Croatia 15 nights— ideas are welcome!

7 October is probably okay with whats open, but by 21 October it might get "iffy". I would find a local travel agent or a local guide that knows what they are talking about and enlist their help in planning. Just for information, another airport to consider is Podgorica. There are doscount flights a fee days a week.

It’s really a personal thing—a day is “enough” for Dubrovnik and Korcula but tailor it to your preference and perhaps make a list of what you want to see and do first. In those places, I don’t think anything will be closed in early October. I’d definitely travel by catamaran until Split, and I’d divert to Istria before ending in Zagreb.

valadelphia is correct, it's personal.

I would do 3 nights in Dubrovnik, 2 in Split, 2 in Zagreb. Then add to that Korkula for 2 nights. Not sure the options to get there mid October. Might be easy, or not.

If all went well I just counted 9 nights, just 5 more to use up. Mostar being off the coast might have a longer season, so 2 nights; and you could spend more time in Zagreb.

People wanting to go to Croatia in October and November is becoming more common, but I dont think we have any trip reports yet.

Rent a car? Heck yes.

I was in Croatia back in July for a 9-day cycling tour. A couple observations:

• I started with three free days in Zagreb to get over jet lag and allow a travel day cushion.
• The cathedral and art museum and some other sites remain closed for repairs from a pair of earthquakes back in 2020.
• Zagreb will involve a considerable amount of walking up/down in the old town
• The Plitvice Lakes National Park west of Zagreb is a don't miss
• I had four free days in Dubrovnik at the end of my bike tour. That was at least one day more than I needed. The old city is very compact with very narrow passages. When I was there in July it was very crowded.
• The islands are very beautiful. If I was going back I would consider some kind of island hop up through the islands.
• There is now a direct train from Split to Zagreb

I should add I did a day trip (bus tour) to Mostar. Very little of interest (to me) outside the bridge and a very small old town. There was still evidence of the wars in the Balkans, like ruins of buildings and bullet holes on apartment house balconies. I did pick up a nice linen hand-cross-stitched table runner for my wife.

(On my bike tour we stopped one day west of Zagreb at an abandoned house and shot-up building. Then farther down the road we rode through a completely abandoned village. The guide said the house had probably been owned by serbs.)

On our trip, we didn’t actually go to Dubrovnik. We would’ve liked to see Korčula, (say “Korchula”), but did have three nights in the Split area, and did have a rental car. We actually stayed in Solin, the suburb to the northeast. You’ll want that long if you also want to see the Salona ruins in Solin, plus Diocletian’s Palace and other sights in Split, and Trogir to the northwest.

As mentioned above, Plitvice Lakes is a must-see if you’re visiting Croatia. Zagreb needs at least two nights.

We also included Slovenia on our trip, just to the north (Ljubljana, Bled and Lake Bled, Pula, and the Škocjan Caves). The famous Lippizaner Stallions come from Lipica, but we didn’t have time to get there. If you have spare time, pop on up to Slovenia, too!

Okay, 15 days from Rome.

First, this is all personal preference and not necessarily the right way to do it. Travel North to South to chase the warmer weather or South to North so you are in the place that benefits most from the warmth when it is most likely to be warm? I vote for South to North.

Where to begin. Well, I just couldn’t spend every bit of 15 nights in Croatia, its more than my taste would enjoy. I’ve been four times, so I speak from personal trial and error. Then why four times? People keep insisting I go with them (3 trips) used the airport in Dubrovnik (and hung around a few days) to get to Montenegro (1 trip).

So, starting in the south, Wizzair to Podgorica. If you are going to do the region, you might as well get as much of it as you can and for me it would help eat up the 15 days. But bad news, the flight is on the 6th or the 10th so that doesn’t work for you. Real shame too. My favorite lunch stop in Montenegro has become my teaser for stopping in Montenegro: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CdtE47nz5-augpA5JgbzOx64z3UADxc4/view?usp=drivesdk. And https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ETWPq5Od2SFK15_KUvhj_T9e7fh3HhhK/view?usp=drivesdk

Okay, you take your Ryan Air flight to Dubrovnik on the 7th.

