Croatia in 4 days routing

I have done that trip that is a lot (too much) to do in four days.
My path was Split - Hvar - Dubrovnick - bus to Korcula- The ferry from Hvar to Dubrovnick does go via Korcula. But again, I really think that is too much. I really loved all of those places maybe figure out how to spend more time there. We cut off a big part of our trip to spend more time in Croatia and not getting to Italy as quickly as we could. Where else are you going on your trip (and for how long)?

We have 4 days before we meet up with friends in Rome ! So we found flights into Split or Dubrovnik (connections into Dubrovnik are not non-stop though) and wanted to "taste" Croatia. We try to travel to Europe every year so we know that we will be back for an extended time. We thought staying in one spot would be easier than taking even our 21" bag on ferries each day ! True?? And if so, where is a good spot to land for 3 days?

Europe By Air you can get to Rome from either split or Dubrovnik and I think that is $99 plus tax. Maybe just 4 nights Dubrovnik and take day trip from there into Montenegro or maybe arrive early in split and spend some time exploring it - take a later ferry to Korcula - spend one night there and take a late bus or ferry to Dubrovnik or 2 nights in Korcula and take the early ferry or bus to Dubrovnik. Once you get to Dubrovnik you might not want to leave. Check ferry and bus times I have not looked at them for a few years. Or meet your friends a day or 2 later.

From Cavtat to Kolocep or Dubrovnik, you take small boats that dock in the harbor and can easily walk there from anywhere in town. From Dubrovnik to Korcula, there's a big ferry harbor north of Old Town (I believe it's near the bus station). I'm not sure if the small boats (i.e. to Kolocep) leave from there, or if they leave from the docks near Old Town.

I agree that Split, Hvar, Korcula and Dubrovnik are too much to see in 4 days. I'd suggest staying in Dubrovnik and taking day trips to Kolocep and Montenegro. Even better, you could fly into Dubrovnik and headquarter yourselves in Cavtat. It's a beautiful little fishing village near the Dubrovnik airport, about 10 minutes from Dubrovnik by bus (about 30 minutes by boat). Cavtat would be a great place to recover from that long plane ride. It has a beautiful harbor lined with sidewalk cafes where you can watch yachts dock as the sun sets. A great gelato shop, too. From Cavtat, you can take the same day trips as from Dubrovnik. You can visit Kolocep as part of an all-day boat tour of the Elaphites islands. Then take a day trip to spectacular Montenegro. Then take a day to visit Dubrovnik. And you're ready for Rome!

Thanks for the answers! Where do you catch any of the ferries from Dubrovnik or Cavtat? Do they all leave from the same dock?
I have all of these ferry websites and am trying to understand the times of departure.

Keep in mind that the coastal ferries don't run daily between all points. You'll need to plan your travel in Croatia carefully with only 4 days. If you can do open jaws and want to maximize sights, fly into Split and spend day 1 there, daytrip by catamaran to Hvar on day 2, and then catch an early bus to Dubrovnik for days 3 and 4. If you must fly roundtrip, then pick either Split or Dubrovnik (my preference) as a home base and do a couple of daytrips from there. Atlas Travel in Dubrovnik offers a very nice 12-hour tour to Montenegro.

Dubrovnik really is where you should fly into. Like others have mentioned you can easily day trip to Mostar, Kolocep etc from Dubrovnik. The gruz port is about a 5-6 minute taxi ride from the old town. From here you could also go for a night to Korcula. As for reservations try: www.dubrovnikapartmentsource.com I recommend you stay in the old town or just outside the gates. Nothing compares to the charm of Dubrovnik at night. There are also many restaurants and beaches close by. If you want anymore info let me know. Enjoy your trip!