Croatia is a beautiful country, with miles of stunning coastline, cute towns and cities, and amazing food. Here’s my guide to spending one week in Croatia and seeing the top sights.
Croatia has so many great activities. If you have one week in Croatia, you’ll be able to get a good sense of what this amazing country can offer. With one week in Croatia, you can visit the exciting cities of Dubrovnik and Split, while having some time in between the two cities to visit from of Croatia’s best islands.
I recommend visiting Croatia in spring or autumn. The months of May and June are a great time to visit Croatia, with warm temperatures and long, sunny days. July and August can be very busy and hot, so I recommend avoiding these months if you can. September and October are also good months to visit, where you can enjoy the nice weather with fewer crowds.
My ultimate itinerary for one week in Croatia involves moving around a lot between Dubrovnik and Split. It’s a fast-paced itinerary that involves lots of travelling between different islands. If you want to see all the top sights in Croatia without packing up your bag every few days, I recommend a sailing trip in Croatia. You can read about sailing in Croatia here, where you can join a yacht with a professional skipper. But if you’re keen to visit the highlights of Croatia in one week without a sailing trip, keep reading for my ultimate itinerary for one week in Croatia.
Day 1: Dubrovnik
Start your one week in Croatia with a day in the beautiful, historic city of Dubrovnik. It’s one of the most famous places to visit in Croatia, so it’s definitely worth spending a day here at the start of your trip.
I enjoyed Dubrovnik. I enjoyed walking around the narrow streets and getting lost in the maze of the streets. Stradum, the main street in the centre, was also nice with a bell tower at the end. Dubrovnik is small – you can walk across it in about 15 minutes – so you can take your time to walk and explore.
There’s a nice area down by the water with all the boats as well, which looks lovely.
I started off my day in Dubrovnik by walking the city walls. It gets hot and crowded on the walls, so it’s best to start early, before 10am. The views were lovely, and I spent about 1.5 hours here walking slowly and taking photos.
For lunch, find a bakery and try the traditional Croatian treat, a cheese burek. This cheese-filled pastry is delicious, and really good value for money.
After lunch, I took the cable car up, to get views over the city. The cable car only takes a few minutes and runs frequently. Check out the opening times here. The views on the way up are lovely. And at the top, there are various viewing platforms to look down on the red roofs of the city below. It’s a great to spend your afternoon in Dubrovnik, and you can also spend the evening here to watch the sunset.
Day 2: Mljet Island and exploring Mljet National Park
Mljet island is one of the most beautiful islands in Croatia. There’s loads to do here, so I recommend heading over here early for day two of your itinerary for one week in Croatia. You can then stay overnight on Mljet Island. Mljet Island has beautiful green scenery and a national park. There are loads of outdoor activities you can do here, including cycling, hiking and swimming in caves.
Cycling in Mljet National Park
One of the best ways to explore Mljet National Park is by cycling. You can hire bikes and cycle through the beautiful scenery.
Mljet National Park isn’t the easiest place to cycle, as there are some hills that are quite hard work. But it’s easily manageable for anyone with basic fitness as long as you take it easy. The cycle paths are good, and it’s easy to find your way around. And the stunning scenery makes it worth it.
You can cycle to a beautiful lake in the middle of the National Park that has an island with a Benedictine Monastery on the island. You can get a ferry from the small visitor centre over to the island, where you can look around the monastery and also enjoy some refreshing ice cream at the cafe. It’s a great place to relax before cycling back.
Hiking in Mljet National Park
Another great way to enjoy the scenery of Mljet National Park is by hiking. There are lots of hiking trails, and many reward you with great views.
Some of the hiking trails take you up to the highest points on the island. These climbs can be hard work, especially in hot weather. But the views are definitely worth it. If the weather is hot when you visit, make sure you leave early in the morning to enjoy the hike before the weather gets too hot. And take plenty of water with you. But the views from the top are so beautiful. Mljet Island really is such a beautiful island in Croatia, and you definitely need to spend a day here when you’re spending one week in Croatia.
Odysseus Cave, Mljet Island
Another gem on Mljet Island is Odysseus Cave. This cave is slightly tucked away on the island, but it was one of my favourite places in Croatia. It’s definitely worth visiting.
