3 Nights Croatia - Dubrovnik, Hvar

Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. There are so many different cities to visit and sights to see! If you only have three nights you will want to see the best in the short amount of time you have. I recommend spending one night in Dubrovnik and two nights in Hvar. This, 3 Nights Croatia Itinerary, will lead you through the walled city of Dubrovnik and throw you into the clear, blue Adriatic Sea off the island of Hvar.

This 3 Nights Croatia Itinerary includes:

Best time to travel to Croatia
Transportation
- Car Rental
- Ferry to Hvar
- Drive to Hvar Town
Night 1: Dubrovnik
- Accommodations
- Places to eat
- Things to do
- Night life
Night 2-3: Hvar
- Accommodations
- Places to eat
- Things to do
- Night life

Best time to travel to Croatia

The best time to plan your 3 Nights Croatia Itinerary is during shoulder season. Croatia’s tourism has boomed over the last couple years due to it’s beautiful coast line and islands. Going mid summer will lead you to large groups of people. We traveled to Croatia in September over Memorial Day because the tourist season slows down and we had the Monday off so we could use less vacation time. September is the perfect time because you will still get the hot weather with less people and cheaper prices.

Transportation

Car Rental

Rent Your Own Car: Sixt Car Rental

Faris and I always enjoy renting a car when we travel to a new country because it allows us to go on our own schedule and make stops and detours where and when we want to! We flew in to Croatia and rented a car at the airport from Sixt Car Rental during our 3 Nights Croatia stay.

Dubrovnik to Hvar Transportation

Travel from Croatia mainland to Hvar: HVAR Info

Book a ferry to Hvar: Ferry to Hvar

There are plenty of ways to get from the mainland of Croatia to the island of Hvar. I linked the HVAR travel site above so you can research the options for your own 3 Nights Croatia stay.

We had a car so the best way for us to get to Hvar was by ferry. The ferry leaves out of two different cities, Drvenik and Split.

Dubrovnik to Drvenik – 2 hour drive time
Dubrovnik to Split – 3 hour drive time

We took the Drevnik option and the whole process was rather simple. The ferry ride is under an hour but do make sure to get there early because the ferry leaves when it fills up and it is first come first serve. The Drvenik ferry is not as popular so just make sure to get there at least 45 minutes early. The ferry from HVAR back to the mainland fills up very fast so make sure to leave ample amount of time. I linked the ferry website above if you are looking to buy tickets for your own 3 Nights Croatia itinerary.

Hvar – Ferry Drop Off to the Hvar Town

The Ferry from Drvenik to the Island of Hvar will drop you off in Sucuraj which is at the opposite side of the island you want to be at. It will take you a little over an hour to drive from Sucuraj to the main town. The main reason the drive is so long is because the road weaves in and out of huge rocky cliffs! Be prepared for some skinny roads and major blind spots!

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik’s tourism has grown exponentially in the past couple years and there is no question as to why. Dubrovnik is in Southern Croatia and sits facing the Adriatic Sea. It is most known for the distinctive Old Town, which is completely enclosed by massive stone walls built in the 16th century and is completely pedestrianized. This is the main reason I had to include Dubrovnik in our 3 Nights Croatia Itinerary.

The prosperity of this city was built on maritime trade. The city reached a high development period during the 15th and 16th century due to its wealth and skilled diplomacy. In 1991 Dubrovnik was besieged by Serbian and Montenegrin soldiers during the break up of Yugoslavia. During those several months it suffered damage from shelling.

Dubrovnik went through major restoration during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Dubrovnik soon became one of the top tourist destinations of the Mediterranean. Today they are seeing such a rise in tourism that they have had to take measures to spread people out and accommodate them.

Accommodations

Book the same accommodations: Apartment Lucija

There are a couple things to consider when picking your accommodations in Dubrovnik for your own 3 Nights Croatia stay. The first is budget, Croatia is very expensive so if you are looking to actually stay in Old Town, you will be paying a price for it. The second consideration is transportation. If you have a car staying in Old Town is going to be a little tricky since it is completely pedestrianized. Parking can cost you up to 80 Euros a day!

After these considerations we decided to stay right outside of Old Town, but just a 10 minute walk away. We stayed at Apartment Lucija which also came with free parking which is very convenient and takes that stress away.

