ππ·π DALMATIA
CROATIA’S ADRIATIC COAST
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There’s a reason people picture Dalmatia when they dream about Croatia. Ancient stone cities tumble toward ridiculously blue water, islands scatter across the Adriatic, mountains rise behind the coastline, and one spectacular road seems to lead to another.
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Start in Split, wander through centuries of history, then follow the coast wherever the hell it takes you. Swim in hidden coves, hop over to Hvar or Vis, drink wine on KorΔula and Pelješac, stop in little seaside towns because they look too good to drive past, and eventually make your way toward the walls of Dubrovnik—the medieval walled city millions of people know as King’s Landing.
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And here’s where Dalmatia gets interesting: there isn’t one right way to do it. Road trip the coast. Base yourself in a few cities and explore from there. Jump on ferries. Charter a boat. Or unpack once and let a small ship carry you from island to island while you swim, eat, drink and wake up somewhere new.
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ROAD TRIP IT. BOAT IT. DO A LITTLE OF BOTH.
Just don’t rush it.
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THIS IS THE CROATIA YOU CAME FOR. ππ·π
ππ·ποΈ SPLIT
ANCIENT CITY. ADRIATIC ENERGY.
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Split is the kind of place where 1,700 years of history and everyday Croatian life are happening in the exact same streets. At the heart of the city is Diocletian’s Palace—but forget everything the word palace makes you picture. This isn’t some roped-off monument. Its ancient stone passageways are filled with cafés, restaurants, shops, apartments and people who actually live here.
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Spend your days wandering the palace, drinking coffee along the Riva, eating your way through the old city and heading up Marjan Hill when you want a little nature and a hell of a view. Then look toward the water, because Split is also one of Dalmatia’s great jumping-off points for islands, swimming, boating and whatever adventure comes next.
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GIVE SPLIT 2–3 DAYS. EXPLORE THE CITY. EAT WELL. STAY OUT LATE. THEN SEE WHERE THE ADRIATIC TAKES YOU. ππ·π
ποΈπ HISTORY — KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU’RE LOOKING AT----SPLIT WALKING TOUR WITH A HISTORIAN
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WHY I PICKED IT: Because Split deserves more than somebody pointing at old buildings and reciting dates. Explore Diocletian’s Palace and Old Split with an academically trained historian, using 3D reconstructions to help bring the ancient city to life—and yes, Game of Thrones fans will recognize some familiar territory along the way.
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This one gives you the historical depth I want without paying private-tour prices. Small group, seriously well reviewed, and a hell of a lot of history packed into less than two hours.
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ROMAN EMPERORS. ANCIENT SPLIT. A LITTLE GAME OF THRONES. DONE.
ποΈ SHOW ME OLD SPLIT →
π΄β οΈπ EPIC EXPERIENCE — HOLY SHIT, WE’RE DOING THAT.
BLUE CAVE, VIS & HVAR — 5-ISLAND SPEEDBOAT ADVENTURE
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WHY I PICKED IT: Because if we're spending an entire damn day island hopping, I want the adventure without sacrificing my ass to the Adriatic.
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π This small-group speedboat has comfortable seating and SHADE—then takes you across the water to the Blue Cave, Vis, hidden swimming spots, the Pakleni Islands and Hvar.
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Swim in ridiculously blue water. Explore island towns. See old military tunnels. Have lunch and wander Hvar. Turn the music up between stops and spend the day discovering the part of Croatia you simply can't experience from the road.
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THIS IS THE DAY THAT MIGHT MAKE YOU RETHINK THE WHOLE “I'M NOT A BOAT PERSON” THING.
π€ GET ME ON THE DAMN BOAT →
π·ππ· ICONIC EXPERIENCE — LIVE LIKE A LOCAL
DALMATIAN MARKET, COOKING & WINE EXPERIENCE
WHY I PICKED IT: Because I don’t travel halfway around the world just to look at shit. I want to know how people actually live there. Take me to the market. Tell me what you’re buying. Bring me home. Pour the wine. Show me how your family cooks it. Sit down at the table and tell me a story.
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That’s what I love about this experience. You’ll explore Split’s Green Market and fish market with a local, shop for ingredients, then head back to her home to cook, eat, drink local wine and homemade liqueurs, and spend a few hours experiencing Croatia from the inside instead of simply passing through it.
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Because somewhere between the market, the kitchen and that second glass of wine, something happens: people stop feeling like strangers. You talk. You laugh. You learn a little about how somebody else lives. And maybe you realize we’re all a hell of a lot more alike than we think.
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Travel should do that.
EAT THE FOOD. MEET THE PEOPLE. LIVE THE EXPERIENCE.