Just some comments on the other comments:

The Plitvice Lakes National Park west of Zagreb is a don't miss

In October it shouldn’t be crowded so if you just want to arrive about 11am and depart whenever you are tired, that will probably work. Or since you have so much time, spend the night (an idea that never appealed to me).

I had four free days in Dubrovnik ... That was at least one day more than I needed. … When I was there in July it was very crowded.

I have a friend that is a guide in Dubrovnik, and she told me not long ago, that early October has gotten very busy. I’m good with 3 full days and I love Dubrovnik despite the crowds. Only place in Croatia I actively try and return to.

The islands are very beautiful. If I was going back I would consider some kind of island hop up through the islands.

Sure, if the weather is good, do it early in the trip. Imagine 60F wet wind in your face on a boat deck. That’s okay cause the decks are relatively small. You will be inside the “bus” with the other 250 passengers. But it does make a good way to get from Dubrovnik to Split. But of course, you miss all the stuff in between the two (except the island).

There is now a direct train from Split to Zagreb

But trying to use that and see Plitvice requires a lot of backtracking.

I did a day trip (bus tour) to Mostar. Very little of interest (to me) outside the bridge and a very small old town.

Mostar makes a great way to get from Dubrovnik to Split (if you spend a night or two). Skip it unless you are willing to devote the time and get a transfer so you can see the Kravica Waterfalls on the way up. I would say, stop and swim with them, but its October. Good lunch stop too. Then you have to see Blagaj Tekke outside of Mostar, oh and Počitelj is a must for going “local” and seeing what 90% of the tourist have no idea they missed.

We also included Slovenia on our trip, just to the north (Ljubljana, Bled and Lake Bled, Pula, and the Škocjan Caves).

I have never been to Slovenia but it sounds lovely. Further north and more elevation and later in October if you are starting in Dubrovnik, so bring some warm clothes.

Now if it were my trip, and admittedly my taste is a bit squirrely, I would fly into Split from Rome. It’s a better flight and it sets you up to head south.

I would go Split to Mostar to Dubrovnik with a few wineries along the way
Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi to Perast to Kotor with some oyster farms along the way
Kotor to the Ostrog Monastery to Stari Bar with a prosciutto house along the way.
Stari Bar to Ulcinj to Shkoder, Albania with an olive plantation and maybe another winery along the way
Shkoder to Podgorica with maybe an ancient hillside village (and of course winery) along the ay …. the flight back to Rome from Podgorica.

All further south and maybe a bit warmer? But for my taste a bit more interesting. https://maps.app.goo.gl/DPtKJ3jrFwHG5Ltw8 Maybe better cost too.

• For October I would recommend three nights in Dubrovnik. Buy the Dubrovnik pass and do everything on the pass on the day with better weather, spend the other day enjoying the city, visiting Lokrum, or visiting Mt Srd. For hotels there are a few, however I would recommend looking into apartments which are better value than hotels in Croatia and are highly regulated by the government so quality is usually good. I would try to stay right in central Dubrovnik, if you cannot stay within the walls look to stay near, but note that Ploče neighbourhood of Dubrovnik is essentially all stairs, lovely view though. Many hotels are in Lapad which is resort area, then you would drive into central Dubrovnik, you may prefer this but the best part of Dubrovnik to me is the central part.

• I would rent a car on the day you leave Dubrovnik. You do not need a car while visiting Dubrovnik and the streets and parking will be too much trouble. Personally I would not take a catamaran, it is possible but they only have one sailing a day and if they are not sailing for some reason I would not want to have to stay in Dubrovnik. Plus the drive is very nice, you can stop in Ston en route as well.

• Dubrovnik restaurant scene caters specifically to tourists and I would not say is very good, make sure to check out Gradska kavana Arsenal which is run by a local restaurant group and is the oldest caffé/restaurant in the city.

