Guide to Croatia | Split, Brac Zagreb

A low-key 11 day travel guide to Split, Brac and Zagreb. Below you’ll find activities and eats for each day. The itinerary and photos were jointly created by me and my family. Croatia was beautiful and I’d highly recommend, until next time!

Day 0 | Overnight Travel Day

ATL - JFK - ZAG - SPL

It was slightly cheaper to fly from New York to Zagreb so we flew from Atlanta to New York first. Next time, I’d recommend flying from Atlanta directly to Split with a layover in Amsterdam or Paris and include Dubrovnik into the itinerary.

Day 1 | Arrival Day in Split

Our Airbnb was located 20-30 minutes walking away from the Old Town. I would’t recommend it so I haven’t linked it. I would recommend staying closer to Old Town where there are many shops, restaurants and sites including Diocletian’s Palace.

After settling in an unpacking, we had dinner at Velo Misto. This was our first meal in Croatia and it did not disappoint. We were hungry and jet-lagged and this meal was exactly what we needed. One of the best parts about eating with my family is we all love food and we all love to share so we typically order a bunch of different dishes to try and share. I’d recommend the grilled whole fish. We traveled in August which is high season. I’d highly recommend making dinner reservations in advance because most restaurants will fill up.

Day 2 | Sightseeing in Split

Our first full day in Split was filled with sightseeing. We began the day at Diocletian’s Palace which was built for the Roman emperor Diocletian over 1,700 years ago. It is a beautiful piece of architecture with many different components. The palace one of the most preserved monuments of Roman architecture.Budget a few hours to explore the whole complex. Within walking distance is the Temple of Jupiter, the Vestibule and the Bell Tower of the Cathedral of Saint Dominus.

The climb to the top of the bell tower is worth it. The view is breathtaking and the breeze that flows in helps to cool you down. Buy tickets in the morning because the ticket office does close for a brief lunch break at midday. When the ticket office closes, this is the best time to climb the tower. Otherwise, there is quite a line.

For a sweet break, stop at Os Kalta. They have beautifully crafted sweets and coffee and tables outside. We bought a lemon cake for my dad’s birthday and it was the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Plus, they also offered free delivery which was extremely convenient after a day of sightseeing.

We had lunch at Konoba Korta, a great spot in Old Town with good service and food. We were tired and sweaty and this was a much needed break. They’re known for their little red pot dishes. After lunch, we shopped around for about an hour. It was nice but there isn’t a particular store I would recommend. There is a beautiful printmaking shop underneath Dicoletian’s Palace. I fell in love with a framed fish etching but couldn’t justify overloading my suitcase with it.

The day concluded with dinner at Kadena, a restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide. This restaurrant came highly recommended. However, I found it slightly overpriced and not worth the hype. service was good, but I’d try somewhere else next time.

Day 3 | Beach Day

A slow morning transitioned into lunch at Dvor. Dvor has beautiful outdoor seating with delicious food and great service. The ceviche was so good we had to order it three times.

Plaza Firule is directly connected below Dvor by a winding stone and dirt staircase. If you’re searching for a low key day, comes to the beach here, have lunch at Dvor and then head back to the beach. This beach is very crowded and many people do end up laying out on the stone walkway. Find a spot and relax with the hot cement keeping you warm after a chilly dip in the water.

We didn’t make it to the more well known Bacvice beach, but I would recommend fitting it into your schedule if you can.

The day wrapped up with Konova Barkarola. This is another restaurant I wouldn’t recommend. There are a lot of great restaurants in Split, but many do fill up and require reservations so remember to book early.

Day 4 | Boat Tour

This was our boat day. We chose a half day afternoon departure tour. Many of the tours filled up, so I’d recommend booking early. Before we hopped on the boat, we had lunch at Konoba Fetivi. We ordered a mix of dishes to share including sardines, chard and salad. Nothing particularly memorable but still good.

The tour started off with the Blue Lagoon, a beautiful place to swim and snorkel off the coast of Trogir. This place is famous due to the vibrant turquoise color of the ocean.

