7 Days in Croatia Itinerary: Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik

Seven days in Croatia fits the classic triangle: Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik, joined by ferries with Krka waterfalls on the side. Two nights in Split, two on Hvar, two in Dubrovnik, and one waterfall day. This 7 days in Croatia itinerary runs one way with no backtracking.

Key Takeaways

• Fly open jaw: into Split, home from Dubrovnik. Ferries join the middle.
• Days 1 to 3: Split palace, Trogir, Krka. Days 4 to 5: Hvar. Days 6 to 7: Dubrovnik.
• Krka needs the 7am-start tour or bus. The walls need the 8am opening.
• Book summer catamarans days ahead. Fast boats sell out.
• Mid-range couples spend roughly €1,800 to €2,400 for two excluding international flights.

How should you split 7 days across three stops?

Days	Where	The point of the stop
1 to 2	Split	Palace, Riva, Marjan, Trogir
3	Krka	Skradinski Buk early, Skradin swim
4 to 5	Hvar	Fortica, Pakleni, Stari Grad
6 to 7	Dubrovnik	Walls, cable car, Lokrum

The order runs south by sea: city, island, walled city. Reversing it works if flights price better; what never works is adding Plitvice inside seven days. That park needs its own overnight from the Zagreb side. Read the city guides before fixing days, since ferry times and wall openings shape the schedule.

Days 1 to 3: Split plus Trogir plus Krka?

Day 1 stays central. Land, ride the airport bus to the port in 30 minutes, drop bags inside or near the palace, and walk: Golden Gate, Peristil, bell tower, cellars, Riva at sunset. The palace rewards slow looking: sphinxes, vestibule echoes and Roman stones under every café table. The cathedral tower climb costs a few euros and pays in harbour views. Dinner in Varoš lanes behind the palace, where locals eat: pasticada, grilled fish and house wine at half the Riva prices.

Day 2 pairs Trogir with Marjan. Buses and boats reach the UNESCO island town in 30 minutes: cathedral portal, Kamerlengo fortress, waterfront lunch. The bus drops at the bridge; the boat lands on the riva. Both leave half a day for Split itself. Back in Split, climb Marjan hill for pine paths and sunset terraces over the islands. The first viewpoint sits 20 minutes up; the full loop takes two hours. Evening swims at Bacvice or Znjan.

Day 3 is Krka. Skradinski Buk drops through travertine pools an hour inland, with boat rides and swimming in Skradin town. Tours leave around 7am to beat the crowds; public buses work for independents. Return to Split for the last palace evening and an early night: the morning ferry waits.

Days 4 to 5: how do you do Hvar at speed?

Day 4 ferries to Hvar Town. Catamarans cross from Split port in about an hour; car ferries serve Stari Grad in two (Hvar tourist board). Match the boat to the bed: this plan sleeps Hvar Town. Drop bags, climb Fortica for harbour views, swim Pokonji Dol, and work the riva after dark. Book summer fast boats days ahead: the popular sailings sell out.

Island ferries load cars below and foot passengers above. Book fast boats ahead.

Day 5 boats to the Pakleni islets. Water taxis reach Palmižana and Jerolim in minutes; sailing tours run half days. Lunch ashore at Palmižana, swim two coves, and bus to Stari Grad for the old town and plain if energy holds. For example, a 4pm bus reaches Stari Grad for golden-hour lanes and returns by dinner. Evening back in Hvar Town belongs to the riva crawl: aperitivo, lane dinner, harbour nightcap.

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Days 6 to 7: Dubrovnik walls and islands?

Day 6 transfers south. Direct seasonal catamarans link Hvar Town to Dubrovnik; otherwise ride back via Split with a connection. Afternoon covers the Stradun, Onofrio’s fountain and the Rector’s Palace. The cable car to Srđ at sunset shows walls, Lokrum and the Elafiti spread below. Dinner off the Stradun halves the bill: one alley up, same grilled fish.

Zlatni Rat on Brač from above. This route passes it by sea; add a night to swim it.

Day 7 walks the walls at the 8 or 9am opening from Ploče Gate: €40 with Lovrijenac included, two hours with photos (walls visitor guide). Afternoon ferries to Lokrum for monastery ruins, peacocks and salt-lake swimming. Evening returns to the Stradun, emptied of day-trippers.

What should you eat along the route?

Each stop cooks differently. Split grills brancin and orada with chard and potatoes, and Sundays mean pasticada beef in wine and prunes. Hvar stews gregada fish with potatoes and olive oil, and pours Bogdanuša whites. Dubrovnik boils mussels buzara and inks black risotto. Mali Ston farms the oysters: lunch there costs half the Old Town for twice the freshness.

Harbour towns charge the view everywhere. Riva rows in Split, Hvar harbour and the Stradun all price position. One street back halves fish prices in each. Bakeries cover burek breakfasts for a few euros. Konobas in Lapad, Stari Grad and Gruž serve locals first. Full tables land in the budget guides; dish detail in the food guides.

