Croatia Travel Guide: Best Places to Visit, Costs, Tips

A Croatia trip fits into 7 to 10 days: 2 or 3 days in Dubrovnik, 3 days in Split with a day trip to Plitvice Lakes or Krka National Park, 2 days on Hvar and 1 or 2 days in Zagreb if you fly through the capital. Croatia has used the euro and Schengen border rules since 1 January 2023, so guides that still mention the kuna or Slovenian border checks are out of date. May, June and September give warm sea and full ferry timetables without the July and August crowds, and Dubrovnik is the most expensive stop.

Croatia sits in Central and Southeast Europe on the Adriatic Sea, not in Eastern Europe, between Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Croatia’s coast runs for more than 2,000 km (1,242.7 mi) past more than 1,000 islands, islets and reefs, and its inland half holds Zagreb, castles, spa towns and the vineyards of Slavonia. The country joined the European Union (EU) in 2013, NATO in 2009 and the Schengen and euro areas in 2023.

This guide is written by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team for independent travellers. Founder Sofie Couwenbergh’s booking habits, from Booking.com and Vrbo to her portable hotspot and SafetyWing policy, are the ones linked below.

Croatia quick facts

The Croatia quick facts below cover the details a trip needs, from population and currency to plugs, driving and the emergency number.

The table stops at the practical facts. Trivia such as the Zadar Sea Organ and the necktie’s Croatian origin sits in our 20 facts about Croatia post.

Croatia guides on Wonderful Wanderings

The Croatia guides on Wonderful Wanderings go deeper than this hub on 4 cities, beaches, castles, prices, car rental, food, festivals and holiday dates. The 18 guides are listed below, most useful first.

1. Split travel guide: 28 things to do, from Diocletian’s Palace to Klis Fortress.
2. Dubrovnik travel guide: 17 things to do, including the City Walls and Lokrum Island.
3. Zagreb travel guide: 20 things to do, from Dolac Market to the Museum of Broken Relationships.
4. Rovinj travel guide: 20 things to do in Istria’s Venetian harbour town.
5. 18 destinations in Croatia: the cities and towns to visit in every season.
6. 18 beaches in Croatia: Zlatni Rat, Stiniva, Sakarun and 15 more.
7. 16 castles in Croatia: Trakošćan, Veliki Tabor, Klis and 13 others.
8. Blue Cave tour from Split: a tour to Biševo compared with going by yourself.
9. Prices in Croatia: transport, hotel and food figures.
10. Renting a car in Croatia: 34 tips on licences, deposits and insurance.
11. Driving in Croatia: road rules and etiquette.
12. Croatia transportation guide: planes, trains, buses, ferries and airport transfers.
13. Traditional Croatian food: 24 dishes and where to eat them in Zagreb.
14. Festivals in Croatia: 18 festivals with dates, venues and ticket prices.
15. Holiday dates in Croatia: public and school holidays by year.
16. 20 facts about Croatia: the record truffle, the Sea Organ and the world’s smallest town.
17. 32 famous Croatians: Tesla, Meštrović, Ivanišević and more.
18. 5 books about Croatia: fiction and non-fiction to read before your trip.

Older posts sit in the archive. Browse all Croatia posts for the full list.

Best places to visit in Croatia

Dubrovnik, Split, Plitvice Lakes National Park and Hvar are the 4 places to visit in Croatia if you only have time for 4. The cities, islands and national parks are ranked below in booking order.

Best cities to visit in Croatia

Dubrovnik is the city to visit in Croatia if you have time for one, and Split is the one to choose for islands and day trips. The 5 cities are listed below.

