Before you Go
Learn Key Phrases:
Most Croatians learn English in school so you shouldn’t have a problem getting around major areas, but they really love when you know a few phrases. The best words and easiest to memorize are please and thank you.
- Please – Molim (moh-leem)
- Thank you – Hvala (ha-vah-luh)
- Water – Voda (voh-duh)
- Beer – Pivo (pee-voh)
- Hello / Good Day – Dobar Dan (dough-ber dawn)
- Goodbye – Dovidjena (doh-vee-jen-yah)
- Do You Speak English? – Govrite li Engleski (goh-vor-ee-teh lee en-gles-key)
My Carry On Packing List
Check out my favorite international travel items I always pack in my carry-on.
Split
Split is located in the center of the country and the best spot to get to any other city or Island in Croatia. It is a port town and has lots of great food, tours, views, and transportation via boat, bus, or car. The airport is about 30 minutes from city center. I recommend trying to take a lyft or uber before getting in a taxi. If you do have to get in a taxi, many people are willing to share one to save on expenses.
Walk around the promenade
have a drink on the beach
The beaches in Split are gorgeous, especially during sunset. You can drink on the beaches as well. Just remember most of the beaches in Croatia are made up of small pebbles, but the water is crystal clear! Check out Joe’s Beach Club for a drink and beautiful sunset views. Go to Zen beach Bar for some entertainment that you probably won’t forget.
try the seafood
The majority of Croatia is on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, so they are really big on their seafood! Everything you eat will be delicious, but I especially enjoyed the fish dishes. You have to try some tuna tartar from Konoba Matejuska!
Other Restaurants To Try In Split:
- Konoba Matejuska – Mediterranean. Small family-run. Seafood
- Restaurant Diocles – Upscale dining. Traditional dishes
- Bas Burek – Take out lunch. Hidden gem
- Zinfandel – Small bar with local cuisine & wine
go to ultra europe
Day Trip To Krka Waterfalls
Krka (ker-kuh) National Park is so beautiful! It is definitely a great day trip from Split. The best part is there are two different paths to take, the long way (which I would recommend because you get some great views of the falls from up high) or the short way where you walk down some stairs and you are at the falls!
I believe this park is better than Plitvice for the simple fact that in Plitvice lakes, swimming is forbidden. To me, swimming is well deserved at the end of your hike. There is also a place to grab lunch and a beer just next to the falls.
I promise you have never seen anything like this before!
My advice is to pack like you are going to the beach, wear your bathing suit under your hiking clothes. There is not a storage place to put your valuables that I could find, but we just hung our bag of clothes on a tree. Keep your valuables in the bus that you don’t want to get wet.
How to Get to Krka
We took a tour bus with a company called Grayline from the Split promenade and from Trogir for 37 Euro + 20 Euro (150 kuna) to enter the park, which they collect in cash on the bus. Have correct change for the entrance fee, because if you dont you will have to wait til they have enough from everyone on the bus to get your change. The seats are very nice and cozy. Sit on the left side of the bus on your way up & back.
We got a nice history lesson from our awesome tour guide on the way to the falls. The ride home was a perfect time for a well deserved nap, Everyone was asleep for that 1 hour ride back to Split. Fortunately, the bus leaves as early as the last person. We had plenty of time to enjoy the falls and got back to Split an hour before schedule.
This was the shortest tour we could find. Most of the tours I saw were all day, and we really didn’t want to spend more than 6 hours there. Click here for the link to the tour we took.
what to pack for the falls
- Hiking shoes and Sandals – You don’t want to hike in sandals, and you won’t want to put your hiking shoes back on once you go swimming, and walking around barefoot in the dirt with wet feet is not a fun option.
- A SMall towel – To dry you off or sunbathe
- Cash – there are souvenir carts and a food court at the falls. Most of them only take cash
- Snacks and water – the bus ride and lines at the vending machines are both long
- GoPro or waterproof cell phone case – What’s the point of swimming in epic waterfalls if you can’t get any pictures or videos of it?
- (Optional) Water shoes – You will see algae on every rock at the falls and it is very slippery. Water shoes are nice to have in all of Croatia because most of the beaches are rocky
Blue Lagoon & Trogir Speed Boat Tour
We scheduled a boat tour from Split with a tour company called Viator for an all-day tour to the famous blue lagoon and an afternoon in Trogir (tro-gear), but unfortunately, it was canceled due to severe winds. We will book this tour again and hope for favorable weather next time. Here is the link to the tour we booked.
Dubrovnik (Duh-Brov-Nick)
Hvar (Ha-Var) Island
Hvar is one of my favorite islands and there are plenty of reasons why! It is about a 1-hour ferry from Split; you could take personal speed boats which look fun, but your stuff might get wet! It can be confusing when looking into ferries because you have the island of Hvar and then the main port town is also called Hvar.
If you want a road trip through the island from another port or ferries to the town are sold out, you can book a ferry from Split to either Stari Grad or Jelsa and take a taxi or an Uber to the town of Hvar. We actually scheduled a ferry from Bol on the island of Brac to Stari Grad because it looks so beautiful, then planned on taking a taxi to Hvar, but unfortunately, we got on the wrong ferry which took us straight to the port of Hvar. It was a blessing because we were so exhausted, but I still wish we could have seen Stari Grad.
Take In The Views From Fortica Hvar
This is the place where everyone takes the iconic port town pictures of Croatia. (Besides Dubrovnik) People say you can walk up, but my suggestion would be to taxi up to the entrance, pay the $20 Kuna to enter, take a few pictures and look around.
