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Croatia in 14 days: Zadar, the Kornati, Šibenik and Split, day by day

Fourteen days in central Dalmatia: the Roman forum and Sea Organ of Zadar, the Zrmanja canyon by canoe, Ugljan and Pašman, Dugi Otok and the cliffs of Telašćica, a day by boat in the Kornati, the Cathedral of St James in Šibenik, Krka National Park, Trogir, Salona and Diocletian's Palace in Split.

Compiled by Kylian, updated on Oct 5, 2026

Split seen from above, the cathedral bell tower, the waterfront and the mountains behind
  • 14 days
  • 32 places
  • 14 nights
  • fast pace
Start
Zadar
End
Split
Main transport
Rental car, ferries to Ugljan, Pašman and Dugi Otok with the car, a day by boat in the Kornati, the park boat on the Krka, and the island of Šolta by bike while the car stays in Split
Recommended season
High season, June to September: the only period when the island ferries, the excursions and the Krka park boats run at full strength; July and August bring 30 to 33 °C (86 to 91 °F) and heavy crowds in Split and at Krka

What you get

  • The complete itinerary: 14 days sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Hotel
  • The card of every hotel, with the address and a direct booking link
  • Quota tickets, fixed-date tickets and surcharges flagged in advance
  • The country quick guide: weather, transport, formalities, budget
  • A PDF file of 25 pages

What the price does not include

  • Flights
  • Hotel nights
  • Tickets and admission fees
  • Travel insurance
  • On-the-ground assistance during your trip

The itinerary preview

The free day in full, with its hotel card. This is the sample.

Day 7

Šibenik and its three fortresses

Morning

St James's Cathedral, UNESCO

An hour and a quarter's drive from Zadar. The cathedral took more than a century to rise, from 1431 to 1536, and it is built entirely of stone, with neither wood nor mortar: the slabs interlock, including the dome and the barrel vault, a technique unique in Europe. Along the outer cornice runs a frieze of 71 carved heads, portraits of townspeople of the 15th century, the work of George the Dalmatian. Listed as a World Heritage Site in 2000.

Old town, Republic Square and Rector's Palace

Šibenik is not a Roman foundation but a Croatian one: mentioned in 1066 in a charter of King Petar Krešimir IV, it is the oldest Croatian town on the Adriatic. The old town is one continuous staircase of narrow lanes, with three fortresses above and a fourth out at sea. The Renaissance town loggia faces the cathedral across Republic Square; the Rector's Palace, on the quayside, houses the town museum.

Afternoon

St Michael's, Barone and St John's fortresses

St Michael's dominates the town from its rock, restored as an open-air stage that hosts concerts in summer. Barone, built in 1646 against the Ottomans, has kept its network of underground passages and a panoramic terrace. St John's, the highest, closes the system to the north: three fortresses for a single channel, which says enough about the town's strategic position.

Good to know

St Michael's, Barone and St John's fortresses (Tvrđava kulture): tickets at the ticket office of each fortress, joint ticket for all three valid for 7 days from the first visit. St Michael's is open in principle from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Barone from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, last entry half an hour before closing. St James's Cathedral (tourist office): paid entry, open every day from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM from June to November, 7:30 PM in spring.

Hotel · Night 7

D-Resort Šibenik

A contemporary hotel on the Mandalina marina, three kilometers (1.9 mi) from the old town, ten minutes by car. Three nights, a base for exploring Krka, Skradin and Primošten.

Address
· Obala Jerka Šižgorića 1, 22000 Šibenik
Website
· slh.com (new tab)
Check-in
from 3:00 PM · Check-out before 12:00 noon
Book this hotel (new tab) affiliate link

Buy this itinerary

€39 incl. tax

that is €2.79 per day of travel

Billed in euros. If your card is in another currency, your bank converts at its own rate.

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  • Available immediately in your customer account: online reading with clickable booking links, downloadable PDF for offline use
  • Method: what is checked, and when

A hotel in the itinerary closed or impossible to find, a place to visit permanently closed?

Within 12 months of purchase, email contact@etaperia.com

Itinerary corrected within 7 days, or refunded in full. Terms in article 12 of the terms of sale, on top of the legal warranty (new tab)

€39 incl. tax · 14 days

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A question before buying? Email Kylian, reply within 2 business days.

The day-by-day rundown

  1. Day 1 Zadar, the forum and the Sea Organ Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  2. Day 2 The Zrmanja canyon by canoe Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  3. Day 3 Ugljan and Pašman, the islands opposite Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  4. Day 4 Dugi Otok and Telašćica park Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  5. Day 5 Sakarun, Veli Rat and sea kayaking Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  6. Day 6 The Kornati by boat Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  7. Day 7 Šibenik and its three fortresses Free
  8. Day 8 Krka National Park Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  9. Day 9 Bribirska Glavica and Primošten Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  10. Day 10 Trogir, the museum town Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  11. Day 11 Salona and Klis Fortress Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  12. Day 12 Diocletian's Palace Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  13. Day 13 Marjan, Meštrović and island preparations Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  14. Day 14 Šolta by bike Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF

1 day is free to read above. The other 13 unlock when you buy. Buy the itinerary, €39

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Country quick guide and logistics

The essentials of the country, scannable in ten seconds.