World peace, bruh. βοΈπ
π· SAVE ME A SEAT AT THE TABLE →
πΉπ’ PARTY CRUISE
WAIT. WE CAN GO OUT DRINKING ON THE ADRIATIC TOO?
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WHY I PICKED IT: Yep. Apparently we can. π And this is exactly the kind of thing I would never do at home—but I would absolutely consider doing it in Split.
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Spend the afternoon cruising the Adriatic with a live DJ, drinks, dancing and a swim stop at the Blue Lagoon, then head back into Split with priority entry to the afterparty. This isn't the quiet little sunset cruise where everybody politely sips prosecco and photographs the horizon. This is the fun boat.
And if your immediate reaction is “Oh, I don't know if that's really my thing…” — GOOD. That's kind of the point.
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You're in Croatia. Put on the swimsuit. Have the drinks. Jump in the Adriatic. Dance badly with complete strangers. Stay out later than you planned. Do something you would never normally do simply because you're here and you can.
Tomorrow might hurt.
TONIGHT WE'RE ON THE ADRIATIC.
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πΉπ’ FUCK IT. WE'RE GOING →
ποΈπ THE DALMATIAN ISLANDS
THIS IS WHERE THE TROUBLE STARTS.
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Catch a ferry and spend a few nights on an island. Take a speedboat out for the day. Swim in hidden coves. Wander into an island town for lunch. Find a beach you weren't looking for. Order another glass of wine because apparently nobody has anywhere important to be.
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That's the beauty of the Dalmatian Islands: you don't have to experience them one way. Ferry between a few. Base yourself on one and explore from there. Take day trips from Split. Road trip the coast and work an island or two into the plan.
Or eventually you may look at all that water and think...β
Maybe we need a boat. π€π
π WANT TO GET OUT ON THE WATER?
Maybe you want to rent a boat for the day. Maybe you want somebody else driving while you swim, eat and explore hidden coves. Maybe it's paddleboards, kayaks, wakeboarding or a completely private day on the Adriatic with your favorite people.
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Tell me what sounds fun. I'll help you figure out the rest.
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π°π KORΔULA + PELJEŠAC
MEDIEVAL STREETS. COASTAL LIFE. VERY GOOD DECISIONS.
If the islands make you want to jump in the water, KorΔula and Pelješac make you want to slow the hell down. Wander the medieval streets of KorΔula Old Town, swim in quiet coves, kayak along the coast, find a little seaside restaurant and start wondering whether you really need to be anywhere else today.
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Across the water, the Pelješac Peninsula is made for exploring. Drive the coast, wander through small villages, hike the famous walls of Ston, eat oysters fresh from the bay, visit olive groves and local producers—or spend an afternoon tasting the wines that have made this peninsula famous.
And that's exactly how I'd do this part of Dalmatia: don't race through it.
Stay on KorΔula. Ferry over. Road trip Pelješac. Get out on the water. Eat ridiculously well. Find a beach you weren't looking for. Take the long way simply because the view is better.
THIS ISN'T A CHECK-THE-BOX STOP.
THIS IS WHERE YOU SLOW DOWN AND STAY AWHILE. ππ·π
π WANT TO DO SOMETHING DAMN GOOD WHILE YOU'RE HERE?
Kayak the coast. Bike through the countryside. Get out on a boat. Visit an oyster farm. Walk the walls of Ston. Find a hidden beach. Spend the afternoon at a winery—or skip the wine entirely and go jump in the Adriatic.
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Tell me what sounds fun. I'll help you find the experience.
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ππ° DUBROVNIK- THE BIG FINISH
MEDIEVAL WALLS. ADRIATIC VIEWS. DRAGONS OPTIONAL.
There are beautiful cities in Croatia—and then there’s Dubrovnik. Massive medieval walls rise straight above the Adriatic, terracotta rooftops spill toward the sea, and inside the gates is a maze of stone streets, hidden stairways, little restaurants, centuries of history and enough dramatic scenery to make you understand exactly why somebody looked at this place and thought, “Yep. King’s Landing.”
Walk the city walls, get completely lost inside the Old Town, kayak beneath the fortifications, ride up Mount SrΔ for one hell of a view, then come back down after dark when the day-trippers disappear and Dubrovnik starts feeling like an entirely different city.
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And yes, Game of Thrones fans—this is your moment. Walk through filming locations you’ve seen on screen, stand where some very questionable royal decisions were made, and nerd the hell out for a few hours. But even if you’ve never watched a single episode, Dubrovnik doesn’t need dragons to be spectacular.
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GIVE DUBROVNIK 2–3 DAYS. WALK THE WALLS. GET OUT ON THE WATER. STAY AFTER DARK.
