AIBU to think this Croatia itinerary is doable without feeling too rushed?

5 6 and 8 look a bit busy if you're tired in the evenings, but it sounds like a great holiday with lots of fab experiences. I like to alternate busy and restful days as I need to relax on holiday, but if you are happy with that much activity, enjoy.

Hvar is not that exciting. I would do the five islands speedboat tour, takes you to the blue grotto island, the island where Mama Mia was filmed and also Hvar from Split harbour, and then and knock out your Hvar segment.

Oh I’m a planner too and this is right up my street (One of my favourite holidays was when the country had just re-opened after Covid but there were still restrictions so everything had to be booked in advance.)

I’ve only been to Dubrovnik with small children so cant comment other than to say Mostar is a good trip, but you’ll be queuing at the border for ages. I think if you build in a bit of flex for each destination you’ll be good - so think about what sights / trips you can drop if you find you are short on time.

Day 1 - trying to see all of old Split on the first afternoon is too much and I don't think you will have time. The Diocletian's Palace etc will take a fair bit of time as there are several different things to go inside. You're forgetting that it will be very hot and tiring and that you will want to sit down and have drinks in the shade rather than rush about the whole time.

On the trip to Bol - I've been to Bol and not sure it's worth going there just for one day on a beach, even if it is Zlatni Rat. Brac however is interesting and does have a great tour of the island. But there wouldn't be time to do all that in one day.

Don't bother to go to Cavtat if staying in Dubrovnik. People stay in Cavtat because it's nice and close to Dubrovnik but there isn't much to do and there's no reason to bother for you.

We are in Croatia now. Might want to factor in extra time at the airport both ways with the new checks - took over an hour to get through passport control and we've been advised it is worse on the way back.

If you are going alone then fine. But if not.... This is far too much advance planning. Where is the down time? I would need a holiday after this holiday

Way too much packed in.

I loved Split more than Dubrovnik partly because of prior expectations. I loved the underground Roman buildings in Split. I also loved Trogir but it was so busy with cruise tourists.
We had planned to go to the national parks this year but after reading all the reviews etc decided it sounded too confusing and also busy so now have given up. Are you taking organised coach trips or driving?

I don’t think you can do cetina rafting and Krka in same day as opposite directions from Split. We did Krka as a stop off on way to Plivice which definitely deserves a full day.
Dubrovnik is compact and city can be done in one full day but you can’t do evening walls walk as well as evening kayak on same day-you seem to have double booked that evening?

When we went to Seville, I had on my itinerary to do the Alcazar and the Cathedral in the same day. It took us all day to go round the Alcazar and then the Cathedral took much longer than anticipated because it has 30 flights of steps to get to the bell tower and then you have to wait at the top for space to become clear so you can get to the edge to take pictures on all 4 sides. Takes ages

That is also without the hour it took us to queue up to get into the Alcazar

Clearly OP loves it.

For a 10 day trip I'd drop dubrovnik and spread the rest Split/Hvar out. Don't do krka and rafting on the same day, it's trying to fit too much in. Split is beautiful and worth a couple of days ambling around before you dash off to do the other stuff in the area. Trogir is a short bus ride away and also beautiful

I dont think its about the itinerary, its about the amount in it. I said right at the start of the thread I use intinaries myself but you need to build in reasonable time.

I've been to most of those places and think it looks doable but if it's really hot - which it could be - I'd be prepared to drop the odd plan here and there. But in terms of how long you've allocated to each place I think it looks fine.

Some people like planning...

I got halfway and thought Nah!
Way too much planning.

I was going to say similar about Plitvice. We spent two nights there between stays in Zagreb and Split and it was lovely. A couple of evenings in the mountains after the heat and crowds of the days were so much better than squeezing it into one day with long bus journeys at each end.

OP you can holiday how you like of course but for places like Plitvice I really recommend taking time to experience it properly or save it for another trip.

It is a little strange that you have planned in your swimming, but maybe that is how you like to do it... I don't really do sitting about holidays and I like to get out and see things when abroad, but I think you need to cut out a couple of things there, especially the day trips. Day trips take longer than you think, the travelling especially if it is hot is tiring. I would limit the trips out from where you are staying to 2-3 for the whole trip, and spend more time in the places you are staying. I think you are running the risk of being so busy running around seeing stuff that you don't actually have time to engage with your surroundings and the cultures you are visiting.

Oh, I liked the cable car!

I agree that written down makes this look more than it is and dont see why the OP is being vilified for planning. There's plenty of relaxation at the places OP is going.

I think you've been given an unfairly hard time on this thread. There is nothing wrong with having a plan to make the most of your trip or being a detailed person. I like to plan my trips in detail and maximise my time somewhere. I'm not on Instagram etc either. I don't know why people felt it was necessary or appropriate to start attacking you for liking a different type of holiday to them.

Mostar is really lovely, as is Herzegovina more generally (very beautiful region). Kravica waterfalls are amazing, you can swim and kayak and spend a whole day or certainly a full afternoon there. Both are worth visiting IMO. On a day trip to Mostar and Kravica from Croatia you won't have much time in either place as you'll mostly be on the bus.

You might have a nicer time if you had a night in Mostar/Bosnia so you can see a bit more or just without spending a huge chunk of one day on a bus. I loved Bosnia more than Split or Dubrovnik. I might drop one of the Hvar nights to have a night in Mostar or Herzegovina instead.

Otherwise, day 8 sounds possibly ambitious. I was a bit underwhelmed by the cable car (and the city walls too if I'm honest - I would perhaps say do one or the other but not both). If you extended your Bosnia segment slightly to get your kayaking at Kravica instead then that might also make day 8 more achievable. Or, if it's specifically sea kayaking you wanted to do in Dubrovnik, I'd think about what else on that day you could drop if it proved too much.

Overall it sounds like it will be a fun trip.

We travelled north to south in Croatia. We stayed next to Plitvice and spent a lovely two days there on the lakes, one day doing the top half and the next day doing the south. You cannot travel there from Split in a day, walk round all the lakes and feel you’ve done it justice. It’s beautiful but it’s also busy and lots of the paths are single file so you can’t rush it.

As a side, we hated Split. Totally ruined by tourism. We loved Dubrovnik though and could have stayed there longer than the 4 days we did. Soak up the history and do a tour. Quality not quantity.

This is a ChatGPT suggested itinerary! Too busy for my liking, just your prompts for a more relaxed time.

You need siesta time I think

I love Croatia: have been there several times and to most of the places you've listed. I agree with others that the best way to see it is to mix sightseeing/excursion days with lazier pottering and beach days. It is also really, really hot in high summer so you'll want to allow time for resting/keeping out of the sun in the afternoon. I'd split your Dubrovnik activities over two days personally and leave time for long lunches and coffees to escape the business.

I think what you've got is possible and all the things you want to see are good. I just think it would be exhausting and you'd miss the best bits of Croatia which is the chill vibes and amazing people. Plus if they are doing well in the world cup while you're there, the parties are going to be worth joining in.

If you like wine, I'd recommend this tour in Split: https://putalj.com/

As someone who regularly does driving holidays and did one around Croatia a few years back, it sounds like you are trying cram a lot in…
If that’s the style of holiday both you and your partner like, then great, crack on. But for me, I would want some more downtime / opportunity for serendipity. Often it is the small things that aren’t top of the tourist ‘hit-list’ that make the holiday for me. I always need to leave enough breathing room in the plan to allow those things to happen.