The Ultimate Croatia Road Trip Itinerary: Zagreb to Dubrovnik
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When I made the decision to study abroad in Spain in the fall semester of 2019, I knew I had to sneak some travel in beforehand (I still wanted to spend Christmas with my family so I knew I couldn’t travel after). So two weeks before my program, my family and I flew to Croatia to start our road trip that would take us from Zagreb all the way to Dubrovnik. Renting a car in a foreign country, hitting five cities, three countries, and two national parks in 10 days...who let me plan this?? lol that is AMBITIOUS. Turns out is was low-key perfect? And for that I give myself a solid well done pat on the back. This might have been the most jam-packed, efficient, epic vacation I’ve ever been on.
One thing to note: we traveled from Zagreb to Dubrovnik in the beginning of September, and although we anticipated should season prices, that was simply not the case. Be prepared to pay peak season ticket prices to all attractions if you’re traveling in September. The weather was gorgeous, however, not a SINGLE rainy day.
How to rent a car for a Croatia road trip - Zagreb to Dubrovnik
First things first: In order to do a road trip, you need a car, duh. The easiest way to rent a car is through Discover Cars - They make it so easy to choose an exact car, have different pick up and drop off locations (perfect if you’re driving from Zagreb to Croatia), and you can do it well it advance. Our rental for ten days (keep in mind - this was in 2019)(and it was a large van, super ugly but super comfy with plenty of room so I can’t be too mad) was around 400 dollars.
If you have someone in your group who can drive stick - consider making them the designated driver! Choosing a manual car will save you QUITE a bit of coin. You’ll need an international drivers license as well, so get that before your trip.
We filled up with gas twice, one time about three-quarters of the way through the trip, and the other right before we had to return the car. Gas was expensive, about 80 US dollars for a tank, (for a large van) but considering we only had to fill up one and a half times, it’s definitely do-able. The roads from Zagreb to Dubrovnik were well-maintained, with the exception of a little google maps mishap that we had in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Notes
So when you do a road trip through Croatia, as many people do thanks to the lack of easy public transportation, your two options are to either start in Zagreb or Dubrovnik, as those are the only cities with accessible airports. We anticipated Dubrovnik being more impressive than Zagreb and we wanted to end on that note, so we started in Zagreb. I was really happy with the way that turned out.
**** IMPORTANT! Make sure you book accommodation with guaranteed parking, whether it be an airbnb or a hotel, you do NOT want to brave parking alone. Wanna know why? We tried it. Our airbnb host told us where to park on the street, watched us park, said that we were okay, and then we woke up at the butt crack of dawn to drive to Krka national park two days later and our car was gone. It got T O W E D. A tow truck literally ~scooped~ our van and didn’t even leave a note. We thought it got stolen, which led to a heated phone call with the host (who knew exactly where our car was, does something smell like fish to you bc it does to me, also why we switched from using Airbnb to Vrbo), a very expensive Uber ride, a very expensive bill for them to hand over the ugly van that had at this point become family, two hours of trying to find parking, and a veryyyy late dinner that had us all stressed out and hangry. Is this a good enough reason for you to double check your accommodations parking? Because I think it is lol
ANYWAYS. Without further ado lets get into the actual itinerary!!
The Ultimate Croatia Road Trip Itinerary:
Zagreb to Dubrovnik
1 day and 2 nights in Zagreb
The way our flights worked out, we landed in Zagreb on a Friday night. We settled into our hotel, took some Benadryl to try and beat the jet lag (a valiant attempt but it didn’t work and I’m still exhausted). The next day we woke up, had a lazy start, and hit the town. No need to wake up early, the crowds here aren’t nearly as overwhelming as in the other cities. In case you’re wondering, Zagreb is definitely worth your while! It is super gorgeous, has amazing food, and is a very peaceful and calm start to your whirlwind trip.
It was honestly such a gorgeous city I’m so glad I had the pleasure of experiencing. Both the city cathedral and St. Marks Church were stunning (and unique!), the Museum of Broken Relationships was like no museum I’ve ever been to before, and the promenade in the upper portion of the city felt like walking through a fairytale
Where to stay in Zagreb:
Luxury: Esplanade Zagreb Hotel: Directly in city center, this historic hotel is a sight to see in Zagreb in and of itself! While not hyper modern, it’s charm is sophisticated and refined, and you can’t find a classier stay in Zagreb.
Mid Range: Hotel Capital: Guys - some of these rooms look like the interior designers went straight into the dream home folder in my mind and brought it to life. Smack in the middle of Zagreb and within walking distance to all the best sights - this is where I’d personally stay if I every get the chance to return!