The walk down is really fun because you don’t really know where the trail is taking you. Once you reach the bottom you enter St. Stephen Square. It is fairly easy to get around in the town of Hvar since it is so small.
Go For A Walk on the water
We walked around the port side of the island and found plenty of places to just kick back and lay on a towel to work on your tan. We did see some topless areas, but nothing was designated. Just be sure to keep a shirt on in the main port area, apparently, there are fines for taking your shirt off…
Have A Drink Or Two
Enjoy A Night Out
Hvar is beautiful during the day, but so fun at night! There are a few great spots, including Hula Hula beach bar.
Carpe Diem is a party island in the middle of the harbor, the boat provides free transportation to and from the main island.
Kiva Bar is one of the most popular places for a fun night out, it is a rock bar with great tequila.
Restaurants On The Island
- Dalmatino – Cheap with great reviews
- 50 Hvar – American dishes with Croatian specialties
- Alviz Dolac – Pizzeria
- Konoba Menego – Family owned tavern Croatian food
- Passarola – Seafood!! & Live music
Scuba The Shipwreck At Vis Otok
Stay At A 5 Star Resort
If you have some money to spend on this trip, the best spot I can recommend is Amfora Resort. Just a 15-minute walk from the port; They have a beautiful pool right on the water; a private beach with water sport rentals, luggage pickup from the ferry, a free buffet breakfast, and they host tons of pool parties. This is also the closest hotel to Hula Hula Beach Club.
Zlatni Rat Beach
Zlatni (Z-lat-knee) Beach is essentially a peninsula. It is in the city of Bol (bowl) on the island of Brac (brah-k). It is Croatia’s most famous beach due to its shape and beauty. Visitors love to snorkel, kayak, or take their yachts out and enjoy the views. The water is cold but crystal clear. You may want to bring water shoes as the beach is all pebbles.
There are chairs on the beach, but they are first-come, first serve and you have to pay for them. It is very seldom that one will free up in the early afternoon. Get there early if you want a lounge chair and bring cash.
TIP: If you get hungry there is a spot just above the Auro Cocktail Bar. There is a line for self-service on the left, but if the line is really long like it was for us, you can sit down on the right side of the restaurant and a waiter will come up and serve you the same food choices. The only difference is leaving the waiter a tip and not waiting in a long line.
how to get to zlatni rat
Take the jadrolinija ferry to Bol, or if unavailable you can take the ferry to the town of Supetar and then a 1-hour taxi to Zlatni Rat. You can also arrive in Bol first and take the mini train to Zlatni Rat which runs every 30 minutes.
If you don’t have any luggage there is a great scenic walking trail you can take along the coast from Bol to Zlatni Rat. We found a luggage storage spot right on the rocks of the beach in front of Auro Cocktail Bar. We asked for luggage drop-offs in the town of Bol and had no luck. We even tried paying hotels, but they won’t do it.
ZAGREB (Zah-Grehb)
Walk Down Tkalčićeva Street
Order The Grilled Cheese
Explore The City Square Sunday Market
There is a Sunday market in Zagreb’s city square. You will be sure to find a few great handmade items there. There are a few small shops located outside the city square on your way to the Cathedral of Zagreb, the tallest building in Croatia. They too housed many of our favorite and unique souvenirs we brought back.
Visit The Museum Of Broken Relationships
It won’t take more than an hour to tour the whole place. The Museum is a physical and virtual public space created with the sole purpose of treasuring and sharing heartbreak stories and symbolic possessions. Museum captions are in Croatian and English. Translations in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese are available via QR codes or as booklets.
Entrance Fees:
- Adults = 40 Kn
- Students (With ID), Disabled, Seniors (65+) = 30 Kn
- 15 + Group = 30 Kn Each
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Plitvice (Plit-vich-eh) is unlike what anyone has ever seen! Although you can’t swim here, it doesn’t stop the millions of tourists from inspecting the numerous walking trails throughout the park!
You need to stay here for at least 2 days to get the full experience of the park. Also, staying in the park will help you with entrance fees and finding transportation each day. Look into those details very closely and confirm your hotel or Airbnb is in fact in the actual park.
ZADAR (Zaa-Dar)
Listen To The Sea Organ
ENjoy Greetings To The Sun
Party on Pag & Zrće Beach
Zrće (zer-che) beach, located on the island of Pag(pa-g), is a 24-hour party zone! There are quite a few clubs right on the beach. The nearest city to stay in for a good price is Novalja (No-vall-yuh). We found a very inexpensive Airbnb there. You can take a 5-minute drive to Zrće from Novalja or a 45-minute walk.
Popular Beach Clubs
Souvenirs
Rakija (Rah-Kee-Yah)
Rakija (Rah-Kee-Yah) is a famous liquor in Croatia. The best kind is homemade, but most souvenir shops sell them. Rakija comes in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. It has a very high alcohol content and a variety of flavors. My favorite flavor is Walnut.
lavendar bags
Lavender is popular in Croatia. The island of Hvar is famous for its Lavender fields. Their lavender produce is rated among the highest quality in Europe.
Croatian Flag
Anything with the Croatian Flag on it. You can find scarves, blankets, flags, you name it!
Licitar Heart
Licitar Heart – These are replicas of the cookies Croatians would make for their loved ones. I grabbed some as Christmas ornaments for my Croatian side of the family.
Symbolic Croatian tattoo
Symbolic Croatian tattoo – You will see many older women with hand tattoos that symbolize their heritage and family values.
Croatian Lace
Traditional Croatian Lace – Would be a great gift for someone who respects this craft. My grandmother has many lace pillowcases that her mother made while they still lived in Croatia.