Where the Balkans Meet the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro & Bosnia
Eight days, three countries, one unforgettable stretch of coastline. We flew into Dubrovnik and used it as a base before heading up to Split, then made our way back south through Bosnia and along the Pelješac peninsula. Here’s how it went.
Dubrovnik — Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik
Three nights here. The hotel is right at the edge of the Old Town, which makes everything walkable. Dubrovnik is as beautiful as advertised — the marble streets, the sea views, the warren of staircases and terraces.
Key stops:
Ancient walls, endless blue….
The city walls— 2km walk with sweeping views over the Old Town rooftops and the Adriatic below. Start from the Ploče Gate entrance — less steep and mostly downhill, which makes the whole walk much more enjoyable. Go early before the crowds arrive.
Lokrum Island — short ferry ride, botanical gardens, peacocks, ruined monastery. A good half-day escape from the city.
Rector’s Palace — window into Dubrovnik’s history as an independent republic.
The cable car up Mount Srđ — a short ride to the top and the view over the Old Town, the islands, and the Adriatic is spectacular. One of the best vantage points of the whole trip, especially at sunset.
Where we ate:
Taj Mahal — a Michelin spot in the Old Town serving authentic Bosnian cuisine. Tucked into a quiet alley. Reserve ahead; it fills up. If you’re also visiting Mostar, eating here is a great taste of what’s coming.
Dalmatino — Great seafood and pasta, outdoor seating, consistently recommended.
Montenegro Day Trip — Private Tour
We did a private full-day tour from Dubrovnik — just our group, one driver, no fixed group schedule. Crossed the border without any fuss and spent the day in the Bay of Kotor.
Balkan beauty…
Herceg-Novi — quick stop near the border on our way. It’s a cute little town.
Kotor Old Town — a walled medieval city backed by sheer limestone mountains.
Our Lady of the Rocks — a tiny artificial island church in the bay, reached by a short boat ride.
Perast — a handful of baroque palaces and bell towers reflected in still water.
Split — Hotel Vestibul Palace
Two nights in Split, staying inside Diocletian’s Palace — literally inside the 1,700-year-old Roman walls. The hotel occupies ancient stone rooms, and the Old Town is your doorstep. Split has a completely different energy to Dubrovnik — less polished, more lived-in.
A palace that became a city…..
Diocletian’s Palace — not a museum, a neighborhood. People live and work inside the Roman walls.
Get lost in the alleys — the maze of narrow passages, stairways, and hidden courtyards inside the palace walls is half the experience.
The underground vaults — beneath the palace lie a vast network of ancient cellars, remarkably well preserved. Walking through them gives you a real sense of the scale and engineering of the original Roman structure. Unique and not to be missed
The Riva promenade — walk it, browse the shops, and soak up the waterfront atmosphere at sunset.
Plitvice Lakes — Day Trip from Split
Sixteen lakes, countless waterfalls
Don’t skip this. Plitvice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site about two hours inland from Split — sixteen terraced lakes connected by waterfalls in a shade of turquoise that seems too vivid to be real. We booked a guided day trip through Viator: air-conditioned transport, English-speaking guide, panoramic boat ride, and electric train through the park, all included. The tour covers both Upper and Lower Lakes, roughly 5km of walking on boardwalks. Wear good shoes.
April is a great time to go — the snowmelt has the falls thundering and the summer crowds haven’t arrived yet.
Split → Mostar → Ston → Cavtat — Private Transfer
Instead of a straight transfer back to Cavtat, we added two stops — Mostar in Bosnia and the walled town of Ston in Croatia. Best decision of the trip.
Mostar, Bosnia
Cobblestones, turquoise rivers, 500-year-old bridge
The Stari Most — the Old Bridge — is one of the most iconic sights in the Balkans, a 16th-century Ottoman arch rebuilt after its destruction in the 1990s war. Walking across it with the turquoise Neretva below and minarets rising on both sides is genuinely striking. The old bazaar around the bridge is full of craft shops, spices, and sweets — we picked up Turkish delight here, and it was excellent. On the way back to Cavtat, our guide stopped at a local restaurant in Bosnia for burek — a flaky, spinach or meat-filled pastry, grabbed fresh and eaten on the go. Don’t skip it if you get the chance. Mostar carries a lot of history — in the rebuilt and the still-scarred parts of the city alike. Well worth the detour.
Ston, Croatia
Almost completely unknown outside Croatia, which makes it all the better. Ston sits on the Pelješac peninsula and is protected by over five kilometers of medieval walls — one of the longest fortification systems in Europe. We had about an hour here.
Cavtat — Hotel Croatia Cavtat
Our final night — and a practical choice. We had an early morning flight back to the US, and Cavtat is just a short ride from the airport, far easier than staying in Dubrovnik. But it turned out to be a great choice in its own right: a small, quiet town 20 minutes south of Dubrovnik, with the hotel sitting on its own peninsula with sea views in every direction. After a week of sightseeing, it was the perfect place to wind down. The hotel arranged a taxi to the airport.
Eight days was a taste. Two weeks would be closer to enough — maybe. The walled cities, the mountain-ringed bays, the food, the history — the Balkans and the Adriatic get under your skin. If this corner of the world is on your list, move it to the top.