1. Dubrovnik: a UNESCO-listed walled Old Town, a wall walk of about 2 km (1.2 mi) above the roofs, King’s Landing for Game of Thrones fans, and the cable car and Lokrum Island as half-day add-ons.
2. Split: an Old Town that grew inside Diocletian’s Palace, a Roman emperor’s UNESCO-listed retirement home, and the ferry hub for Hvar, Brač and Vis and for day trips to Trogir and Krka.
3. Zagreb: the capital’s Upper Town, Dolac market, Museum of Broken Relationships and December Advent market, at prices below the coast’s.
4. Zadar: a Roman forum, medieval churches and the Sea Organ, which plays with the waves, between the Kornati islands and Plitvice.
5. Rovinj and Pula: Istria’s Venetian harbour town and its Roman city, whose 2,000-year-old amphitheatre is one of the 6 largest still standing; book a Pula Arena entrance ticket ahead in summer.

Best islands in Croatia

Hvar is the island to visit for nightlife, lavender fields and boat trips to the Pakleni Islands, and Korčula is the quieter alternative with a walled Old Town like a small Dubrovnik. The 5 islands are listed below, all reached from Split or Dubrovnik.

1. Hvar: Hvar Town’s harbour, fortress and beach clubs, plus the UNESCO-listed Stari Grad Plain.
2. Korčula: a walled medieval town on a peninsula, Pošip and Grk white wines, and fewer crowds than Hvar.
3. Brač: Zlatni Rat beach near Bol, the pebble spit that changes shape with the wind, and the closest big island to Split.
4. Vis: the furthest of the Split islands, with Stiniva cove and boat trips to the Blue Cave on Biševo, covered in our Blue Cave tour from Split guide.
5. Mljet: a national park of saltwater lakes and pine forest, a day trip or overnight from Dubrovnik.

Island hopping takes planning, because many catamaran routes run from Split or Dubrovnik rather than island to island. Our 18 beaches in Croatia guide picks the coves on each island.

Best national parks in Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park is the park to visit in Croatia, and Krka is the one to add from Split or Zadar. Croatia has 8 national parks, and the 4 most visited are listed below.

1. Plitvice Lakes: 16 terraced lakes joined by waterfalls and boardwalks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site halfway between Zagreb and Zadar; book the timed ticket online, because summer days sell out.
2. Krka: waterfalls and a monastery island near Šibenik, reached from Split on a Krka National Park day trip; swimming below the Skradinski Buk falls has been banned since 2021.
3. Kornati: an archipelago of bare limestone islands off Zadar and Šibenik, seen from a boat tour.
4. Paklenica: canyons and climbing routes on Velebit mountain, north of Zadar.

How many days do you need in Croatia and a sample route

Plan 7 days for Dubrovnik, Split and one island, and 10 to 14 days if you want Plitvice, Zagreb and Istria as well. The 7-day sample route is listed below, flying into Dubrovnik and out of Split or Zagreb.

1. Days 1 and 2, Dubrovnik: the City Walls at opening time, the Old Town and Fort Lovrijenac, then Lokrum or the cable car; Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a common full-day trip.
2. Day 3, Dubrovnik to Split: the coastal bus or a hire car along the Adriatic Highway, crossing the Pelješac Bridge, which has bypassed the Bosnian border at Neum since July 2022.
3. Days 4 and 5, Split: Diocletian’s Palace, Marjan Hill and the Riva, then a day trip to Krka or Trogir.
4. Days 6 and 7, Hvar: the catamaran from Split takes about an hour; stay at least 1 night, because the day-trip crowds leave by evening.

With 10 days, add Plitvice Lakes on the way to Zagreb and a night in the capital; with 14, add Rovinj and Pula. Our 18 destinations in Croatia post ranks the stops by season.

Best time to visit Croatia

May, June and September are the months to visit Croatia, when the sea is warm enough to swim, the ferries run their full timetables and the July and August crowds are absent. Croatia has 2 climates, Mediterranean on the coast and continental inland, and the 3 seasons are described below.

• High season (July and August): coastal temperatures in the high 20s°C (low 80s°F) with spells above 30°C (86°F), full beaches, the highest prices and the festival calendar, including Ultra Europe and the Dubrovnik Summer Festival; book rooms and ferries early.
• Shoulder season (April to June, September and October): warm days, a sea that stays swimmable into October, harvests inland and lower prices.
• Low season (November to March): mild but wet on the coast, where many island hotels close, and cold inland, with temperatures below 0°C (32°F) and snow; Zagreb’s Advent market and the Rijeka Carnival are the reasons to come.