We had three other friends come with us on our 3 Nights Croatia trip so we got an apartment for 5 and it was absolutely beautiful. The apartment looked over the Adriatic and had a beautiful cabana with grape vines growing over it. It was the perfect place especially for a 1 night stay. The Old Town is only a 10 minute walk which came in handy when we went to the bars at night! I added the link above for Apartment Lucija if you want to stay at the same spot during your 3 Nights Croatia itinerary.

Food

As beautiful as Croatia is it has a reputation for not having the best food. Not bad food just not anything very memorable. Now this can be a little frustrating when you are on vacation and paying the “Dubrovnik prices”. If you are looking for a tasty meal at a reasonable price you will need to step out of Old Town. That’s exactly what we did during our 3 Night Croatia stay and we found some delicious meals contrary to Croatia’s reputation. A couple of our favorites are:

Ala Mizerija

Address: Ul. od Tabakarije, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Website: Ala Mizerija

Ala Mizerija is a little seaside cafe bar that looks over the Adriatic. It’s the cutest little place and the perfect stop for a sandwich and an espresso.

Vita Bella

Address: Ul. bana Josipa Jelačića 37, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia

TripAdvisor Page: Vita Bella

Vita Bella is a small pizza shop with very reasonable prices. The pizza was excellent! They do have some fun combinations. We got a white pizza with chicken, onions, and pickles! Super random, but it was delicious! They also have some cheap drinks to start off the night right. Vita Bella was my favorite restaurant in Dubrovnik so definitely add it to your own 3 Nights Croatia Stay!

Peppino’s Gelato

Address: Ul. od Puča 9, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Website: Peppino’s

When on vacation you need to get gelato every day 🙂 especially when in Europe! Check them out for the best in Dubrovnik!

Things to Do

Our favorite part about Dubrovnik was just walking around the city. Old Town and the city walls were so gorgeous and unique that they provided almost all of our entertainment. Whenever we got too hot we just found a little cove and took a dip! Definitely wear your bathing suit under your clothes because the water is just too gorgeous not to swim in!

Top things to do in Dubrovnik:

Brunch at Mizerija
There is a cute beach right next Mizerija – Perfect spot for a dip!
Do some cliff jumping at Buza Bar
Stroll along Old Town
Tour the city walls
Cable Car Rides
Kayaking
Seaside cafes for drinks and to watch the sunset
Dinner at Vita Bella
Dessert at Peppino’s Ice Cream
Check out the next section for night life

Night Life

Croatia is known for their night life so definitely make it a part of your 3 Nights Croatia Itinerary. They have everything you can think of from crazy clubs in the walled city to some relaxing bars overlooking the Adriatic! Here are some of the top voted:

Trubadur – Outdoor, Romantic Jazz Bar
Buza Bar – More for tourists, but has an amazing view with some tasty cocktails
Culture Club Revelin – Known as a disco – perfect place to get your groove on
Cave Bar – This is part of a hotel, but also has an amazing view

Hvar

Croatia has many islands and Hvar is known as the one with some of the most beautiful beaches and historic downtown. Highlights of the port town include 13th century walls, a hilltop fortress, and a main square with a Renaissance era Hvar Cathedral. Hvar is absolutely stunning and very relaxing that’s why we had to spend two nights here in our 3 Nights Croatia Itinerary.

Accommodations

Book the same accommodations: Villa Boko

There are a couple things to consider when booking your accommodations in Hvar. You will want to book either in or close to the main town. Hvar is really known for having some great nightlife so being walking distance is always a plus! If you are looking for more of a secluded area you can book just outside of the city. That’s exactly what we did.

We stayed at an Air B&B called Villa Boko and it is just a 10 minute drive outside the town. This is by far the most beautiful place I have ever stayed at. The villa is quite small with its own private cove. Only a couple other families will be here at the same time and there are plenty of lounge chairs to layout or just go take a dip. You can even pay the owners to make you dinner if you didn’t want to leave the villa.

We had 3 other friends with us on this trip so we got an apartment big enough for five. The actual apartment is a little outdated but it’s a beach town so who cares! Honestly the private cove makes up for any old appliances. I highly recommend staying here.

