Hello!
We have fixed travel dates and flights: arriving in Split on September 17 and departing from Dubrovnik on September 29. Our current plan is:

- 3 nights in Split (with a day trip to Krka and a half‑day trip to Trogir)
- 4 nights on Korčula
- 3 nights in Dubrovnik (possibly including a day trip to Montenegro)

That leaves 2 nights unassigned, and I’d really appreciate suggestions on where to spend them. Our only constraints are the arrival in Split and departure from Dubrovnik, and we’d like to keep the trip to 3–4 lodging bases total. I’m open to adjusting the itinerary if there’s a better flow. I am thinking to add a couple of nights on Peljesac peninsula or Hvar. We can rent a car for a day trip or a couple of nights if it makes sense and the parking is doable.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks I have visited in the world. If you can find time, that would be my suggestion. It is worth the detour.

It really depends on what you want to see and experience, but you might consider adding time to Split. There's quite a lot to enjoy there, and with only 3 nights, you've only got two days ... and you already plan to use 1.5 of them for day trips. That doesn't leave much time for Split itself, particularly if you are jet lagged upon arrival!

Beyond that, I don't think I can comment in the absence of any idea about your interests.

Do you have a good guidebook? The Rough Guide is the best for Croatia.

And I'll second maitaitom's recommendation for the Plitvice Lakes, which are different from the Krka falls.. Plan on a night there.

We are interested in a combination of diverse experiences such as beautiful landscapes, good food, local culture, beaches (not every day)

With those interests, Hvar might be worth considering.

The Montenegro border will still be a bit busy in September. Why not add a couple of nights there rather than just going for the day? There is plenty to keep you occupied for a couple of days.

The EU has implemented the new EES system and it has slowed things even further at the border. It won't be as bad as, say, August but you will be waiting for a while to cross. Honestly I am not sure I would want to cross for one day until well after the season ends.

Hvar is fantastic but with four days in Korčula it may be a bit of overkill.

I agree with maitaitom and kja about visiting Plitvice Lakes NP. They are so beautiful and so unique. Spend one night there. Visit the upper lakes, for example, in the afternoon (later afternoon when daytrippers are leaving) on your arrival day, and then see the lower lakes the next morning. Be there by 9AM or earlier if you can. You can do this vice versa, as well, lower lakes first, then end with the upper lakes the next morning.

You really only need one night at Plitvice so you could add the other night to Split because, as kja points out, you don't have much time in Split at all. It really is a very pretty city on the water, and very unique because it was built around and through the ruins of Diocletian's Palace. We had a private walking tour with Maya Benzon, who Rick Steves recommends. We visited the very interesting Ethnographic Museum, enjoyed wandering around, having drinks on the Riva and soaking up the water views. I know there is an art museum (sculptures) that we didn't have time to visit.

Hvar is beautiful, too, but because you are spending 4 nights on Korcula, I think Plitvice Lakes and an extra day in Split will give you more variety.

We were in Split for 6 days in September 2025, just a few months ago. There is so much to do in and around Split, and a day trip to Plitvice was a major highlight of our trip.

Another vote for Plitvice Lakes!

Thanks a lot for the replies. We would love to visit Plitvice lake. I am not sure how to setup our itinerary to spend a night there since we fly in Split and fly out of Dubrovnik.

You would have to back track, for example, you could enjoy Split, then rent a car and go to Plitvice and back, then drop car back in Split and head to Korcula by boat.
or, since you had already planned on Krka, you could just go that far and see Sibenik. Or, pick a second island and stop somewhere aside from Korcula. Or, back along mainland and see Mostar.

When you are finished with your sightseeing in Split, you can drive to Plitvice Lakes NP. This is about a 3-hour drive. Very easy. We never had a lot of traffic while driving in Croatia. Spend one night. Then the next day, after you visit the park in the morning, drive back to Split to catch your ferry to Korcula. I realize this is backtracking, but Plitvice Lakes is well worth it. You will have to check the ferry schedule, of course. If the ferry schedule doesn't work out, then I guess you would have to spend an extra night in Split, and then take the ferry the next day to Korcula. I realize it's more checking in and out of a hotel, but IMO it would be worth it.

Or you could take a bus tour for the day from Split, so you would need to spend an extra night in Split to do this. This is what our daughter and SIL did. However, it means you will be at Plitvice when it is at its most crowded, with all the other daytrippers. I much prefer the way we did it, driving ourselves, and spending one night.

I could be wrong, but I believe there are buses between Split and the Plitvice Lakes.

Hello,
By various reasons, I had to adjust my dates for our 1st Croatia trip.
Our dates are fixed: arriving in Split on Sept 17 and departing from Dubrovnik on Sept 28. We do not plan to keep rental car continuously during the trip but can do day rental if needed. We prefer to reduce packing/unpacking and qty of transfers during the trip. We also want to spend a few half days on beaches.So far this is the plan:
3 nights in Split
4 nights in Korchula
4 nights in Dubrovnik

Is 4 nights in Dubrovnik too much?. We secured an AirBB in a quiet area 10 minutes walk from the old town. I know that Dubrovnik is crowded and expensive.
Any ideas on how to optimize our itinerary will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Dimitry

it really depends on what YOU want to see and experience! For me, 4 nights in Dubrovnik would be too much, ditto for Korcula. And 3 nights in Split would NOT be enough for me, particularly if you have jet lag upon arrival. YMMV.

You might want to identify the things you want to see and do in each place and plot them on a calendar.

For this trip we want to avoid a very hectic itinerary. I am planning to spend some time on beaches, explore the old towns, do a few day trips.
Split:
Roman palace, Riva, beach, Trogir, Krka, maybe Plutvice lakes if we have time, a few hours on a beach
Korchula:
Old town, vilages, winery, Mljet, small island hoping, beach
Dubrovnik:
Walls, Old town, Cavtat, beach, lift to the top of the mountain, maybe day trip to Kotor or Mostar.

IMO, your plans for Korcula and Dubrovnik could allow a relaxed experience, particularly if you are flexible.

I do not think you could do all the things you list for Split in the time you have, even with a hectic pace. I could be wrong, and so again encourage you to mark up a calendar with realistic estimates of the time you would need.