Italy to Croatia Highlights — Self-Launched Edition
14 days · Italy & Croatia
G Adventures charges £2,200
No-markup version: ~£1,120 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 14-day run from Venice through Florence and Rome, then across the Adriatic by overnight ferry to Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik — the same route as the G Adventures Classic trip, rebuilt for independent travellers using public trains, hostel and guesthouse beds, and self-bookable tours. Expect Renaissance city streets, Chianti wine, Roman ruins, Dalmatian beaches and Pakleni Islands swimming, all at roughly a third of the group-tour price. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Venice
Venice, Italy
Fly into Venice Marco Polo or Treviso. Take the ATVO/ACTV bus from Marco Polo to Piazzale Roma (about €10, ~30 min) and walk 7 minutes over the Constitution Bridge to your hostel near the station — no need for a water taxi. Settle in, then take an evening wander: cross the Rialto Bridge, grab a €2 cicchetto and ombra (small wine) at a bacaro in Cannaregio, and get lost in the carruggi. Buy a 24-hour ACTV vaporetto pass (~€25) if you plan to ride the canals; otherwise Venice is best on foot.
🚌Airport bus to Piazzale Roma, walking, vaporetto
🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Santa Lucia station / Cannaregio (dorm €30-45)
- →Evening walk: Rialto Bridge and Cannaregio
- →Bacaro hopping (cicchetti and local wine)
Venice morning, then train to Florence
Venice → Florence
Spend the morning on Piazza San Marco, the Doge's Palace exterior and the Accademia Bridge, or pay €30-ish for St Mark's Basilica plus campanile if the mood strikes. Mid-afternoon take a regional train from Venezia Santa Lucia to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (about 2h, €20-45 depending on how far ahead you book — Trenitalia regional is cheapest). Check into your hostel, then do the classic Florence orientation loop yourself: Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio at golden hour.
🚌Regional train Venice–Florence ~€20-45
🛏Hostel in Santa Croce / San Lorenzo area (dorm €30-45)
- →Piazza San Marco and St Mark's Basilica
- →Self-guided Florence orientation walk: Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio
Florence museums and leather markets
Florence, Italy
Book Uffizi and/or Accademia (Michelangelo's David) online in advance — skip-the-line timed entry via the official Firenze Musei site is €25-30 each and worth every cent in peak season. Afternoon: browse the San Lorenzo leather market and Mercato Centrale food hall for lunch. If you'd rather leave the city, a regional train to Pisa (1h, €9) or Siena (bus, €10) is easy — both work as half-day trips.
🚌Walking; optional regional train to Pisa ~€9 return
🛏Same Florence hostel
- →Uffizi Gallery (pre-booked skip-the-line)
- →Accademia / Michelangelo's David
- →San Lorenzo leather market and Mercato Centrale
- →Optional day trip to Pisa or Siena
Chianti by bike and a wine tasting
Florence / Chianti
Rent a bike or join a small-group Chianti cycling day tour (bookable on GetYourGuide from around £55-70) rolling through vineyards between Florence and Greve. Alternatively, DIY it: take the bus to Greve in Chianti (€5) and taste at a couple of cantine for €10-15 each. Either way, end the day with a proper wine tasting — many Florence enoteche do tutored flights for €20-30.
🚌Local bus to Greve ~€5 each way or included in tour
🛏Same Florence hostel
- →Chianti vineyard cycling (GetYourGuide small-group)
- →Chianti wine tasting
- →Optional Greve in Chianti self-guided visit
Train to Rome and a Roman dinner
Florence → Rome
Hop the high-speed Frecciarossa or Italo from Firenze SMN to Roma Termini (1h30, €25-50 if booked early — the cheapest Intercity option takes about 2h45 for €20). Check in, then spend the afternoon free-roaming: Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain at dusk. Dinner is a proper Roman plate of cacio e pepe or amatriciana in Trastevere — €15-20 with wine.
🚌High-speed train Florence–Rome ~€25-50
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Termini / Monti (dorm €30-45)
- →Piazza Navona and Pantheon walk
- →Trevi Fountain
- →Roman dinner in Trastevere
Ancient Rome and the Vatican
Rome, Italy
Book a Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill combined ticket (€18 official, or ~€35 with a GetYourGuide skip-the-line guide) and go early. Afternoon option: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (€20 official, pre-book the timed slot; St Peter's Basilica is free but queues). Evening: cheap pizza al taglio and a walk up the Aventine keyhole for the dome view.
🚌Walking and metro (€1.50 per ride, day pass €7)
🛏Same Rome hostel
- →Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (pre-booked ticket)
- →Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (timed entry)
- →Aventine Hill keyhole viewpoint
Rome to Ancona, overnight ferry to Split
Rome → Ancona → Split
Train from Roma Termini to Ancona on the Adriatic coast (2h45-4h, €20-35). Wander the port and the Trajan's Arch area, eat a seafood lunch, then board the overnight ferry to Split — Jadrolinija or SNAV run this route in summer (deck/pullman seat €40-55, reclining seat or shared cabin a bit more). Book ahead in July-August; departures are typically evening, arriving early morning.