How to get to Croatia

You get to Croatia by plane to Zagreb, Split or Dubrovnik, by bus or train from the neighbouring countries, or by ferry from Italy. The 3 routes in and the entry rules are described below.

Flights to Croatia

Flights to Croatia land at Zagreb’s Franjo Tuđman Airport, the largest, at Split, the second busiest and the gateway to the islands, and at Dubrovnik, with smaller airports at Zadar, Pula, Rijeka and Osijek. Compare fares on Trip.com for flights to Croatia once your dates are fixed, because coastal fares climb in July and August.

Buses, trains and ferries to Croatia

Buses to Croatia are the cheapest way in from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Germany, Hungary and Serbia, with FlixBus on the main routes alongside Croatian operators such as Croatia Bus. Check FlixBus routes and prices to Croatia for the timetables.

Trains to Croatia arrive in Zagreb from Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and the coast south of Split has no railway. You can compare train routes and prices within Europe before you fix dates.

Ferries to Croatia sail only from Italy: Ancona to Split and Zadar, Bari to Dubrovnik and, in summer, Venice to Istria, with Jadrolinija, SNAV and Venezia Lines the operators. Check ferry routes and prices to Croatia for the season’s timetable.

Entry requirements for Croatia

Check the current entry rules for your passport before you book, because they change. Croatia is in the EU and the Schengen Area, so EU and EEA citizens enter with a national ID card, and visa-exempt visitors such as US, UK, Canadian and Australian passport holders get 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area, with a passport valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave. The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), rolled out from October 2025, records non-EU visitors’ fingerprints and photo instead of passport stamps, and the ETIAS travel authorisation had no confirmed start date at the time of writing; check the EU’s official travel site before you fly.

Getting around Croatia

You get around Croatia by bus between the cities, by ferry and catamaran to the islands, by train on the Zagreb routes, by plane between Zagreb and Dubrovnik, and by rental car for the parks and the interior. The 5 transport options are listed below.

1. Buses: the most complete network, with Arriva, FlixBus and Croatia Bus; Zagreb to Split takes about 5 hours and Split to Dubrovnik about 4.
2. Ferries and catamarans: Jadrolinija, the state ferry company, carries cars and passengers to the islands, and Krilo catamarans run the fast routes from Split and Dubrovnik; book summer sailings online.
3. Trains: Croatian Railways (HŽ) is cheap and slow on the Zagreb to Rijeka, Zadar and Split lines, and Dubrovnik has no station.
4. Domestic flights: Croatia Airlines flies Zagreb to Split and Dubrovnik in about an hour.
5. Rental car: a car makes sense for Plitvice, Istria, Zagorje and Slavonia, less so for Dubrovnik and Split, where parking is scarce; the Adriatic Highway from Rijeka to Dubrovnik is the scenic road, the A1 motorway from Zagreb to Ploče the fast, tolled one, and locals overtake on tight corners. Renters must usually be 21 or older and leave a credit-card deposit of roughly €1,000-3,000 (about $1,160-3,490, £860-2,580). Our renting a car in Croatia guide lists 34 tips before you compare prices on DiscoverCars.

Two more guides cover the road. Our driving in Croatia guide covers rules and etiquette, and the Croatia transportation guide compares airport transfers, buses, trains and taxis.

What a Croatia trip costs

Croatia costs less than Italy or France for meals, coffee and buses, but Dubrovnik and Hvar in summer match Western European hotel and restaurant prices. Croatia’s prices below are approximate, in euro, and move with the season.

The table covers a typical tourist day. It draws on our prices in Croatia guide, our car-rental and city guides, Numbeo’s Split data for August 2026 and the 2026 ticket prices published for Plitvice and the Dubrovnik walls, and the prices guide shows how hostels, bakery burek and buses keep a budget trip far below the daily figure.

