Self-Launched Adriatic Island Hopper: Trogir to Dubrovnik & Back

Arrive in Trogir early and drop your bag at a hostel near the old town, then walk the UNESCO-listed maze of stone lanes and the Kamerlengo fortress waterfront. Catch the afternoon catamaran from Trogir to Stari Grad (Krilo/TP Line, roughly 1h 45m, ~£12–16, book ahead on the operator's site or at the port kiosk). Check into a guesthouse or hostel in Stari Grad's old town. In the afternoon take the local bus or a 20-minute walk out toward the Stari Grad Plain (a UNESCO agricultural landscape from Greek times) and join a small winery tasting at one of the family estates (Hvar wineries such as those around Dol, ~£15–20 for a tasting with bread, olive oil and local wines). Swim off the riva at sunset and eat grilled fish at a konoba on the harbour (~£12).

🚌Catamaran Trogir → Stari Grad, ~£14

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Stari Grad old town (~£30)

• →Trogir old town & Kamerlengo fortress walk (free)
• →Stari Grad harbour riva and plain walk
• →Family winery tasting, ~£18

Take the local bus across the island from Stari Grad to Hvar Town (~£3, 25 min) and check into a hostel just off the main square. Climb the switchback path up to the Spanish Fortress above town (entry ~£8) for the panorama over the Pakleni Islands. Spend the afternoon swimming at Pokonji Dol or a quieter cove — rent a kayak (~£12/hour) or jump on a water taxi to the Pakleni Islands (~£5 each way) for the afternoon. Evening: drinks at a waterfront bar, then dinner at a konoba off the main square where plates run ~£12–15. Hvar's nightlife is right on your doorstep — Carpe Diem and the bars along the riva. Optional water taxi to Carpe Diem Beach on the Paklenis.

🚌Local island bus Stari Grad → Hvar Town, ~£3; optional boat taxi, ~£10 return

🛏Hostel in Hvar Town (~£35)

• →Spanish Fortress climb (~£8)
• →Pakleni Islands swim / kayak (~£12)
• →Hvar Town nightlife (free entry)

Early catamaran from Hvar Town to Sobra or Pomena on Mljet (Krilo/TP Line running seasonally, roughly 1h 30m–2h, ~£16–20; check schedules as departures are limited and sometimes require connecting via Korčula). From the port, take the local bus or a taxi to Pomena (~£4) and check into a guesthouse or hostel. Buy the Mljet National Park ticket (~£7–10) and walk or hire a bike (~£8 half day) around the two salt lakes. Take the small boat across to the 12th-century Benedictine Monastery on St Mary's Island (included in park entry). Swim in the lakes and in the clear water by the dock. Dinner of fresh seafood at a Pomena konoba (~£14).

🚌Catamaran Hvar → Mljet, ~£18; local bus/taxi to Pomena, ~£4

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Pomena (~£30)

• →Mljet National Park entry (~£9)
• →Bike hire (~£8)
• →Boat to Benedictine Monastery (in park ticket)

Morning catamaran or ferry from Sobra/Pomena to Dubrovnik (~1h 30m, ~£15–18, or the Jadrolinija car ferry from Sobra if the fast boat is full). Check into a hostel in Lapad or just outside the Old Town walls — inside-the-walls beds are pricey, so Lapad or Ploče is the budget move (~£30–35). Buy Dubrovnik's City Pass or just the wall ticket (~£30 for the City Walls, best walked late afternoon when it's cooler) and walk the full circuit. Do a self-guided GoT tour: the Stairs of Shame (Jesuits Staircase), Pile Gate and Fort Lovrijenac. Skip the €50 cliffside Buža bars if you're on a budget, or have one sunset drink at a Buža bar accessed through a hole in the wall (drinks ~£8). Dinner in the Old Town ~£15–18, then a drink at Revelin area clubs.

🚌Catamaran Mljet → Dubrovnik, ~£16; local bus to old town, ~£2

🛏Hostel in Lapad, Dubrovnik (~£32)

• →City Walls walk (~£30)
• →Self-guided GoT filming locations (free)
• →Buža sunset bar (~£8)

Fast catamaran from Dubrovnik to Korčula Town (~2h 15m, ~£18–22, Krilo/TP Line). Check into a guesthouse inside or just outside the old town's land gate (~£30). Korčula's old town is a tiny walled peninsula — you can walk it in 40 minutes and you'll come back three times. Wander the fan-shaped streets, climb the St Mark's Cathedral bell tower (~£4) for roof views, and visit the supposed Marco Polo house. In the afternoon book a wine tasting at one of the family wineries — Grk and Pošip are the local grapes, tastings at estates near Lumbarda or Čara run ~£15–20 including transfers. Dinner overlooking the water at a konoba on the riva (~£15). Evening drinks at Massimo, a bar up a stone tower, or the cocktail bars in the old town alleys.

🚌Catamaran Dubrovnik → Korčula, ~£20

🛏Guesthouse in Korčula old town (~£30)

• →St Mark's Cathedral bell tower (~£4)
• →Family winery tasting (Grk/Pošip), ~£18
• →Old town evening stroll (free)

Morning ferry Korčula → Drvenik (Jadrolinija car ferry, ~35 min, ~£6), then the coastal bus from Drvenik up the Makarska Riviera to Makarska (~1h, ~£5). Or take the faster catamaran Korčula → Split and the bus back down (~£20 + £7, but longer). Check into a hostel or sobe (private room) a few minutes from the beach (~£28). Spend the afternoon on the long pebble beach under the Biokovo mountain wall, swim, and climb the jump rock at the far end of the beach if you're brave. Stroll the palm-lined seaside promenade in the evening, grab gelato (~£2), and eat at a beachside restaurant with a grilled squid plate (~£14). Optional: a massage on the beach (~£25) or a local market browse for lavender and dried figs.

🚌Ferry Korčula → Drvenik, ~£6; bus Drvenik → Makarska, ~£5

🛏Hostel/sobe in Makarska (~£28)

• →Biokovo beach swim and promenade (free)
• →Jump rock (free)
• →Gelato and local market browse (~£4)

Take the coastal bus from Makarska up to Split (~1h 30m, ~£8) and then a local bus or the No. 37 bus out to Trogir (~40 min, ~£3), or a direct Makarska–Trogir coach if one suits. Check into a hostel or sobe in Trogir old town (~£28) and do a self-guided orientation walk: the cathedral of St Lawrence, the north gate, and the waterfront. Use any saved budget on cocktail hour on the Trogir riva (~£8) and dinner in one of the courtyards off the main square (~£15). Finish with gelato from a Trogir gelateria — the town is famous for it.

🚌Bus Makarska → Split, ~£8; bus Split → Trogir, ~£3

🛏Hostel/sobe in Trogir (~£28)

• →Trogir old town self-guided walk (free)
• →St Lawrence Cathedral (~£4)
• →Evening riva drinks and gelato (~£10)

Breakfast at a bakery on Trogir's main square (~£3). Walk the morning promenade, do any last swim at a nearby beach, and then take the local bus to Split airport or Split bus/ferry terminal (~£3–5). If you have time, drop your bag and see Diocletian's Palace in Split (free to wander) before your onward flight, bus or ferry. Alternatively stay an extra night in Trogir if you're heading onward slowly.

🚌Local bus Trogir → Split airport/terminal, ~£4

🛏None (departure day)

• →Morning Trogir promenade (free)
• →Optional Diocletian's Palace walk in Split (free)