A Taste of Croatia — Self-Launched Edition
7 days · Croatia
Globus charges £2,180
No-markup version: ~£680 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 7-day self-launched version of Globus's guided coach tour from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, hitting Zagreb, Zadar, Krka National Park, Split, Ston (with the famous oyster barges) and Dubrovnik. You'll use Croatia's excellent intercity buses and trains instead of a private coach, join short local walking tours booked through GetYourGuide, and stay in hostels and guesthouses instead of the operator's 4-star hotels. Estimated all-in cost is around a quarter of the guided tour price, and you keep full flexibility — spend less time in the capital, more on the coast, and add a Blue Cave day trip if you want.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Zagreb
Zagreb
Land at Franjo Tuđman Airport and take the Pleso Prijevoz shuttle bus (about £7, 30 mins) or a shared taxi into the centre. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in Donji Grad or near Jelacic Square. In the evening, wander the illuminated upper town and have dinner at a konoba on Tkalčićeva Street — try štrukli (cheese pastry) and a glass of local wine. Aim to sleep early; the original tour's welcome dinner is easy to replicate solo at a mid-range restaurant for around £15-20.
🚌Pleso Prijevoz airport shuttle bus (~£7)
🛏Hostel in central Zagreb (dorm £18, private £35)
- →Airport shuttle to centre
- →Evening stroll through Ban Jelačić Square and Tkalčićeva Street
- →Dinner at a local konoba
Zagreb Old Town Walking Tour
Zagreb
Join a morning 'pay-what-you-wish' walking tour of the upper and lower town (book free via GuruWalk or GetYourGuide, tip ~£8-10). You'll cover the Croatian Parliament, Stone Gate with its shrine, the Archbishop's Palace and Zagreb Cathedral — exactly the landmarks from the guided tour. The afternoon is yours: the Museum of Broken Relationships and the Dolac Market are both worth an hour. The original itinerary's own reviewer said she'd spend less time in the capital — so use the flexibility: you could also catch an early evening bus to Zadar if you'd rather trade a Zagreb night for the coast.
🚌On foot; trams ~£0.50 per ride
🛏Hostel in central Zagreb (dorm £18, private £35)
- →Free/donation-based walking tour of Zagreb Old Town
- →St Mark's Church and Stone Gate
- →Dolac Market
- →Museum of Broken Relationships (optional, ~£6)
Zagreb to Zadar
Zadar
Take a morning intercity bus from Zagreb to Zadar (Arriva or FlixBus, ~£18-22, 4-4.5 hours) — book online a day or two ahead. Zadar's Old Town sits on a peninsula you can walk end to end. Join an evening walking tour of the historic centre covering People's Square, and time your visit for sunset at the Sea Organ and Greeting to the Sun monument — the same stops as the guided tour, and genuinely better at dusk. Finish with dinner of local pašticada or fresh fish near Kalelarga.
🚌Intercity bus Zagreb–Zadar (~£20)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Zadar Old Town (dorm £20, private £45)
- →Arriva/FlixBus to Zadar
- →Guided or self-guided walk of Zadar Old Town
- →Sunset at the Sea Organ and Greeting to the Sun
- →Dinner on Kalelarga
Krka National Park then Split
Split
Catch an early bus or join a half-day tour from Zadar to Krka National Park (~£25-35 including park entry of ~£30, or ~£15 in low season); the Skradinski Buk waterfalls are the highlight. From Krka, continue south by bus to Split (~£8-12) — either via Šibenik with a change, or on an organised transfer. In Split, join an evening historical walking tour of Diocletian's Palace (GetYourGuide, ~£12), covering the peristyle, the cellars and the medieval streets inside the walls. Drink and dinner in the palace itself — it stays lively well past midnight.
🚌Local/tour bus Zadar–Krka–Split (~£25)
🛏Hostel in Split Old Town (dorm £22, private £50)
- →Krka National Park waterfalls and Skradinski Buk boardwalk
- →Bus Krka/Šibenik to Split
- →Diocletian's Palace guided walking tour
- →Evening on the Riva promenade
Split to Ston and Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Travel Split to Ston by bus (~£7, roughly 1.5 hours via Ploče) — or break the journey with a stop on the Pelješac peninsula. In Ston, walk the medieval fortress walls (the longest in Europe, entry ~£10) and then head to the oyster barges in Mali Ston Bay. These floating docks serve fresh oysters straight from the beds for around £1-2 each — the same experience the guided tour includes, minus the coach. Continue on the afternoon bus from Ston to Dubrovnik (~£7, 1 hour). Check into a hostel or sobe (private room) in the Old Town or Lapad, and have a relaxed first evening inside the walls.
🚌Bus Split–Ston–Dubrovnik (~£14 total)
🛏Hostel or sobe in Dubrovnik (dorm £28, private £60)
- →Climb Ston's medieval fortress walls
- →Oyster tasting on the Mali Ston Bay barges
- →Bus Ston to Dubrovnik
- →Evening stroll inside Dubrovnik's Old Town
Dubrovnik Old Town, Cable Car and Konavle
Dubrovnik
Morning walking tour of Dubrovnik's historic centre (GetYourGuide, ~£15) covering the Stradun, Onofrio's Fountain, the Rector's Palace and the Franciscan monastery. Then walk the city walls (entry ~£30) at your own pace — go early or late to dodge the crowds and heat. Ride the cable car to Mount Srđ summit (~£22 return) for the classic panorama; sunset there is spectacular. In the late afternoon, take local bus 10 to Cavtat (or a Konavle village) for an orientation wander, and finish with a farewell dinner at a family-run konoba in Konavle — the rural farm dinners the tour's reviewers raved about are openly bookable; expect ~£25-30 with wine.
🚌Local buses and cable car (~£25)
🛏Hostel or sobe in Dubrovnik (dorm £28, private £60)
- →Guided Old Town walking tour
- →Walk the Dubrovnik city walls
- →Cable car to Mount Srđ
- →Bus to Cavtat and Konavle orientation walk
- →Farewell dinner at a Konavle family konoba
Departure from Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
A final morning swim at Banje Beach or a coffee on the Stradun before you go. Dubrovnik Airport is served by Atlas shuttle bus (~£8, 30 mins) or the local bus via Gruž. If you've built in extra time — as the original tour's reviewers wished they had — consider adding a Blue Cave day trip from Split before you fly home, or a ferry hop to one of the Elafiti Islands (Lopud, Šipan) for a quieter last day.
🚌Atlas airport shuttle bus (~£8)
🛏—
- →Morning at Banje Beach
- →Atlas airport shuttle
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£680 | £2,180 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,500 per person (69%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£680
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does A Taste of Croatia — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £680 per person for 7 days in Croatia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £2,180 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £680 — a saving of roughly £1,500 (69%) per person.
How long is the Croatia trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Croatia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, beaches, foodie trip through Croatia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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