• Korčula will be coming out of season, you can still visit but I would give it two nights at most and would skip it entirely if it were my trip. If you rent a car there is very easy car ferry from Orebić. Only island I would look at in October personally would be Mljet because of the national park.

• Because you are in shoulder season even with an increase in tourism I would stick to major cities with the exception of Istria. Dubrovnik, Split, Šibenik, Zadar, Opatija/Rijeka, Zagreb. Istria will still have tourism in October and you will not need to stay in the main cities there, it is the most touristed county in Croatia but will not be too crowded. I highly recommend Istria for an October trip, it is where I would go if I could only visit one region in October. Rovinj is a popular choice, Pula is the hub, there are lots of small hill towns which would be nice to stay in as well.

• Podgorica is not really a part of Montenegro people are known to visit. Also Wizz Air is horrible airline, only one I avoid, if anything goes wrong you are stuck. If you want to visit Montenegro you could rent the car in Dubrovnik and drive to Kotor but I have heard Montenegro will be going out of season too. It is difficult to say because I do not travel to the coast for tourism in October, sometimes when I am on the coast the weather has been very bad. Essentially you will need to be flexible with your plans, if the weather is great you will be able to have a very nice trip, if it is rainy you will need to improvise. Croatia is very seasonal.

• Zagreb cathedral is open, but some museums are closed. Gradec, one of the old parts of Zagreb, I would not say is considerable up/down, there are just a couple entrances that are stairways.

• No one really takes the train from Split to Zagreb. It is very slow and always delayed. I do not even consider it an option when I need to visit Split.

• Recommendation for Plitvice is to spend an overnight so you can enter the park when it opens and avoid the worst of the crowds. I would still say this is true in October. However if upper lakes are closed which is possible depending on weather it becomes a different park entirely.

If I were you, I would start in Dubrovnik, drive to Split, one night in Plitvice for the lakes, drive to Opatija/Istria, up into Slovenia, then finish in Zagreb, you have the time for it. If you have additional time add Zadar/Šibenik. I would also consider just flying to Dubrovnik for three nights and then flying to a different part of Europe for the remaining time.

I won’t argue with any of Ivan’s observations about Croatia as he is the tourist professional working in Croatia and should know. Its great to have him in the forum. I am surprised he thinks the crowds will be bad at Plitvice in October? Guess Croatia has gotten that bad? That’s sad.

EDIT. I just looked it up. Plitvice peak is July and August with 300,000 to 370,000 tourists. October is 50,000 to 100,000 and you will be there later in October. I wouldn't use time or money for the night, I would be there before 11am. But I am also not as enchanted with the place as most are.

Podgorica is not really a part of Montenegro people are known to visit.

Nope, but it’s a centrally located airport located and about an hour to Kotor, Budva, Ulcinj, Shkoder.

Also Wizz Air is horrible airline, only one I avoid, if anything goes wrong you are stuck.

Not liking them is a personal thing. That’s fine. Being stuck is a legislated EU issue and they are no worse than anyone else. Among those that actually fly them the reviews are pretty good. I have used them on 7 flights in the last 12 months, all on time (+ or - 15 minutes) and perfectly acceptable. But yes, it’s a budget airline so nothing fancy. Remember though these are 1 to 1.5 hour flights so there is no time for anything fancy.

Wizz Air holds an overall AirHelp Score of 7.17 out of 10, reflecting solid punctuality coupled with budget-tier customer satisfaction.
Passenger and Industry Ratings
• AirHelp Score: 7.17/10
• Skytrax: Certified as a 3-star low-cost airline.
• Airline Ratings Survey: Ranked as the second-best ultra-low-cost carrier globally.
• Public Popularity (YouGov): Scores a 63% fame rating and roughly 12% negative.

If you want to visit Montenegro, you could rent the car in Dubrovnik and drive to Kotor but I have heard Montenegro will be going out of season too.

My last suggestion was start in Split and drive to Montenegro. I guess a lot think Montenegro a coastal resort, but its more, which is why I think it works in October. But that will require the OP to do some research and convince themselves. And in both Croatia and Montenegro I would suggest getting local assistance that can nail down exactly what will be in full swing and what will be closing down. A small investment in that will pay off big time.

