We have award tickets for next August, flying into Dubrovnik and out of Zagreb. Award space is scarce, as I would have preferred to return from Ljubljana. I also would have preferred going a couple of weeks later, but this was all that was unavailable.

Our interests:
We are a party of two, just me and my husband. Husband is not as much of a natural traveller as I am, so we have to keep the trips short. I have allotted six stops, and that is the maximum that we would want. We are not fine diners, and we are happy picking up fruit, cheeses, and a baguette from a local store for dinner. We are also not shoppers. We do like smaller towns, historic sites (particularly ruins), museums, and some nature walks. We do like full days of sightseeing. I purposely have avoided Dubrovnik (several cruise ships will be there at that time), Split and Lake Bled for overnight stays. Husband is willing to drive us "as long as it is not for a ridiculous amount of hours each day."


Planning:
I typically book the flights eleven months out, then I plan the logistics. I have reviewed the Croatia Rough Guide as per kja, and other guide books, and it has convinced me that the amount of time dedicated to each spot is about right. Based on your suggestions/improvements, I will then book hotels. Lastly, I prepare a daily itinerary. I did want to see the moresca (sword performance) in Korcula as per kja, but I think it's only on Thursdays, and I'm not sure how the logistics would work for that.

Thank you!

Tuesday, August 26
Depart

Wednesday, August 27
Arrive in Dubrovnik via Helsinki at 6:55 PM. Sleep in Cavtat.

Thursday, August 28
Uber to Tresteno, then ferry to Lokrum. Walk around Cavtat. Sleep in Cavtat.

Friday, August 29
Rent a car, or have a private driver take us to Perast and Kotor for the day. Sleep in Cavtat.

Saturday, August 30
Early morning ferry from Dubrovnik to Trogir. Walk around the town, sleep in Trogir.

Sunday, August 31
See Split for the day. Sleep in Trogir.

Monday, September 1
More Trogir, Split or where else? Sleep in Trogir.

Tuesday, September 2
Pick up a rental car super early in the morning. Drive to Krka Park for a short visit, then drive to Plitvice for the night.

Wednesday, September 3
See Plitvice in the morning (four hour boat ride starts at 10 AM?). Drive to Rovinj, Sleep in Rovinj.

Thursday, September 4
Relaxation morning, see Rovinj. Should we make a short drive to anywhere? Sleep in Rovinj.

Friday, September 5
Day trip to Pula, where else? Sleep in Rovinj.

Saturday, September 6
Drive to Lake Bohinj, with interesting stops along the way. Sleep at Lake Bohinj.

Sunday, September 7
See the Lake Bohinj area, interesting day trip? Sleep at Lake Bohinj.

Monday, September 8
Interesting day trip? Sleep at Lake Bohinj

Tuesday, September 9
Head to Zagreb before dark, with interesting stops along the way. Return car. Sleep in Zagreb.

Wednesday, September 10
See Zagreb in a relaxing way. Sleep in Zagreb.

Thursday, September 11
Depart for home via London at 12:25 PM

Should be a great trip, CaliforniaLady!

The moresca is very special, but I think you are right that the logistics would be complicated. You could, I think, go to Korcula on Thursday 8/28, but it's an evening performance so you'd have to stay in Korcula (not a hardship, by my way of thinking -- it is charming!), but that would mean an extra change of locations. I don't know that you could go straight from Dubrovnik to Korcula on the night of your arrival, though you could explore that option if you are sufficiently interested.

Split has some museums that I enjoyed very much. I think you will find the Palace, Cathedral, and Baptistry quite interesting and would encourage you to consider a visit to the Gallery Ivan Mestrovic just outside of town (and be sure to include the "chapel").

Your reference to the boat at the Plitvice Lake confuses me -- to my way of thinking, the boat was the least interesting part of my visit to the park. It was the walks before and after the boat that live in my memory. (I'd recommend starting with the lower lakes, then the boat, then the upper lakes.) Four hours MIGHT be enough ... if the weather cooperates. It might be to your advantage to try to see one part on the day of your arrival and another part during the morning, and if possible, plan on staying a bit longer.

As a day trip from Rovinj, you might consider Porec: The mosaics of the Euphrasian Basilica are well worth seeing, IMO.