Food

Hvar is a resort town so food is going to be expensive. In order to save some cash we stopped at one of the grocery stores on our way from Sucuraj (where the ferry dropped us off) to our accommodations. We got a bunch of sandwich meats, chips, and wine here that we consumed the next day when we rented a boat.

Although most restaurants were expensive, we were able to find some really good restaurants at reasonable prices. Here are some of our favorites:

Fig Cafe’ Bar

Address: Croatia, Stjepana Papafave 35, 21450, Hvar, Croatia

Website: Fig Cafe’ Bar

Fig Cafe’ Bar is especially known for their tasty breakfast, although they have food all day, and specialty drinks. The cook has been a private chef on megayachts for almost a decade and the main bartender worked at the top restaurants in Melbourne.

Dalmatino

Address: Sveti Marak 1, 21450, Hvar, Croatia

Website: Dalmatino

This one is a little pricey and is a more formal dinner and it’s voted one of the best restaurants in Hvar. Normally we don’t splurge on expensive dinners but with reviews like these we had to! And it was well worth the money. This place was phenomenal, both Faris and I got the black gnocchi with shrimp and our three friends got fish entrees. We all got drinks and some appetizers. The total came to $174 USD for five people which really isn’t too bad for everything we ordered.

Lola Street Food

Address: 21450, Hvar, Croatia

We have a mix consensus of ratings between our friend group for this place. We went here out first night and got dinner and drinks. The place was quite pricey for the food. I got the fried shrimp with chips and I thought it was very good. Faris got the spare ribs and thought they were mediocre at best. Drinks ranged from $9-15. This place has very high reviews but I would not put it first on my list. It reminds me of a trendy restaurant from a large city back in the states. I think it has high reviews because there’s not much else like it with the same vibes.

Agava

Address: Ul. Ivana Tkalčića 39, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

Website: Agava

Agava is a cute little restaurant located off the beaten bath; most natives describe it as a hidden gem. They have indoor and outdoor seating which are both very beautiful. The restaurant itself is pretty small so make sure to get reservations. They are known for traditional Croatian dinners which include many different sea food and meat options.

Icy Bar

Address: Riva 11, 21450, Hvar, Croatia

Like I said in the Dubrovnik Food Section, if you are on vacation you should get gelato every night! Icy Bar is voted the best in Hvar.

Things to Do

Stay at the same accommodations: Villa Boko

Rent a boat: Hvar Boat Rental

Hvar is a resort town and the best things to do are relax, drink some wine and enjoy the views! Our accommodations really provided the best spot for us to enjoy the Adriatic Sea. Our first day we just laid out, swam and had some drinks! I really recommend staying here because of that purpose alone! I linked the Air B&B above if you want to stay at the same place.

Our second day we rented a boat and drove it to the island of Vis. There are different options of boats you can rent. If you want to go all the way to Vis you will have to rent a boat with a higher horse power engine. A boater’s license is required at the time of rental for these larger boats.

You can also rent a small cruiser and just go to the nearby smaller islands. I think renting the bigger boat is the best option, it was our favorite day out of the whole trip! We brought our own cooler filled with sandwiches and wine! We had the boat all day! I linked the boat rental above if you want to rent your own boat!

Top Things to Do in Hvar:

Get some breakfast at Cafe Fig
Take a walk down town
Make a stop at some of the wine bars
Relax on the Adriatic Sea – Swim, lay out
Rent a boat for the day – Bring some sandwiches and snacks!
Get Dinner at Dalmatino’s or Agava
Grab some gelato from Icy Bar
Head down town to the bars – See next section “Hvar Night Life”

Night Life

Hvar is the place you want to be when you are looking for a party! You can find anything you are looking for whether it’s a bumping beach club or just a relaxing bar with some live music. Each club and bar has it’s own personality! I listed some of our favorites below:

Kiva Bar – Kiva Bar is on the main street where most of the bars are and it is packed! Check any of these bars out for a crazy time!
Carpe Diem – Famous beach bar where famous people are often sited, pricier, and doesn’t open until midnight
Hula Hula – Beach club, perfect spot to watch the sunset with some cocktails. Do note this place gets packed and the party turns up once the sun goes down
Central Park Club – This spot is a little more chill and has live music
Lola Bar – Pricey drinks, cool spot to start off the night