Croatia Guide

Croatia is so beautiful and I feel is an underrated European Country. Croatia has so much to offer – amazing views, attractions and food. I am going to write my guide as I did my trip but there are a few things I would change if I had known before going. I am the type of person that, even though people may tell me to skip certain things, I still feel like I want to go see for myself and make my own opinion based off of my experience. While in Croatia, I traveled to Split and Dubrovnik. Although I did like Split, I would skip this and go straight to Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik has a lot more to offer and anything you may want to see/find in Split, I believe you will find something very similar in Dubrovnik. There are also several amazing day trips to take from Dubrovnik. One thing to point out is there are so many staircases you will have to take to and from Old Town in Split and Croatia! Get ready for some serious walking up and down what feels like a million staircases (this was fun to do after drinking). Here is my Croatia Guide, I hope you enjoy!

Day 1: Split

Split is very small and there is not much here to do other than go to some pretty amazing restaurants. If given the opportunity I would say skip Split and head straight for Dubrovnik. Here is what I did in Split.

–Kantun Paulina – Our first stop was to this small walk up restaurant to try cevapi. These sandwiches were so good I wish we had went back to get more.
–Wander Old Town – It was pouring the day we arrived but we made the best of it and decided to wander around Old Town. You will be walking in/through Diocletian’s Palace. It truly gives you a castle/old village like vibe. We found a bar that had all Game of Thrones themed drinks and also another patio bar that had an extensive drink menu.
–Bell Tower – This was under construction when we came so we were not able to go to the top but if you are able to go this is a must! This is right in the middle of Old Town and since you are already there, why not see some good views of Split?

Day 2: Split

–Blue Caves and 6 Islands Tour – This is what I came to Split to do. Unfortunately because the water was so rough we were not able to go on this tour. I was so upset because this was the main reason for my visit to Split. I have heard amazing things about this tour from not only seeing the blue caves but getting to see the many islands off of Split. Although I did not get to experience this, I highly recommend going on this trip if you end up in Split. If not – there are very similar tours to this in Dubrovnik. Below is the link to this trip.
https://static.tacdn.com/AttractionProductReview-g295370-d11478301-Blue_Cave_and_Hvar_6_Islands_full_day_Speedboat_Tour_from_Split-Split_Split_Dalmat.html?m=19905
–Trogir & Krka Waterfalls – We had the option of going on this trip instead and we decided to go so we didn’t have to spend another full day in Split. Trogir is also very small and was very similar to Split. Krka Waterfalls were very pretty and I wished it was warm this day because it would have been pretty amazing to swim in. I would say this is a day trip you can skip unless the weather is good.
–Teraca Vidilica – At the top of the hill from our airbnb was this amazing restaurant. We were out of breath getting here but this view was so worth it. We sat facing the view with a bottle of wine and it was a pretty amazing way to end our stay here in Split. This restaurant alone made my time here worth it. Don’t skip this spot!
–Bokeria Kitchen and Wine – We came here for dinner and this was soooo good! We got a cheese board, steak, truffle pasta and a bottle of wine. Our waiter gave us free shots for having “positive energy”. My experience at this restaurant was great and I highly recommend. This felt like the best restaurant spot in Split!

Day 1: Dubrovnik

There are many options for getting from Split to Dubrovnik. We took a bus which I wouldn’t recommend unless that is your only option. I think the best way of transportation would be to take a ferry from Split to Dubrovnik.

–Game of Thrones Tour – If you are a Game of Thrones fan, this tour is a must. We booked this tour as soon as we arrived in Dubrovnik and went straight to old Town to meet our guide. The tour we took was short so it won’t take up much of your time. It is so cool getting to see exact location of where Game of Thrones was filmed. One of our favorite parts was seeing the “Shame” stairs. Our guide also was an extra in Game of Thrones so it was really good to hear insight from someone who was actually on set. Below is the link for the tour we took.
https://static.tacdn.com/AttractionProductReview-g295371-d14007472-Game_of_Thrones_Tour-Dubrovnik_Dubrovnik_Neretva_County_Dalmatia.html?m=19905
–Fort Lovrijenac and Blackwater Bay – I got to see this on the Game of Thrones tour but if you decide against going on the tour, head over to Blackwater Bay which is at the bottom of Fort Lovrijenac. From the Fort, you will see some incredible views of Old Town.
– Walk Old Town – Old Town is pretty awesome. If you have seen Game of Thrones, you truly feel like you are in the middle of a castle/village. Being inside the walls has a really cool vibe. You will find several bars, restaurants and shops here.
–Walk the City Walls – Not only can you walk within old town, you can walk on the walls which gives an amazing view of Dubrovniks city. We walked this a little before the sun was setting and it was perfect. You get different views as you continue walking through the walls. There is a restaurant where you can get refreshing fruity drinks while you are up here also. You can buy tickets at any of the entrances and you won’t need to book this ahead of time.
–Stara Loza Rooftop Restaurant – The rooftop section wasn’t open but we were able to eat out front of the restaurant on their patio. Regardless, the food was incredible. I got the squid ink risotto and this was by far one of the best meals I’ve had. The service here was really good – they put on the heaters for us outside once the sun was down and gave us blankets.
–Game of Thrones “Shame” Stairs – We ended our night sitting on the shame stairs drinking. There is a walk up window right next to the stairs where you can order all different types of drinks. We met so many cool people and it ended up being a really fun night. There is nothing like passing a bottle of wine around with a bunch of new friends from all around the world.