Budget: Whole Wide World Hostel and Bar: and for all my backpackers - this one is for you. With over 3000 five star reviews - I almost wish I was in Zagreb solo traveling just so I could stay here!
Overall, Zagreb will always have a special place in my heart. I was so surprised with how much I enjoyed it! If I’m being honest, we really only tacked a quick stop here onto our itinerary in order to be close to the star of the show: Plitvice National Parks. Now that I’m on the other side, however, I highly recommend not doing a daytrip to Plitvice from the more southern cities (as most people do) and using Plitvice as an excuse to have a perfect little day in Zagreb.
1 Day in Plitvice National Parks (2.5 hours away from Zagreb)
Okay, not going to lie, this specific national park was one of the main reasons I dragged my whole family to Croatia. Last summer we did a lot of European cities, which is SO fun, don’t get me wrong. But there is a point where you’ve had your city fix for quite some time and you just want to see nature. Before this trip, I googled where the best national parks in Europe are, and Croatia is where it’s AT - OKAY? Plitvice National Park did not disappoint.
My advice? Buy tickets way ahead and get up as early as possible! We bought our tickets for arrival between 7:00 and 8:00. We got up at 4:00 a.m., hit the road by 5:30, and arrived at the park at 7:55, five minutes before the end of the time slot we bought our tickets for. It was a CLOSE one, but we made it.
And boy, was it worth it.
I have never seen such an incredible display of nature ever before in my life. We had the time of our lives just walking the designated path (we did path C! highly recommend), and my phone literally ran out of storage. I KNOW Plitvice is farther away and a little more inconvenient than what anyone would like, but it was easily the best day of our entire Croatia road trip, so if you’re debating on whether or not you need to add the inconvenience of northern Croatia to your trip - I hate to break it to you - but you do. SORRY! I don’t make the rules.
From Plitvice National Park, we continued our ultimate Croatia road trip to Split - leaving around 3:00 p.m., arriving around 6:00 p.m.
1.5 days and 3 nights in Split (3 hours away from Plitvice)
1.5 days and 3 nights you might think? That makes no sense. It will, I promise.
Our first full day in Split, we took a walking tour of the old city, walked the promenade, ate some bomb pizza, hiked Marjan Hill for a cheeky little view - and then slept like ROCKS.
While the actual old town of Split is quite small (albeit jam packed of confusing alleyways and insane architecture), there are lots of things to do around the city. You can either take a boat tour and go island hopping and see the infamous Blue Cave, or take a day trip to Krka National Park!
If you haven’t already guessed - we chose the national park (Keep reading!). Since it was just the morning and early afternoon, we were able to then spend another afternoon in the city, just shopping and enjoying Croatia. This city is like an open-air museum and it is simply stunning. You can’t miss it!
Where to stay in Split, Croatia
Luxury: Golden Gate Luxury rooms - This apartment is actually INSIDE the walls of Diocletian’s palace - talk about luxury! You literally have the chance to sleep within a UNESCO world heritage site. The inside looks insanely cozy, so it’s literally everything you could ever ask for. Close to attractions? LMAO - you’re literally inSIDE the attractions.
Mid-range: Hotel Vestibul Palace: This hotel is smack in the middle of all the action - and at just $175/night, you can’t beat the location/gorgeous hotel ratio. This is perfect for the average traveler!
Budget: Hurricane Hostel - And again - if you’re a backpacker (like I usually am) - I’ve got you! This is where I’d stay if I was solo traveling Croatia. Allegedly, they run a boat party every week - which is perfect for the solo backpacker looking for a bit of fun! (aka me :)
Split was stunning, gorgeous (crowded AF), perfect. But if you remember what I mentioned earlier - we did come to Croatia for the nature, after all:
1 day in Krka National park (1 Hour away from Split)
A lot of people have to choose between Plitvice and Krka, but omg - you can’t miss either. Plitvice is more impressive, but you can swim in Krka. (2021 update: I’m not sure that they allow swimming anymore, but it is still beautiful to see!) They cancel each other out and to quote Road to El Dorado (IYKYK), “Both. Both is good.”
We only saw the main falls, because to be completely honest we weren’t interested in another 20,000 step day, but I’ve heard good things about the rest. Once again, go early. We returned for another half day in Split, and ate another ice cream, which put us at 4 gelato cones in as many days. #Nice
1 Day in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2 hours away from Split)
Buckle up, because its a long day of driving.