🚌Train Rome–Ancona ~€20-35; overnight ferry Ancona–Split ~€40-55
🛏Overnight ferry (deck seat or reclining seat)
- →Ancona port and old town wander
- →Overnight Adriatic crossing
Split and Diocletian's Palace
Split, Croatia
Arrive early morning, drop bags at your hostel in the old town (dorms €25-40 in summer) and grab a burek breakfast. Join a Diocletian's Palace walking tour — GetYourGuide runs 1.5h guided tours for around €18-25 — then climb the cathedral bell tower (€8) for the rooftop view. Afternoon swim at Bačvice beach, evening graze on fresh fish and local wine along the Riva.
🚌Walking; local bus if needed
🛏Hostel in Split old town (dorm €25-40)
- →Diocletian's Palace guided walking tour (GetYourGuide)
- →Cathedral of St Domnius bell tower
- →Bačvice beach swim
- →Riva promenade evening
Free day in Split — Marjan, Klis or Krka
Split, Croatia
Options: hike the Marjan peninsula forest park (free, 2h loop with swimming coves), take a local bus to Klis Fortress (€3, Game of Thrones filming spot), or a day tour to Krka National Park waterfalls (organised tour from Split about €40-50, or DIY by bus to Skradin ~€10 each way plus €20 park entry in summer). Back in town, hit the Green Market for picnic supplies.
🚌Local bus €3-10; optional Krka tour transport
🛏Same Split hostel
- →Marjan Hill hike and swimming coves
- →Optional Krka National Park waterfalls
- →Optional Klis Fortress
- →Split Green Market
Ferry to Hvar
Split → Hvar
Catch a morning catamaran or ferry from Split to Hvar town (45min-1h catamaran, €10-20 one way; book on Krilo or Jadrolinija). Check into a guesthouse or hostel (dorms €30-45, private rooms from €50), then spend the afternoon at Hvar's beaches — Pokonji Dol and Mekićevica are walkable, or take a water taxi. Evening: sunset at the Spanish Fortress (€10 entry) and nightlife around the harbour.
🚌Catamaran Split–Hvar ~€10-20
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Hvar town
- →Hvar town and harbour walk
- →Pokonji Dol / Mekićevica beach afternoon
- →Spanish Fortress sunset
Pakleni Islands boat trip
Hvar, Croatia
The included boat ride on the group tour is easy to replicate: hire a water taxi from Hvar harbour to the Pakleni Islands (about €10-15 return) and spend the day island-hopping between Palmižana, Jerolim and Stipanska for swimming, snorkelling and pine-shaded coves. Alternatively join a small-group Pakleni boat tour with lunch on GetYourGuide (around £40-55). Rent snorkel gear for €10 and pack water — the islands are pricey.
🚌Water taxi to Pakleni Islands ~€10-15 return
🛏Same Hvar guesthouse
- →Pakleni Islands boat trip / water taxi island-hopping
- →Snorkelling and swimming
- →Palmižana lunch stop
Ferry to Dubrovnik and old town orientation
Hvar → Dubrovnik
Take the morning catamaran from Hvar to Dubrovnik (about 2h45, €30-40 — book ahead in summer, or route via Split if needed). Check into your hostel or guesthouse in the old town or Lapad (dorms €30-50). Do your own orientation loop: Pile Gate, Stradun, the harbour and Fort Lovrijenac from outside. Dinner: fresh seafood or a cheap grill plate in the old town lanes — note Dubrovnik is the priciest stop on this route.
🚌Catamaran Hvar–Dubrovnik ~€30-40
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Dubrovnik old town / Lapad
- →Self-guided old town orientation: Pile Gate, Stradun, harbour
- →Fort Lovrijenac exterior
- →Seafood dinner in the old town
City walls and cable car
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Walk the full circuit of the Dubrovnik city walls first thing (€35 in high season — go at 8am to dodge crowds and heat). Then take the cable car up Mount Srđ (€27 return) or hike up free for the same view. Afternoon: swim at Banje beach or take the ferry to Lokrum Island (€27 return including island entry) for the botanical gardens and peacocks. Evening: sunset drinks on the Buža cliff bar.
🚌Walking; cable car €27 return (hike free); Lokrum ferry €27
🛏Same Dubrovnik hostel
- →Dubrovnik city walls walk
- →Mount Srđ cable car or hike
- →Banje beach swim or Lokrum Island
- →Buža cliff bar sunset
Depart Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Final morning for a slow coffee on the Stradun and last-minute souvenir shopping. Dubrovnik airport is reached by the Atlas shuttle bus from the old town/Pile Gate (€10, 30 min) or by local bus 11 to Gruž then airport bus. Fly out or continue onward to Montenegro (Kotor is a 2h bus ride away for anyone extending).
🚌Airport shuttle bus ~€10
🛏None (departure day)
- →Morning coffee on the Stradun
- →Optional extension to Kotor, Montenegro
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,120 | £2,200 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,080 per person (49%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,120
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Italy to Croatia Highlights — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,120 per person for 14 days in Italy & Croatia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,200 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,120 — a saving of roughly £1,080 (49%) per person.
How long is the Italy & Croatia trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Italy & Croatia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, beaches, foodie trip through Italy & Croatia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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