A trip for 11 · 4–17 July 2027

Croatia,
Summer 2027

Twelve days down the Dalmatian coast (plus two travel days): two nights in Dubrovnik, seven on the island of Hvar, three in Split, and a deliberately long stop in Munich on the way home. This page is everything you need - where we go, what it costs you personally, and what to do about your visa.

Nights away: 12
Cities: 3 + Munich
Cost per person: R51 605
Save per month: R5 200

Flights - and why we want to be together

Two separate one-way tickets: Johannesburg into Dubrovnik on 4 July, and Split back to Johannesburg on 17 July. Prices are per person, in rand, as quoted now - they'll move a bit before we book.

Please try to book the same flights - especially the one home

It would be great if we could all be on the same flight, and I chose the return flight on purpose because of the 7-hour layover in Munich. That's not a mistake in the booking - it's the plan.

Seven hours gives us two options, and both are fun:

Leave the airport and explore. Munich city centre is about 40 minutes away on the S-Bahn train. Marienplatz, a beer hall, one last proper meal. (This works because Germany is in the same Schengen area as Croatia - so make sure your visa is multiple-entry and still valid on 17 July.)
Or just enjoy the airport itself. Munich Airport is famous for being a genuinely fun airport - it has its own brewery and beer garden in the middle of the terminal, good food, and plenty of space. We could very happily spend the whole layover there without going through passport control at all.

Either way, doing it as a group is the whole point. If you're on a different flight you'll be sitting somewhere else on your own - so let's book together, same booking reference where possible.

I'm happy to make the bookings so we're all together - but if you feel you could find cheaper flights, feel free to self-book. Just make sure you're on the same flights, especially the one home.

Where we're staying

All hotel prices below are per person, two people sharing a room. I've tried to pick places in great locations that are a bit nicer - some include breakfast, some are all-inclusive. If anyone feels the price is too high, there are budget options we can swap to that will still be comfortable but may not be beachfront, may not include breakfast, or may lack certain amenities - just let me know.

Dubrovnik · 2 nights · 5–7 July

Hotel Sumratin

9.4 · Wonderful

In the Lapad neighbourhood, a short walk from a swimming bay and a 10-minute bus into the Old Town. Quiet, leafy, and much better value than staying inside the walls.

R6 964per person

Hvar · 7 nights · 7–14 July

PLACES Hvar Hotel by Valamar

8.9 · Fabulous

The most expensive stay and the reason it's worth it: a pool set in pine forest, minutes from Hvar Town's harbour and beach clubs. This is the centrepiece of the trip.

R16 648per person

Split · 3 nights · 14–17 July

Old Town stay, Split

Walkable to everything

Inside or beside Diocletian's Palace so nobody needs a taxi. Close to the ferry port and 25 minutes from the airport for the early flight home.

