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

[Tchmmkln]

Going to Croatia in June and would love some opinions from anyone who’s been 😊
This is our current itinerary:
Day 1 – Split

• Flight arrives at 12
• Check into hotel around 2pm
• Explore the old town alleys
• Diocletian’s Palace + cathedral
• Walk up Marjan Hill
• Swim at hotel pool in evening

Day 2 – Split

• Krka waterfalls day trip
• Rafting on the Cetina River

Day 3 – Split

• Plitvice Lakes National Park day trip

Day 4 – Split → Hvar

• Relaxed beach morning in Split
• Mid/late afternoon ferry to Hvar
• Pool + evening walk around Hvar marina

Day 5 – Hvar

• Pool/relaxing morning
• Pakleni Islands boat trip OR lavender fields
• Explore Hvar Town marina and restaurants
• Fortica Fortress at sunset

Day 6 – Hvar

• Day trip to Bol
• Zlatni Rat beach

Day 7 – Hvar → Dubrovnik

• Explore Hvar main square + St Stephen’s Cathedral
• Beach/swim before ferry
• Late afternoon ferry to Dubrovnik

Day 8 – Dubrovnik

• Walk the city walls early before crowds/heat
• Old Town, Stradun, Rector’s Palace
• War Photo Museum
• Cable car to Mount Srđ
• Evening kayaking

Day 9 – Dubrovnik Still deciding between:

• Mostar + Kravice waterfalls day trip
• OR
• Cavtat / Lokrum / Mljet National Park

Day 10 – Dubrovnik

• Fort Imperial
• Final swim at Lapad Beach
• Flight home at 2pm

Does this sound realistic/doable? Any amendments you’d make, places I’ve missed, or things that are overrated/not worth it? Thanks!

You say our itinerary, so I assume you're going with someone. If I was your partner I would murder you in your sleep. I would hate to have everything planned out like that, to the extent of which days I'm allowed have a swim or go for a walk. It sounds far too regimented. Can you not just have a relaxing day, or a play-it-by-ear day. It sounds exhausting. I'd need a holiday after your holiday, and I'm very much not a two weeks in benidorm type.

I too am not a sun lounger type and am exhausted looking at this. I’ve been to most of the places in your itinerary and would suggest at least on days 1, 5 and 8 drop at least one, ideally two, things from the list !

(And I absolutely love a plan, the problem is there are just too many things on some of the days!)

Sounds fine to me if you have flexibility to drop things if you are enjoying what you are doing. Day 8 perhaps a bit full.

I’d hate this. It’s too much planning and I’d refuse to go if DH had this planned

It is too much, i have been to all of these places and more in Croatia and you need some down time. You need nearly a day for the cable cars, a full day for Mostar, have you figured in travel time after your swim on the day you leave? I would half the intinery and go back again another time. We spent a whole day in Cavat just wondering around and having lunch, looking at the super yatchs.

too much. 2 activities at most per day, 1 on a day you are also travelling and have to deal with packing/check out/check in.

Is this from chat gpt by any chance, I find it tends to assume people are superhuman and ignores things like check out, travel time, meals, loo stops, packing etc.

I was going to ask if it was a Chat GPT suggestion as well, I always find it overestimates what is sensible to do in a day.

I mean it's ok as a starting point for things you might want to do. But I would be prepared to drop some of them rather than push on through.

Also maybe when you get to these places you won't be into swimming in the pool or on the beach.

Do you often organise a holiday in this way? Have you had feed back from you partner?

The trouble with getting Chat GPT to plan your trips is that it packs too much into each day.

Are the details supplied by a travel company? I have been on some group travel holidays that have an itenanary like this. In the end all the major highpoints get hit, but things like "free time / take a walk in the old town" and "free time / spend time at the hotel pool" often get dropped so people can quietly recover in their rooms.

I like an itinerary but you need to build in time for how often you stop for coffee, serving times, waiting for the bill, trying to find a seat in a restaurant or cafe, queuing for loos, trying to find the loo, queuing up for attractions, spending more time than you originally thought at one of the attractions because its so nice

We can easily spend about 3 hours sitting in a tapas bar or with a couple of drinks on an Italian square, just looking at things.

Takes us a good couple of hours to go round a cathederal and anything like a Palace a long time, a good half a day at least.

Way too much. You're on holiday - you're supposed to relax and enjoy yourself. Sit in a cafe and watch the world go by. Read a book. Just wander around the back streets. Cut back by at least 50%. Croatia is beautiful so, if you like it, you can always go back again!

It is the definition of rushed

To be honest, it reads like you just wanna get snaps for the gram and not like you want to actually experience Croatia; spend time with whoever you are going with; relax and read ; go for a wee or a coffee or any of the other things you might do on a holiday.

Jesus I’m exhausted reading that and I love an action packed holiday. But there’s too much in every single day. Plan in done downtime days. It’s too much.

It's written by AI.

I’ve actually spent all week researching and coming up with an itinerary by myself thank you. I’ve not shown it to my partner yet as wanted to see if I had missed anything first. I usually plan holidays like this and they usually work but I’ve only plan itinerary’s like this when I go by myself and never with someone else before. I plan most of my days (not just on holidays)

I think Day 8 is OK actually because the War Photo Museum is really small and the Old Town isn't big.

We don't do packed itineraries on a holiday but that is exactly what we did in Dubrovnik in one day. It's HOT on those walls mind!

Do you know what your partner wants from a holiday? This could be too active or too regimented. I don't think there are many people who'd truly enjoy this exactly as written. But only you're partner can tell you if they're one of them

Exhausted reading day one. Sorry. But we’re more ‘go with the flow’ people when on holiday.

I’d say day 2 and 3 is too much for sure. I’d pick one of the lakes/waterfalls and if you want to do the rafting do it on a different day. It’s actually exhausting! I’d then just have an unplanned day in split. Same in hvar, zlatni rat isn’t that exciting and I wouldn’t bother with a day trip there. I’d give yourself a free day in hvar and if you did want to do something just hire a boat and pootle about vs trying to ‘do’ something.

I am currently in Croatia, so I have opinions. The main one is that the great thing about this country is that it's chill, the people are really friendly and there is something beautiful to look at wherever you are.

Every Croatian has suggestions about things to see that aren't in the guidebooks, they always know someone who owns a boat and it's a great joy just to get recommendations in person and discover things when you are on the ground. If you don't allow time for this, you miss out.

I also can't get the sense from your itinerary what you are actually interested in - it seems a bit tickbox - the great attractions of Croatia. DONE. (Or an insta shoot list as a PP suggested).

Also the outfit changes! Are you going to be carrying a swimsuit, wetsuit, towels, goggles etc plus something suitable to wear for an exhibition and fancy dinner all day?

Also some of the things are a lot shorter than you think. Exploring Split's alley's, Diocletian’s Palace and cathedral takes about 5 minutes if you're efficient.

I had to look up Zlatni Rat. Yes I've been there. It looks best from a drone shoot on google images. On the ground it's a less than average Croatian beach that's a bit tacky and crowded. So many lovely barely used beaches that are far better.

I’m not fussed about dressing up for dinner and going to fancy restaurants and I’m not one for going out for a drink. I don’t even have Instagram and am not in to taking photos really, I just like travelling