7 Days in Croatia: Split, Hvar & Dubrovnik

Fly into Split, fly home from Dubrovnik. In between: Split (2 nights) → Hvar (2 nights) → Dubrovnik (2 nights), with the moves made by boat along the coast. One week is enough for the Dalmatian coast, but not for the whole country. Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes and Istria are in the north, a long way from Dubrovnik, and adding them turns a 7 day Croatia itinerary into a week of driving. Keep them for a second trip or a 10–12 day route.

Split grew up inside a Roman emperor's retirement home. Diocletian built his palace here around 300 AD, and when the empire fell, people moved into it. The cellars, the Peristyle square and the cathedral (once Diocletian's own mausoleum) are still part of a living town with shops, bars and flats in the walls. A good local guide makes the difference here: without one, it looks like an old town; with one, you see the Roman street plan under every lane.

Give the second afternoon to the outdoors. Marjan, the wooded hill at the west end of the city, has paths to viewpoints over the islands and small coves for swimming. In the evening, the Riva promenade fills up with locals walking, which is the best people-watching on the coast.

The catamaran from Split reaches Hvar Town in about an hour. Hvar is the sunniest island in Croatia, with roughly 2,700 hours of sun a year. Hvar Town has a big reputation for nightlife, but most of it is on a few streets near the harbour, and staying a short walk away gives you the old town without the noise.

On day four, take a water taxi to the Pakleni Islands, ten minutes offshore, for clear water and pine-shaded swimming spots. If you prefer land, drive inland to Stari Grad, one of the oldest towns in Europe, and the Stari Grad Plain, a UNESCO-listed field system laid out by Greek settlers in the 4th century BC. In June and early July, the lavender is in flower on the high plateau.

In summer, a fast catamaran runs from Hvar to Dubrovnik, stopping at Korčula and Mljet on the way (about 3.5 hours). It is the best way to arrive: Dubrovnik's walls rise straight from the water. Outside the summer season, we drive instead. Since the Pelješac Bridge opened in 2022, the coast road no longer crosses into Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum, so there is no border stop.

Walk the city walls (about 2 km all the way round) as soon as they open, before the heat and the cruise ship groups. Then take the cable car up Mount Srđ, 412 metres above the old town, for the view the postcards use. Day six afternoon is free: a sea-kayak trip around the walls, a ferry to the island of Lokrum, or a long lunch in the old town.

On your last morning, walk the Stradun before 10 am. That is when Dubrovnik feels like a town rather than a stage set.

Split: inside or just outside the palace walls, or in the Varoš quarter on the slope of Marjan. Everything is on foot. Hvar: in Hvar Town, but a few minutes' walk from the harbour, for quieter nights. Dubrovnik: inside the old town for atmosphere, or on the Ploče side just east of the walls for sea views and easier luggage (the old town is all steps and no cars).

Late May, June and September are the best months for this route: warm sea, long days and fewer people than July and August. The summer catamaran from Hvar to Dubrovnik usually runs from late spring to early autumn. Check the timetable for your dates before booking. From November to March, many island hotels close and ferries run less often, so a winter version of this trip works best as Split and Dubrovnik only.

Swap Hvar for Korčula if you want a quieter island with a walled medieval town and Pelješac wine on the doorstep. This is the route of our 8-day Walled Cities tour. Add a day trip from Split to Krka National Park (about 1 hour away) for waterfalls you can see without the drive to Plitvice. Got 8 or 9 days? Add an extra night on the islands or in Dubrovnik before adding a new place. Got 10 or more? Start in Zagreb, see Plitvice Lakes on the way to the coast, then follow this route south.

We build this route around your dates: private transfers, boat tickets, a guide in Split and Dubrovnik, and hotels picked for location. If the summer catamaran is not running on your dates, we switch to a private boat or driver. A real person on our team is your contact from the first email to the flight home.