R5 568per person

Day by day

Sat 4 July
Johannesburg
Wheels up
We fly out of OR Tambo in the evening.
Sun 5 July
Dubrovnik
Land in the Old Town
We arrive late afternoon at Dubrovnik Airport, transfer to Hotel Sumratin and do nothing ambitious. Dinner near the harbour, an early night, and let the jet lag pass.
Mon 6 July
Dubrovnik
City walls, cable car & Lokrum
Walk the full circuit of the medieval city walls in the morning while it's still cool (roughly 2 hours), then the cable car up Mount Srđ for the sunset view over the whole peninsula. If there's energy left, a quick ferry to Lokrum for a swim before dinner.
Tue 7 July
Dubrovnik → Hvar
Catamaran to Hvar
Morning catamaran up the coast to Hvar Town - about 4 hours with island stops, and genuinely one of the best boat rides you'll ever take. Check into PLACES Hvar by Valamar in the afternoon.
Wed 8 July
Hvar
Settle into island time
Pool, pine trees, and a wander up to the Spanish Fortress above the town for the view over the Pakleni Islands. Dinner in the old harbour.
Thu 9 July
Hvar
The big boat day
We hire a private boat with a skipper for the whole day and island-hop the Pakleni Islands - Palmižana, hidden coves, the Blue Cave if the sea is calm. Cooler box, music, and swimming stops. This is the day everyone will talk about afterwards.
Fri 10 July
Hvar
Lavender fields & Stari Grad
Inland by car or scooter through the lavender fields (July is peak season for it) to Stari Grad, the oldest town in Croatia. Lunch at a family konoba in the hills.
Sat 11 July
Hvar
Beach clubs & sunset
Hula Hula for sunset drinks, then dinner and whatever the night turns into. Hvar is the party island - pace yourself, we still have days left.
Sun 12 July
Hvar
Slow swim day
A proper rest day. Beach in the morning, long lunch, and an afternoon at the hotel pool. No schedule, no alarms.
Mon 13 July
Hvar
Free day / optional Montenegro-run memories
Last full day on the island. Pakleni coves by water taxi, a coastal hike, or just the harbour cafés. Pack tonight - we move to Split tomorrow.
Tue 14 July
Hvar → Split
Catamaran to the mainland
A short 1-hour crossing to Split. Check in inside the old town so everything is walkable from the door.
Wed 15 July
Split
Diocletian's Palace
A Roman emperor's palace that a whole city was built inside. Wander the cellars and Old Town in the morning, climb the bell tower, then the Riva promenade in the evening.
Thu 16 July
Split
Krka Waterfalls or Marjan Hill
Either a day trip to the Krka National Park waterfalls, or a gentler day walking Marjan Hill and swimming at Bačvice. Last night: a proper group dinner somewhere with a long table.
Fri 17 July
Split → Munich → Home
The long way home
Early flight out of Split, then our 7-hour layover in Munich (see below - this is on purpose), and home overnight. We land in Joburg and immediately start planning the next one.

The boat day

Friends swimming from a skippered boat in clear turquoise water near the Pakleni Islands

On Thursday 9 July we hire a boat with a skipper out of Hvar for the day and split the cost 11 ways. A skipper means someone else drives, knows the good coves, and takes us to the swimming spots the ferries don't reach. Budget around R2 000 each - final price depends on the boat we get, so I'll confirm nearer the time. Bring cash for lunch on an island.

Bars, beach clubs, wine & shopping

None of this is compulsory and none of it is booked - it's the list of places worth knowing about so nobody spends the holiday wondering what to do. Drinks and entries come out of your own spending money.

Dubrovnik - bars with a view

All of these are inside or right beside the Old Town walls, so it's a walk between them rather than a taxi.

Buža Bar

Through a hole in the city wall, Old Town

A drinks-only bar bolted onto the cliffs outside the walls. Cash, plastic cups, no fuss, and you can jump into the sea from the rocks below. Go for sunset and get there early for a seat.

Caffe Bar Casablanca

Old Town, near the Rector's Palace

Small, buzzy street-side bar for a cocktail before dinner. Good stop when the walls close and everyone spills into the alleys.

Cave Bar More

Lapad, a few minutes from our hotel

A cocktail bar built inside an actual limestone cave, with a glass floor over the rock and a beach right outside. Easily the most fun drink of the Dubrovnik leg and it's on our doorstep.

Banje Beach

Just east of the Old Town

Beach club with the postcard view back at the walls. Loungers by day, music and cocktails as it gets dark.

Hvar - beach clubs & the night

Hvar is the party island. Most beach clubs run a free or cheap water taxi from the Hvar Town harbour, so getting there is part of the day. Bring cash and book loungers on the busy days.

Carpe Diem Beach, Stipanska

Pakleni Islands, water taxi from Hvar harbour

The famous one. Pool, sea, DJs from the afternoon and a proper party into the night on club evenings. There's also the smaller Carpe Diem cocktail bar on the harbour front for a warm-up.

Hula Hula Hvar

10-minute walk from Hvar Town

Sunset drinks with the whole crowd singing along on the rocks. No reservations, just arrive around 6pm. Our Saturday sunset spot.

Palmižana / Palma

Pakleni Islands (Palmižana bay)

A calm bay of pine trees, boat moorings and long lunches, plus Palma beach club for swimming and drinks. This is one of our stops on the private boat day.

Gooshter Beach Club

Palmižana bay, Pakleni Islands

The polished one: white loungers, seafood, and a swim ladder straight into clear water. Good for a slower, more grown-up afternoon.

Mistral Beach Club

Palmižana bay, Pakleni Islands

Relaxed rocks-and-loungers spot with excellent grilled fish. Easy to combine with Gooshter and Palma in one boat day.