Fort Lovrijenac

Day 2: Day Trip to Montenegro

Montenegro is so beautiful and it is so close to Croatia that you should definitely devote an extra day to visiting this country and why not knock another country off the bucket list? There are several day trips you can take and all are very similar. Here is the link to the day trip I took.
https://static.tacdn.com/AttractionProductReview-g295371-d11452045-Montenegro_Full_Day_Trip_from_Dubrovnik-Dubrovnik_Dubrovnik_Neretva_County_Dalmati.html?m=19905
One day trip I did not take but I wish I had if I had an extra day is to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This country also looks so beautiful and is so close to Croatia. Both of these trips to different countries are perfect day trips and I feel you get to see a lot in the short time you are there. Here is my day in Montenegro.

–Altstadt (Old Town) Budva – We started our Montenegro trip here. As soon as you’re off the bus there are several restaurants right on the water. We sat at one of the first restaurants we saw and had some really great seafood! The tour guide will tell you which restaurants are the best to go to. After eating, we got to take some time to walk around and explore Old Town and it was really nice!
–Kotor Old City – The one time we didn’t bring our jackets we got caught in the pouring rain! Kotor is also really cool within the city walls. There were many restaurants, bars and shopping. There is also a walk you can do that overlooks all of Kotor. If it wasn’t raining out I would have definitely done this but we opted for some wine and ice cream instead.
–Our Lady of the Rocks – This was the last stop of the day and my favorite stop. This is a small island that is a 5 minute boat ride away. The views from this island are nothing short of amazing. I could have sat here all day. The church on the island has a baby blue colored roof. Everything about the views here were insane. This was the perfect ending to this day trip.

Our Lady of the Rocks

Day 3: Dubrovnik

–Oyster and Sushi Bar Bota– We started our day at another restaurant right below Oyster and Sushi Bar Bota to get oysters. Don’t forget to try Croatia’s oysters, they are so good! We came here next to get sushi and drinks and everything tasted really good!
–Lokrum Island – This is a small island right off Dubrovnik. There are trails that take you to different areas of the island. You will find the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones in one of the buildings. There is also a “dead sea” area that you can float in. I was pretty upset I didn’t bring my bathing suit with me to this island. It was really relaxing here with ocean views and views of other islands in the area.
-Blue Cave and Island Tour – As I said before – I didn’t have enough time in Dubrovnik to do this as I intended to do this in Split before it got cancelled. If you have that extra day you should absolutely take this tour.
–Banje Beach – This is a very popular beach in Dubrovnik. The weather wasn’t warm enough to sit on the beach but we had to walk by this every time we went to and from old town.
–Buza Bar – I really loved this bar. You are sitting on rocks overlooking the ocean. What more could you want?
–SRD – Panorama Restaurant – There is usually a cable car that can take you up to this restaurant but the cable car wasn’t running so the only other way to get here is by taxi. Our taxi driver made sure to stop at a point to show us some amazing views and to take pictures. We grabbed a drink and an appetizer at this restaurant and took in the views. You could see all of Dubrovnik from here. This is definitely worth going to if you love a good view like I do!
–Cave Bar More – This bar you are literally inside of a cave. We decided to get a drink outside first on the water to watch the sunset. After, we went back inside this cave bar for another drink before heading out. This bar is a bit out of the way and you will need to take a taxi here.
–Fish Restaurant Proto – We ended our last day at this restaurant. It felt like a high end restaurant. The service and the food was really amazing. I got a truffle pasta (I love everything truffe) and we got burrata and oysters (the second time that day because I got Melissa hooked) as an appetizer.
–Culture Club Revlin – We went to this club at the end of the night. We were told by so many people that this is one of the top clubs in the world. I can’t say I agree with that but it was still a fun experience. It was different from any type of club I’ve been to but it felt like it was big for tourists. I would rather go to a sit down bar and chat with the locals in my opinion but to each their own!