the Undying
Rector’s Palace
Ploče Gate – A few scenes including entrance to Red Keep after Cersei’s walk of shame
Lokrum Island – Qarth (and the real throne is also located here in the Monastery which you can sit on)
Arrival Day (Day 1) - Dubrovnik
After you have checked in and freshened up, take a stroll through the old town and find your way to the Buža Bar or Bard Mala Buža Bar (both accessed through doors in South Wall) for some swimming or cliff jumping, drinks, and a great view towards Lokrum Island. We also walked up to Fort Lovrijenac for a great view over the city (typically closes at 6:30pm but sometimes booked for weddings).
Day 2 - Dubrovnik
Start the day by walking the city walls (the earlier the better, to avoid the crowds and the heat). Enter either near the Pile Gate (our preference) or by the East Harbor (tickets required). On the Southern walls (ocean side) you will find a lovely café with tables overlooking the ocean – a great spot to sit for a while and take it all in!
We chose to exit the walls near the East Harbor rather than walking up the hill to the forts at the top of the town because it was so hot! We found a great sushi spot (Oyster & Sushi Bar Bota) for lunch with a beautiful view of a piazza and cathedral. Then, either walk or take an Uber to the Cable Car station (near the Buža gate at the top of the town). The cable car leaves every 15 mins and the top of the mountain has absolutely spectacular views. It has also has a restaurant at the top, with some of the most delicious food. You’ll want to spend about an hour up there, especially if you eat at the Panorama restaurant.
We then chose to do a sunset horse ride in Konavle (about 45 mins from Dubrovnik) and were picked up from the Cable Car station at 4:30pm for that. The same place also offers ATV/Buggy tours if that is preferable. The horse ride was fantastic and would work for beginners as it is only walking on trails. We had some beautiful lookouts over the ocean and got to see the sunset. They could only take 2 people on the ride, so if you have more people, some could do a buggy tour instead, at the same time. The farm is charming, with a miniature pony and goat as well. After the ride you will enjoy some light refreshments and wine before being driven back to town.
For more details, and to book go to www.kojankoral.com.
(Note: There are other horse riding facilities in the area that can host more people and allow for trotting and even swimming – message me if you would like more info.)
Day 3 - Korčula
We caught the 7am Jardrolinja ferry from Dubrovnik to Korčula. (Book tickets here www.jadrolinija.hr.) The journey took about 2 hours and we had arranged with our Airbnb host to store our luggage until checkin but we were fortunate that the apartment was available when we arrived.
Although Korčula Island is quite large, the old town of Korčula is very small and you can get around it very quickly. It is believed that Marco Polo was born and raised in the old town of Korčula and you can actually visit his house!
One of the coolest features of the town is the boardwalk of restaurants along the whole east side of the town, which is where we enjoyed some lunch before heading to the harbor on the west side for a swim. There are a couple of small beaches on the west harbor – one very close to town called Plaža Zakerjan, the other a 5 minute walk from the old town called Plaža Ispod Duvana.
At 4pm we went on a Korcula Buggy tour (www.korcula-buggy.com), which was half off-road and half on the road. We got to see a lot of the eastern end of the Island, including vineyards and villages and some great views. We were then able to drive the buggy down to one of the few sandy beaches on the island (Lumbarda) where we had free time for an hour to swim and get some drinks at the beach bar before jumping back in our buggy again.
In the evening we enjoyed a delicious traditional Croatian pasta dish (hand-rolled macaroni with slow-cooked beef) at the Konoba Mareta Steak House on Ul. Sv Roka – the central walkway through the town from the main gate – and then watched the sunset from the Massimo Cocktail bar which is situated on top of an old fortress tower where the drinks are brought up on a pulley! (FYI you must be able to climb a ladder one level inside the tower in order to get up to the top.)
Day 4 - Korčula
After breakfast we visited the tourist office and they arranged for us to rent some kayaks to go out into the archipelago of small islands along the eastern end of Korcula Island. They drove us to a resort a few miles from the town where we rented the kayaks (although there were also options to rent boats too, if that is your preference) and then paddled out of the bay to the Islands. We had the kayak for four hours and visited three islands, spending a good amount of time on Otok Badija island where we were able to buy lunch, drinks and feed the local deer! If you’re not into using your arms that much though, I’d definitely recommend getting a motor boat or even just taking a water taxi out to Otok Badija.