Money in Croatia: euro, cards and tipping

Croatia uses the euro, which replaced the kuna on 1 January 2023 at a fixed 7.53450 kuna per euro, so any price still shown in kuna is out of date. Croatian shops, restaurants and ticket offices widely accept Visa and Mastercard, American Express less so, although small konobas, market stalls and island cafés still prefer cash. The 3 money habits that save you money are listed below.

1. Withdraw euros from a bank-branded ATM and decline “dynamic currency conversion”, because the machine’s rate is worse than your bank’s.
2. Carry €50-100 (about $58-116, £43-86) in cash for ferry kiosks, parking meters, markets and tips.
3. Tip about 10%, and up to 15% for very good service, in restaurants, round up taxi fares and leave €1-3 (about $1-3, £1-3) per bag for porters; tipping is appreciated, never obligatory.

Tipping rules differ for bars, guides and hotels. Our tipping in Croatia section covers them.

Where to stay in Croatia

Stay in Dubrovnik’s Old Town, or in Lapad and Gruž for lower prices, in Split’s Old Town or Veli Varoš to walk everywhere, in Hvar Town for beaches and nightlife, and in Zagreb’s Lower Town for a quieter, cheaper stop. Book ahead, because Dubrovnik, Hvar and the Split waterfront fill up from June to September and many island hotels close in winter. Our Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb guides cover the sights and typical hotel and meal prices in each city.

Booking sites do the filtering. Sofie books hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs through Booking.com for Croatia, because its filters turn hundreds of listings into a short list that meets her criteria, and she uses Vrbo when an apartment suits the trip better.

What to eat and drink in Croatia

Croatian food splits in two: grilled fish, octopus, risotto and pasta with olive oil on the coast, and roast meats, paprika stews and dumplings inland. The 10 dishes and drinks to try are listed below, with the Croatian name first.

1. Crni rižot: black risotto coloured with squid or cuttlefish ink, garlic, red wine and olive oil.
2. Buzara: mussels or scampi (škampi na buzaru) in a white-wine, garlic and breadcrumb broth.
3. Peka: meat, octopus or vegetables baked under a cast-iron bell buried in embers, ordered a day ahead.
4. Brudet: a slow-cooked fish stew with onion, tomato, wine and herbs, served on polenta.
5. Salata od hobotnice: octopus salad with onion, parsley, olive oil and vinegar.
6. Pršut and Paški sir: dry-cured ham from Istria or Dalmatia, and the sheep’s cheese of Pag island.
7. Fuži and pljukanci: Istria’s hand-rolled pasta, served with truffles, cream or a meat sauce.
8. Štrukli, kotlovina and krpice sa zeljem: the north’s cheese-filled dough, pan-fried pork with paprika, and pasta squares with stewed cabbage.
9. Wine: Plavac Mali reds from Pelješac, Malvazija whites from Istria and Graševina from Slavonia.
10. Rakija: the fruit brandy poured before or after a meal, from plum šljivovica to herb-infused travarica.

The list stops at 10. Our traditional Croatian food guide describes 24 dishes and names the Zagreb restaurants that serve them.

Festivals and public holidays in Croatia

Croatia’s festival calendar runs from Rijeka’s carnival in late winter to Zagreb’s Advent market in December, with the coast busiest from June to August, and Croatia’s 14 public holidays fall on fixed dates apart from Easter, Easter Monday and Corpus Christi. Dates shift each year, so check the programme before you book around an event.

The table shows the events most visitors plan around. Our festivals in Croatia guide lists 18 with dates, venues and ticket prices.

Croatia’s 14 public holidays are 1 January (New Year’s Day), 6 January (Epiphany), Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, 1 May (Labour Day), 30 May (Statehood Day), Corpus Christi, 22 June (Anti-Fascist Struggle Day), 5 August (Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day), 15 August (Assumption), 1 November (All Saints’ Day), 18 November (Remembrance Day for the victims of the Homeland War), 25 December (Christmas Day) and 26 December (St Stephen’s Day). A holiday that falls on a weekend does not move to the Monday. The exact dates for the current year, and the school holidays, are on our holiday dates in Croatia page.