Getting to Odysseus Cave involves hiking down a steep, rocky path from the road. But the views are amazing as soon as you leave the road.
You can climb down the rocks until you’re nearly at the edge of the water. And then you can reward yourself by jumping into the cool, refreshing sea. There are several places where you can jump into the water, so if you’re feeling more daring you can choose to do some higher cliff-jumping.
Once you’re in the water, you can swim right into the cave. The light and colours in the cave are magical. It has a really bright, blue light from the sun reflecting off the water in the cave. It’s a really special place.
Dinner in Polace on Mljet Island
The small town called Polace on Mljet Island is a great place to stay for dinner. This town has several amazing seafood restaurants. One of the highlights of spending one week in Croatia is the amazing seafood and fish you can try. The fish and seafood is so fresh, and so tasty. I had swordfish, which was delicious and beautifully presented. There are also lots of nice local beers in Croatia that you can enjoy after spending your day on Mljet Island in Croatia.
Day 3: Korcula Island
On day 3 of your ultimate itinerary for one week in Croatia, head over to Korcula Island. Korcula Island is one of Croatia’s biggest islands, and there’s lots of great things to do here for a day. You can enjoy a more relaxed day on Korcula Island, while still experiencing the island. Head over in the morning and then stay overnight on Korcula Island in Korcula Old Town.
Korcula Old Town
Korcula Town is the main town on Korcula Island in Croatia. It’s a really pretty town. It has a historic feel, similar to Dubrovnik, but without so many crowds. The views of Korcula Town from the ferry are beautiful.
I really enjoyed walking around the town and enjoying the views. It’s definitely a lot more peaceful and relaxing that Dubrovnik, but still has all the charm.
Korcula Town has lots of lovely cafes and restaurants. It’s a great place for a more relaxed day, which you might need after an active day on Mljet Island the day before. You can sit at one of the restaurants that has amazing views over the water and enjoy a coffee or lunch.
Korcula Town is also a great place for wine tasting, where you can try some local Croatian wines. There are several wine bars in Korcula Town that offer wine tasting of local wines. The portions can be generous, and the wines delicious.
Lumbarda Beach
In the afternoon, you can head over to nearby Lumbarda Beach for some time relaxing on the beach. Croatia doesn’t have that many sandy beaches, but the beach at Lumbarda was one of my favourite beaches in Croatia. There’s a great beach bar here as well, so you can enjoy some cocktails in the late afternoon sun.
Day 4: Vis Island
For day 4 of your ultimate itinerary for one week in Croatia, head over to Vis Island. Vis Island has some lovely scenery, and it’s also a great place to learn more about Croatia’s history. Again, head over to Vis Island in the morning and spend the night on Vis Island.
Vis town
The main town on the island of Vis in Croatia is called Vis Town. It’s a nice place to walk around, with lovely views. Vis Town is also a great place for food, with a variety of cafes and restaurants along the seafront. You can have a refreshing lunch here while enjoying the views out to sea.
Military tour of Vis
If you’re interested in learning more about the military history of Vis, you can take an organised tour of the island. The tour will last a few hours and you’ll be driven to key points on the island to learn more about the history. It’s a great way to learn more about the important role Vis island played in World War Two and also the more recent war between Croatia and Serbia.
The tour is also a great way to see more of the island, as you stop at some viewpoints for lovely views across this green island.
Dinner in Vis Town
In the evening, you can enjoy more delicious, fresh seafood for dinner. Vis Town has a great selection of different restaurants. I tried octopus salad, fried squid and also cuttlefish risotto. All the seafood was amazing.
Day 5: Croatia’s Blue Cave and Hvar Island nightlife
In the morning of day five of your ultimate itinerary for one week in Croatia, you can visit the stunning Blue Cave from Vis Island. It’s on a small island near Vis called Bisevo Island, which is easily accessible from Vis. It’s best to visit the Blue Cave in Croatia in the morning, when the light is as its most blue. After visiting the Blue Cave, you can then head over to Hvar Island to enjoy Hvar Town’s famous nightlife and spend the next night on Hvar Island.
The Blue Cave, Croatia
The island of Vis is also a great base for visiting the Blue Cave, one of Croatia’s most famous attractions. The Blue Cave is actually on the neighbouring island of Bisevo, but most of the tours to the Blue Cave leave from Vis.
