Top 8 Things to Do in Croatia

Croatia boasts a fascinating heritage as the region was settled by Ancient Greeks, conquered by colonial Romans, occupied by Venetians, and defended against Ottomans, a history worth uncovering on cultural tours of the best places to visit.

Music, dance, art, and architecture share elements of the Bronze Age and Renaissance, and feature ancient beauty and regal design. Whether wandering the Diocletian’s Palace or medieval city walls, Croatia’s heritage remains alive and tangible, with intertwining layers of history, blended languages, and preserved treasures, from the hinterlands to the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea.

Best Places for Cultural Tours: Split • Dubrovnik • Porec • Pula • Trogir • Ston

Croatia’s cuisine is famous among food lovers interested in and intrigued by regional flavors, inviting travelers to savor the distinct culinary highlights on food tours of the cities and towns.

Cafes and restaurants highlight the diverse traditional dishes made with luxurious ingredients. From fresh seafood to decadent truffles, each dish reveals the depth of heritage connected to the topography, town, or city.

The food of Croatia captures the essence of the country, with a focus on seasonality and freshness. From the forests to the mountains, the plains to the sea, explore the connections between many influential cultures.

Best Places for Food Tours: Zagreb • Slavonia • Istria • Kvarner • Cres

Croatian wine has incredible historic quality with different flavors cultivated around the country, and tours of the wine regions and vineyards can reveal the unique qualities of the local vintages.

The dynamic climate and diverse landscape impact the vines' quality, whether from the Adriatic breeze or the shade covering rugged hills, inviting you to discover the distinct qualities of local wines during the best time to visit for tasting.

With 64 distinct grape types and over 800 local wineries, Croatia has a long history of perfecting its wine production, with a combination of flavors, textures, and aromas that are enticing.

Best Wine Regions to Visit: Slavonia • Kutjevo • Plesivica • Primosten • Istria

Unspoiled countryside and stunning national parks help make Croatia a fantastic destination for cycling.

Gently rolling hills, rural roads, well-maintained streets, and over 310 miles of mapped cycling routes in a single region alone bring amazing rides. Immerse yourself in hilltop towns with views of shimmering harbors, sweeping vines, and hidden restaurants perfect for a rest stop.

Cycling routes can take you through the hills, along the coastline, or around celebrated islands, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy breathtaking scenery, no matter your skill level.

Best Places for Cycling: Zadar Loop • Fransko Jazero Loop • Hvar Island • Istria • Konavle • Korcula Island

Museums in Croatia move you beyond stately institutions to showcase the nation's diverse heritage, history, and culture, from archeological collections to the Habsburg era, contemporary art to a modern artistic perspective focusing on broken relationships.

The museums in Croatia peel back the cultural layers to reveal the quirky and delightful, the surprising and the serious, exploring the ideas of what a museum has been and could be, no matter what the gallery displays.

Best Places for Museum Tours: Zagreb • Split • Dubrovnik • Zadar

Croatia’s magnificent landscape has influenced each of its cities, and each destination brings a glimmer of the past, while modern life goes on.

The way a city is shaped can reveal its personality and how you can interact with the landscape. For example, Dubrovnik’s city walls are remarkably different from Zadar’s marbled promenade, revealing two different points in the country’s history.

Each city possesses iconic beauty that captures Croatia's contrasting but connected spirit, one that joins the mountains to the islands.

Best Cities to Visit: Split • Dubrovnik • Zagreb • Zadar • Rovinj

Croatia is tucked between Eastern and Western Europe, with a unique culinary heritage that you can only truly grasp when preparing traditional Croatian dishes in a cooking class.

Discover what separates the regional cuisine on a family vacation with your kids, during which you can create your own classic culinary treats. Or let the flavors seduce you as you savor a romantic couple’s tour, complete with fine dining served with your own specialties.

Best Places for a Cooking Class: Zadar • Zagreb • Split • Trogir • Rovinj

Croatia is a powerhouse for hiking, with over 1,000 miles of coastline and fantastic mountain peaks creating a unique maze of trails.

Dry grasslands, lush forests, sparkling rivers, and rugged terrain only highlight the natural splendor, intensified by thundering waterfalls and crashing waves.

Hiking in Croatia can be as dramatic as a multi-day trek through the hinterlands to a simple hour’s walk along the shoreline for a fantastic immersion into Croatia’s natural beauty and cultural significance.

Best Places for Hiking: Paklenica National Park •  Odyssey’s Cave • Biokovo Mountain • Peljesac Peninsula • Ucka Mountain

Croatia is an immersion into a Mediterranean fantasy for any type of traveler, whether looking for a romantic wine-tasting excursion or a family-friendly sailing adventure. From delicious truffles to medieval city walls, the country gives you endless history and culture on our Croatia tours.

To learn more about Croatia and discover tips to help you plan your trip, explore the expert insights in our Croatia travel guide.