Trogir is a historic city in Croatia and is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites for its Venetian architecture. Trogir is home to the Kamerlengo Fortress. It costs a few kuna to enter and you can explore and climb around. After exploring Trogir, we headed off to Labadus Bay — we anchored away from the shore and got to swim in crystal clear dark blue water.

Our boat day concluded with dinner at Konoba Nevera. After a few misses, I was pleasantly surprised at this restaurant. The food here was delicious and I would highly recommend. We loved the octopus salad and whole grilled fish drizzled with their homemade olive oil.

Day 5 | Tour Day & Last Day in Split

In order to see as much as possible, we opted to do a second boat tour which included different sites. The day began at Krka Waterfalls. Due to current restrictions, we weren’t allowed to swim. We walked through the park towards Skradinski Buk and then took a boat out of the park towards Sibenik. Skradinski buk is the longest and most commonly visited waterfall on the Krka River. The other lake worth checking out that we didn’t have time for are the Pltivice Lakes.

Sibenik is a beautiful city along the Adriatic coast home to the Cathedral of St. James with 71 sculpted faces. We stopped here for a couple hours to wander and eat. We chose Bistro Luce & Brigita away from the main square and the crowds.

Our final stop happened to be one of my favorite beaches: Primosten Beach. The water is crystal clear and deep. It’s the perfect place to spend a whole day or week swimming. I’m looking forward to returning here.

Dinner at Konoba Zeneta was fine but unmemorable.

Day 6 | Ferry to Brac Island

From Split, we took a ferry to Brac island and checked in to the Zlatni Rat Beach Hotel. We stayed here because it’s right above Zlatni Rat Beach or the Golden Horn Beach. Since we were early, we ate lunch at the Veranda Restaurant, a casual restaurant attached to our hotel with a great view of Zlatni Rat Beach. We loved the squid ink risotto, Swiss chard and fried calamari. Once we got settled in, we headed straight down to the beach.

Zlatni Rat Beach is also called the Golden Horn Beach due to its shape. It’s a beautiful and bustling beach with clear water. Our favorite spot is underneath the large pine tress. It’s the perfect place to take a nap, read, have a snack and then go swimming. The water is crystal clear and deep. I loved the market area with a lot of different options for food. There are smoothies, fried calamari, grain bowls, crepes, fresh fruit, coffee stands and more.

It’s said that the sea will occasionally turn up snail shells known as “lucky rocks”. If you’re lucky, you might find one of these as you’re strolling the beach.

After a long day at the beach, we walked down the road to Mali Raj, a beautiful restaurant with delicious food.

Day 7 | Beach Day at Zlatni Rat

After sightseeing, I appreciated a full beach day. We camped out at our favorite spot was a shady spot beneath the trees again, protected from the sun and more comfortable than the pebble beach.

Before sunset, we headed into Bol by taking the train. It’s an affordable and easy way to get to the city center. Trains run every half hour. We had dinner at Argento Restaurant which was located a steep walk up away from Bol. I wouldn’t return.

Day 8 | Beach Day & Last Day in Brac

We decided to check out Bijela Kuca beach, a pebble beach near the Dominican monastery for a few hours in the morning before lunch at Ribarska Kucica. This is a beautiful and busy beach but we preferred Zlatni Rat.

Ribarska Kucica is located in a beautiful location right on the corner before Bijela Kuca beach. The location is protected by the sun and wind by umbrellas and is a great place to relax and have lunch. We loved the Greek salad, cheese platter and monkfish. AFter lunch, we returned to our favorite shady spot beneath the trees at Zlatni Rat.

We went back to Bol center before dinner to wander the streets and shop. For dinner, we chose Taverna Riva. This was a delicious spot. We got reservations in the morning when we passed through. We loved the fried calamari, grilled octopus and mozzarella tomato salad.

