Into exploring culture? Croatia has to be on your list. It’s a cultural hotspot with a rich history and a vibrant food scene waiting for you to dive in.

Destination highlights

• Thousands of beaches to choose from

• One for the culture lovers

• Vibrant nightlife

• Foodie heaven

Read more about things to do in Croatia and travel advice for Croatia by clicking the lil' tabs up there 👆

Fun Facts About Croatia 🎉

• Game of Thrones Fandom Alert: Dubrovnik isn’t just a pretty face—it doubled as King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. Yep, you’ve been walking with royalty - well, kind of.

• A Sea Organ: In Zadar, there’s a literal musical instrument powered by the sea. The waves crash, and the organ sings. It’s a bit like nature’s own DJ.

• 🍻A beer costs  5 to 30 HRK (Croatian Kuna), which is about £1.70 to £3.40

Local Lingo 🗣️

Want to vibe like a local? Here’s your crash course in Croatian phrases that’ll have you fitting right in (and maybe even scoring a round on the house).

• Bok! – a classic “hello.” Super easy and works like a charm!

• Hvala! – “thank you.” You’ll use this on the daily, especially after your third coffee or cheeky pint.

• Kako si? –“How are you?”

• "Jednu Fantu limun, molim!"- for even more Fanta lemon

• Molim! – “Please” for those moments when you’re after a second helping of cevapi or need an extra napkin.

• Jedno pivo, molim. – “One beer, please.”

Brush up on these, and you’ll be chatting like a local and making new mates in record time!

Getting Around on your Croatia holidays 2025

Easy peasy! Here’s the scoop:

• ⛴️ Ferries: With over a thousand islands, ferries are your new best mate. Think of them as buses but with way better views—ideal for island-hopping your way across the Adriatic. Top routes include Split to Hvar or Dubrovnik to Korčula.

• 🚌Buses: Croatia’s buses are proper good, linking up towns, cities, and every beach worth visiting. They’re comfy, affordable, and get you from A to Beach without a fuss.

• 🚃Trains: Trains are limited, mostly covering northern Croatia and major cities, but they’re a super-chill way to travel if you’re in no rush.

Best Areas to Stay on your holidays to Croatia

For Couples ❤️

• Dubrovnik: Think romantic walks along the old city walls, sunset dinners by the sea, and picturesque views for days. Dubrovnik oozes romance for a classic couples holiday.

• Hvar: Private beaches, swanky resorts, and wine tours. Hvar’s got that swanky honeymoon vibe, so pack your best swimmers.

For Families 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

• Istria: Child-friendly beaches, charming little towns, and loads of activities like kayaking, biking, and exploring castles. The kiddos won’t know where to start.

• Split: A bit of everything—a beach, historical sights, and parks to let off steam. Plus, ice cream parlours on every corner, perfect for a family holiday to remember.

For Groups 🎉

• Zadar: Known for its popping nightlife, this town’s great for partying with your pals on your group holidays. Bars and clubs are plentiful, and the Sea Organ is a quirky spot to kick things off.

• Pag Island: Specifically, Zrće Beach. It’s the Ibiza of Croatia. Party ‘til the sun comes up, sleep, and repeat. Sorted.

What are the best beaches to visit for your Croatia holidays 2025?

With over 1,000 islands and a coastline that spans 3,600 miles, beautiful waters are around every corner on Croatia holidays, and we reckon you'll be hard pressed to find a beach you don't fall in love with instantly, but we thought we'd narrow your list a little and tell you some of our faves:

• Zrće Beach - If you’re here for the parties, this is the beach. Expect music festivals and all-night raves.

• Omis Beach - Framed by mountains, lined with pine trees, and serving soft, golden sands, it’s got that laid-back holiday vibe.

• Zlanti Rat Beach - The iconic shape-shifting beach—it's known as the "Golden Cape" for a reason. The water is clear, and the Instagram shots are next level.

• Paradise Beach - Warm, shallow waters, and soft sand for miles. Perfect for the little ones to splash about safely.

• Cape Kamenjak Bay - A rugged coastline, featuring natural coves that line the glittering Adriatic waters

• Banje Beach - A popular in-town gem providing jet-skiing and paragliding opportunities for the adrenaline junkies, and near some of Dubrovnik’s best hotels

What are the top hotels to stay at on your holidays to Croatia?

Luxurious getaway bases. Hidden mountain villas. Cosy, family-run apartments. Croatia holidays have it all, even if you've got your eye on one of our last-minute holidays, or you're sizing up our all inclusive offerings for something cheap and cheerful. We've got you. (Well, Croatia has.)

• Sunce - If you’re a sun-chaser who dreams of rolling out of bed straight onto the sand, this beachside gem is where you want to be. Just steps from the water, it's a haven for those who consider "sunbathing" a full-time job. Bonus: you’ll have front-row seats to every sunset.

• Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort - Want a slice of the boujee life? Amfora’s got you covered. Private beaches, a stunning infinity pool, and plush lounges set the scene for a chill, high-end escape. Think champagne by the pool and “no kids allowed” vibes.

• Villa Dvor - Nestled within the Mosor Mountains, above the village of Omis, this rustic villa has a show-stopping restaurant that any serious foodie has to check out

• Bacan Serviced Apartments - If you like a bit of culture with your coastline, Bacan is your spot. Located in art-soaked Cavtat, it’s ideal for blending beach days with museum strolls and gallery stops—so you’ll come home with some culture points as well as a tan.

• Podstine - This one’s all about family-friendly vibes with a splash of spa luxury. Voted one of Europe’s best spas, Podstine lets parents unwind while the kiddos run wild.

• Park Plaza Histria Pula - A hotel with lots of entertainment and sports facilities, as well as a spacious terrace that overlooks the sea

Your Handy-Dandy Croatia Travel Guide

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Things to do in Croatia for families

It's always a rip-roaring good time when you and the fam hit the streets of Croatia... or trees... or water... there's a tonne to do is what we're getting at, and we reckon you should keep these two vacay defining activities in mind. If you're looking to combine your little ones love of animals with a day out surrounded by nature, then Kuterevo's Bear Sanctuary is the place to be, where the orphaned bears are taken care of in their foresty home - you might be stuck behind the wheel for a lil bit to get the whole gang there, but it'll be worth it to learn more about Croatia's endangered brown beauties.

If you're looking for something a lil less rural and a whole lot more family-fun in the city vibes on your Croatia holidays, then Sibenik's International Children's Festival is definitely one to make the most of. With a tonne of activities, workshops and crafts that'll keep the whole fam entertained, this festival is all about creatively uplifting children which it does and then some, so if you're struggling for things to do, and you find yourself on your holidays to Croatia in June, then you're sorted.

🍕 Things to do in Croatia for foodies

If you're prone to sampling the local fare and flavour, and you happen to find yourself in Split on your Croatia holidays then other than roaming the Medieval streets, you can make your way to the city market where there are tonnes of different foods to sink your teeth into from prosciutto to different cheeses, soparnik pie to delish seafood dishes you can wash down with only the best local wines and, of course, desserts and sweet wines to finish on a high note. Why leave it up to fate though? Book yourself on a city tour and let someone else take the reigns on your gastronomic extravaganza.

This one's for all our sweet-tooth friends out there, if you fancy making a lil day trip to the island of Solta just off the West coast of Split, you can try your hand at some honey-making. The Tvrdic family have their own aviary perfect for you to see the bees at work making delicious sweet and sticky honey, take a stab at some beekeeping and honey-making yourself and, it goes without saying, you'll be tasting a tonne of honey throughout the day too, maybe skip the breakfast pastries if you're gonna make the most of this one.

🏛️ Things to do in Croatia for culture vultures

One of the most exciting ways to combine a love of history with one of the biggest cult-phenomenon's in recent memory is by taking a Game of Thrones tour of Dubrovnik. You'll be traipsing down streets that'll seem familiar if you're a fan of the show, seeing where all the political scandal, all the valiant battles, all the betrayals took place. If you've got your finger on the pulse of pop culture then this is definitely not one to miss - Dubrovnik is known as the real life King's Landing, so you'll feel like you've stepped from your living room through the screen which we reckon is pretty iconic.

If you're more into your museums and less about the city strolls, then you might wanna pop the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum in Zagreb at the top of your to-do list. It's a huge collection of science and technology artefacts that give you a glimpse into how things were done back in the Industrial Era. There's also daily talks and presentations to give you more insight, a tonne of workshops and interactive hands-on activities which will have the little ones entertained.

🚴🏼 Things to do in Croatia for adventurers

If you've been after Croatia holidays for awhile, then odds are you've seen a few glimpses of the Plitvice Lakes, a stunning collection of waterfalls adorned with wooden walkways to stroll over. It's the perfect place to come for epic hikes, gorge photo ops and all those waterfalls (seriously, there's a tonne of em). The only con is you can't swim in the waters, that's on UNESCO, if you're looking for waterfalls you can swim by, then you're gonna wanna head to Krka National Park instead.

It isn't all about beaches and chillaxing on your holidays to Croatia, there's plenty more to do if you like a bit of thrills - Cetina River has just entered the chat. This river is the perfect place to do some whitewater rafting, even if you're a complete beginner, it's rated a 2-3 on a scale of 1-6 in terms of its intensity and difficulty, but to put that into a different scope, kids aged 9 and over can enjoy this activity, so not too intense. You'll have a captain steering the ship and it only requires some light manoeuvring - better yet, there are pre-rafting snacks, what's not to love?

Make the most of Croatia by visiting one of these hot spots:

• Dubrovnik

• Split-Dalmatia

• Hvar Island