We are visiting the Croatian coastline via small ship cruise line. We have been ti Italy many times and enjoy just doing things on our own. Our stops will include Hvar, Dubrovnik, Split, Kotor, Sibenik and Zadar. Instead of booking shore excursions sponsored by the cruise line, my question is re: ease of showing up at at each port and working with local guides. Should they be pre-planned or simply show up? Traveling in July. Suggestions re: specific tours are welcome. Thank you
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
Well, July is high season in Croatia, so all of these places will be busy, with the possible exception of Sibenik.
Read up on each town and decide what you are interested in. I've been to all of these places on my own and just done my own thing, though I've never been there in July and had to navigate the huge crowds. (October was bad enough in Dubrovnik.) In Dubrovnik you can certainly join the crowd and walk the walls on your own (it's a paid entry) or take the cable car up above town for the view. In Kotor, you can hike up above the town - a steep hike with spectacular views from the top.
Sibenik is lovely town. A popular excursion away from town might be a visit to Krka National Park, the highlight being the huge Scradinski Buk, a spectacular cascading waterfall you get to by boat up the river. (You can get off and walk up and around the falls.) Krka is very close to Sibenik so not a long day trip - hopefully you would have time to see the waterfall and still have a few hours to explore Sibenik too.
Posted by
Sioux Falls, SD, USA
3046 posts
When in Sibenik, look for the turtle fountain, a large fountain with hundreds of turtles, and a large mossy rock.
Posted by
FL USA
1529 posts
Closely examine the amount of time you will have in each destination. Typical small ship cruise arrival is near noon and departing at midnight so amount of available time to explore while attractions are open is limited. We did a comparison of cruise provided guides and one we hired and found self selection was far better and cheaper.
Tip: pack a couple of inflatable floats for use on your journey for each day you may have an opportunity to swim. Far cheaper to bring then purchase in Croatia. Simply donate the item at the end of your journey
Below is our trip report from 2019
And this page lists a number of related posts from RS travel forum on the small ship experience.
https://search.ricksteves.com/?utf8=✓&query=Croatia+small+ship+cruises&button=
Enjoy!
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1610 posts
While in Split, we hired Maja Benzon for a 2-hour private guided tour of Old Town and Diocletian's Palace. She is recommended by Rick. Maja is from Split and is very knowledgeable, warm, and friendly. She is worth every penny. Definitely book Maja in advance if you choose to do this.
In Hvar, I don't think it's necessary to have a guide but you can certainly do that if you wish. We took the ferry to Hvar Town from Split for a day. We walked to the top of the hill to the fortress. This walk gives you awesome views of the harbor and the Adriatic. We also accidentally discovered a beautiful coastal walk with gorgeous scenery. This walk is west of the Old Town. The path leads past a cactus garden and children's playground. There are green pine trees, too, so there is lots of greenery contrasting with the blue skies and blue Adriatic. Just beautiful! If you have the time while on this walk, there is a small bar/cafe just past the Amfora Hotel where you can stop for a drink. We also had lunch at the harbor. Not sure if you have time for all of this. We landed at 11AM and took the 6PM ferry back to Split.
And in Dubrovnik, it's very easy to walk the walls on your own. We also took the cable car to the top of Mt. Srd for drinks and to enjoy the stunning view. Visit War Photo Limited for a history lesson on the 1990's war. This is a very powerful exhibit. The permanent exhibit, located on the top floor, is a collection of photos from the war in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990's. There is a temporary exhibit on the first floor that changes annually; when we were there in 2019, this exhibit was about the Vietnam War.
And we also visited the 14th century Franciscan Monastery with a very pretty cloister, a garden, and an interesting museum.
Can't help with Sibenik and Zadar.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
3849 posts
We have used a local tour guide in Split every time we visit. PM me if you would like his info.
Posted by
Fairfax, VA
763 posts
It was several years ago, but Maja cancelled at the last minute and sent a grossly inadequate replacement. A book would have been better, but I was not given that choice. I understand that emergencies happen, but find out her cancellation policy - for both parties. We were ripped off.
Posted by
Magyarország / Rep of Texas
17939 posts
Checkout Croatia2Go.com. it's a pretty good resource of information.