Kiva Bar & Pink Champagne

Hvar Town harbour side streets

Where the night ends. Kiva is a tiny loud bar on the harbour alley; Pink Champagne is the late club a few doors down. No planning needed, just follow the noise.

Wine & vineyards

Hvar and the hills behind Split are serious wine country - Plavac Mali reds and crisp Pošip whites. Tastings are cheap by South African standards and usually come with cheese, ham and bread.

Tomić Winery, Jelsa

Hvar, inland (30 min drive)

Tastings in a cellar modelled on a Roman wine hall. The classic Hvar vineyard visit - pair it with our lavender fields and Stari Grad day.

Zlatan Otok, Sveta Nedjelja

South coast of Hvar

Vineyards running straight down to the sea, plus a floating restaurant. Reachable by boat, so it can be a boat-day stop.

Konoba lunch in the hills

Stari Grad plain, Hvar

A family-run konoba doing lamb or fish under a peka lid with their own house wine. Slow, cheap and one of the best meals of the trip.

Optional: Pelješac or Konavle tasting

Day trip from Dubrovnik

If a few people want a wine day instead of a beach day at the start, the vineyards outside Dubrovnik are an easy half-day with a driver.

Shopping & markets

Croatia is good for small things: lavender, olive oil, sea salt, linen and truffle products. Markets are cash-friendly and open early - go before 10am while it's cool.

Gundulićeva Poljana market

Dubrovnik Old Town, every morning

Fruit, candied orange, lavender bags and local liqueurs under umbrellas in the square. Good for gifts on day one.

Stradun & Old Town shops

Dubrovnik

The main marble street: jewellery, leather, linen and a lot of souvenir shops. Prices drop sharply a street or two off the main drag.

Hvar Town harbour boutiques

Hvar

Small linen, swimwear and lavender shops along the harbour and back alleys. Hvar lavender oil is the island's signature buy.

Split Green Market (Pazar) & Fish Market

Beside Diocletian's Palace, Split

The biggest, cheapest market of the trip - produce, cheese, ham, olive oil and sea salt. The Fish Market (Peškarija) nearby is worth seeing even if you buy nothing.

Marmontova & Joker Centar

Split

Marmontova is the pedestrian high street for normal European brands; Joker is a proper mall 10 minutes away if anyone needs a real shop before flying home.

What it costs you

Every number here is per person, not for the group. It's based on option a - the munich layover and two people sharing a hotel room. These are the two big confirmed costs - flights and accommodation.

Item	Per person
Flights (return, 2 tickets)Option A - The Munich Layover	R22 425
Hotel - Dubrovnik (2 nights)Hotel Sumratin, 2 sharing a room	R6 964
Hotel - Hvar (7 nights)PLACES Hvar by Valamar, 2 sharing a room	R16 648
Hotel - Split (3 nights)Old Town apartment/hotel, 2 sharing a room	R5 568
Total per person	R51 605
For reference: the whole group of 11	R567 655

What to save each month

Start September 2026 · 10 months to go

R5 200per person, per month

R51 605 split over the 10 months from September 2026 to June 2027. Set up a debit order into a separate savings account on pay day so you never see it. If you can put in more early on, do - the flights and hotel deposits get paid long before July.

Sep 2026R5 200
Oct 2026R10 400
Nov 2026R15 600
Dec 2026R20 800
Jan 2027R26 000
Feb 2027R31 200
Mar 2027R36 400
Apr 2027R41 600
May 2027R46 800
Jun 2027R52 000

Running total saved by the end of each month.

Pay early, pay less

Flights get more expensive the closer we get. The sooner we all commit, the cheaper this whole page becomes.

Deposits first

Hotels usually want a deposit at booking and the balance closer to the date. I'll give everyone exact dates once we lock the bookings.

Spending money is yours

Food, drinks, ferries, the boat day, visa and insurance are on top of this figure. Budget roughly R20,000 extra for all of it - spend less if you cook a few breakfasts; spend more if every night is a beach club.

The visa - do not leave this late

South African passport holders require a Schengen visa to visit Croatia. Applications are processed through the VFS Global Croatia Visa Application Centre, and you can apply up to 6 months before we travel - so from January 2027. Get in early: appointment slots for European summer disappear fast.

Read the full visa guide →