Swap Lokrum for Ston on food-led trips. The Pelješac peninsula pairs 5km of medieval walls with Mali Ston oysters farmed in the bay below. Buses run from Dubrovnik in about an hour; lunch ashore costs half the Old Town. Wall walkers who loved Dubrovnik’s ramparts get the longer, emptier sequel.

Ston walls over Mali Ston bay. Oyster lunch comes with the wall walk.

Book the three fixed tickets before anything else: summer catamarans, the Dubrovnik walls slot and the Krka tour. Everything else flexes around them. Travellers who lock hotels first then discover sold-out boats rebuild the whole week; travellers who lock transport first sleep easy.

What does the week cost?

Item	Budget pp	Mid-range pp
Stay, 6 nights	210	540
Food and drink	180	350
Ferries and buses	80	140
Tours and entries	90	200
Total	560	1,230

Hostels, bakeries and buses hold the budget line. Mid-range buys palace apartments, konoba dinners and guided days. The walls ticket (€40), Krka tour and Pakleni sailing form the fixed sightseeing floor: about €150 per person before food. Ferries reward booking ahead in summer and punish walk-ups with sold-out fast boats.

For example, a mid-range couple lands near €1,800 to €2,400 for two excluding international flights: six apartment nights, one dinner splurge per town, and every boat that matters. Shoulder months trim coast hotels hardest while ferries still run full timetables.

Costs stay mid-range: palace days run on museum entries and market lunches, island days on boats and beach bars, Dubrovnik days on the walls ticket. Ferry and tour prices move with the season, so run a last fact check on operator timetables close to travel. The Croatia hub holds the companions, with the Europe collection behind them.

Day-by-day itinerary

• Days 1–3 — Split
• Days 4–5 — Hvar Town
• Day 6 — Dubrovnik
• Day 7 — Dubrovnik (or home)

1. 01

   Day 1: Split: arrive and walk the palace

   Land, settle in, and spend the evening on the Peristil and Riva.

   • Golden Gate
   • Peristil
   • Riva promenade

   Overnight: Split

2. 02

   Day 2: Trogir and Marjan

   Half-day UNESCO Trogir by bus or boat, Marjan hill at sunset.

   • Trogir old town
   • Kamerlengo fortress
   • Marjan hill

   Overnight: Split

3. 03

   Day 3: Krka waterfalls day

   Early tour or bus to Skradinski Buk, boat and swim in Skradin.

   • Skradinski Buk
   • Visovac viewpoint
   • Skradin

   Overnight: Split

4. 04

   Day 4: Ferry to Hvar and Fortica

   Morning catamaran, fortress climb, harbour evening.

   • Split port
   • Hvar Town harbour
   • Fortica fortress

   Overnight: Hvar Town

5. 05

   Day 5: Pakleni islets and Stari Grad

   Water taxi to Palmižana, bus to Stari Grad old town after.

   • Palmižana bay
   • Jerolim
   • Stari Grad

   Overnight: Hvar Town

6. 06

   Day 6: To Dubrovnik and the cable car

   Seasonal catamaran or Split transfer south, Srđ at sunset.

   • Hvar port
   • Dubrovnik Old Port
   • Srđ cable car

   Overnight: Dubrovnik

7. 07

   Day 7: Walls at opening and Lokrum

   Ramparts early, island afternoon, Stradun evening.

   • City Walls
   • Fort Lovrijenac
   • Lokrum island

   Overnight: Dubrovnik (or home)

Frequently asked questions

Is 7 days enough for Croatia?

Yes for the Split-Hvar-Dubrovnik triangle plus Krka: 2 nights Split, 2 Hvar, 2 Dubrovnik with a Krka day from Split. It skips Plitvice, which needs its own overnight, and Istria, which needs another week.

Should you fly into Split or Dubrovnik?

Into Split, home from Dubrovnik. The route runs one way by ferry with no backtracking. Reversing works identically if fares price better; starting and ending in one city wastes a travel day.

How do you get from Hvar to Dubrovnik?

Direct seasonal catamarans link Hvar Town to Dubrovnik in summer, or ride back via Split with a connection. Book summer sailings days ahead. Buses cover the mainland legs where ferries stop.

Can you do Krka without a tour?

Yes by public bus from Split to Skradin plus the park boat. Tours win on early departures and guiding. Either way start at opening: the falls belong to early risers until the buses land.

When should you walk the Dubrovnik walls in this plan?

On day 7 at the 8 or 9am opening, entering at Ploce Gate. The €40 ticket includes Fort Lovrijenac. Afternoon belongs to Lokrum island when the walls bake.

Useful links (5)

1. Diocletian's Palace, Wikipedia— en.wikipedia.org
2. Dubrovnik City Walls visitor guide— citywallsofdubrovnik.com
3. Attractions, Visit Hvar official tourist board— visithvar.hr
4. Private Guides Split: day trips and multi-day itineraries— private-guides-split.com
5. Croatia country guide, SSM Tour— ssmtour.com

Photo credits

Thank you to kallerna, Julo, Jeroen Komen from Utrecht, Netherlands and JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD for sharing these beautiful photographs and helping bring this guide to life.

Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Public domain · CC BY-SA 2.0 · CC BY-SA 3.0