Croatia · July 2027
Where we're staying, and why you're going to love it
Three stays, twelve nights, one coastline. A walled medieval city, a beach resort on the sunniest island in Croatia, and three nights inside a Roman palace. Here's exactly where each one is, what it's like, what there is to do around it, and what the boats to everywhere else cost.
2 nights · 5–7 July
Dubrovnik
Hotel Sumratin
7 nights · 7–14 July
Hvar
Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort
3 nights · 14–17 July
Split
Old Town stay, Split
Where it is
In Lapad, the leafy green peninsula just west of the Old Town. You are a five-minute stroll from Lapad Bay and its palm-lined promenade of restaurants and bars, and a 10-15 minute bus or taxi from the city walls. Staying here instead of inside the walls is the single smartest money decision of the trip - same city, half the price, and you can actually sleep at night.
What makes it great
Breakfast is included, so day one starts sorted before anyone has to think.
A brand-new, freshly built hotel: clean modern rooms, most with a balcony and a sea view.
Two pools and a sun terrace looking straight out at the Adriatic, plus a bar and terrace restaurant on site.
Swimming bay within walking distance, so day one needs no planning at all - drop bags, walk, swim.
Buses into the Old Town run every few minutes until late, and taxis back after dinner are quick.
Quiet residential streets, which matters when you land jet-lagged from a 21-hour travel day.
Amenities
- Breakfast included
- Outdoor pools and sun terrace
- Terrace restaurant and bar
- Balconies with sea views
- Air conditioning in all rooms
- Free WiFi
- 24-hour front desk
Fun facts
- Dubrovnik's Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
- The city walls are almost 2km around and up to 25m high - you can walk the full circuit.
- King's Landing in Game of Thrones was filmed here, and half the alleys are instantly recognisable.
- Dubrovnik ran its own independent republic for over 450 years and abolished slavery in 1416.
What guests say
"Staff went out of their way to help with bus tickets and directions. Nothing was too much trouble."
"Beautiful old building, spotless rooms and the location in Lapad is so much calmer than the Old Town."
"Breakfast was better than expected and the pool was a lifesaver in the afternoon heat."
What to do around here
Walk the city walls
Go at opening time or late afternoon - midday on those walls in July is punishing. Roughly 2 hours at a relaxed pace with photo stops. Around €35 pp.
Cable car up Mount Srđ
Four-minute ride to the best view in Croatia, and the sunset slot is the one you want. Around €27 return.
Buža Bar
A hole in the city wall opening onto a cliff terrace over the sea. Drinks, sunset, and cliff jumping for the brave.
Cave Bar More
A cocktail bar inside an actual cave in Lapad, minutes from the hotel. Do this on the first night.
Lokrum Island
A 15-minute ferry from the Old Town for swimming, peacocks and a saltwater lake. Around €27 return including the island fee.
Banje Beach
The famous pebble beach with the postcard view back at the walls. Loungers cost extra - roughly €25-40 for two.
Just be aware
- Lapad is uphill in places - fine, but not in stilettos or with a giant suitcase.
- The Old Town is entirely pedestrian, so taxis drop you at the gates and you walk in.
- Cruise ships dock in the morning and the walls get packed between 10:00 and 15:00.
Where it is
Right on Križa bay, a flat 10-minute walk along the seafront promenade into Hvar Town's harbour. That walk is the whole point: you can go from the pool to a harbour dinner to a beach club and back without ever needing a taxi. This is our home for seven nights and the centrepiece of the trip.
What makes it great
A huge cascading lagoon pool with its own islands and swim-up areas, set against the bay.
Direct access to a private beach area with loungers, plus a bar right there.
Set in pine forest, so there is actual shade - rarer than you'd think on this coast.
Seven nights in one place means unpacking properly and settling into island rhythm.
Bonj 'les bains' beach club with its historic stone colonnade and cabanas is a short walk along the bay.
Amenities
- Breakfast included
- Lagoon pool with swim-up sections
- Private pebble beach and loungers
- Multiple restaurants and beach bars
- Spa and wellness area
- Gym and tennis courts
- Watersports and paddle board hire
- Air conditioning and free WiFi
Fun facts
- Hvar gets around 2,700 hours of sunshine a year - the sunniest spot in Croatia.
- The lavender fields inland are why the whole island smells the way it does in July.
- Hvar's theatre, built in 1612, is one of the oldest public theatres in Europe.
- The Pakleni Islands just offshore are 20 little islands of coves and beach bars, ten minutes by taxi boat.
- There is a genuine local law against walking through town in swimwear - the fine is around €300.
What guests say
"The pool complex is genuinely spectacular and the location on the bay is unbeatable - you walk into town in ten minutes."
"Big resort with lots going on, food choice is good, and the beach in front is lovely early in the morning."
"Rooms are comfortable and clean rather than luxury - you are paying for the setting, the pool and the beach."
What to do around here
Spanish Fortress (Fortica)
A 20-minute uphill walk above town for the view over the Pakleni Islands. Go for sunset. Around €10 pp.
Pakleni Islands taxi boats
Boats leave the harbour all day for Palmižana, Jerolim and Stipanska. Roughly €10-15 pp return per island.
Our private boat day
One full day with a skipper, hopping coves and swimming stops, already budgeted at about R2 200 each.
Beach clubs
Hvar Beach Club, Bonj les bains, Palmižana and Mistral. Loungers and beds typically €20-60 for two depending on the club and the day.
Carpe Diem
The famous harbour bar in town, and its island club across the water for the late nights.
