12 day itinerary feedback

I definitely agree it is aggressive, but it can most all be done—provided you are a get up early and gogogo kind of person. I am really not, but I attempted to assess if I thought it was all “doable” as they say. I always think it’s good to aim high and if you do 85%, it’ll still be great. I have not been to Slovenia so cannot assess that part.
It would be hard for me to diverge from the coast in late September. If you travel often and think you’d have an opportunity to do a mountain trip another time, I’d consider that.

I think your trip is doable, especially since you will be driving. And if you don't think you will be in this region again, then I say go for it. We had a very similar itinerary that we did in 13 nights. You have 12 nights so one night less than us. I think you are smart in visiting Mostar for one night instead of seeing it as a daytrip. We didn't visit Mostar, and I always wished afterwards that we had added an extra night to our itinerary to include Mostar.

You won't be able to see every place on your list for Slovenia, but I think you realize that. Be sure to spend some time in Ljubljana; it's a beautiful city with a river running through it, lovely bridges, and pretty architecture.

Also be sure to spend some time in Zagreb. I think it's a very interesting city and is very different from Dubrovnik and Split. The Museum of Naive Art is interesting. The market is fun to wander through and visit both the lower town and upper town.

On the off chance that I can add 2 more days to our flights (checking with airlines to see if this is possible with similar flights and costs), where would you add 2 more nights?

Dubrovnik, Split, Hvar, Zagreb ?

Thanks

Idk, there’s so much driving in here I feel like you’ll be in the car more than anything. Just where/when are you taking in some outdoor activities?

First off, if you can add two days to this then go for it. Where to add them? Just about anywhere.

I feel like Dubrovnik needs another night at least. If for no other reason than you’re expending a lot of effort to get from there to the bulk of your itinerary. If you’re investing time like that you need the ROI. There’s no shortage of activities here, especially outdoorsy stuff.

I would cut Mostar out. It’s a big detour really, and while those other nearby sights are interesting it ends up being almost two full days on the road. Take the ferry north, spend a couple nights on Hvar rather than day trip. I loved Split, but two nights would suit most people. Rent the car here and start the driving leg. Instead of heading to Ljubljana, stay somewhere around Postonja or Skopjan for a night and see these en route to Ljubljana. Spend at least two night in Ljubljana, with a day trip in Bled. I wouldn’t take on more than this.

Zagreb’s a good place to wrap up and wind down for your last two night. I’d leave it there.

I would add an extra night to Dubrovnik. This way you could arrange for a private driver to drive you around the Bay of Kotor, or take a bus tour, if that interests you. Or stay in Dubrovnik and explore more of Dubrovnik: walk the walls, visit the monasteries, take the cable car to the top of Mt. Srd. Be sure to visit War Photo Limited to learn about the Balkan Wars during the 90's. Very interesting. I know that people also like to visit Cavtat. And spend one night on Hvar instead of visiting as a daytrip.

We really enjoyed Split; I wouldn't take a night from Split. But that is my personal opinion. Yours may differ. I think Split is beautiful with its location on the water, the Riva, the town built in and around Diocletian's Palace, and the gorgeous architecture. We actually spent 4 nights in Split. That included a day trip to Hvar, 3/4 of a day on Trogir, and then exploring Split. We hired Maya Benzon, who Rick recommends, for a private tour of Old Town and Diocletian's Palace, and we also visited the Ethnographic Museum.

If still possible, I would add a night to Dubrovnik and a night to Mostar. You haven't included time to just visit Mostar. We didn't care for Pocitelj much. Many people like to go to Blagaj Tekke. It's interesting but very crowded and the road is lined with vendors--not great IMO. If you go there, make sure you park in the lot at the top. We paid a few euros to park closer to the monastery and there was no parking lot closer. We had to park along the wall, which was very difficult. A kind vendor helped us by backing up the car and turning it around for us when we were ready to leave. Make sure that all your lodgings have dedicated parking spots for your rental car. You won't need the car in Dubrovnik, Split or Zagreb. When you visit Trakoscan, consider also stopping at Ptuj Castle and/or Varazdin.