And as a day trip from Bohinj, the Skocjan Caves are truly impressive!

Hope that helps!

I have not much to add.
Montenegro: you could proceed up to Cetinje, visit the Royal Palace etc. and then drive over the Lovcen Pass down to Kotor.
Personally, I would spend a bit more time in Dalmacija (Islands!) and a bit less in Istria and North Western Slovenia.
I fully agree with kja concerning Porec/Parenzo.
If you are interested in History, check the Soca/Isonzo Valley (Kobarid/Caporetto, etc).
Around Trieste/Trst, you may check the caves of Skocijan/San Cassiano and Postojna, the stud of Lipica and the fairy tail castle of Miramare.
A visit of Ljubljana wouldn't be the worst idea.

It sounds good to me. By travelling so far you will be skipping past many interesting places but it’s a good sample of the area I think.

A couple of small things. I don’t recall any boat tours at Plitvice, it was walking with the occasional ferry crossing. I don’t think a four hour boat tour would even be possible in the parts we visited. I didn’t know there was a ferry from Dubrovnik to Trogir. Have you checked the drive times and are happy with them?

To fill in the days when you’re not sure yet what you’ll do, perhaps tell us what sort of things you enjoy.

kja - Thank you for all your inspirations in the past, and for help with this trip. Questions:
1. So do you think the framework is good as it stands?
2. I thought of us going directly to Korcula upon arrival as well. I imagine for the right price a driver could be found that would take us from the airport to Korcula. I wrote to the folks who run the moresca to confirm dates of the performances, but I have not heard back. My husband is not as big a fan of performing arts as I am, so we may make it a miss.
3. I am confused about the "boat trip" in Plitvice as well. Where did I read about that? I just checked the website, and it doesn't exist. Oh, I think I may have seen it for Krka. Anyway, I'm trying to remember what you and other Fodorites did. Did you go to Plitvice over a two day period? I'm thinking we may skip Krka and do exaclty that. Your opinion?
Will note your other suggestions as I plan. Any references to your hotels would be appreciated.

neckervd - I will make note of all your suggestions as I plan. I too feel bad about missing so many of the islands, but I was super-interested in seeing Pula. What exactly do people do on those islands? We're not interested in swimming. Regarding the Montenegro day trip from Caftat, do you think we should rent a car for the day, or hire a private driver? I have read that there is a route to avoid long lines at the border, is that true? Also, who do you suggest for car rental? Thank you!

dreamon - Thank you! As you can see within my comments to kja, I believe the four hour boat ride was in Krka, not Plitvice. What do you think of skipping Krka, in order to devote more time to Plitvice? Oh, and I think you are correct about the ferries. It look like it goes from Dubrovnik to Split. I wonder how easy it is to get an Uber from Split to Trogir. Or there is a bus from Dubrovnik to Split, which kja had previously said was good because of the views. And yes, I checked the drive times, and they all seem to be reasonable. Regarding suggestions on how to fill in the days, we do like hikes, but nothing steep or muddy, museums, ruins, small towns, people watching with a smoothie in the late afternoon, but no swimming, shopping, or fine dining.

FYI, Korcula is an island. There are ferry and catamarans available, but the schedule may or may not line up with your airport schedule and will (likely) have to get to Dubrovnik's ferry port from the airport via a driver (please don't drive jet lagged).

I'm only able to comment on the section between Cavtat and Trogir as I've not visited the places north of there. Your itinerary seems fine but if you have time I would try to squeeze in Hvar or Korcula, as the Dalmatian islands are special and gives you a chance to unwind a little. The ferries from Dubrovnik to Split stop on those islands.

I'm glad you found some value in my comments, CaliforniaLady!

1. Yes, I think your framework looks good. You are, of course, skipping a lot, but you have limited time and I think the places you have chosen will give you a nice sampling of some of Croatia's diverse treasures within the constraints you've established. If you can visit Korcula instead of Catvat, that might give you a taste of one of the Dalmatian islands, but even if you can get there on the day of your arrival, it would make it more difficult (though not impossible, I think) to visit Montenegro. (Fair warning: I didn't make it to Catvat.)

