7 Days in Croatia

Arrive at Dubrovnik Airport (DBV). Shuttle bus to Old Town. Check into Hotel Kompas (4★, €160/night) on Lapad Peninsula with sea views.

Walk the Dubrovnik City Walls (€35/person, 2 km). The best €35 you'll spend — 360° views of terracotta roofs and the Adriatic. Go clockwise from Pile Gate.

Stradun — the limestone-paved main street. Gelato at Gianni, then ride the cable car to Mount Srđ ($27 round-trip) for sunset over the Old Town and islands.

Dinner at Pantarul ($30/person) in Lapad — creative Dalmatian cuisine. The slow-cooked veal and truffle pasta are outstanding.

Ferry to Lokrum Island (€27 round-trip, 15 min) — a nature reserve with peacocks, botanical gardens, a Benedictine monastery, and the "Dead Sea" salt lake for swimming.

Return to Old Town. Lunch at Barba ($12/person) — hole-in-the-wall seafood in the Old Town.

Game of Thrones walking tour (€25/person) — see King's Landing locations: the Red Keep (Fort Lovrijenac), the Walk of Shame stairs (Jesuit Staircase), and the Iron Throne.

Swim at Banje Beach — the beach with the Old Town as backdrop. Rented sunbeds or just a towel on the pebbles.

Dinner at Nautika ($80/person) — the finest restaurant in Dubrovnik, set on a terrace over the sea at Pile Gate. The tasting menu with Adriatic seafood is spectacular.

Catamaran from Dubrovnik to Hvar (3.5 hrs, €50/person, Krilo/Jadrolinija). Book upper deck seats for the best views of the Dalmatian islands.

Arrive Hvar. Check into Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel (4★, €220/night) on the waterfront. Rooftop pool with harbor views.

Lunch at Dalmatino ($25/person) — the best pasta on the island. The truffle gnocchi is legendary.

Explore Hvar Town: the Arsenal, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the Franciscan Monastery.

Climb to the Spanish Fortress (Fortica, €8/person) — 20 min uphill through a pine forest. The view of Hvar Town and the Pakleni Islands is the best in Dalmatia.

Dinner at Gariful ($55/person) — the see-and-be-seen seafood restaurant on the harbor. Then Hvar nightlife: cocktails at Hula Hula Beach Bar ($10/ drink) until late.

Water taxi to the Pakleni Islands (€7 each way, 15 min) — a chain of pine-covered islands. Start at Palmizana on Sveti Klement — a botanical garden island with sandy coves.

Lunch at Laganini Lounge Bar ($30/person) on Palmizana — feet-in-the-sand dining. The Dalmatian platter and rosé are perfect.

Boat-hop to Jerolim (nudist island, be warned) or Stipanska for Carpe Diem Beach Club (music, cocktails, swimming). Water taxis run all day.

Return to Hvar. Explore the lavender fields above the town (June-July bloom, but lavender products are sold year-round). Buy lavender oil — Hvar's signature export.

Dinner at Konoba Menego ($30/person) — traditional Dalmatian tavern in the old town. No menu, just what's fresh. The octopus peka (cooked under a bell) if available.

Catamaran from Hvar to Split (1 hr, €20/person).

Check into Hotel Vestibul Palace (4★, €170/night) — a boutique hotel built into Diocletian's Palace walls.

Diocletian's Palace (free to wander, UNESCO) — a living Roman palace from 305 AD with 220 buildings inside its walls. Walk the Peristyle, see the Egyptian sphinx, and descend to the cellars.

Lunch at Villa Spiza ($15/person) — a tiny 8-seat kitchen in the old town cooking whatever the market had that morning.

Climb the Cathedral of St. Domnius bell tower (€8/person) — the views of Split's terracotta rooftops and the harbor are spectacular.

Marjan Hill: rent a bike ($15/half-day) and cycle the forested trails. The viewpoint above the city (Vidilica café) has the best panorama.

Dinner at ZOI ($40/person) — a rooftop restaurant with panoramic harbor views. Mediterranean-Asian fusion with great cocktails.

Drive 1 hr to Krka National Park (€40/person entry peak season). Arrive at Lozovac entrance. Walk the 2 km loop past 7 waterfalls — the most famous is Skradinski Buk, a 400m-long cascade.

Drive to Šibenik (20 min). Lunch at Pelegrini ($50/person) — Michelin-starred Dalmatian fine dining next to the Cathedral of St. James.

Explore Šibenik: St. James Cathedral (UNESCO, €5/person), the medieval streets, and St. Michael's Fortress for views of the islands.

Return to Split. Rest.

Farewell dinner at Dvor ($45/person) — a terrace restaurant above the Split waterfront. Adriatic seafood and excellent Croatian wines. The sunset over the harbor is the perfect farewell.

Morning walk through the Fish Market (Ribarnica) — locals buying the morning catch in a beautiful Art Nouveau building since 1890.

Breakfast at Fig ($10/person) — a charming restaurant in the palace walls. The "Sweet Fig" toast is famous.

Last exploration of the palace cellars and the Golden Gate. Visit the Gregory of Nin statue — rub his big toe for luck.

Depart for Split Airport (SPU). Bus from the waterfront (€4, 30 min) or Uber (€25). Arrive 2 hours before flights.