Wine and lavender inland
Half-day trips to the Stari Grad Plain vineyards and lavender fields. Tastings from around €25 pp.
Blue Cave day trip
Long day out to Biševo and Vis by speedboat, about €90-130 pp if you want to add it.
Just be aware
- It's a big resort, so book spa treatments and popular restaurant slots early in the week.
- The beach is pebbles like everywhere here - water shoes matter.
- Hvar Town gets loud and busy in July; the resort side of the bay stays calmer.
- Prices in Hvar Town are the highest of our three stops - budget a little more for these seven days.
Where it is
Inside or right beside Diocletian's Palace, which means you sleep inside a 1,700-year-old Roman palace that people still live in. The ferry port, the Riva promenade, the markets and the bars are all a few minutes on foot, and the airport is 25 minutes away for the flight home.
What makes it great
Nobody needs a taxi - everything in Split worth seeing is within a 15-minute walk.
Best city for shopping and markets of the three, which is handy for last-minute gifts.
Close to the ferry terminal, so day trips to Brač, Šolta or Trogir are easy.
Easy morning transfer to Split Airport on departure day.
Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Free WiFi
- Kitchen or kitchenette in apartment options
- Self check-in on most Old Town stays
- Steps from restaurants, bars and the Riva
Fun facts
- Diocletian's Palace was built around AD 305 as a Roman emperor's retirement home.
- About 3,000 people still live and work inside the palace walls - it is a living neighbourhood, not a museum.
- The cathedral bell tower was originally Diocletian's mausoleum, which makes it one of the oldest buildings used as a cathedral anywhere.
- Split's Riva promenade is where the whole city goes for coffee - the local ritual is one coffee for two hours.
What guests say
"Waking up inside the palace walls and walking out into the alleys is something you don't get anywhere else."
"Location is perfect - port, Riva, market and bars all within five minutes."
"Old buildings mean stairs and some street noise at night. Bring earplugs if you're a light sleeper."
What to do around here
Diocletian's Palace cellars
Cool, cavernous Roman basements right under the palace. Around €7 pp.
Marjan Hill
Free walk up through pine forest to viewpoints over the city and the islands. Go early.
Bacvice Beach
The city beach where locals play picigin in the shallows. Free, walkable, shallow and sandy-ish.
Green and Fish markets
Fresh produce, olive oil, lavender, honey and truffle products - the best place to buy gifts.
Riva sunset drinks
The palm-lined waterfront strip. Cocktails around €10-14, coffee around €3.
Klis Fortress
A short bus or taxi inland to the fortress above the city. Around €10 pp entry.
Just be aware
- Cobblestones and steps everywhere - carry-on luggage is genuinely easier here.
- Streets can be noisy until late in summer; the palace is a party district too.
- Keep the last morning simple - the flight home leaves early.
Boats, ferries and what they cost
These are optional day trips, so we can pick what we feel like once we're there. Prices are 2026 summer rates and will shift a little by 2027.
Dubrovnik → Hvar Town (compulsory)
Krilo / Jadrolinija catamaran · About 3h 30m - 4h
Our transfer on 7 July. Book online in advance - July sailings sell out and there are only one or two a day.
€35-45 pp (±R700-900)
Hvar Town → Split (compulsory)
Krilo / Jadrolinija catamaran · About 1h
Our transfer on 14 July. Several sailings a day, quick and easy.
€10-20 pp (±R200-400)
Hvar → Pakleni Islands
Local taxi boats · 10-25 minutes
Leave from Hvar harbour all day. Cash is handy. Last boat back is usually early evening - check before you go over.
€10-15 pp return (±R200-300)
Hvar → Vis / Blue Cave
Speedboat day tour · Full day
Optional. Sea conditions decide whether the Blue Cave is open on the day.
Not worth it - let's catch this on YouTube or Google Images 😅
€90-130 pp (±R1 800-2 600)
Hvar → Brač (Bol / Zlatni Rat)
Catamaran or tour boat · About 1h
Zlatni Rat is the famous shifting-tip beach. Doable as a day trip.
€15-30 pp (±R300-600)
Split → Brač (Supetar)
Jadrolinija car ferry · 50 minutes
Cheapest and easiest island day trip from Split.
€8-12 pp (±R160-240)
Split → Trogir
Bura Line boat or bus · 30-60 minutes
A tiny UNESCO old town on an island, half a day at most.
€6-12 pp (±R120-240)
Dubrovnik → Lokrum
Lokrum ferry · 15 minutes
Runs from the Old Town harbour every half hour in summer.
€27 return (±R540) including island fee
Good to know
Book ferries early
July catamarans between Dubrovnik and Hvar genuinely sell out. Tickets usually open a few months ahead and I'll book ours as a group.
Carry some cash
Croatia uses the euro. Taxi boats, beach bars, loungers and markets are often cash only.
Check-in is usually 14:00-15:00
All three stays will hold luggage if we arrive earlier, so we never lose a day waiting for a room.
Tourist tax
A small nightly city tax of roughly €1-3 pp is sometimes charged at check-in rather than included in the room rate.
Two people sharing
Every price quoted for these stays is per person based on two people sharing a room.
Prices move
The hotels are already booked, so those rates are locked in. Ferry prices still climb the closer we get to July, so booking the catamarans early is how we lock in what's quoted.
Twelve nights, three completely different worlds
Old Town walls and a cave bar in Dubrovnik. A week of lagoon pools, island taxi boats and harbour dinners on Hvar. Then three nights sleeping inside a Roman palace in Split. If anyone would rather trade down to a more budget-friendly stay, that is completely fine - just tell me early so I can secure it for us early.
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