Self-Launched Dalmatian Coast & Montenegro Island-Hopping

Fly into Split (SPU) and take local bus 37 or a shared taxi (~£3-5) the 30 minutes to Trogir, the UNESCO-walled harbour town the original tour boards its yacht from. Check into a hostel or guesthouse inside the old town, then wander the marble lanes, Kamerlengo Fortress and the seafront riva at golden hour. Book any catamaran legs you still need at the Jadrolinija/Krilo ticket offices on the Obić waterfront, and ask your host about the best-value day sails to the Blue Lagoon (roughly £35-45 for a half day including snorkel gear).

🚌Bus 37 Split airport–Trogir ~£3, or shared taxi ~£5

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Trogir old town (dorm £16-22 / private double £45-60)

• →Trogir old town walk
• →Kamerlengo Fortress
• →Trogir riva sunset

Recreate the yacht-deck experience without the cabin: join a self-bookable half-day sailing or speedboat trip from Trogir harbour out to the Blue Lagoon near Drvenik Veli, with snorkel gear, a swim stop and a stop for lunch on a quiet cove (book via GetYourGuide, Klook or directly at the harbour — £35-50). Afternoon back in Trogir or a cheap local bus to Okrug for a swim. Dinner at a konoba off the main square — grilled fish and a glass of local wine, ~£14.

🚌On foot; local bus to Okrug ~£1.50

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Trogir

• →Blue Lagoon half-day sail/snorkel
• →Swim at Okrug beach
• →Konoba dinner

Take the morning Krilo or TP Line catamaran from Trogir/Split to Hvar (Stari Grad) — about 1h15-2h, £16-22. Base yourself in Hvar Town in a hostel dorm or a Stari Grad guesthouse (cheaper). Afternoon: climb to the Spanish Fortress above Hvar Town for the classic view, then swim at Pokonji Dol or Hula-Hula cove. Evening: Hvar's nightlife is the same scene the group tour drops anchor for — Carpe Diem and the harbour bars — but you can walk home.

🚌Catamaran Trogir–Hvar Stari Grad ~£18; local bus Stari Grad–Hvar Town ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm in Hvar Town (£22-30) or Stari Grad guesthouse (£28-38 double)

• →Spanish Fortress hike
• →Pokonji Dol beach
• →Hvar Town nightlife

Take the public boat taxi from Hvar harbour across to the Pakleni Islands (£8-10 return) and spend the day between Palmizana, Jerolim and Stipanska — pebbly coves, pine shade, snorkelling straight off the rocks. Bring water and snacks from the supermarket to keep costs down; one beach-bar lunch is ~£12. Back in town, cook in your hostel kitchen or grab a slice of local bread, cheese and pršut. Optional: a self-guided walk along the old Stari Grad Plain (UNESCO agri-landscape) if you've based yourself there.

🚌Boat taxi to Pakleni Islands ~£9 return

🛏Hostel or guesthouse on Hvar

• →Pakleni Islands boat taxi day
• →Snorkelling at Jerolim
• →Stari Grad Plain walk (optional)

Morning catamaran Hvar–Korčula (Krilo/TP Line, roughly 1h30-2h, £18-24). Korčula Town is the medieval walled peninsula the original itinerary calls out — walk the ramparts, the Marco Polo House, St Mark's Cathedral and the fishbone-patterned lanes. Stay in a soba (private room) inside or just outside the walls (£25-35 double) or a hostel dorm (£20-25). Evening swim off Banje beach and dinner at a family konoba — Korčula is famous for žrnovska makaruni and grk white wine, ~£15.

🚌Catamaran Hvar–Korčula ~£21

🛏Soba guesthouse or hostel in Korčula Town

• →Korčula city walls walk
• →Marco Polo House
• →Banje beach swim

Hire a bike (£10-12/day) or take the local bus to Lumbarda and cycle between the sandy beaches of Vela Pržina and Bilin Žal, with a stop at a family winery for a tasting of grk (the grape grown only here) — £8-12 for a tasting. Alternatively, a self-bookable half-day kayak or snorkel trip from Korčula Town runs £30-40. Afternoon ferry to the tiny islet of Badija for a swim and a walk around the Franciscan monastery.

🚌Bike hire ~£11; boat to Badija ~£5 return

🛏Soba guesthouse or hostel in Korčula Town

• →Lumbarda beaches and vineyards
• →Grk wine tasting
• →Badija islet swim (optional kayak trip)

Take the morning catamaran or ferry Korčula–Sobra (Mljet) — 45-60 minutes, £8-12 — and enter Mljet National Park (£20-25 in season, payable at the gate). Hire a bike inside the park (£10) and ride the loop around Veliko and Malo Jezero, take the little shuttle boat to the monastery islet of Sveta Marija, and swim in the salt lakes. The Odysseus Cave is a 20-minute walk plus a scramble from Babino Polje — go with a local boat trip (~£25) if you'd rather not navigate the cliff path alone. Stay in Sobra, Saplunara or Polače guesthouse (£28-40 double).

🚌Catamaran Korčula–Sobra ~£10; park bike hire ~£10

🛏Guesthouse in Sobra or Polače, Mljet

• →Mljet National Park entry and lakes
• →Sveta Marija monastery islet
• →Odysseus Cave (optional boat trip)

Morning ferry or catamaran Mljet–Dubrovnik (about 2h, £15-20). Drop bags at a hostel in the old town or in Lapad (dorms £25-35; Lapad is cheaper and has a beach). Spend the afternoon getting lost in the Stradun, the Onofrio Fountain, the Rector's Palace and the old port, then swim off Banje beach with the city walls behind you. Sunset drinks on Buža bar's cliff ledge, dinner at a cheap pizzeria or buffeta in the old town (~£14).