THIS IS HOW YOU FINISH DALMATIA. πππ·
ππ° NERD ALERT — WINTER IS COMING.
GAME OF THRONES: WALK THROUGH KING'S LANDING
WHY I PICKED IT: Because if you watched Game of Thrones and you're standing in Dubrovnik, there is absolutely no fucking way we're pretending we don't want to see King’s Landing.
Walk through the real filming locations behind some of the show's biggest scenes—from Pile Gate and Blackwater Bay to the Red Keep and Cersei's Walk of Shame—while your guide pulls out scene comparisons and spills behind-the-scenes stories from filming in Dubrovnik.
And here's what I especially like: you're exploring the actual city while you're nerding out. Dubrovnik isn't a movie set. It's a spectacular medieval city that just happened to make a damn convincing capital of the Seven Kingdoms.
NERD ALERT? ABSOLUTELY. OWN THAT SHIT. π
π TAKE ME TO KING'S LANDING →
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Want to take this all the way? Add the Lokrum Island extension and go get your Iron Throne photo. ππ Additional ferry/island admission applies.
π£βοΈπ EPIC EXPERIENCE — SEE KING'S LANDING FROM THE WATER
KAYAK DUBROVNIK'S CITY WALLS
WHY I PICKED IT: Because after you've walked on top of Dubrovnik's walls, I want you to see it from the Adriatic.
Paddle beneath the massive stone fortifications of the Old Town, head toward Lokrum Island, then stop at Betina Cave for a swim and snorkel before making your way back toward the city. It's active, it's ridiculously scenic, and it gives you a completely different perspective on just how impressive Dubrovnik actually is.
And if the sunset departure works with your schedule? I'd take it. There's something pretty spectacular about paddling back toward those medieval walls while the sun drops over the Adriatic.
You already walked through King's Landing.
NOW GO SEE THE DAMN KINGDOM FROM THE WATER. ππ
π£βοΈ GET ME IN THE KAYAK →
π½οΈβ¨ ICONIC EXPERIENCE — WAIT. WE’RE EATING WHERE?
DINNER IN THE SKY — 50 METERS ABOVE DUBROVNIK
WHY I PICKED IT: Because apparently eating dinner at a normal fucking table wasn’t exciting enough. π
Personally, I won’t be joining you on this one (fear of heights)...but strap into your seat, get lifted 50 meters into the air, and eat dinner with Dubrovnik and the Adriatic spread out below you.
Choose from meat, fish or vegetarian menus while the chefs prepare dinner right there in the sky—and if you can catch a sunset seating, even better.
Is this how Croatians normally eat dinner?
Absolutely not! But that’s not why you're doing it.
You’re doing it because somewhere between being lifted into the air and realizing this is actually where you’re having dinner tonight, you’re probably going to look at the person next to you and say:
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"HOLY SHIT. LOOK AT THIS VIEW."
π½οΈ GET ME A TABLE IN THE SKY →
π²πͺπ§π¦ GO BEYOND CROATIA
TWO COUNTRIES. ONE DAMN DAY.
You’re already in Dubrovnik. Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina are right there. So why not go see what’s on the other side of the border?
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Spend the day crossing into two completely different countries, taking in the dramatic Bay of Kotor and medieval Kotor in Montenegro, then heading into Bosnia & Herzegovina for Trebinje and its beautiful Old Town.
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It’s a long day—but somebody else is doing the driving, navigating the roads and dealing with the border crossings while you sit back and watch the Balkans roll past your window.
And fair warning: this could completely screw up your future travel plans. π
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Because the whole point of going beyond Croatia for a day is discovering places you didn’t even know you wanted to visit.
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TODAY: TWO COUNTRIES.
TOMORROW: “GINA, I THINK I NEED A WHOLE BALKANS TRIP.”
π²πͺπ§π¦ TAKE ME ACROSS THE BORDER →
πππ’ SO…HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS?
Dalmatia is ridiculously good for independent travelers because there really isn’t a wrong answer. Grab a car and follow the coast. Ferry out to an island for a few nights. Base yourself in Split or Dubrovnik and explore from there.
Or...
get on the damn boat. π
π’ BOAT IT.
Unpack once. Wake up somewhere new. Swim straight off the boat. Wander into little island towns for dinner. Go to bed on the Adriatic and let somebody else figure out how the hell you’re getting to the next island.
LESS LOGISTICS. MORE ADRIATIC.
π + π’ OR DO BOTH.
Road trip part of Croatia, then park the car and spend a few days cruising the islands.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO PICK A TEAM.
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ππ·π’ DAMN. MAYBE I WANT THE BOAT.