Culture, etiquette and basic Croatian phrases

Croatians skip the small talk you may be used to, speak louder and more directly than northern Europeans, and warm up quickly once you greet them in Croatian; a raised voice is not anger. The 4 customs and phrases that matter are listed below.

1. Greet with “dobar dan” (doh-bar dahn, good day) when you enter a shop or café, and say “hvala” (hvah-lah, thank you) and “doviđenja” (doh-vee-jeh-nyah, goodbye) when you leave, because greetings are expected.
2. Ask “govorite li engleski?” (goh-voh-ree-teh lee en-gleh-skee, do you speak English?) and “koliko košta?” (koh-lee-koh kosh-tah, how much does it cost?), and say “molim” (moh-leem) for please; Croatian is pronounced as it is written.
3. Sit down for coffee rather than take it away, because a café coffee is a social hour; our 20 facts about Croatia post explains the coffee culture.
4. Cover shoulders and knees in churches, and expect small-town shops to close on Sundays and public holidays.

The customs stop at the essentials. Famous Croatians, from Nikola Tesla to the sculptor Ivan Meštrović, are profiled in our 32 famous Croatians post.

Croatia’s 20 counties and the City of Zagreb

Croatia divides into 20 counties (županije) plus the City of Zagreb, and each county has its own assembly and character, from Dubrovnik-Neretva’s coast to Slavonia’s vineyards. The 21 are listed below, coast first, so you can decide where in Croatia to go.

1. Dubrovnik-Neretva: the southern tip, with Dubrovnik, the Pelješac wine peninsula, the walled town of Ston and the island of Mljet.
2. Split-Dalmatia: the most visited county, with Split, the islands of Hvar, Brač and Vis, the beaches at Brela, rafting on the Cetina, the Roman ruins of Salona, walled Trogir and Klis Fortress.
3. Šibenik-Knin: a rugged coast with more than 200 islands and islets, Krka and Kornati national parks and Šibenik’s UNESCO-listed Cathedral of St James.
4. Zadar: Zadar’s Roman forum and Sea Organ, Paklenica National Park on Velebit and the Cerovac caves.
5. Lika-Senj: the mountain county between Velebit and Plješevica, home to Plitvice Lakes National Park and the trout rivers around Otočac.
6. Primorje-Gorski Kotar (Kvarner): Rijeka and its carnival, the Habsburg-era resort of Opatija, the islands of Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Rab, and Risnjak National Park.
7. Istria: the northwestern peninsula, with Rovinj, Pula’s arena, Poreč’s UNESCO-listed Euphrasian Basilica, the hill towns of Motovun and Grožnjan, truffles and Malvazija wine.
8. City of Zagreb: the capital, with the Upper Town’s medieval walls, the museums, the parks and Sljeme, the peak of Medvednica above the city; see our Zagreb travel guide.
9. Zagreb County: the ring around the capital, with the Drašković castle at Božjakovina and the Zajarki lakes for summer swims.
10. Krapina-Zagorje: the green hills northwest of Zagreb, with Trakošćan and Veliki Tabor castles, the Krapinske Toplice thermal pools and the Neanderthal museum in Krapina; see our 16 castles in Croatia guide.
11. Varaždin: the Baroque town of Varaždin, its castle and Baroque Evenings festival each September, plus the Varaždinske Toplice spa, used since Roman times.
12. Međimurje: the wedge between Slovenia and Hungary, with Čakovec castle, hillside vineyards and the Sveti Martin thermal springs.
13. Koprivnica-Križevci: Križevci, the oldest town in the region, with an Augustinian monastery, and Koprivnica, with a direct train to Hungary.
14. Bjelovar-Bilogora: a quiet 1 or 2 day detour, with walking trails and vineyards on the Bilogora hills and the thermal pools at Daruvar spa.
15. Virovitica-Podravina: the early 19th-century Pejačević castle in Virovitica and the 18th-century Baroque church of St Roch.
16. Požega-Slavonia: Požega’s Baroque market town, its vineyards, the Roman-era spa at Lipik and the forests of Papuk Nature Park.
17. Brod-Posavina: Slavonski Brod on the Sava, with the 18th-century Brod Fortress, the Franciscan monastery and the church of the Holy Trinity.
18. Osijek-Baranja: Osijek, Croatia’s fourth city, the Kopački Rit wetlands, the Đakovo cathedral and Lipizzaner stud, and the Bizovačke Toplice spa.
19. Vukovar-Srijem: the eastern tip, with the Vučedol archaeological site, Ilok’s wine cellars on the Danube, Vinkovci and the rebuilt town of Vukovar.
20. Sisak-Moslavina: vineyards and orchards on half its land, Sisak as the base for Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, a floodplain of storks and Posavina horses, and the Topusko spa.
21. Karlovac: an hour south of Zagreb on the road to Plitvice, with Karlovac’s star-shaped old town, the castles at Ogulin and Dubovac and the Bjelolasica ski slopes.