Croatia is very seasonal.

That’s why I suggested heading south where the weather holds for a few more weeks.

Ivan's final suggestion isn't bad. Probably a popular route. Bled by the 21st of October will be having temperatures of 35 to 55F so bring an extra layer. Shokder (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-C7Zu7c5fbN9mnCjmoC5jQHJTBmIm6f_/view?usp=drive_link) just across Montenegro's southern border in Albania will be 50 to 70F and thats the sort of thing I prefer which is why i suggested heading south. I think its dryer too; but check me on that.

You have a lot of options, none really bad. Just what you think you will enjoy.

Well, I am not a professional, but I want people to visit Croatia well.

There appears to be a second thread, but I would almost always recommend an overnight at Plitvice regardless of seasons. I had an overnight in May this year and at the start of the trail there were very few other people in the park. After about two hours the park was very busy and almost overwhelming. Avoiding the crowds is as much about the time you have in the park without a lot of other people as much as it is avoiding the hordes.

As I have mentioned I cannot recommend Wizz Air. There is a good chance everything will be fine. If it is not fine, they are not an airline you want to be flying with. American tourists also may not be used to the fact they are not as cheap since you have to add everything on. I know of a group which had difficulty understanding Ryanair. If they cancel the Podgorica flight which is unlikely but possible it will be difficult to get there. Just not a risk I would be willing to take even within Europe even though I know many of their flights are fine. Also there are only two airlines in the ultra low cost airline rating survey :D

I will also say autumn is a very nice time to visit northern Croatia and Slovenia. Ljubljana is five degrees colder than Shkodra but with a little less rain in October, the leaves are all changing, the crowds are less, things are still open away from the coast. I would also say going north would be far easier in terms of rental cars, most Croatian companies do not even let you drive into Albania. So it is all personal preference.

The mixed reports that I have seen are just discussions on whether it is worth giving up a night someplace else to spend a night at Plitvice. If Plitvice lights your fire, then the answer is yes go and you will love it. If it doesn’t, then no. Looking at the OP’s plan it’s a lot of work and time and money to get there, and then back, so it had better light a fire.

Again, on Wizzair. Ivan I call your concerns Internet Truisms. Sort of like Europeans don’t tip. Average Baseline Cancellation Rate Lufthansa = ~1.5% to 3.2%: KLM = ~1.5% to 3.5%; Wizzair = ~0.4% to 1.6% https://share.google/aimode/mwTwx8akvxOL4DQUO

Having said all of that, my suggestion above was to start in Split and that’s Ryanair from Rome. Ryanair also has a lower cancelation rate than many of the big names. Your suggestion was to start in Dubrovnik and that’s Ryanair too unless your suggestion replacing the Ryanair flight to Dubrovnik with a 6-hour flight through Belgrade or Vienna for >100€ more or maybe just not going to Croatia?

Also, there are only two airlines in the ultra low cost airline rating
survey :D

Clever Ivan and yes, but the same organization also scored them in the low cost category where they finished in the just above center of the 20 plane pack. https://www.airlineratings.com/articles/worlds-best-airlines-for-2026-by-airline-ratings In other words it’s just a grunt airline like the rest. No better no worse than the average.

But what it and Ryanair and the others have done is open up air travel to those who otherwise could never afford it and it opens the world by connecting secondary and tertiary destinations, benefitting the locals by giving them a way to be more closely incorporated in the world and benefitting tourists by allowing them unheard of flexibility (like Rome to Split).

Yes, but if you do Plitvice as a day tripper, the entire day should be dedicated to Plitvice, and you enter when crowds are largest.

You are also making assumptions about what I have said.

Wizz Air do not have a good reputation. Personally I will not fly them. There is probably some situation where I would but I understand the risk. I know people who have not had good experiences on them above and beyond "I got charged for my bag." I also looked up statistics and they have five times the complaint rate of second placed Ryanair in the UK. However if every flight was bad no one would fly them. They also cancel flights outside the 14 day window to avoid compensation/cancellation statistics. If something happened and they could not get you to Podgorica, it might be difficult to get to Podgorica.

