Croatia & Montenegro Travel Guide: 8 Days of Beaches, Old Towns & Island Hopping
Updated: Aug 23
My best friend and I recently spent just over a week exploring Croatia and Montenegro, and this trip was PACKED. We started in Split, drove down to Dubrovnik, crossed the border into Kotor, Montenegro, and then made our way back to Split before flying home.
We rented a car for the entire trip, which made getting from city to city much easier, but once we were actually in each town, we barely drove. Most of the old towns are extremely walkable, and honestly, some of the streets are so tight that I would not want to be driving through them anyway.
We also happened to travel during a heat wave, with temperatures around 97–98 degrees almost every day, so a lot of our itinerary involved balancing sightseeing with beach time. Honestly... not a bad problem to have.
Day 1: Arrive in Split
After a very long travel day, we finally arrived in Split Friday evening, picked up our rental car, and checked into our Airbnb.
At that point, I was exhausted. We grabbed dinner at a local restaurant near where we were staying and went straight to bed because we knew we had another travel day ahead of us.
Nothing glamorous here — just surviving jet lag.
Link to where we stayed for the night; great recommendation, affordable, has parking and we were comfortable: booking.com
Day 2: Drive to Dubrovnik + Old Town + Cable Car
We had planned to get an early start, but jet lag had other plans. I slept until around 9 AM, checkout was at 10, and then we started the roughly three-hour drive to Dubrovnik.
We arrived around 1 PM, and luckily our Airbnb host was SO kind and allowed us to check in early.
And let me tell you — the Airbnb views were incredible.
We were only about a five-minute walk from Dubrovnik's Old Town, which made the location perfect. Link to Airbnb here.
Once we got settled, we walked into Old Town and started exploring. We had lunch at Ginger Restaurant, which was probably our one real tourist-trap mistake of the trip. The food was okay, but I personally wouldn't recommend it.
After walking around in the 98-degree heat, we went back to the Airbnb to cool off and get ready for dinner.
That evening, we walked to the Dubrovnik Cable Car. We had purchased our tickets ahead of time, which I definitely recommend because we were able to skip the ticket line.
At the top, we tried our luck at Panorama Restaurant & Bar. It had been completely booked almost a month in advance, so we didn't have a reservation, but luckily they were able to seat us.
And WOW.
Everyone had told us this restaurant was actually worth it despite obviously being in a very touristy location, and they were right. The views were amazing, the food was great, and watching Dubrovnik from above was such a beautiful way to spend our first night there.
One warning: it was SO windy at the top.
We were both wearing dresses, which was... a choice. Ladies, bring a hair tie and maybe wear something a little more wind-proof.
Day 3: Dubrovnik City Walls + Banje Beach + Buza Bar
We woke up early and headed straight to the Dubrovnik City Walls as soon as they opened.
HIGHLY recommend doing this first thing in the morning.
Not only are you trying to beat the heat, but you are also trying to beat the cruise ship crowds that flood into Old Town later in the day.
Walking the walls was absolutely worth it. The views are beautiful, there are tons of great photo spots, and there are even cafés and places to stop along the way if you need water, coffee, or food.
After the walls, we stopped at Gradska Kavana Arsenal.
This restaurant definitely looks like it could be a tourist trap because of the location and views, but once again — it wasn't. The food was great, the pricing was fair, and the views of the water and city were beautiful.
After breakfast/lunch, we made our way down to Banje Beach.
Now let's talk about these beach chairs. Two chairs and an umbrella were around €70.
YES. SEVENTY EUROS.
At first we were horrified, but considering it was almost 100 degrees and we planned to spend several hours there, we really didn't have much of a choice. Luckily, you get the chairs for the entire day, and we ended up staying around five hours, so in the end... fine. Worth it.
The drinks at the beach club were actually reasonably priced too.
Something important to know about Croatia: many of the beaches are pebbly instead of sandy. Water shoes would have been VERY helpful. We didn't have them, so we just wore waterproof sandals down to the water and left them by the edge like everyone else.
After the beach, we went searching for Buza Bar. Buza is literally known as a "hole in the wall," and that description is accurate. There really aren't signs directing you there. We basically wandered around until we stumbled upon the entrance. There's a tiny bar selling mostly canned drinks, and people spread towels along the rocks overlooking the water. Michelle jumped in and swam around while I hung out on the rocks.
Definitely a cool little stop if you have time.
