Of course, it’s impossible to see the entire Croatia in just 10 days. Croatia is diverse, bright, colourful and unique, and the route we offer will allow you to see the most significant sites of the country.
So, without further ado, we introduce “See the entire Croatia in 10 days yourself”
The supposed journey begins in Zagreb airport and ends in Dubrovnik. But if you’d rather do it the other way around, feel free to enjoy your holiday the way you like.
So, buckle up, cause you’re up for an exciting 10-day long adventure. The first thing you wanna do is to rent a car right at the airport in Zagreb, to make the trip cheaper – just don’t forget to arrange for it to be returned in Dubrovnik
Returning the car at the airport that’s different from the one you’ve originally rented it in might be a tad bit more expensive, but significantly more comfortable.
Day 1: arrival to the airport of the City of Zagreb
The Croatian roads are rather high-quality, which means you wouldn’t neccesserily need to rent a SUV-type of car. The best course of action is to pick the right car option basing off how many people are travelling with you and how much luggage you have.
Here are the “live” online examples of the car rental price at the airport of Zagreb by the biggest rent-a-car aggregator in Europe:
An optimal choice of the hotel in Zagreb would be something close to the centre of the city with the parking available.
… more about the hotels in the centre of Zagreb
Day 2: getting to know Zagreb – the main sights of Zagreb in 1 day
If you enjoy getting an overview of the city under the supervision of a knowledgeable local, you might enjoy starting the day off with a local guide. A typical tour in Zagreb doesn’t take more than 2 hours. You can wander around on your own, taking things at your own pace, or hire a professional guide to make sure you make the most of your time.
… more on what you can see and do in Zagreb in 1 day
If you are in Zagreb, it’s imperative you try the national dish – strukli.
Shtrukli / Štrukli are a traditional meal of Croatian cuisine; it’s main ingredient is cottage cheese. There are two main varieties of strukli – boiled or baked, sweet or savoury ;)
… read more The best shtrukli in Zagreb: where to eat?
Day 3: live in the unmatched atmosphere of the Croatian Zagorje
Surrounding Zagreb are the multiple wonderful and authentic towns and Medieval monuments.
Realistically one could spend weeks exploring all that the Zagorje region has to offer.
However, we only have a day, so we’ve got to make the most of it…
In just 80 km from Zagreb, you can find the town of Varazdin – the city of angels.
The picturesque little streets, the museum of angels, countless authentic cafes and the medieval fortress – all that will gently submerge you into the pacifying world of the countryside life from the past centuries.
On the way to Varazdin, make a stop to pay a visit to the Maria Bistrica – the sacred place dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the mother of god.
Every year it’s visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, who come to worship the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary.
… read more about Marija Bistrica
After experiencing the Varaždin, we recommend you visit Trakoscan.
Trakošcan – located 40 km from Varazdin – is a perfectly preserved monument of medieval architecture and the way of life in general.
On the way back from Zagreb, have a lovely evening meal in a restaurant of the local cuisine – Vuglec Breg.
Vuglec Breg is a restaurant and a pansion, a full-on relaxation guaranteed for your soul and your stomach. It’s surrounded by the picture-perfect green hills and the “gingerbread” houses of Zagorje, in the silence only disturbed by the chirping of birds.
Locals from all over Croatia come there to feast and rest.
Day 4: The Plitvice Lakes National Park – the natural phenomenon and the UNESCO monument
In just a two-hour drive from Zagreb, lies the pride of Croatia – Plitvice Lakes National Park.
The park was listed as a world UNESCO monument in 1979 and is rightfully considered to be one of Europe’s most beautiful attractions.
IMPORTANT! The tickets to visit the park must be ordered online in advance
… read more about Plitvice Lakes
It’s best to take about 4 hours to enjoy all that the park has to offer.
On the way to the highway that should lead us to the Croatian seaside, make a stop at the Gradina restaurant.
Gradina is an outstanding restaurant, working since 1995; since it opened, the restaurant has managed to receive multiple awards for the quality of its dishes.
The restaurant offers the authentic meals of the Croatian forest region Lika: the dishes made from the wild boar, roe, bear, and cured deer meat.
… more about the Gradina restaurant
Wait for us, SEA :))
… to be continued “Croatia in 10 days” part 2
All texts and photographs on the page by author’s OlgaK
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