2. The moresca is a performance, but nothing like a symphony or play. Instead, it's a bit rough on the edges, and at least it was when I was there, and its in a small, rather intimate setting. As you probably know, the performers range in age from teens (maybe younger) through 70s or even 80s, and the older men (yes, men) have been performing with each other through the decades, starting when they were the young ones and moving through their time as the leads and then taking more and more "adjunct" roles as they age. There's a part when two rings of men circle each other, swinging their swords at each, and I was intrigued to see how each man adjusted the strength of his swing to match that of the next person with whom he would engage, even as they moved more and more quickly. Taps for the very young and very old; blows that sent sparks flying for those nearer their primes. It was fascinating! If you are interested, you might see if you can incorporate some flexibility into your itinerary to be able to fit it in if it is, indeed, going to be performed on Thursday next spring.

3. Krka: The four-hour boat does ring a bell for that park. There are lakes in the upper section that I didn't visit, not for lack of interest (there's a monastery on one island that I'm sure I would have enjoyed), but just because of time. BUT you can see the main section of falls without taking that tour. I believe there's a parking lot near those falls, or you can go to Skradin by car or bus and walk (or take a ferry) to the lower park. The falls are beautiful and IMO sufficiently different from those of the Plitvice Lakes to warrant a visit if you have time.

3. Plitvice Lakes. I visited for only one night / the better part of the next day ... BUT I took a risk on the weather and had plans that I could have shifted had I encountered bad weather. In addition, that park was not nearly as busy when I went as it is today. Whether to plan to visit the park over two days or not depends, I think, on the flexibility of your itinerary.

I stayed at the Villa Mukinja, which still gets decent reviews. My room was rather basic, but perfectly satisfactory; dinner was awesome!

Islands: Many people go to swim, relax, etc. I didn't. I went to see the architecture (each island, and each city / town on each island) is somewhat different and to take some short walks and to visit the little museums showing local life and to sample regional foods, etc.

Dubrovnik to Split: I preferred the views from the bus to the views from the ferries, but to be honest, I'm not much of a fan of ferries.

Split to Trogir: Only about 30" by frequent bus. In Trogir, I stayed at the Palace Stafileo, which now seems to have decent (but not uniformly great) reviews.

Rovinj hotel: You might look at the Casa Garzotto, which still gets very high marks.

Zagreb hotel: I stayed at the Best Western Hotel Astoria, which still gets good reviews. As I recall, the rooms -- or at least many -- were small, so you might to explore that issue if you consider staying there.

Travel Nerd - Yes, thank you, I realized after I posted that Korcula is indeed an island, so it would be impossible to get there late at night. We may have to skip.

tripplanner001 - Great to hear from you. You inspired me for our Caucuses trip, and I used your trip report for guidance on our Morocco trip next spring, particularly Imlil. Yes, I did want to see Hvar and Korcula, but if we stayed out any longer than fifteen nights, I would end up going alone. I also worried about too many tourists on the islands, and I could be wrong, but I thought perhaps the Istrian peninsula would be less crowded. I will further research the ferries from Dubrovnik to Split. Maybe there is a way to stop at one of the islands on the way, but I am unsure what we would do with our luggage. Thanks so much for putting an idea into my head.

kja - Thank you so much, again! Great tips, will note when I plan further. I am still unclear. Did you visit Plitvice on your arrival day, as well as the next morning? So I guess it's a personal decision whether to do option A or Oprtion B:

Option A:
Tuesday, September 2 - Pick up rental car. Leave Trogir early in the morning for Krka. See Krka, and then head to a Plitvice hotel for the night.
Wednesday, September 3 - See Plitvice, and make sure to to arrive in Rovinj before dark for the night.

Option B:
Tuesday, September 2 - Pick up rental car. Leave Trogir early in the morning for Plitvice. See Plitvice, and then head to hotel for the night.
Wednesday, September 3 - More Plitvice, and then head to Rovinj before dark for the night.

To all, what's the latest on rental cars? I believe rialtogirl is a fan of MACK, but are there other companies any of you have used so that I can compare prices?

Thank you!

I got to Plitvice extremely late -- I didn't have GPS and got terribly lost. Villa Mukinja was really nice -- they served me dinner hours after they normally would. So I spent one night there, a day in the park, and went onward the next day. Again, I was lucky with the weather.

