Croatia: from Istria to Dubrovnik
Down the Adriatic from Poreč and Pula to Split and Dubrovnik, with the lakes of Plitvice and the falls of Krka on the way.
- 7 stops
- 851 km by road
- 12 h 24 min of driving
- 6 days
Distances and times are calculated on real roads (OpenStreetMap), with no stops and no traffic.
The route goes into the planner with its stops, split over days: move, remove or add stops, see the times and look for a place to stay. Or open the whole route in Google Maps.
Before you set off
A car for this route
Hire the car where you arrive, at the airport or in the first city, and check that it can be returned where the route ends.
- Car hire Hire a car in Croatia and reach the places the trains do not. On Localrent
- eSIM for Croatia Mobile data from the moment you land, with no roaming bill. Installed on your phone before you leave. On Airalo
These services are sold by our partners: you book and pay on their sites. Viaqui may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
About the route
The length of the Croatian coast, with two detours inland. Istria comes first: the sixth-century mosaics of the basilica in Poreč and the Roman arena of Pula, one of the largest still standing. The route then leaves the sea for the Plitvice Lakes, a chain of sixteen lakes joined by waterfalls, and returns to it at the Krka river. Trogir is a medieval town on an island, Split grew inside the palace of a Roman emperor, and Dubrovnik, at the end of the road, can be walked all the way round on top of its walls.
The route has 7 stops in Croatia, across 4 regions. From the first to the last there are 851 km by road, which is 12 h 24 min of driving with no stops. The numbers on the map and in the list are the same order; press a stop to see it on the map, or open its page for the description and the address.
The route is a suggestion, not a schedule: you can drive it the other way round, split it over more days or take only the stops on your way. Every stop is also on the attractions map of Croatia, together with everything else there is to see around it.
How long does the route take?
The driving alone is 12 h 24 min. With the stops, it depends how long you stay at each. We suggest 6 days, a pace that leaves time to go inside, not only to drive past.
Is the distance by road?
Yes. The 851 km and the 12 h 24 min are calculated on real roads, not in a straight line, with OpenStreetMap data. They do not include stops, traffic or detours.
Do I pay at every stop?
No. Some of the stops are free to enter; where a ticket is sold, it shows on the page of the place. Opening hours are set by whoever runs each place, so check them before you leave.
Can I change the order?
Yes. The order here is the one that keeps the drive short, but the route works just as well backwards or in pieces.
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