By the end of the day, we were DONE. Between the walls, beach, sun, and walking, we had no interest in getting dressed and going back into town for dinner. So we ordered delivery and ate on our Airbnb balcony overlooking Old Town.
Honestly? Just as good.
Day 4: Island Hopping — Koločep, Lopud & Šipan
This was our first big boat-tour day. Link to tickets here.
I found the tour randomly while researching because I knew we wanted to do boat tours in multiple cities, but I wanted each one to take us somewhere different.
They picked us up from our Airbnb around 8:15 AM, and the entire tour lasted about nine hours.
Our first stop was Koločep, which is a tiny island with very few residents — fewer than 150 people live there. It was peaceful, quiet, and beautiful.
Next was Lopud, which had more restaurants, shops, and places to explore.
Then somehow the crew managed to feed around 150 people lunch from the boat's kitchen.
And they KILLED IT.
I had the fish dish, and honestly, the food was amazing. Our final island was Šipan, where we had about three hours. We took a golf cart across the island to Šunj Beach, which I highly recommend. It was only about a six-minute ride, and the beach was beautiful.
And remember those €70 chairs in Dubrovnik? Here, two chairs and an umbrella were only about €30. That's when we officially realized we had been robbed in Dubrovnik.
Once we got back, we showered, got ready, and headed into Old Town for dinner at Taj Mahal. This restaurant has received Michelin recognition for 6 years and running, and let me tell you: THIS DID NOT DISAPPOINT. I would 1000000% recommend going.
Eat and order everything!!!!
Day 5: Drive to Kotor, Montenegro
We woke up early because I had read horror stories about crossing the Croatia–Montenegro border during August. Like... six-hour wait stories. Luckily, that was not our experience.
Important note if you're renting a car: make sure you tell the rental company that you're crossing into Montenegro because Montenegro is not currently part of the EU, and you may need additional paperwork or fees.
The entire drive took us around three hours.
We had one immigration stop leaving Croatia and another entering Montenegro, but neither wait was bad. I actually think Google Maps routed us through a smaller border crossing, which may have saved us some time.
Once we arrived at our Airbnb in Kotor, we immediately walked around the waterfront.
There was a restaurant right outside called Bonita 99, so we grabbed food there while enjoying gorgeous views of the water.
Then — because it was once again around 98 degrees — we changed into bathing suits and headed to Laganini Beach Kotor. We rented chairs and an umbrella, swam, and cooled off for a few hours.
That evening, we went into Kotor Old Town and had dinner at Old Winery. We had Italian food, and it was great.
Day 6: Kotor Walls + Blue Cave
I woke up EARLY because I wanted to hike the Kotor city walls before the heat got ridiculous.
Apparently, I woke up so early that they weren't even officially open yet, so I didn't have to pay.
There were already plenty of people hiking and even running the stairs trying to beat the heat. The hike is around 1,300 steps, and honestly, it wasn't as bad as I expected. Along the way, I met two girls from Cape Town who were awesome. We ended up hiking back down together and grabbing coffee afterward. This is honestly one of my favorite parts about traveling — randomly meeting people from all over the world.
If you're debating doing the Kotor walls, DO IT. It really doesn't take that long, and you'll be so happy you did once you see the views from the top.
Afterward, we stopped at Senso Bakery in Old Town for coffee and pastries. The line looked crazy, and for a second we almost left, but it moved quickly. Worth it. Highly recommend.
Later that day, we went on a three-hour Blue Cave boat tour. This was the perfect length for us. The boat took us around different parts of the Bay of Kotor, and we even got to swim inside the Blue Cave, which was SO cool. Link to booking here.
Afterward, we grabbed a drink at the rooftop of Hotel Hippocampus for the views and then ate dinner at a little place outside the main tourist strip called Taraca Resto Bar.
Highly recommend both. There are SO many restaurants in Kotor Old Town that I honestly don't think you'll struggle to find somewhere good.
Day 7: Drive Back to Split + Podstrana Beach Day
We woke up early again because this drive was expected to take around five hours, not including the border crossing. We left around 7 AM because we wanted to maximize our final time in Split. Again, we got pretty lucky with immigration. There were only a few cars ahead of us, and our total border wait was probably under 45 minutes.
One thing that surprised us: our route actually took us through Bosnia on the drive back to Croatia. We stopped at a coffee shop there to break up the drive, which was a nice unexpected little addition to the trip. Also, there are toll roads along some of these routes, but every toll we encountered accepted credit cards.
