How to: Croatia for first time visitors

You probably keep seeing Croatia mentioned in the travel press all the time. You’ve probably heard your friends and family talk about what an excellent time they’ve had in Croatia – how “stunning” it was. (It is!) And you may well have glimpsed parts of Croatia on TV or film – whether the country was “playing” itself or another destination (which in turn, could have been a real destination – such as the island of Vis playing a Greek island in Mamma Mia 2 – or a fake location, such as Dubrovnik playing King’s Landing in Game of Thrones). So now, it’s surely your time – you need to pay a visit to the country. But how? It’s easy, don’t worry! Follow this guide to Croatia for first-time visitors!

Croatia for first-time visitors: the kind of holiday to go for

Unless you’re a particularly adventurous and highly experienced traveller – in which case you’ve probably been to Croatia before, let’s face it – let’s make things easy for you. I would recommend one destination as a base for your stay. In the case of almost all of the most popular destinations in Croatia, you will be able to use that place to enjoy yourself with sights, restaurants, bars, cafes, a little shopping, beaches and activities and be able to make day trips to other places of interest.

This kind of holiday to Croatia for first-time visitors is a great introduction to the country!

Croatia for first-time visitors: how long to visit for

Yes, of course – Croatia’s a pretty small country as far as countries go but it’s not that tiny. There’s no way you can cover most of the country’s main sights, experiences, towns, cities and islands even if you had a month to hand.

I would therefore suggest that you either opt for a week-long stay, or – if you can’t quite stretch to that – a long weekend break.

A week-long stay would allow you enough time to mix up your holiday with some days relaxing by a pool or on the beach, taking gentle strolls into town for a delicious evening meal, and some days devoted to day trips by boat to local islands.

A long weekend break (or any kind of break that lasts a few days) would also give you a decent amount of time to explore one city in Croatia, with some local trips within that general region.

• More info: take a look at Visit Croatia’s itineraries and ideas for one week in Croatia and a city break in Croatia. Perhaps you will be inspired to add more travel during your holiday!

Croatia for first-time visitors: where to go

Okay, now the big one, Where should you go? Oof! How do I answer this…?

For a one-week stay

Let me just throw some names out there!

Dubrovnik – an absolute gem of a place, it is no surprise that this is one of the most popular places in Croatia for holidaymakers. With a hugely impressive Old Town that is so well-preserved, and plenty of other sights, there’s absolutely no way you will be bored. Dubrovnik also has a wealth of accommodation options – from budget-friendly to absolute luxury – as well as being chock-full of restaurants, cafes, bars and more.

Split and nearby – I wouldn’t necessarily choose the city of Split itself for a week-long stay, but instead flying into Split and then transferring to somewhere close by. Consider holidaying in somewhere such as Trogir or Ciovo, the Makarska Riviera, the island of Brac or Hvar or the Sibenik region.

Zadar – Zadar is a very charming town that offers much for travellers. It benefits from having a number of excellent accommodation options on its outskirts, as well as some great day trip opportunities; the Kornati Islands National Park and the islands of Dugi Otok and Ugljan, and even the world-famous Plitvice Lakes.

Istria – oh, beautiful, beautiful Istria with its excellent food and wine, stunning coastal towns and exceedingly pretty countryside. If there’s something negative about Istria, I haven’t found it yet. Fly into Pula and stay there for top Roman sights, or transfer to the lovely Rovinj or very popular Porec. There are lots of family-friendly attractions in Istria too!

• More info: I’ve linked to our pages on the above-mentioned destinations in the text above – take some time out of your day and give the information a read!

For a long weekend break

If you’re certain you want to head to the coast, Dubrovnik or Split would be the simplest to get to whilst offering plenty of things for you to see and do. I would also highly recommend Pula if you can reach this charming town easily.

Otherwise, please consider Zagreb! No, it doesn’t have the Adriatic Sea, but there is SO MUCH to enjoy in this city. Maybe consider it for a winter break – timed to coincide with its world-famous Advent in Zagreb celebration?

• More info: Take a look at our guides to Two Days in Dubrovnik, Two Days in Split, Two Days in Pula and Two Days in Zagreb to give you some ideas on what to do

Croatia for first-time visitors: how to book your holiday

Undeniably, booking a package deal or via a travel agent would really simplify your holiday booking plans. Leave someone else to do all the hard work of figuring out accommodation, flights and transfers! I totally understand, I often do the same! (But not, normally, for Croatia as you may understand.)

Take a look at our Best package holidays to Croatia post for some ideas of (UK-based) companies to help you plan a holiday.

Do also look at our Tour Operators for Croatia for UK-based companies, and American Tour Operators for Croatia for…well, it’s obvious!

No thanks – I want a more detailed itinerary!

Okay, okay – I hear you! Perhaps you’re a first-time visitor travelling from a fair way away and want to make the most of your time in the country, seeing as much as possible. That makes sense, I get it!

My best advice to you would be to opt for a “one-way” itinerary, flying into one place and out of another.

Consider something like this:

Fly into Zagreb – Zagreb – Plitvice Lakes – Zadar – Split – day trips to Hvar and/or Brac – Dubrovnik – day trips to Mljet and Elafiti Islands – fly out of Dubrovnik

Or what about:

Fly into Dubrovnik – Dubrovnik – day trips to Peljesac Peninsula (for wine and oysters) and Korcula – Split – day trip to Krka National Park – Zadar – Opatija – Pula – day trips to Brijuni islands and Rovinj– fly out of Pula (or hop over to Italy)

Really, if you’re looking for advice on a more detailed itinerary, take a look at our full-to-the-brim Itineraries for Croatia section where there is advice on actual routes to take, how to travel, when and where to go and plenty more to help and inspire you.

Other Tips

I’ve mentioned day trips multiple times in this post and for good reason. There is so much choice from so many destinations. You’ll certainly encounter many boat trips to islands and along the coast, but there are also opportunities to go to national and nature parks, wineries, gastro spots and more. You might even be able to pop over the border to Montenegro or Bosnia and Hercegovina, depending on where in Croatia you will be.

Take a look at some of the most popular day trips in Croatia for inspiration.

Final advice

Remember – the beauty about going to Croatia for the first time is…you will fall in love, and then need to go back!