I need help with my Croatia itinerary. We are thinking 15 days or so in late April to Early May of 2026. We are retired and love history, wine, and local culture, and not a really hurried trip. I'd prefer less Hotel changes so any suggestions on what we can leave out or what you think we should not miss would be greatly appreciated!

Here is what Chat GPT and I have worked out so far:
Fly into Dubrovnik. 3 nights with possible day trip.
Ferry to Korcula for 2 nights.
Ferry to Split for 2 nights with possible day trip to Hvar or Trogir (pick up rental car)
Drive to Zadar 3 nights with day trip to Plitvice Lakes and possible day trip to Kornati or Pag Islands?
Drive to Ljubliana for 3 nights with day trip to Lake Bled
Travel home from Ljubliana

Here are some things you might consider:

Split is among my favorite destinations in Croatia – history galore and a place that isn’t primarily a tourist destination, so it affords some options for “local culture” that are hard to find elsewhere. 2 nights – one day! – is very little for Split, which can easily keep one busy for several days. You might – might! – have time for a day trip to Trogir, but getting to Hvar seems unlikely to me. If Hvar is a priority, explore options for stopping there between Korcula and Split.

I don’t recommend a day trip to the Plitvice Lakes. What if the weather doesn’t cooperate? I know you could pick between your two days in Zadar, but even so, by planning a day trip, you would be reaching the park just as masses of bus tours arrive. I see that you want to minimize changes of hotels, but a night (or two) by the lakes might serve you well, and bonus – you can get a mouthwatering trout dinner in that area.

Again, I’m hard pressed to see how you would have time for a day trip to either Kornati or Pag from Zadar. I could be wrong – it really depends on what you want to see and do and the pace at which you travel.

From my perspective, your plan would not allow a relaxed trip. FWIW, and honestly, it’s a matter of preferences, I think you might consider skipping Zadar in favor or more time in Split and the Plitvice Lakes. I enjoyed Zadar, but I enjoyed the other places you plan to visit more.

I hope that helps! I’m sure you’ll have some wonderful experiences no matter what you choose.

You don't have very long anywhere, two nights only gives you one full day. Something to consider is to just stick to the coastal region and do the rest another time. For example, travel by road, bus or car, from Dubrovnik to Split, then back to Dubrovnik using ferries, stopping at an island or two on the way.

Or have longer in Dubrovnik (we had 4 nights and also 4 nights in Rovinj, loved both) and Split and travel more slowly, in one direction only, between the two.

Have you looked into the cross border drop off fees for the rental car?

Since you are retired can you not add more time and have a more relaxed visit? The main expense is flying so make the most of it and add another week or so and really slow down and discover things.

No, I actually hadn't thought about the rental car return, maybe we can return the car in Zadar and take the bus to Ljubljana? Its getting complicated, we are used to using the train in other countries.
We can add more time, that is true. We also can also fly either way, Dubrovnik to Ljubljana or visa versa. Or fly in or out of Zagreb. Thanks for your thoughts.

Re: the car: The easiest might be to return it in Zagreb and then take a train or bus to Ljubljana, where you can rent another car if that's necessary for your plans.

FWIW, the only place in Croatia you plan to visit for which a car would be a major advantage is your visit to the Plitvice Lakes ... assuming you still plan on that.

I think that your plan is not really consistent with a ‘not hurried trip’. If possible I’d add another week but not other places. You could then add stays in Hvar and Plitvice if you wished. I can’t imagine you ever regretting having longer, especially if you prefer slower travel. If extra time is a challenge, then as much as I love Ljubljana, I would drop Slovenia from your plans. It really deserves its own chunk of time.

If you don’t take the car to Slovenia then the easiest way would be to travel by train or bus from Zagreb. Rovinj or Rijeka would be other alternatives.

We took the bus from Zadar to Plitvice, stayed two nights then took the bus to Zagreb. We didn’t use a car at all in Croatia or Slovenia, using trains, buses and ferries instead. A car would be faster but comes with its own hassles like parking (and returning it).

I’ve loved my time in both countries and would love to return again if I can.

Just one comment about Slovenia. We went to Ljubljana from Trieste for 3 nights and one of the days we took a day trip to Bled and it was a highlight. Definitely worth it. I booked through Get Your Guide from Tripadvisor. We stopped first at Skofja Loka, a medieval town, then Lake Bohinj, then Bled castle, then the lake, where we had time for lunch and a swim (or you could do the boat to the island, but we didn't). The best view of the lake was from the castle stop. The water was gorgeous. After the pickup from Bled we went to Vintgar Gorge, where the guide dropped us at the entrance then came to pick us up at the other end. There were 8 people in our group. It was a perfect day trip and the guide was excellent. I probably did a trip report in Aug or Sept 2022 (we were there in July). The other comment about Ljubljana is that the restaurants by the river get pretty busy, or they did when we were there, and it would be worth having a reservation for dinner.

I would prefer not to rent a car as it seems like a hassle. Will relook at this. thank you!

If you decide to use public transport, we took the bus from Dubrovnik to Korcula (the bus travelled along the coast and then boarded the ferry). The journey was scenic, the only challenge was working out the journey to Dubrovnik bus station but not really a problem. You may wish to compare this with taking the ferry the whole way. We used getbybus to work out bus transport options but if no longer available you could try Rome2rio which will link you through to the relevant transport provider website.

Your plan looks great! To avoid too many hotel changes, you might skip Korčula. Dubrovnik and Split are excellent bases for day trips to nearby islands if you want that island feel. Be sure to check out Dubrovnik’s old town and city walls, Split’s Diocletian’s Palace, the waterfalls at Plitvice Lakes, and Lake Bled in Slovenia. Late April to early May is a wonderful time to visit, with good weather and fewer crowds.