photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

So many requests for this post! We visited Croatia for 4 days in August with our two best friends and were blown away by the history and beauty of this country! Keep scrolling for the details of our 4 day Croatia itinerary.

Day One – Split

Where we stayed

4 day Croatia itinerary

4 day Croatia itinerary 4 day Croatia itinerary

We spent our first two nights in Split, Croatia and stayed at this cute AirBnB for only $46 per night! (Split that between two couples and you’re looking at a great deal!) This place was perfect being it was located right on the water and only a 5 minute walk from historic Split. Plus it has a balcony view of your dreams!

Grab drinks at Basta Bar

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

After a long travel day, we walked across the street from our AirBnB to Basta Bar for some seaside cocktails to kick off our Croatia itinerary. This spot was our go-to for a night cap during our stay and is located right in front of the private yachts that dock in Split.

Explore old town Split

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

4 day Croatia itinerary  4 day Croatia itinerary

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

Croatia is full of beautiful coastal towns that have great history and have survived so much. We didn’t have a lot of time, so we gave ourselves a self-guided tour of Diocletian’s Palace and strolled the streets to find fun souvenirs and shops. This historic part of town isn’t huge, so can easily be seen in an afternoon.

Get dinner at Bokeria

4 day Croatia itinerary

4 day Croatia itinerary 4 day Croatia itinerary

Bokeria is one of the best rated restaurants in Split and because of the conversion rate with the US dollar, it doesn’t break the bank! This was my favorite meal in our entire 2 week trip. Make sure to make a reservation, or walk in at a less busy time (like we did at 5:00!) to get a table before the rush comes. Also please order the charcuterie board!

Try lavender ice cream

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

Before we left, one of the things I kept reading was to try lavender ice cream while in Croatia. We stopped at Luka Ice Cream & Cakes to get the best of the best. Cole thought it tasted like potpourri but I LOVED it! Get it with the chocolate cone to make it even better 🙂

Day Two – Split

Caffeinate at D16 coffee

4 day Croatia itinerary

4 day Croatia itinerary 4 day Croatia itinerary

I love a good coffee shop, so we started our day at D16 coffee to get some specialty brew right in the heart of old town Split. The employees were SO friendly and I couldn’t get over the cute glasses they serve their iced coffee in. If you’re looking for quality coffee, this is your spot!

Take a day trip to Krka National Park

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

We spent the rest of our second day taking a day trip to Krka National Park. It’s a MUST to visit a national park in Croatia. We chose Krka because of its close proximity to Split, but I’ve also heard amazing things about Plitvice National Park. One thing to note: if you are going in summer and want to swim, choose Krka as it’s the only park you can swim in!

Anyways, we booked a small group tour to visit the park through Dream Transfers and Excursions. I will never recommend a tour more than I can recommend this tour! Our guide, Petar, was absolutely amazing and went out of his way to make a great day for us! Plus, the tour is only $85 per person (includes transportation to and from park, entry to park, lunch, wine tasting, and expertise of a local guide)! Here’s the details of our day:

Start at Krka National Park

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

One of the prettiest places I’ve been, we spent about 3 hours exploring Krka National Park as part of our tour with Dream Transfers & Excursions. He hiked around, swam in the water, and got as close as we possibly could to the famous waterfalls!

Take the ferry to Skradin

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

While in Krka National Park, take the free ferry to Skradin to explore the tiny streets, shops, and restaurants. It gets a little touristy, but in my opinion, I would rather see a new place with a few other tourists than not see it at all!

Drink some Croatian wine

4 day Croatia itinerary

4 day Croatia itinerary photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

Fun fact: Croatia is one of the top wine producers in the world, but they don’t export much, so it’s hard to find outside of the country. Basically, their population drinks it all before anyone else can. Ha! We stopped at a really small local winery to taste some of the best wine I’ve had in my life. Specifically their whites. To die for!

Explore Sibenik

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

4 day Croatia itinerary 4 day Croatia itinerary

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

On our way back to Split, we stopped at a few costal towns starting with Sibenik. After a brief history lesson (LOVE that our guide gave us these at every stop!) we strolled around town. Make sure to stop by the cathedral to see the faces of local people that the artist carved into the side of the building. One of the most interesting cathedrals I’ve seen because of this!

Relax in Primosten

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia 4 day Croatia itinerary

4 day Croatia itinerary

Our last stop was Primosten. This little town was magical. If we had to stay in Croatia again, I would definitely stay a few nights here as part of our Croatia itinerary! It has a historic old town and is full of beaches and beautiful coastline. Such a great end to a great tour!

Eat dinner at Pizzeria Bokamorra

4 day Croatia itinerary 4 day Croatia itinerary

Another must-eat restaurant in Split is Pizzeria Bokamorra. We were obsessed with the design of this spot (really bummed I didn’t get a photo of the interior) and even more obsessed with its drinks and pizza. Plus, it was really close to our AirBnB!

Day 3 – Hvar

Stop for lunch

4 day Croatia itinerary 

We took the ferry from Split to Hvar on the morning of our third day. Our first stop was for lunch at the Sandwich Bar. We just needed something quick (but good) and the Sandwich Bar didn’t disappoint! Plus, they have attentive wait staff which is hard to find in European countries.

Where we stayed

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

4 day Croatia itinerary

4 day Croatia itinerary 4 day Croatia itinerary

Our Hvar AirBnB was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever stayed. Just look at it! We rented a two bedroom villa (there are also a few other one bedroom places on site) and had access to an amazing pool that overlooks a private bay. We spent our days floating in the pool, kayaking in the bay, and snorkeling in the blue water! SUCH A DREAM!

Grab dinner at Fig Cafe

4 day Croatia itinerary

4 day Croatia itinerary 4 day Croatia itinerary

Fig Cafe is located in the town of Hvar and has some of the best food on the island! It’s a small spot, so get there early if you want to sit outside. The service was incredible along with the food. I’m drooling again just looking at the photos of this food 🙂

Sip on a night cap at Central Park Club

4 day Croatia itinerary 4 day Croatia itinerary

4 day Croatia itinerary

Right in the heart of Hvar is Central Park Club which has a beautiful outdoor patio and live music. We spent a few hours here just enjoying the drinks and atmosphere!

Day 4 – Hvar

Relax

4 day Croatia itinerary

4 day Croatia itinerary 

4 day Croatia itinerary photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

4 day Croatia itinerary

We stopped to get some groceries the day before, so we spent all day at our AirBnB. It doesn’t make for a lot to write about, but a day of swimming and snorkeling and kayaking was just what we needed.

Get some seafood at Konoba Arsenol

photos to inspire you to visit Croatia

4 day Croatia itinerary 4 day Croatia itinerary

Located about a 20 minute walk from our AirBnB is the Konoba Arsenol restaurant. This restaurant is locally owned and quiet with amazing views of the bay. The perfect end to our Croatia itinerary!

For more photos of our trip, see my photo diary here or for another great way to see Croatia check out  Sail Croatia Lagoon 55 catamaran, which offers amazing views of the country via land or sea! And for details of the Amsterdam leg of our trip, click here!

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