When driving from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, we took every opportunity we could to see every incredible place laying in our path. One unique thing about Croatia is that it’s one of the few countries where not the entire land mass is connected - the portion of Croatia that is home to Dubrovnik is only reachable if you pass through Bosnia & Herzegovina! And to someone who loves adding a new country to the notes app in my phone - I was all up in this.
While this is a Croatia road trip, our day in Mostar somehow managed to be one of my favorite stops of the whole thing. Despite the lack of actual attractions, we spent SO much time there, and struggled to bring ourselves to leave. Read the full post for the breakdown of how we spent our time there!
When we finally did leave, we had quite the adventure. Instead of following the signs to Dubrovnik, we put our FULL faith in google maps (a freaking mistake, lemme tell you) and we set out through the mountains of remote Bosnia. Windy, one lane roads, herds of sheep and cows, and not seeing a single other car for nearly two hours had us mildly concerned, but to be completely honest we got through the border in .2 seconds so maybe the route we took was faster because of the short border control line? We later found out that it was the home of old war frontlines and people don’t drive that way because of forgotten land mines. So maybe follow the signs.
But Mostar was absolutely beautiful, please don’t pass it up.
3 days and 4 nights in Dubrovnik (2 hours away from Mostar)
Finally! We arrived in to our Hotel in Dubrovnik - the city that everyone comes to Croatia for, and for good reason.
Dubrovnik felt like nostalgia, like a summer that seems to never end. We walked on medieval walls, swam in the Adriatic Sea, kayaked at sunset, and jumped off of progressively higher things. Everyone was genuinely kind, and we made friends from all over.
You can spend extra days (if you’re fortunate enough to have them) hopping to different beaches, hiking - or taking the cable car! - up Mt. Srd, exploring the old monasteries and castles, or even taking a game of thrones film tour through the city.
Where to stay in Dubrovnik
Luxury: Hotel Dubrovnik Palace - If you’re looking for a little mix of resort to go with your European Medieval city - this is the hotel for you. It’s giving tropical paradise - and tbh - you can’t have an epic view of Dubrovnik if you’re staying smack in the middle of it! Just don’t let the location on a map deter you from booking here, they have a shuttle service that runs every 15 minutes to take you to old town with no hassle.
Mid-Range: The Pucic Palace - If location does matter to you, and being smack in the middle of the action is important, The Pucic Palace hotel is perfect - and it’s literally incorporated into an old 18th century baroque palace. And for less than $250 a night? The rooms and the courtyard all just ooze the charm that comes from everything being built around such a historically significant building, and it’ll send you back in time in all the best ways.
Budget: Hostel Angelina - If you’re looking for a hostel within the city walls, Hostel Angelina is your place. The inside is as though you’re spending the night in a castle, and you simply can’t beat the location. This would definitely be my own personal pick!
It was a long road from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, but it was WELL worth all the hours spent in the car.
Day trip to Kotor, Montenegro (2.5 hours away from Dubrovnik)
For our last free day in Dubrovnik, we decided to take a day trip to the Bay of Kotor, in Montenegro! New country: unlocked.
Was this day trip entirely worth it? I think it depends. If you have a night to spend there, I would highly recommend it. But for just a day trip - it was honestly a long drive for what it was. It was stunning, don’t get me wrong, but my family has had the privilege of seeing similar things before. In the future, I’d love to see more of Montenegro, like the national parks and everything the south of the country has to offer.
If you have time and have exhausted Dubrovnik’s options (which is a tricky thing to do), take a trip to Kotor! It truly is stunning, I think I was just exhausted and could’ve used another beach day (except i was so sunburnt this wasn’t exactly an option). What would’ve redeemed this for me is taking a tour! That way you don’t have to deal with the long drive yourself, but you can still enjoy everything the Bay of Kotor has to offer. I know you have a perfectly good rental car, but sometimes you just need to sleep on the way home, okay?
FLY OUT!!
You made it! Renting a car, driving in a foreign country, driving all the way from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, hitting three different countries and many more cities in 10 days in no easy feat, but it sure makes for an unforgettable trip. Many thanks to my family for giving in to my peer pressure despite the expensive plane tickets, they made my crazy dreams and high expectations all come true and work out in the end.
So if this trip was 10 days and I left two weeks before the start of my program, what did I do with the other 4 days? Stay tuned to find out ayeeeee
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Are you looking for an epic Croatia Itinerary that includes the iconic cities of Split and Dubrovnik but also don’t want to miss out on the north of the country and the epic Plitvice Lakes? Follow along with this Croatia Road Trip Itinerary that will take you from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, and everywhere in between.