Is Croatia safe?

Croatia is safe for travellers, including solo women: it ranked 23rd of 163 countries in the 2026 Global Peace Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, and violent crime against visitors is rare. Croatia’s risks are petty or natural ones, and the 4 to watch for are listed below, most common first.

1. Pickpockets in Zagreb’s trams, on Split’s Riva and in Dubrovnik’s Old Town in summer: keep wallets and phones in front pockets and bags zipped.
2. Sea urchins and sharp rocks on the pebble beaches: pack water shoes.
3. Summer heat, wildfires and the bura wind, which can close motorway sections and cancel ferries: check the forecast before a long drive or crossing.
4. Unexploded mines in remote former front-line areas of Lika, Karlovac and eastern Slavonia: stay on marked paths and heed the warning signs.

Dial 112 for police, fire or ambulance.

What to pack for Croatia

Pack for 2 climates: light clothes and sandals for the coast from May to October, and a warm, waterproof coat for the interior in winter. The 3 seasonal packing lists follow.

• Summer (June to September): light cotton clothing, good walking sandals for cobbles and pebble beaches, mosquito repellent spray, a reusable water bottle, because tap water is safe, a light sweater for ferry decks, and a hat and sun cream.
• Winter (November to March): a warm, water and windproof coat for Zagreb and Plitvice, a warm scarf, a hat, merino woollen socks, a merino woollen baselayer, waterproof shoes and the same reusable water bottle.
• Spring and autumn (April, May and October): layers you can shed, because early autumn still feels like summer and late autumn turns chilly, plus a light but warm jacket that you can easily stow away rather than a winter coat.

One extra finishes the list. A universal adapter covers the type C and F plugs.

Staying connected in Croatia

You stay connected in Croatia with your EU SIM, which works at home rates under the EU’s roam-like-at-home rules, or with an eSIM or a portable hotspot if you come from outside the EU. The 3 options are listed below.

1. An EU SIM: no roaming charges for calls, texts or data in Croatia; UK plans vary by operator since Brexit, so check yours.
2. An eSIM installed before you land: data from the moment you switch your phone on.
3. A portable hotspot: Sofie carries a portable hotspot and buys day passes outside the EU and as a backup when her phone plan runs low on data. If you would rather not carry a second device, an Airalo eSIM installs on the phone you already have and does the same job.

The code HARRY5578 takes €3 off a first order.

Travel insurance for Croatia

Travel insurance for Croatia covers what a health card does not: cancelled ferries and flights, lost luggage, a stolen phone and repatriation after a scooter or boat accident. EU citizens should carry their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), UK visitors their Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), and everyone else needs a policy with medical cover. The insurer Wonderful Wanderings uses is SafetyWing, whose SafetyWing Nomad Insurance plans can be bought before you leave or while you are already travelling.

A short history of Croatia

Croatia’s history runs from Greek colonies and a Roman emperor’s palace through a medieval kingdom, centuries of Venetian and Habsburg rule, Yugoslavia and the 1991-1995 war of independence. The 5 periods that explain what you see are listed below.

