If you’re thinking of spending three weeks in Croatia (or longer), we have a sneaking suspicion that you may be there visiting family – in which case, your days will be filled with meeting relatives and being force-fed three course meals, plenty of kolace (cakes) and home-made rakija (brandy).
We joke, of course. Well, kind of. If not partaking in any family visiting, well then the world – or Croatia – is your oyster! Take advice from the previous pages of our Itineraries section, as you may like to combine one week spent relaxing by the seaside with two weeks of travelling around.
It’s more than reasonable to think about travelling through all of the coastal regions of Croatia (from Istria in the north and its resorts like Porec and Rovinj to Dalmatia in the south, i.e. Dubrovnik).
Alternatively, you could go inland – obviously to Zagreb – or even further to explore. The area around Zagreb, to the north and especially to the east isn’t frequently visited by travellers, so if you want to pick something off the beaten track, why not consider this region?
Where to go for three weeks in Croatia?
Because you have the time, we would definitely recommend using a bit of your holiday to experience Zagreb. So much of Croatia is about its wondrous coastline, and that’s hardly surprising. But Zagreb is Croatia’s capital and its largest city – and it’s a bustling, busy place in its own right, with plenty to see and do.
After that (or at some point), travel the coastline. It is quite logical to head towards Istria – the most northern part of the coastline – to spend some time there. As you’re got the time, consider basing yourself in one of its coastal towns (such as Porec or Rovinj) and visiting the very pretty inland area as well. After Istria, you can then travel down the coast by bus, or perhaps make use of one of the ferries/catamarans to travel down the coast. Another option is of course to fly!
We would still recommend spending a large part of your holiday in Dalmatia, exploring the various islands and resorts. Definitely spend some time in Dubrovnik – two or three nights at least.
Oh – one final tip. You’ll probably want to end up your vacation on the coastline, because if you travel the opposite way, you will miss the sun and sea experience too much! So start inland, and then head towards the seaside.
Three Weeks in Croatia – Itinerary
The itinerary below is quite a packed one in that it covers a considerable amount of ground and includes many of Croatia’s main cities/sights/islands. However, there’s a reasonable amount of time in each place – including 5-7 days for rest and relaxation – so we certainly think it is do-able!
Note: the below itinerary only uses public transport (buses, ferries/catamarans and flights).
- Fly into Zagreb – spend 2 or 3 nights here
- Head to Istria by bus – base yourself in Rovinj, Porec or Pula (for example) for 4 or 5 nights. Explore the other towns in the area, including some of the inland towns
- Head down to Zadar for the start of your Dalmatian adventure! You can reach Zadar from Pula by catamaran, or perhaps look into flying. Spend 3 nights here – a day trip to the Plitvice Lakes would be ideal from here (you could even consider spending a night here and returning to Zadar), and you could also do a day trip to the Kornati Islands by organised excursion.
- Head down to Split by bus – spend 3 or 4 nights here. Take a day trip to Krka National Park and Trogir.
- Now for the islands! As you have plenty of time on this itinerary, we’d suggest visiting and staying on Vis – however do note that you will need to return back to Split afterwards as there are no connections (apart from once a week to Hvar) to the other islands. After Vis (and Split) take your pick from Brac (family and sporty), Hvar (for party life in Hvar Town), Korcula (a stylish mini Dubrovnik) or Mljet (part of which is a national park). We’d recommend spending 5 days or a week for this portion of your trip for some proper rest and relaxation – perhaps even splitting your time across two or three islands.
- Then, on to Dubrovnik! Spend 2 or 3 nights here enjoying the sights and bringing your three weeks in Croatia to a close.