Day 9 | Flight to Zagreb

We had quite a mishap traveling from Brac to Zagreb due to severe weather. Our flight was delayed then cancelled and we thought we would be left stranded. Luckily, they packed us all onto a bus, drove us straight onto the ferry and we made it. We had dinner at Le Bistro Esplanade and it was amazing. The service was hospitable and we loved the homemade crackers, ceviche and strukli, a baked cheese dish.

Day 10 | Sightseeing in Zagreb

For breakfast, we stopped in at Korica. It’s the perfect spot for coffee and pastries and was an easy walk down the street from our Airbnb. After breakfast, we went sightseeing around Zagreb. Our first stop was Ban Jelacic Square. This is the central square of Zagreb named after Ban Josip Jelacic, a military man and politician. This square is a central hub in the city with pastel colored buildings and a large status of Ban Josip Jelacic Statue. It’s hard to miss the square since it’s an access point for a lot of different places.

Following the square, we visited Dolac Market; an open-air farmer’s market where you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese and more. Close by is the Zagreb Cathedral. This breathtaking cathedral is the second tallest building in Croatia. When we visited, two of the spires were being renovated due to earthquake damage.

For lunch, we ate at Gallo, a restaurant we found in the Michelin Guide. We enjoyed the truffle pasta and seafood sampling.

One of my favorite parts of Zagreb was the Museum of Broken Relationships. Conceptualized in 2006, this museum grew from a traveling exhibition featuring totems from failed relationships and their corresponding stories. The Museum of Broken Relationships is a chance for individuals to turn collapse into creation by donating personal belongings as a way of acknowledging the emotional impact of the relationship and then letting go.

This is one of the most interesting museums I’ve been to. A great place to spend a few hours and contemplate on the fleeting nature of relationships.

The day ended with a walk towards St. Mark’s Church close to the Museum of Broken Relationships. This is one of the oldest architectural monuments in Zagreb. It’s distinctive due to its colorful tiled roof. When we visited, it was currently being renovated and closed to the public.

We had a casual late dinner right off of the furnicular at Uspinjaca. They had strukli, so we stopped by. The baked fish in parchment was also good.

Day 11 | Sightseeing & Last Day in Zagreb

We had Korica sourdough bread and wild blueberries for breakfast at our Airbnb before the start of our last full day.

After breakfast, we road the furnicular between the upper and lower towns. This is something to try both for the experience and if your legs are tired. It only costs a few kuna and takes a few minutes connecting you between upper and lower towns. Otherwise, you can take the stairs up — we took the stairs up twice and decided to take a break on the way down. It’s a great way to capture the view as well.

The Museum of Illusions is an interesting museum a fifteen minute walk away from the town square. There are two levels with different illusions and puzzles to stimulate your mind and make you think. It's a quirky and entertaining place to spend a few hours.

Make a reservation for dinner or come to Restaurant Agava for lunch. This restaurant is featured in the Michelin Guide and can get packed at night. We had a reservation for dinner but decided to come for lunch instead so we could enjoy the outdoor seating in the daylight. It’s a beautiful restaurant with really great food. Service was slow but they did make up for it with a delicious complimentary chocolate cake. For reference, lunch took three hours so book extra time into your schedule.

For an afternoon pick-me-up, we found Cogito Coffee. It’s a quaint coffee shop tucked into a corner with friendly service, outdoor seating and adequate lattes. One of my favorite parts about traveling is slowing down for conversation. We enjoyed chatting and taking a moment to be present at this cafe and a little caffeine break is always welcome. Afterwards, we wandered the street and spent some time enjoying the weather chatting in the park.

To conclude our last day, we at dinner at Le Bistro Esplanade once again because we enjoyed the food and service so much.

Summary

I’d recommend splitting your trip if you can to balance sightseeing and relaxation time. It’s quite hot in August and the beach time at Zlatni Rat was a much needed reprieve.

My favorite food spots: Os Kalta for sweets, Dvor for lunch and Le Bistro Esplanade for dinner

My favorite beach: Zlatni Rat

My favorite museum: Museum of Broken Relationships

Check out the three reels I posted on IG: Split, Brac and Zagreb for video format.

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Guide to Croatia | Split, Brac, Zagreb