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ππ·Things to Do in Croatia
From Dubrovnik's ancient walls to the waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Croatia's coastline is the main event - a chain of walled old towns and islands along the Adriatic, with Dubrovnik and Split as anchors and hundreds of smaller islands reachable by ferry between them. Plitvice Lakes National Park, inland and forested, is the one major stop that isn't on the water. Here are 8 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Dubrovnik Old Town
A walled medieval city on the Adriatic, familiar to many as King's Landing from Game of Thrones. Walking the full 1.9km city walls gives the best overview - go early to avoid both heat and crowds.
π Dubrovnik
π Dubrovnik has no railway at all: buses 1A, 1B and 3 run from the airport and the Gruz ferry port to Pile Gate, the western entrance to the walls, and no cars go inside.
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Sixteen terraced lakes connected by waterfalls and wooden walkways, Croatia's oldest and largest national park. It's inland, so it's usually visited on the way between Zagreb and the coast rather than as a coastal day trip.
π Plitvice Lakes
π There is no station - intercity buses between Zagreb and Zadar stop at Entrance 1 and Entrance 2 on the main road, about two and a half hours from Zagreb.
Diocletian's Palace, Split
A Roman emperor's retirement palace that gradually became the living heart of Split itself - homes, shops and restaurants now operate inside walls built around 300 AD.
π Split
π Nearest station: Split, whose railway station, bus terminal and ferry port all sit together on the harbour, a three-minute walk from the palace cellars.
Hvar Island
Known for lavender fields, a lively harbor town, and some of the sunniest weather in Croatia - a common stop on an island-hopping ferry route from Split.
π Hvar Island
π Jadrolinija and Krilo ferries run from Split to Hvar Town and Stari Grad; the fast catamarans dock in Hvar Town itself, while car ferries land at Stari Grad with a connecting bus.
Zlatni Rat Beach, BraΔ
A distinctive horn-shaped pebble beach that shifts orientation with the wind and current, on the island of BraΔ, reachable by ferry from Split.
π BraΔ Island
π Take the car ferry from Split to Supetar or the catamaran to Bol, then it is a 20-minute walk or a shuttle along the shore path to the spit.
Rovinj
An Istrian fishing town of pastel houses stacked on a small peninsula, with a hilltop church visible from most of the surrounding coastline - often compared to an Italian coastal town given the region's Venetian history.
π Rovinj, Istria
π Istria's railway does not reach the coast here - buses from Pula, Porec and Trieste stop at Rovinj's terminal, a five-minute walk from the harbour and the old town steps.
Zagreb
Croatia's inland capital, with a walkable Upper Town, a lively cafe culture, and the Museum of Broken Relationships as one of its more unusual attractions.
π Zagreb
π Nearest station: Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor, the main terminus, with trams 6 and 13 running up to Ban Jelacic Square and the funicular to the Upper Town.
Kornati Islands
An archipelago of over 140 mostly uninhabited islands protected as a national park, best explored on a day sailing trip from Zadar or one of the nearby coastal towns.
π Kornati Islands, near Zadar
π The archipelago is uninhabited and has no scheduled service: excursion boats leave from Murter, Zadar and Sibenik, and a day trip is the normal way to see it.
Mark Croatia, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Croatia?
10 days lets you cover Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes and the coast from Split to Dubrovnik at a reasonable pace, including a ferry to at least one island.
What's the best time to visit Croatia?
June and September have warm weather without peak-July/August crowds and prices. Ferries run a fuller schedule April-October; many island connections thin out considerably in winter.
Is Croatia good for a first-time visit?
Yes - the coastal road and ferry network are both easy to use independently, and English is widely understood in tourist areas along the coast.
Do I need a visa to visit Croatia?
Croatia is part of the Schengen Area, so citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: mvep.gov.hr.
What are some things to do in Croatia on a tight budget?
Many of Croatia's best beaches and viewpoints cost nothing beyond getting there, walking Dubrovnik's old town streets (versus the paid city walls) is free, and ferry travel between islands is generally cheap relative to Western European transport.
Can I rent a car in Croatia, and what licence do I need?
Yes, and it is the sensible way to work down the Dalmatian coast, where the railway barely goes. EU and EEA licences are valid as issued; visitors from outside the EU should carry an International Driving Permit alongside the home licence, and one is required if the licence is not in the Latin alphabet. Minimum age is generally 21 with a surcharge under 25 and a credit card for the deposit. Motorway tolls are paid at booths as you go, and taking a hire car across to Bosnia or Montenegro needs a green card arranged in advance. The interior ministry publishes licence rules at mup.gov.hr; cars come from Sixt, Europcar and Hertz.