Weather and when to go

  • A stage written for the high season, the only period when the island ferries, the excursions and the Krka park boats run at full strength. July and August: 30 to 33 °C (86 to 91 °F), sea at 24 or 25 °C (75 or 77 °F), heavy crowds in Split and at Krka.
  • The bora can cancel trips out to sea even in summer: the Kornati day, on day 37, is decided the day before. On day 36, the east coast of Dugi Otok remains paddleable by kayak even in a moderate bora.
  • On the Zrmanja, on day 33, the descent switches from canoe to raft if the water level is high. At Krka, on day 39, swimming at the foot of Skradinski buk has not been allowed since 2021.

Transport and permits

  • The ferries of the stage: Zadar-Preko (twenty-five minutes) and Tkon-Biograd on day 34, Zadar-Brbinj on day 35 with the return by the evening ferry on day 37, Split-Rogač (about an hour) on day 45. Book crossings with a vehicle in advance in high season and arrive an hour before boarding.
  • For Šolta the car stays in Split: the ferry takes the bikes, rented the day before, and the time of the last sailing back frames the day (two to four sailings a day depending on the season). The return from the Kornati also hinges on the evening ferry from Brbinj, a time to pin down before booking the excursion.
  • Road transfers: an hour from Zadar to Kaštel Žegarski on day 33, an hour and a quarter from Zadar to Šibenik on day 38, thirty-five minutes from Trogir to Split on day 41. At Krka, go in through Skradin, where the park's shuttle boat replaces the car as far as the falls. Parking is saturated during the day in Split and Trogir.

Formalities and safety

  • No visa: Croatia has been in the European Union since 2013 and in the Schengen area since January 1, 2023. EU citizens travel on an identity card or a passport. US and UK citizens need a passport valid three months after departure and may stay 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area, which covers the full 66-day route; a UK passport must also be under 10 years old. The ETIAS authorization is planned: check travel-europe.europa.eu.
  • Your driving license is accepted (carry an international permit if the rental company asks for one). The UK GHIC covers state healthcare only and US visitors need medical insurance: take out travel insurance. Trogir cathedral and St Domnius in Split are places of worship: shoulders and knees covered.
  • Bookings to make: the canoe trip on the Zrmanja (day 33, leaving Kaštel Žegarski at 10:00 AM) and the day in the Kornati from Sali (day 37, 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, twelve people at most). The Krka boat excursion to Visovac and Roški slap, on day 39, can only be booked on the spot.

Budget and meals

  • The euro has been the official currency since January 1, 2023. Cards are accepted everywhere in town; cash is useful in village konobas, on the islands and at small landing stages.
  • Allow €12 to €18 for a dish of the day and €25 to €45 for a fish dinner by the sea, more in Split's old town and on the harbor in Trogir.
  • Prices given in the guide: Krka National Park, €40 per adult from June to September (official 2026 rates), plus €15 for the boat to Visovac or €20 with Roški slap; Klis fortress, €12; the Salona site, €8, or €10 with the Split Archaeological Museum; Meštrović Gallery, €12; Museum of Ancient Glass in Zadar, €7.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I receive?

Your Étaperia itinerary, available immediately in your customer account after payment: readable online with clickable booking links, and downloadable as a PDF for the trip. Every day is sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening and says where you spend the night, with the address and booking link for each place to stay. Timed-entry tickets are flagged in advance.

How is this better than what an AI gives me?

A generative AI composes a plausible list in seconds, without saying what was checked or when. At Étaperia, every itinerary is compiled day by day, with the booking constraints spotted before it is too late to get them. The Method page says what is checked, against which source and on what date.

Can I adapt it to my dates and my pace?

Yes. The days are self-contained blocks: you can shift the departure, stretch a stage or skip a day without breaking what follows. Only timed-entry tickets require adjusting the dates accordingly, and they are all flagged.

What if a hotel or a place in the itinerary has closed?

Email contact@etaperia.com within 12 months of your purchase. If a hotel in the itinerary is closed or can no longer be found, or a place to visit has closed permanently, the itinerary is corrected in your customer account within 7 days, or you are refunded in full. A hotel fully booked on your dates, a seasonal closure or a change in opening hours or prices is not covered. This guarantee comes on top of the legal warranty of conformity; details in article 12 of the terms and conditions of sale.

Module, classic or complete itinerary: which one should I choose?

A classic is a short trip built to stand on its own, designed for a first visit to the country. A module covers one region in depth. The complete itinerary crosses the whole country, and buying it also unlocks each of its modules in your customer account.

Can I get a refund if the itinerary doesn't suit me?

No. It is digital content delivered right away, and you waive your right of withdrawal at checkout. To judge before you pay, every product page gives one full day for free and the list of every stop. After purchase, the guarantee applies: a closed hotel or a permanently closed place is corrected within 7 days, otherwise you get a refund.

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In the same country

This module is one leg of the full itinerary: Complete Croatia itinerary: 66 days, hotels and bookings

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