Day 5 - Split
We took the 6:00am ferry from Korčula to Split (and saw a few other Islands on the way). We arrived at 9:15am and, again, our Airbnb host was very helpful and took our bags for us early.
At 10:15am we went on a Game of Thrones tour (book here) that started with a shuttle bus ride to Klis Fortress (about 45 mins from town), an ancient mountaintop fort which was used to defend against invaders for hundreds of years, and where the GOT town of Mereen was filmed. The tour continued back in the old town of Split where we walked all around the town and learned about its fascinating history as well as the Game of Thrones filming locations around Diocletian’s Palace. Even if you’re not a GOT fan you would enjoy this 3.5 hour tour!
After a late lunch in the piazza we spent a couple of hours shopping (Zara, Guess etc.) on the west side of the old town along the wide street named Marmontova ul. (Much cheaper to buy these brands than in the USA!)
For dinner, we chose to walk up Senjska ul. to the top of the hill on the western end of town (from old town, head to the Riva on the water and turn right until you reach the church next to the parking lot, then keep the church on your left as you walk and just keep following that up the hill). We planned to eat at the Vidilica restaurant overlooking the city (per our tour guide’s recommendation), but when we got there we discovered it was closed due to COVID. We clicked a few pics of the amazing view up there first and then walked back down to a great café area we had passed on the way up around Spli’ska voda. Hopefully you will be able to dine on the top of the hill!
Day 6 - Split
This was our Krka Waterfalls tour day. We had wanted to do the tour that went through Sibenik on the way, but it wasn’t running that day so we did the standard tour (book here). We left at 8:15am on a bus and drove about 90 mins to the park. The tour guide was really great but you also have plenty of free time. You can walk the picturesque trail around the park in about 45-60 mins and it Is not difficult. You will end up at the bottom of the lower falls, which is where they used to allow people to swim but, unfortunately, stopped that only in 2021!
After enjoying the view of the falls, you can take the ferry boat down the river to the town of Skradin. We had lunch there (as the food was more expensive in the park) and then made our way to Skradin’s beach on the river. There are change rooms there and refreshments available, as well as deck chairs to rent. It was a lovely, peaceful place to relax in the sun for a couple of hours.
At 3pm we met our guide and the bus drove us 10 mins to a very small village where we enjoyed some wine tasting (optional part of the tour). It was so good that we bought two bottles to take home! We also learned how to say cheers in Croatian… živjeli (pronounced “ji vo li”)!
The bus dropped us back in Split at around 6pm and we had made reservations for an 8pm dinner at the Corto Maltese restaurant on Obrov ul. (one of the few that is often booked up) for some amazing seafood.
Day 7 - Split
Our final day in Split was one of the most fun days of the trip. If you don’t mind heights and enjoy a bit of adventure, the zip-line tour of Cetina Canyon from Omiš is definitely something to add to your itinerary! (Book here.) Their van picked us up from Split and we drove about 40 mins along the Riviera to Omiš. We then made our way into the hills and had the thrill of doing 8 ziplines (with the longest being 750m) all the way down the mountain. It was fantastic fun and the views were spectacular!
We chose to stay in the beautiful town of Omiš for the afternoon, enjoying a traditional Dalmatian seafood lunch and then swimming on the famous sandy beach (sandy beaches are rare in this part of the world!) for a couple of hours before Ubering back to Split.
As Croatian Airlines was only doing one flight per week to Dubrovnik from Split, we took that flight at 11:45pm Saturday evening. (Alternatively, you could take a ferry, bus or drive back to Dubrovnik.) Thankfully our Airbnb host allowed us pay for a half day so that we could go back and shower after the beach and have our final dinner in Split before checking out that evening!
Day 8 - Dubrovnik
After arriving in late the night before, we slept in and then went straight to the East Harbor to catch the ferry to Lokrum Island. It is only a 15 minute ride and in the summer it departs every 30 minutes.
Once on the island, we immediately made our way to the Monastery restaurant where we had a delicious lunch (maps are available inside the visitor center). We then saw the original throne from the Game of Thrones in the Monastery (and even sat on it) before making our way to the “Dead Sea”. The walk took us along a path near the ocean where people were swimming and sunning themselves. We saw people using the volleyball court and soccer field, others sitting on park benches having picnics, and lot of peacocks wandering around!