1. Greeks and Romans (4th century BC to 5th century AD): Greek settlers found colonies on Vis and Hvar around 400 BC, and Emperor Diocletian starts his retirement palace, the shell of today’s Split, about 295 AD.
2. The Croatian kingdom (7th to 11th centuries): Tomislav is crowned the first king in 925, and after the death of Petar Svačić, the last native king, Croatia enters a union with Hungary in 1102.
3. Venice, Dubrovnik and the Habsburgs (15th to 19th centuries): Venice rules Istria and most of Dalmatia, the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) stays independent until 1808, the nobles elect the Habsburg Ferdinand I as king in 1527, and Nikola Tesla is born in Smiljan in 1856.
4. Yugoslavia (1918 to 1991): Croatia joins the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, German and Italian forces occupy it in 1941, and Tito’s communist federation lasts until nationalist tensions rise after his death in 1980.
5. Independence (1991 onwards): Croatia declares independence on 25 June 1991, Serb forces control nearly a third of the country by the end of that year and shell Dubrovnik, Croatian forces retake the regions in 1995, and the wartime Croatian Serb leader Milan Babić is later jailed for 13 years by the UN tribunal for war crimes; Croatia joins NATO in 2009, the EU in 2013 and the Schengen and euro areas in 2023.

The war years explain the memorials in Vukovar and Dubrovnik. Our 5 books about Croatia post picks the fiction and non-fiction that cover them.

Croatia travel FAQ

What is the best city to visit in Croatia?

Dubrovnik is the city to visit in Croatia for a single stop, because its walled Old Town and wall walk are the country’s signature; pick Split for islands and day trips, and Zagreb for museums and a winter break.

How many days do you need in Croatia?

Plan 7 days in Croatia for Dubrovnik, Split and Hvar, and 10 to 14 days to add Plitvice Lakes, Zagreb and Istria.

Does Croatia use the euro?

Yes, Croatia uses the euro, which replaced the kuna on 1 January 2023; cards are accepted almost everywhere.

Is Croatia in Eastern Europe?

No, Croatia is in Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea between Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

Is Croatia expensive?

Croatia is cheaper than Italy or France inland and about the same on the coast in summer: a mid-range traveller spends roughly €90-130 (about $105-151, £77-112) a day.

What is the best month to visit Croatia?

May, June or September is the month to visit Croatia, for warm sea and thinner crowds than in July and August; pick December for Zagreb’s Advent market.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 5 tips below are the Croatia-specific details that change a plan rather than decorate it, each checked against a current source for 2026.

1. Do not plan a swim at Krka. Swimming below the Skradinski Buk falls has been banned since 2021, and a good many guides and photographs still show people in the water there. Save the swimming for the coast, and go to Krka for the falls and the monastery island.
2. Price Plitvice by the month you are going. An adult ticket runs about €10 from November to March, about €23 in April, May and October, and about €40 from June to September, so the same park costs four times as much in August as it does in February.
3. Check the bura forecast before a long drive or a crossing. The wind closes sections of motorway and cancels ferries outright, which matters most on an island day with a flight at the end of it. Leave slack in the last leg of any island itinerary.
4. Put water shoes in the bag. Croatian beaches are pebble and rock rather than sand, and sea urchins sit in exactly the shallow rocky water you want to get into. It is the single most useful thing to pack for the coast.
5. Mark 30 May, not 8 October. Statehood Day moved to 30 May, and 8 October, the old Independence Day, has been a working memorial day since 2020. A public holiday that falls at a weekend does not shift to the Monday here, so the closures land on the calendar date itself.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the booking habits in this post, from Booking.com and Vrbo for hotels and apartments to her portable hotspot and SafetyWing insurance she travels with, are hers. The team covers Croatia for independent travellers, including the Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb and Rovinj city guides, the island and national-park tours, car rental, packing gear and travel insurance worth booking, and updates this page when prices, dates and rules change.