Re: Options A vs. B, can you wait until you see the weather forecast to decide? That's what I would probably do! If it looks like rain on Sept 3., I'd be sure to get to the Plitvice Lakes in time to see at least the lower lakes on Sept 2.

For rental cars, I work with gemut.com, a broker out of Oregon with excellent costumer service. I actually had a car break down (oil leak) while in the middle of Istria (Gracisce), and they made arrangements for a new vehicle.

On a separate note: Do you plan to post your itinerary for Morocco? I'd be happy to offer comments if you think that would be useful.

If you decide to visit one of the islands between Dubrovnik and Split, presumably that would be at the expense of time somewhere that you've already chosen. Only you can choose which would be better but I find that there are always, always places that I'd love to include but just have to be selective in the end. I've been to both Korcula and Hvar and both were lovely but time is needed. We took the bus from Dubrovnik to Korcula and it is a scenic route. Without checking, I would say the bus from Dubrovnik to Split would be faster than the ferry.

With Krka and Plitvice, we visited both (on the same holiday) and were glad we did but we had much longer than you and I think with limited time it would be perfectly reasonable to choose between them, in which case I'd choose Plitvice (although I have read that it is a lot busier than when we were there and I think Krka might get fewer visitors).

There are both boats and buses between Split and Trogir but I don't recall there being a heap of room for luggage on the boats. Others might know more. Certainly, the boat would be my choice if you decide to visit Split for the day. Trogir is small and has limited things to do - I loved Split but that was about 10 years ago.

Enroute from Rovinj to Bohinj, I suggest Piran or Skocjan caves. Skofja Loka is a pretty town to visit.

With your stay in on lake Bohinj, I suggest you check out https://www.bohinj.si/en/ for suggestions. There is also a tourism office between Ribcev Laz and Stara Fuzina if you need further information (or your hosts will be able to help of course). My favourite thing to do there is just to walk but the boat across the lake, cable car to Mt Vogel, Savica Slap and the local villages are all worthwhile activities as well. There is a local tourism card which may be worth investigating.

I see you are skipping Ljubljana but it is enroute to Zagreb so may be an option for you to have a very brief visit. It is my favourite small city. Novo Mesto has been on my wishlist but I've yet to visit there, as is Samobor.

I'm envious of your upcoming holiday, would love to return.

Islands:
most Dubrovnik - Split catamarans stop at Korcula and Hvar.
You could just stop over there for 24 hrs

A short visit of Sibenik before heading to Skradin - Krka Falls might be a good idea

We loved Rovinj and were there for 4 nights. We enjoyed Pula a lot and loved seeing the amphitheater and exploring the town but we enjoyed a day trip to Motovun and a few of the hill towns as much or even more. The region was strongly reminiscent of the Tuscan hills and we had the BEST truffle pasta we’ve ever eaten in Motovun. Nothing fancy, but so good!

We also loved our 2 nights on Korcula and a day trip to Hvar from Split.

We were in Plitvice for one night and visited the different sections in the afternoon of our arrival and again in the morning before we left. That was plenty of time. It’s a risk, of course, to schedule only one night, but a visit really doesn’t need more than that amount of time. And we tend to stay more than one night almost everywhere we go.

Posting my trip report covering our visit to Croatia (first visit during the pandemic when the world opened up again for the US):

From the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian Seas in 5 weeks - Part 1 (Croatia)

kja - Thank you again for great advice. I just looked on the Plitvice website, and they do indeed post "current conditions." So we will make a gametime decision. I think my husband would prefer seeing both Krka and Plitvice, even if both visits are short. He is not as much of a nature lover as me, so the idea of going back to the same place two days in a row may result in some squawking. I may post our Morroco and Spain proposed itinerary soon, thanks for your offer to help.

dreamon - Thank you for all your loads of suggestions. That is a grand idea about stopping in Ljubliana enroute to Zagreb. I imagine we can leave Bohinj early in the morning, then. I just researched parking in Ljubliana, and it sounds like there are many options. I will review all your ideas as I plan further. And you are correct that we do not have enough time to see the islands. I have found that my gut reaction when planning is typically correct, as to what to include, and what I should leave out. It's a matter of proritizing one's interests.

neckervd - Thank you. If we made a seventh stop, it will be too hectic for us. We were in Colombia in September, and I thought my framework was the best ever. We stayed in six different hotels, and that was enough. And yes, I saw that Sibinek was en route to Krka. Didn't kja and some others stay there, while visiting Krka for the day? I'm not sure how we'll have time for that. I truly wanted one more day for that region, but the award space wasn't available.

progol - Great to hear from you, thank you. Yes, I did study your trip report (and also your Morocco one) recently. I will study further as I plan along. You do indeed tend to go at a relaxed pace, which is inspiring. I am glad you enjoyed Rovinj. I'll rereview the trip report soon.