We got back to the Split area around 1 PM and checked into probably my FAVORITE Airbnb of the entire trip. We stayed in Podstrana, about a 15–20 minute drive outside Split's Old Town. Originally, we were a little limited on where we could stay because we needed parking, but honestly, this location ended up being incredible.
Our Airbnb was literally across from the beach. They even provided us with beach chairs and umbrellas! Link to Airbnb listing here.
After driving for hours in another 97-degree day, we decided there was absolutely no reason to do anything except park ourselves on the beach.
There was even a beach bar right behind us. Later, we walked around the area to explore and ended up at Gooshter Beach Club. The vibes were GREAT. Beautiful ocean views, a diverse menu, really good food, and during the day you can rent chairs or beds there too.
Highly recommend.
Day 8: Blue Cave + Hvar Island Hopping
LAST FULL DAY!
And naturally... another boat tour. Link to this boat tour here.
This one was a speedboat tour, and let me warn you: THIS BOAT WAS NOT FOR THE WEAK. It was FAST and BUMPY.
Our first major stop was the Blue Cave. To enter the cave, we actually had to get off our speedboat and transfer to a smaller boat because the entrance is TINY. At one point, everyone on the boat had to duck their heads at the same time just to fit through the opening. But it was SO worth it. The glowing blue water inside the cave was beautiful.
We visited several other islands throughout the day and ended with around three hours on Hvar. So many people had recommended Hvar to us before the trip, and I completely understand why. We immediately climbed the steps to the top of the town, which took around 20 minutes, for beautiful views over the island. Afterward, we grabbed drinks and wandered around town. Hvar is actually pretty large, and if we had more time, I definitely would have explored more. There are tons of restaurants, shops, beaches, and things to do.
By the time our boat returned to Split, it was a little after 6 PM.
We were exhausted, sun-soaked, salty, and honestly felt disgusting. Originally, we planned to explore Split's Old Town that night, but neither of us had it in us. Instead, we went back to the Airbnb, showered, and ate at the beach restaurant right outside called 7 Palms Restaurant. Another great meal. They also have beach chairs and beds available during the day, or they're included if you're staying at the hotel.
After dinner, we packed everything up and got ready to fly home the next morning.
Day 9: Fly Home
And just like that, the trip was over.
We flew from Split to Copenhagen and then Copenhagen back to Philadelphia.
Exhausted? Absolutely.
Worth it? 100%.
Things to Know Before Visiting Croatia & Montenegro
Bring euros and some cash. A lot of restaurants and businesses accepted credit cards, but we ran into more cash-only situations than I expected.
Montenegro is not part of the EU as of this post. One of us had purchased a SIM card that worked in Croatia but stopped working once we crossed into Montenegro, so definitely check your phone plan beforehand.
Most of the beaches are pebbly. We survived without water shoes, but I absolutely would've packed them if I had known how many pebble beaches we would visit.
Check whether your Airbnb provides beach towels. One of ours didn't, and we ended up lying directly on beach chairs at one point because we had nothing else. Not ideal.
If you're renting a car and crossing into Montenegro, tell the rental company ahead of time. There may be additional fees or documentation required for taking the car across the border.
The water REALLY is that blue. I'm telling you, my photos are not exaggerating it. The water throughout Croatia and Montenegro was gorgeous. It was also extremely salty, and by the end of the trip our hair and skin were DRY, so pack some good conditioner and moisturizer.
Having a rental car was great for getting between cities, but we barely used it once we arrived. Dubrovnik, Kotor, and the areas we explored around Split were very walkable. The streets can also be extremely narrow, so walking was often much easier than trying to drive.
And finally — if you're visiting in August, prepare for HEAT. We experienced temperatures around 97–98 degrees almost every day. Start sightseeing early, bring lots of water, and don't underestimate how good an afternoon beach break can feel.
Final Thoughts
Croatia and Montenegro completely exceeded my expectations.
We packed SO much into this trip — Dubrovnik's Old Town walls, Kotor's 1,300 steps, multiple boat tours, Blue Caves, Hvar, island hopping, beach days, incredible meals, and some of the bluest water I've ever seen.
I also loved how different each stop felt. Dubrovnik had the iconic Old Town and walls, Kotor had the mountains surrounding the bay, and Split gave us the perfect combination of beach life and access to the islands.
Would I go back?
Absolutely.
There were still so many places we didn't have enough time to see, and I could easily spend another week exploring more of Montenegro!
Until next time, Croatia & Montenegro! 🇭🇷🇲🇪
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