The tours to the Blue Cave include a speedboat, which takes you over to Bisevo Island. The speedboat takes about 20 minutes and it’s great fun as you speed over the waves.
When you get to Bisevo Island, you get off the speedboat and wait on a platform, to then take a smaller boat that takes you into the Blue Cave. You can get ‘skip the queue’ tickets, which are definitely worth the extra cost. The queues to get into the cave can easily be over an hour long, so the ‘skip the queue’ tickets are definitely worth it.
You then get into a smaller boat that takes you into the Blue Cave. The entrance is really small, and you have to duck down in the boat to get through the entrance.
Inside the cave, it was amazing. It was just so blue. It was such a magical colour. The cave glows blue for a few hours each day, when the sunlight filters through a small gap in the rocks and reflects off the sea.
You only get a few minutes inside the cave to take some photos and soak it all up, before heading out. To be honest, I would have liked a bit longer in the cave – it felt a slightly rushed visit. But I understand that they have a huge queue of tourists waiting, so need to keep things moving.
After visiting the cave, you then take the speedboat back to Vis. The tours to the Blue Cave go from the pretty town of Komiza on Vis Island. Komiza is a really pretty place to spend a bit of time as well, after your trip to the Blue Cave.
Ferry to Hvar for the Hvar Town nightlife
Hvar Town is known for being a ‘party town’. So for the best night out in Croatia, head over to Hvar Island in the afternoon.
You can spend some of the afternoon enjoying Hvar Town. It’s a really pretty town, like so many of the towns on the islands in Croatia. There’s a lovely area by the waterfront, and cute, narrow streets. There’s also a fortress on top of the hill, overlooking the whole city. Even if you’re not really into nightlife, you can still enjoy Hvar Town.
In the evenings, Hvar Town can get quite lively. There are lots of young people who visit Hvar Town in the summer for the nightlife. But there are quieter bars as well, alongside the more lively bars. I’m not really into nightlife, but I still enjoyed spending time at a rooftop bar that had lovely views down to Hvar Town’s main square.
Keep reading for the final two days of your one week in Croatia!
Day 6: Split
For the next two days of your ultimate itinerary for one week in Croatia, it’s time to head back to the mainland. You can get the ferry over to the town of Split in the morning. Split is one of the biggest cities in Croatia and you definitely need a day to explore the main sights of this city. You can stay overnight in Split, as your final hotel stay of your one week in Croatia.
Split is a busier, more lively city than Dubrovnik. It doesn’t feel as tourist-y as Dubrovnik. Walking around Dubrovnik can feel like you’re walking round a museum city. But Split feels much more like a ‘real’ city. There are historical sights here as well, but you also get a sense that local people live and work here, aside from the people working in tourism.
One of the highlights in Split is Diocletian’s Palace. It’s a huge, impressive palace with great architecture and a nice Cathedral.
I also liked the waterfront part of Split. There are lots of bars and restaurants along the waterfront, so it’s a great place to spend your evening in Split. It looked really pretty with all the buildings and boats lit up in the evening.
Day 7: Krka Waterfalls
On the final day of your one week in Croatia, you can do a day trip from Split to see the famous Krka Waterfalls. I recommend joining an organised tour for your day trip, as it takes you right to the National Park. You then have some free time to walk around the stunning area by yourself, before being taken back to Split.
The waterfalls at Krka National Park were really impressive. It’s definitely worth going to see. There’s a well-marked walking trial around the National Park, which takes you past all the most famous views and photo spots. It’s a lovely place to walk through nature and take in the scenery.
The tour from Split to Krka National Park also included a stop at the beach town of Primosten on the way back to Split. The beach here was lovely, and it was a nice place to relax on the beach. The ice cream sold here was great as well. It was a really nice place to sit and relax at the end of a busy but amazing one week in Croatia.
Hope you enjoyed reading my ultimate itinerary for one week in Croatia! Remember that the best way to see all of these highlights and more is by joining a sailing trip in Croatia – read my guide to sailing in Croatia here, where you can join a sailing trip with a professional skipper. Make sure you also check out my guides to the top things to do in Croatia, the best islands in Croatia and also the best things to do in Dubrovnik.