Great help, thanks to everyone!!!

I'm glad you've confirmed that you can get information to help you decide when to leave for the Plitvice Lakes! FWIW, I think that the Krka falls (at the lower part, nearest Skradin) and the lower lakes of Plitvice are the most spectacular, but part of what intrigued me about seeing both the lower AND upper lakes at Plitvice was how different they are -- the lakes truly are different colors! If you can convince your husband to visit both parks, and to make the full circuit at Plitvice, I think YOU would enjoy it. I leave it to you to determine what your husband might appreciate (or tolerate). Given the limitations on your time, if you do go to the Krka park, I would aim for the Lozovac entrance to save the time from getting to the falls from Skradin; do check your options!

If you can make time for a visit to Llubljana, I don't think you would regret it -- I found it absolutely charming. The central portion is unique IME and easily walkable.

Yes, I spent a night in Sibenik and am very glad I did! That said, I wouldn't adjust your itinerary to include it -- I think your current plan works well given your goals. IMO, Trogir & Split deserve all the time you can give them.

Morocco AND Spain? I hope you are planning a very long trip!!! I'll look forward to seeing your thoughts.

And another idea for your time in Rovinj: A day trip to the lungomare that runs from Lovran to Opatia. It's a truly lovely walk in a region of Croatia that is unlike any you will otherwise see. You can start at either end; there are (I believe) frequent busses to get you from one end to the other. Just an idea!

kja - Great suggestions as always, thanks. I will study the paths in Plitvice, add Ljubljana to our itinerary, and of course, you have previously mentioned in my other thread about the lungomare. I had already looked at pictures once you mentioned it, and it looked stunning.


Logistical question about Kraka:
https://www.npkrka.hr/wp-content/upl...025.-ENG-2.pdf
I found the four hour boat ride on the website. Starting point is Skradinski buk, then there is a 30 minute stop at Visovac, and then a 90 minute stop at Roski slap before returning to Skradinski buk. I wrote to reps at the park, and they said that the boat leaves at 10 AM. What do you think? Or if not, what would we do at Krka instead?

Logistical question about Plitvice:
https://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/en/pl...vities/hiking/
As kja and others have mentioned, it is beneficial to see both the upper and lower lakes. I am trying to see the exact plan on the website, but I am confused. What trails exactly are they? And we are reasonably fit, exercise every day, so how long would it take to do both the upper and lower trail?

Thank you!

Krka: I’d skip the boat unless you are sure you have time and interest. Instead, start at Skradinski Buk, walk up one side, walk down the other. Maybe an hour?

Plitvice. There are signs at each entrance showing suggested routes of various durations, I think 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours. In addition, personnel can help plan tailored routes. IIRC, I did the 6 hour standard route. The main trails are well marked and basically impossible to miss — particularly in these days of hordes of tourists. I strongly recommend starting at the lowest point and walking toward the falls.

Excellent, kja, thank you.

Now it's time to book hotels. After that, I will go back and fine tune the daily activities. That is always the most difficult part for me, trying to weed through so many choice. I do watch some youtube videos while at the gym of those kids that travel the world full time. However, they make everything look good, when it sometimes is not. It does, however add some dimension to pictures and written information.

With Krka and Plitvice, you will find yourself walking slower than a normal hiking pace because you’ll be gawking at everything around you! Apart from walking at Krka, we did take a boat ride but it was nowhere near 4hrs.

if visiting Lovran and Opatija, maybe this could be best done enroute to Pula and onwards to Rovinj, depending on how long you would like to linger in these places.

wrt Sibenik we enjoyed our couple of nights there and found much to enjoy but I wouldn’t take time away from other places that you plan to visit.