I fly Ryanair all the time. However if you have never flown Ryanair before following the rules can be a bit complicated, I have personally helped someone with this. If you are flying from North America you will likely have suitcase, rucksack, things you will need to pay to bring on, and maybe getting from a secondary airport meaning it is maybe not good value if you have choices between airlines.

I suggest you spend 3 nights in Dubrovnik, giving you two full days. We picked up a car there (Sept, 2023) and drove to Kotor, Mostar, back to Korcula and around Croatia and Slovenia, dropping the car in Zagreb. But we had a month. Ferry hopping sounds nice but we didn't do it. I'd skip Korcula unless you're ferry hopping. Kotor is nice but it's very similar to Dubrovnik. I'd skip it if you're not going to explore more of Montenegro. We loved Mostar but there's not tons to do there. We stayed near Rastaoke near Plitvice (gorgeous area) so we could arrive at Plitvice near opening time. It wasn't crowded and we finished walk C around 12:30. It was very crowded when we left.

cindyeb, I agree with you about Kotor. It's better if you know the smaller places between the border and Kotor and the places above Kotor. Although i will say it took me a few years to do the cable car and i regret not doin it sooner. Pretty stunning. But with the stops and the cable car its an overnight or 2 night trip. The day trips never made much sense to me. I need to find some photos.

Same with Mostar. There are at least 3 good stops between either Split or Dubrovnik and Mostar and for me that makes it a good overnight trip. Actually pretty facinating.

But I like the smaller more personal and still more authentic places inbetween the tourist cities.

There is nothing wrong with island hopping either. All about what you enjoy.

cindyeb, I agree with you on Dubrovnik. I've been 3 times and despite it being Disney on the Adriatic, I enjoy it and would return. Split ... ehhhhh. Historically facinating. A place where a guide paid off for all the historic detail. But then it was time for me to go. Still, 2 full days is reasonable. Then the long haul to Plitvice. If one is excited to see it, sure spend the night. If one is only curious, maybe not. In mid October I might be mistaken by saying not to worry about the crowds. Ivan said he goes several times a year and he says spend the night so listen to the professional. I visited Zadar once. Ehhhhh, that was sufficient. Zagreb was pleasant for a full day.

You’ve a lot to chew over, but I think someone outlined nights something like Dubrovnik 3 > Mostar 1 > Split 2 > Plitvice 1 > Zagreb 2 which while fast paced works pretty well. It’s October, so where I might otherwise figure in some beach time I think it’s safe to be on the move. Things wind down a bit (how much and when is up for debate.) For the same reason, I’d skip Korcula or any island this time.

I feel like Plitvice is experiencing some blow-back online. Don’t let it discourage you. Plitvice is imo one of if not THE single greatest sight in the country and region. Crowds are certainly an issue and something to plan around, which scheduling an overnight allows. My anecdotal experience visiting late June 2023: The lower lakes in late afternoon crowds were pretty minimal, and the next morning I was one of the first people in the park. I was literally the only person on the upper lakes trail. Just phenomenal.

My wife and I are in Dubrovnik now, we started in Rome, fly to Split, then ferry to Korcula and then on to Dubrovnik. We spent one too many days in Rome (almost 5 full days), and wished we had more time in Korcula. That felt like vacation. We stayed two nights and wished we had 1-2 more. Leaving there and coming to Dubrovnik it feels busy here, even though I am sure the crowds are much lighter than summer. But there are 3-4 cruise ships in port each day dumping thousands into the City all in the early morning.

I would not rent a car at all.

Cruise ships are the plague, I was in Split during spring season and there were two in the port and you could not go into the central city. I am sorry you have had to deal with four of them, I thought there was now a limit of two at a time but still that is thousands of people.

I do not know what you mean by blow back, Plitvice is wonderful but crowds can be an issue especially because it is not built for major crowds, even though they now limit ticket sales, and if the upper lakes are closed I would say it may not be worth the visit.

