Croatia Island Hop & Stop — Self-Launched Edition

Fly into Dubrovnik Airport (DBV). Skip the operator's private transfer and take the Platanus airport shuttle bus to Pile Gate (~£8, 30–40 min) or a shared taxi for around £11–13 per person if you're arriving late. Check into a hostel or guesthouse within a 10-minute walk of the Old Town — Hostel Angelina or similar dorm beds run £18–28 per night in mid-season. Spend the afternoon acclimatising: walk the Stradun, buy a Dubrovnik Card if you want museum access plus buses, and grab a cheap burek and salad for dinner (~£8). Cross the road to Banje Beach for the classic postcard view of the walled city at sunset — free.

🚌Airport shuttle bus £8 or shared taxi £11–13

🛏Hostel dorm or private room in a guesthouse near Pile Gate / Old Town, £22–30

• →Walk the Stradun
• →Sunset at Banje Beach
• →Buy Dubrovnik Card (optional)

Beat the crowds and the heat by walking the full 2km city walls first thing when they open (~£30 for a single-entry ticket, buy direct at the Pile Gate entrance or on the official Dubrovnik Card site). Budget 1.5–2 hours. Afterwards, take the cable car up Mount Srđ (£21 return) for views over the old town and Lokrum — or hike up for free via the switchback trail from Buža if you'd rather save the cash and get the workout. Afternoon: free walking tour of the Old Town (tip-based, £5–10 tip), the Rector's Palace and the small beaches at Buža Bar outside the walls. Dinner: konoba-style grilled fish and blitva at a spot off the main drag (~£15).

🚌On foot; cable car £21 return if used

🛏Same Dubrovnik hostel/guesthouse, £22–30

• →City Walls walk
• →Mount Srđ cable car or hike
• →Tip-based Old Town walking tour
• →Buža cliff bar

Pick one. Option A: the 15-minute public ferry from the Old Town port to Lokrum from around £22 return (the island charges a landing fee that includes the ticket) — swim off the rocks, wander the botanical gardens and the Benedictine monastery, and see the Game of Thrones iron throne replica. Option B: catch the local Jadrolinija ferry from Gruž port to Šipan, Lopud or Koločep in the Elaphiti archipelago (£4–8 each way, timetables at the port and online) for quiet coves and sandy Šunj Beach on Lopud. Either way, pack a picnic from the Gruž market to keep food costs down (~£7). Evening: cheap pizza slice and a beer in the Old Town (~£10).

🚌Lokrum ferry £22 return or Jadrolinija local ferry £8–16 return

🛏Same Dubrovnik hostel/guesthouse, £22–30

• →Lokrum Island swim and botanical gardens
• →OR Elaphiti Islands public ferry day
• →Šunj Beach, Lopud

The operator's included transfer becomes a DIY ticket: book the Kapetan Luka / Krilo catamaran from Dubrovnik to Korčula direct on the operator's website or at the Gruž port office (~£22–28 one way, roughly 2h15). Depart morning, arrive by early afternoon. Korčula town is a 5-minute walk from the ferry terminal — no need for a taxi. Check into a guesthouse or hostel inside or just outside the walls (£20–28). Afternoon: walk the tiny fishbone-shaped Old Town, see the house said to be Marco Polo's birthplace and the Cathedral of St Mark (free to enter), and swim off the town beaches at Banje. Dinner: Korčula is famous for its konobas — grilled fish, žrnovo pasta and a glass of Pošip (~£15).

🚌Krilo/Kapetan Luka catamaran Dubrovnik–Korčula £22–28

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Korčula Old Town, £20–28

• →Korčula Old Town walk
• →Cathedral of St Mark
• →Swim at Banje beach
• →Konoba dinner

Full day on the island. Cheapest and most flexible option: rent a bike or scooter in Korčula town (£12–20 per day) and ride the coast road to Lumbarda, where sandy beaches meet Grk white-wine vineyards — tastings at family wineries from £8–12. Alternatively, catch the local bus toward Vela Luka and stop at Pupnatska Luka, one of the island's best swimming coves (bus £2–3 each way, or a shared taxi). If you want structure, book a half-day wine-tasting or kayak tour through GetYourGuide or Klook from £30–45. Evening back in town: the Moreška sword dance performance runs in summer (~£15) or just wander the ramparts at sunset for free. Self-cater dinner from the small supermarket (~£8).

🚌Bike/scooter rental £12–20 or local bus £4–6 return

🛏Same Korčula guesthouse/hostel, £20–28

• →Cycle to Lumbarda vineyards
• →Pupnatska Luka beach
• →Wine tasting
• →Optional Moreška sword dance

Take the morning Krilo or Jadrolinija catamaran from Korčula to Hvar (~£18–24, roughly 1h30). Note there are two arrival points: Hvar Town (Krilo) and Stari Grad (car ferry and some catamarans, then a 20-minute bus to Hvar Town, £3). Book Hvar Town if you want to walk off the boat into the action. Check into a hostel or sobe (private room) — Hvar is Croatia's priciest island, so dorms run £28–40 and private rooms £40–55; book well ahead. Afternoon: climb to the Spanish Fortress for the best view on the island (~£9), wander the marble square, and swim at Pokonji Dol or the beaches past the Franciscan monastery. This is the one-night stop the operator's own reviewers called too short — if you can, add a second night here.

🚌Catamaran Korčula–Hvar £18–24; optional Stari Grad bus £3

🛏Hostel dorm or sobe private room in Hvar Town, £30–42

• →Spanish Fortress climb
• →Hvar Town square and harbour
• →Pokonji Dol beach

Early start: take the water taxi from Hvar harbour to the Pakleni Islands (~£10–14 return, boats every 20–30 minutes in summer) for a morning swim at Palmižana or Vlaka before the day-trippers arrive. Back by noon, then catch the afternoon catamaran from Hvar Town to Split (~£14–20, about 1 hour — Krilo and TP Line both run it, book online). Arrive Split mid-afternoon; your hostel or guesthouse should be within 10 minutes of the Old Town / Riva (dorm £22–30). Walk the Riva promenade, step inside Diocletian's Palace cellars (~£8, or free if you only wander the above-ground courtyards), and watch the sunset from the Marjan hill steps. Dinner at a Fife-style konoba: pašticada or grilled squid (~£14).

🚌Water taxi to Pakleni £10–14 return; catamaran Hvar–Split £14–20

🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Split Old Town, £22–30

• →Pakleni Islands swim
• →Diocletian's Palace
• →Riva promenade
• →Marjan hill sunset

Last morning: join a free tip-based walking tour of Diocletian's Palace (tip £6–10) or climb the cathedral bell tower (~£6) for rooftop views. Green Market and the fish market are great for cheap breakfast and picnic supplies (~£5). Getting to Split Airport: the Pleso Prijevoz shuttle from the main bus station costs ~£6 (30 min) or local bus line 37 for ~£2 — no need for the operator's private transfer. If your flight is late, leave bags at the hostel or the bus station lockers (£3–5) and spend the afternoon at Bačvice beach, home of the local game of picigin.

🚌Airport shuttle £6 or local bus 37 £2

🛏None (departure day)

• →Tip-based Old Town walking tour
• →Cathedral bell tower
• →Green Market
• →Bačvice beach