Croatia
Croatia’s coastline is the main draw, with the walled city of Dubrovnik, island-hopping around Hvar and Korčula, and turquoise water that looks almost unreal in photos. Inland, Plitvice Lakes National Park adds waterfalls and forest hiking to the mix. Zagreb, the capital, gets less attention but has a solid food and café scene. Summer gets busy and prices rise, so spring or early fall works better for a quieter trip.
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Is Zadar Worth Visiting? Pros, Cons and Travel Tips (2026)
I spent four nights in Zadar on a trip up the Dalmatian coast, sandwiched between stops in Split and Zagreb, and it ended up being the stop I talked about most once I got home. Zadar doesn’t get anywhere near the attention Dubrovnik or Split get, and most people I talked to before my trip…
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Is Dubrovnik Worth Visiting? Pros, Cons and Travel Tips (2026)
I visited Dubrovnik in early June, staying five nights inside and just outside the Old Town walls, and it remains one of the most photographed cities I’ve ever walked through in person. Dubrovnik has a reputation problem before you even arrive. Everyone has an opinion about it, usually built around two things: Game of Thrones…
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Is Split Worth Visiting? Pros, Cons and Travel Tips (2026)
I spent a week in Split last year, splitting my time between the old town and day trips out to the islands, and it’s still one of the trips I recommend most to friends planning a Croatia itinerary. Split gets compared constantly to Dubrovnik, and a lot of travelers treat it as a stopover on…
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Is Zagreb Worth Visiting? Pros, Cons and Travel Tips (2026)
I’ve now visited Zagreb twice, once in early spring and once in the middle of summer, and both trips left me with a different picture of the city. The first time, I wandered into a nearly empty Upper Town on a cold morning and had entire cobblestone streets to myself. The second time, the same…