Matt S,

I will reiterate and say that for some reason, despite the Disney like atmosphere, I enjoy Dubrovnik. I've been back 3 times over about a 15 year period.

But I have heard 7.000+ off the ships at the same time in Dubrovnik. Not good for many of us, but apparently good for the local economy. I learned to head for the far corners from 10am till 3pm before and after things were closer to normal. Dubrovnik apparently doesnt slow down much in October. I have a guide friend there that says October today is like August 10 years ago and thats supported by the fact that there are 61 scheduled ship calls bringing over 113,000 passengers in October. By the way if you need a good guide......

In Split this October, 30 calls by cruise ships are scheduled. Big ships and maybe as much as 100,000 passengers. In Split like Dubrovnik, the cruise passengers would leave about 3pm, then in the summer the European Trust Fund brats would start waking up from their drunk the night before and start drinking again. By 9pm it can be a mess of foul ... anyway.

Combine that with Plitvice being too crowded to see in October without spending the night and I am thinking my next trip to Croatia might need to be in November(?).

Last September I did fly from Budapest to Zadar. According to some we made the trip at great personal risk because we flew Wizzair. Zadar is good for a couple of hours of sight seeing so we went to to the island of Ugljan which seems to be mostly an expat island, got a really nice hotel at a really nice rate and just relaxed for a few days. The point is that neither Zadar or Ugljan were crowded in September. It was a good few days, but not a place I would cross the atlantic to see. The advantage to living here is we can do short trips. So June/July and August/September was an Adriatic destination somewhat further south than Croatia to avoid the crowds. Worked out well.

Hello, fellow Calgarian. That makes three of us, that I know of, who post here.

I really loved Dubrovnik, but I had the good fortune of being there in 2022, when all the cruises and crowds had not yet returned. In Dubrovnik, we stayed at The View, which was a comfortable apartment with a lovely view. It's a couple of blocks outside the main gates, if that matters to you. I preferred it, but it did mean a bit of a walk into Dubrovnik and back again. On the other hand, the bus to the ferry stops on the street in front of the apartment.
Not sure if it's still available, since I can't find it on AirBnB Canada, but I can find it here: https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/5189080?source_impression_id=p3_1790191693_P3wzb-CSUS7qleSv&translate_ugc=false

We stayed three nights, but that gave us about 3 1/2 days, since our flight arrived fairly early in the morning and our ferry to Hvar didn't leave until late afternoon.

We had only one day (arriving early morning) and one night (leaving the next morning) in Split, and we thought that was enough time, although I'm sure you could find enough to fill a couple of days. We stayed here: https://grgurninskirooms.com The room was small, but very well-equipped. Breakfast was provided at a restaurant down the street and was very good. Plus, we were able to check in early, which was great.

You haven't mentioned Zadar, but as a couple of responses have, I'll note that we stayed a couple of nights in Zadar and really liked it. That was plenty, though.

We stayed overnight at the Hotel Jezero in Plitvice, so that we could have two entries for the price of one and visit late afternoon and early the next morning. We had the place almost to ourselves both times, especially for the late afternoon, upper-lakes, visit. Again, tourism had not yet returned to its pre-pandemic levels (or to the current levels, which might be even higher), so YMMV. I had seen some negative reviews of Hotel Jezero, so I was apprehensive, but it was perfectly nice. The rooms were tired, but comfortable enough, but the food and pool were great.

In Zagreb, we stayed at one of the best rentals we've ever experienced. In fact, I said in my review something to the effect that the host should give lessons in hosting, he had so many thoughtful touches. The location was wonderful, too--right at the base of old town, around the corner from the funicular, and set back just enough from a major street with lots of shops and restaurants. It overlooked a park, too. https://www.vrbo.com/en-ca/cottage-rental/p4258964

Here is my trip report, in case you might find it helpful: https://tinyurl.com/4fd55rp3

BB great report. Thank you for the reminder.

Thank you, Mr E

We need more reports like yours. Its how I learn.