Highlights of Croatia: Mainland to Coast

Welcome to Croatia's capital. Your driver meets you at Zagreb Airport (ZAG) and transfers you into the city center. Check in to your hotel in the Lower Town (Donji Grad), within walking distance of the main square (Trg bana Jelačića).

Afternoon at leisure. Zagreb rewards a first walk: the Lower Town's Austro-Hungarian boulevards, the green horseshoe of parks, and the Dolac market (the open-air farmers' market above the main square). Welcome dinner at a specialist-selected restaurant.

Morning: guided walking tour of Zagreb's Upper Town (Gornji Grad) — the medieval quarter on the hill above the city. St. Mark's Church (the mosaic-tiled roof depicting the coats of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia), the Lotrščak Tower (the cannon fires at noon every day), the Stone Gate (a shrine built into the medieval city gate), and Zagreb Cathedral.

Afternoon: the Museum of Broken Relationships (Croatia's most unusual museum — donated objects from failed relationships, each with its story) or the Mimara Museum (European art collection in a neo-Renaissance palace). Evening: Tkalčićeva Street — the pedestrianised bar-and-restaurant lane that is Zagreb's social center.

Morning: private transfer from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes National Park (approximately 2 hours south through the Croatian countryside). Plitvice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — 16 terraced lakes connected by waterfalls cascading through a forested limestone canyon.

Afternoon: guided walk through the Upper Lakes (the smaller, higher lakes with the most dramatic waterfalls) and the Lower Lakes (the larger, calmer turquoise pools). The boardwalk trails wind at water level so you walk alongside and over the falls. Your specialist has booked timed entry and arranged the visit to avoid the midday tour-bus peak. Check in to your Plitvice hotel (lodges near the park entrance). Evening at leisure.

Morning: optional second Plitvice visit (the Lower Lakes at dawn, when the park is empty and the light on the water is extraordinary) or depart directly. Private transfer from Plitvice to Zadar (approximately 1.5 hours to the Adriatic coast).

Arrive Zadar early afternoon. Zadar is the underrated gem of the Croatian coast — a 3,000-year-old city on a peninsula jutting into the Adriatic, with Roman ruins, Venetian architecture, and two installations that define the modern city. The Sea Organ (underwater pipes that turn wave energy into music — the Adriatic plays a different chord with every swell) and the Sun Salutation (a solar-powered LED circle that creates a light show at sunset). Check in. Evening: Zadar's waterfront at sunset — Alfred Hitchcock reportedly called it the most beautiful sunset in the world.

Morning: guided walking tour of Zadar's old town — the Roman Forum (the largest Roman-era public space on the eastern Adriatic), the Cathedral of St. Anastasia (Romanesque, 12th–13th century, climb the bell tower for panoramic views), the Church of St. Donatus (9th-century Byzantine round church, now a concert venue), and the medieval city walls (UNESCO).

Afternoon: Zadar archipelago boat excursion (optional) — the islands of Ugljan and Pašman are a short ferry ride from the city, or a boat trip to the Kornati National Park (a surreal archipelago of 89 barren limestone islands). Or free time in the old town. Evening: dinner at a konoba on the Riva waterfront.

Morning: private transfer from Zadar to Split (approximately 2.5 hours along the coastal road, with views of the Adriatic islands). Optional stop in Šibenik — the Cathedral of St. James (UNESCO, the only cathedral in Europe built entirely of stone without mortar) and the fortress of St. Nicholas.

Arrive Split early afternoon. Split's old town is built inside Diocletian's Palace (UNESCO) — a living neighborhood within 1,700-year-old Roman walls. First walk: the Peristyle (central courtyard), the Riva waterfront promenade. Check in. Evening: dinner in the palace quarter.

Morning: guided walking tour of Diocletian's Palace — the basement halls (the vaulted Roman substructure), the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (built inside Diocletian's mausoleum), Jupiter's Temple, and the Golden Gate. Then Marjan Hill — the forested peninsula with panoramic views over the city, the islands, and the mainland mountains.

Afternoon: at leisure in Split — the Grgur Ninski statue (rub the big toe for luck), the fish market at the eastern wall, or a swim at Bäcviče beach. Evening: Split's restaurant scene — your specialist has the konoba reservation where the pašticada (Dalmatian braised beef) is the reason to visit.

The most scenic drive in Croatia. Split to Dubrovnik along the coastal road (approximately 3.5 hours) — the Adriatic on your left, the Dinaric mountains on your right, and the islands of Brač and Hvar visible offshore. Optional stop in Ston — the 'Croatian Great Wall' (3.4 miles of medieval fortification walls) and the oyster farms in Mali Ston bay (fresh oysters pulled from the Adriatic).

Arrive Dubrovnik late afternoon. Check in to your hotel. First Dubrovnik evening — a walk through the Stradun (the main limestone street of the Old Town, polished to a mirror finish by centuries of footsteps) and dinner in a candlelit courtyard restaurant.

Morning: Dubrovnik city walls walk — the complete 1.2 miles circuit of the medieval walls (your specialist times this for early morning or late afternoon when the cruise ships have departed). The views down into the Old Town's terracotta rooftops, the harbor, and Lokrum Island are the defining image of Croatia.

Afternoon: explore the Old Town at ground level — the Rector's Palace (now a history museum), the Franciscan Monastery (with the third-oldest pharmacy in Europe, operating since 1317), the Sponza Palace, and Fort Lovrijenac ('Dubrovnik's Gibraltar' — the fortress overlooking the sea). Optional: cable car to Srđ hill for the panoramic view. Farewell dinner.

Morning: Lokrum Island (15-minute ferry from Old Port) — forested nature reserve with Benedictine monastery ruins, botanical garden, and the Dead Sea saltwater lagoon. Or a final morning walk through the Old Town's quietest lanes before the day-trippers arrive.

Afternoon: transfer to Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) for your departure flight. Ten days from Zagreb to Dubrovnik — the mainland's green hills to the coast's limestone cliffs, Plitvice's waterfalls to the Adriatic's turquoise. Your Juniper specialist remains reachable throughout. Safe travels home.