The Dead Sea is named after the original because of it’s high salt content. It is a small salt-water lake, of sorts, that is fed by and underground passage from the ocean. It is an idyllic spot to swim in, made even cooler by the Tiki bar right next to it!
After spending a while there, we followed the path around the top of cliffs above the Dead Sea to reach the ocean where many people were cliff jumping, swimming, and sunning themselves on the flat rocks. Several places even had ladders coming up from the ocean on to the rocks, so it was quite the place to hang out!
We caught the ferry back and had another delicious dinner in the town at Dalmatino on Prijeko ul (take the stairs up the hill from Stradun and the next “street” that runs parallel to Stradun is Prijeko ul).
Day 9 - Dubrovnik
After grabbing a nice breakfast at Gradska Kavana Arsenal we were picked up for our half day (4 hour) Jet Ski rental with Gari Transfer. You can ride the Jet Ski around Dubrovnik and Lokrum Island if you want, but we chose to go with their suggestions and head to the Elaphiti Islands (which was definitely a great decision!). The Jet Ski had a waterproof compartment for our phones and another storage compartment for our backpack, towels, watershoes, snorkels and the anchor. They gave us a map of the Islands with suggestions of where to go and we set off. (They also offer boat rentals or private boat tours if you don’t want to drive.)
First stop was the Blue Cave on Koločep Island. If not for all the other boats there, we probably wouldn’t have found it, but we were thankful we did because it was incredible! We swam under a small opening into a large cave where the water appeared iridescent blue from the light streaming in – and even more so underwater with goggles on!
We then went to the Šunj beach on Lopud Island which was another sandy beach but not very accessible so most people there had arrived by boat and swam into shore after anchoring. We tied our jet ski on to the buoys that roped off the beach and then swam in to shore as well (FYI – if you go to the far left end of the beach when facing it, you can almost walk all the way in to the shore from where you have to leave the jet ski, which helps if you are wanting to take your phone or towel with you!) They had deck chairs and umbrellas to rent, along with a café and bathrooms. This was the only beach on our trip that had any waves at all, although they were small!
While there we decided to try and find a famous seafood restaurant called BOWA on the next Island, which was only accessible by sea… and we found it! We were able to get a table in the restaurant, but if you want to enjoy a cabana (they have 5 private cabanas) you will definitely need a reservation! They even had boat valet parking! The menu changes daily based on what they catch and it is spectacular. We had Tuna Sashimi and Ceviche and it was so good we ordered a second round! We would have loved to stay longer but had to return our Jet Ski (at least a 30 minute ride from there). If you plan to go to this restaurant and really want to make the most of it, I definitely recommend an all-day Jet Ski or boat rental and a reservation at the restaurant!
After getting back and showering, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Dubravka 1836, which has lovely views over the West Harbor where we watched the sunset and then went back to Dalmatino for dessert because we had enjoyed it so much the previous night!
It was the perfect ending to the perfect vacation! Živjeli!
Great Places to Eat
There are many restaurants. Below are the ones I have eaten at and can recommend to you.
Dubrovnik
Restaurant Panorama (top of Cable Car on Mt Srd)
Dubravka 1836
Gradska Kavana
Dalmatino
Oyster & Sushi Bar Bota
Art Restaurant Renaissance
BOWA restaurant (on Šipan Island, accessible only by sea)
Rajski Vrt (on Lokrum Island)
Korcula
Konoba Mareta Steak House
Many restaurants on the waterside boardwalk
Massimo Cocktail Bar (for drinks with a view)
Split
Corto Maltese
BEPA
Pata Negra Wine & Tapas Bar (has full menu in a lovely courtyard)
Bokeria Kitchen & Wine Bar
D16 Coffee (if you need good coffee in the morning)
Vidilica (with a view of old town from the top of the hill)
Great Places to Stay
There are many great apartment and B&B options. These are the ones I have personally stayed at and can recommend as great options.
Dubrovnik
Juliette’s Palace Studio
Dubrovnik Luxury Apartments
Korcula
Kanavelic Place
The Fabris – Luxury Inn
Split
Papalic Palace
Palazzo Comfort Apartments