🚌Catamaran Mljet–Dubrovnik ~£18; local bus ~£2

🛏Hostel in Dubrovnik old town or Lapad

• →Dubrovnik old town walk
• →Banje beach swim
• →Buža cliff bar sunset

Do the original tour's Day 14 highlight on foot: the full 2km circuit of the city walls (€35/£30 in season — go at 8am to beat the heat and the crowds) past Fort Minčeta, Fort St John, Fort Revelin and St Luke's Tower. Afternoon: cable car up Mount Srđ (£23 return) or hike up free for the same panorama, then a self-bookable Game of Thrones or history walking tour (£18-25 via GetYourGuide) if you want the stories behind the stone. Optional day trip to Lokrum island by ferry (£5 return) for swimming and peacocks.

🚌On foot; cable car ~£23 or free hike

🛏Hostel in Dubrovnik

• →City walls circuit
• →Mount Srđ cable car
• →Lokrum island ferry (optional)
• →Walking tour (optional)

Local bus Dubrovnik–Herceg Novi (about 1h including the border, £10-14 with Croatia Bus or Royal Travel). Border formalities are quick for UK/EU passports. Herceg Novi is the tour's first Montenegrin stop — a terraced town of stairs and mimosa, with the Forte Mare fortress, the old town and the spa at Igalo. The best beaches (Njivice, Žanjic) are reached by local boat from the harbour (£6-8 return). Dinner in the old town, ~£12.

🚌Bus Dubrovnik–Herceg Novi ~£12; local boat to beaches ~£7

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Herceg Novi old town (£22-35)

• →Forte Mare fortress
• →Herceg Novi old town stairs
• →Njivice beach by boat

Local bus Herceg Novi–Budva along the Bay of Kotor and the coastal road (1h15, £4-6). Budva is the tour's nightlife stop — check into a hostel in the old town or Slovenska Plaža area (dorm £18-25, private £35-45). Swim at Mogren beach just beyond the walls, walk the 2,500-year-old walled Stari Grad, and if you want the cliff-cove experience the original gets from the yacht, take a local boat to Sveti Nikola island (£4 return). Evening on the seaside promenade.

🚌Bus Herceg Novi–Budva ~£5

🛏Hostel in Budva old town or Slovenska Plaža

• →Budva old town walls
• →Mogren beach
• →Sveti Nikola island boat
• →Budva nightlife

The tour's quiet anchorage becomes a quiet bus-and-boat day for you: local bus Budva–Tivat or Kotor (£4), then a taxi boat or a seasonal local connection out to Bigovo, a tiny stone fishing village in a sheltered bay with clear water for snorkelling (£15-20 for a boat trip; bring your own mask). Alternatively, stay based in Kotor and take an organised half-day boat trip to the Bay's hidden coves and the Blue Cave (£30-35, bookable via Klook or at the Kotor waterfront). Fresh grilled fish and a cold Nikšićko on the waterfront, ~£14.

🚌Bus Budva–Kotor/Tivat ~£4; boat to Bigovo/Blue Cave ~£18-33

🛏Guesthouse in Bigovo (£30-40) or hostel in Kotor (£20-28)

• →Bigovo village swim
• →Blue Cave boat trip
• →Snorkelling

Move to Kotor (bus from Budva 30 min, £3, or from Tivat 20 min, £2). The UNESCO old town sits under limestone cliffs overhanging a submerged river canyon — exactly the scene the yacht sails into. Walk the 1,350-step city walls up to San Giovanni fortress early (£8 entry, or free via the back path), visit St Tryphon's Cathedral and the Maritime Museum, then take a local bus to Perast (£2) and a small boat out to Our Lady of the Rocks islet (£5 return). Optional self-bookable Kotor–Tivat inland tour or a Bay of Kotor kayak trip (£30-40).

🚌Bus Budva–Kotor ~£3; bus to Perast ~£2; boat to islet ~£5

🛏Hostel or guesthouse inside Kotor old town

• →Kotor city walls hike
• →St Tryphon's Cathedral
• →Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks
• →Bay kayaking (optional)

Local bus Kotor–Dubrovnik via the coast and the Debeli Brijeg border (2h15, £14-18). Re-enter Croatia, check back into a Dubrovnik hostel, and use the afternoon for anything you missed: the Rector's Palace, the Dominican monastery cloister, a final swim at Sveti Jakov, or the cable car at sunset. Book your onward flight or bus for the morning and have a last old-town dinner — seafood buzara and a glass of Dingač, ~£18.

🚌Bus Kotor–Dubrovnik ~£16

🛏Hostel in Dubrovnik

• →Rector's Palace
• →Sveti Jakov beach
• →Final old-town dinner

Airport bus from the old town (Ploče gate or the main bus station) to Dubrovnik Airport takes 30-40 minutes and costs ~£8; allow extra time in summer. If your flight is later, a last coffee on the Stradun and a walk on the Porporela pier. Departure day is your own — no group transfer to catch.

🚌Airport shuttle bus ~£8

🛏—

• →Stradun coffee
• →Porporela pier walk