When is the best time to visit Croatia
Croatia is an ideal destination year-round for beachgoers, foodies and nature lovers. This seasonal and monthly overview will help you decide the best time of year to visit Croatia.
Banje Beach Dubrovnik (May)
Quick Note: On January 1, 2023, Croatia will join the Eurozone and adopt the Euro as its currency. The former currency of Croatia (HRK or kn) will no longer be accepted as payment. The Kuna coins and banknotes can still be exchanged up until December 31, 2023. Croatia has also joined the Schengen Area and is subject to its laws.
Croatia has some beautiful beaches that hug rocky coasts and have jewel-bright water. The coast is dotted with white stone cities with vermillion roofs. Ancient ruins are scattered throughout the north.
Croatia is a country that has many places and activities, but they are all dependent on the season. This is why you should know when to go.
The summer is renowned as THE season to travel to Croatia. We could not say that after our July visit to Split and Dubrovnik when we had to squeeze through the crowded streets.
We didn’t really know what to expect when we decided to visit Croatia. It’s about finding that sweet spot when summer is still there but the crowds are (relatively speaking) less.
The answer to this question is not always simple. It will depend on your destination and what you are doing.
This article will help you plan your Croatia trip by describing the season month-by-month, along with the pros and cons.
When is the best season to visit Croatia?
You’ll enjoy the best weather and the least amount of crowds in late spring and early autumn.
Split (April)
The summer is Croatia’s most popular season, but the crowds and heat are not to be taken lightly. While it’s the most popular season to visit, these factors may make you reconsider.
There is no right answer, as it depends on where you are going and what you do.
Start by answering these questions:
- Which region of the country are you planning to visit?
- Do you get easily annoyed by crowds of people?
- Do you suffer from high humidity?
- Would you rather spend time at the beach or in a new city?
- Are you planning to do any specialized activities such as truffle-hunting?
You can start by answering these questions to help you decide when to go to Croatia.
Unsure where to go? You can narrow your choices by checking out our guide to the top places to visit in Croatia.
When is the Best Time to Visit Croatia?
- Our Experience in Croatia
- Croatia geography overview
- Weather in Croatia
- Summer in Croatia
- Fall of Croatia
- Winter in Croatia
- Spring in Croatia
The BEST time to visit Croatia
Want a quick recommendation? See our personal recommendations for the best times to visit Croatia. We’ll also share the times of year that we would avoid visiting Croatia.
- Our recommendation…
Our experience in Croatia
We visited Croatia in May, July, and September
Our Experience:
- In July 2016, we visited Croatia, and it was one of the busiest places in Europe. We should have included some less-known tourist destinations in our itinerary instead of sticking to the most popular ones.
- Amanda, our Director of Content, visited Croatia twice in 2018: May and September.
Spring in Croatia
Amanda spent a whole month in Croatia during May 2018. I spent the majority of my time in Split, where I was based, but I also visited Dubrovnik and Istria.
Split, as a beach destination, was only just “coming to life” in May. By the end of the month, there had been a noticeable increase in visitors, and beach clubs were fully open.
Although I’ll mention it, the water in the sea was still quite chilly.
Dubrovnik had the most people of any place I visited in Croatia, and it was already quite hot.
Rovinj (May)
Istria (as an area less visited by tourists in general) was much more touristy. The islands are still in their hibernation phase, so there is not much crowding.
A storm came in quickly on the day that I had planned to visit Plitvice Lakes. It soaked us through. We were unprepared for the weather, and we couldn’t really enjoy the park. Unfortunately, that was the one day we made it.
Would you recommend visiting in the spring?
Yes! Yes!
Summer in Croatia
Croatia in July
We (Katie & Ben) visited Croatia at the height of the summer season. It was also during the peak of summer season when Game of Thrones was on TV, and Croatia was starting to gain popularity as a European holiday destination.
In our Croatia travel guide, we discuss our experience.
The weather was very hot, despite the crowds. It was scorchingly hot. It wasn’t ideal to be in Dubrovnik during the summer, as there was little respite from the heat while enjoying popular activities such as walking the famous walls of Dubrovnik.
Would you recommend visiting during the summer?
We would not recommend visiting Croatia in the summer months (June to August).
Fall in Croatia
Split (September)
I (Amanda) visited Croatia in September of the same year after having been there in May.
I visited both Hvar as well as Split. In September, both places were near perfect, with fewer crowds. The prices were slightly lower, but some beach bars had already closed for the season and did not offer services such as beach chairs.
Would you recommend visiting in the autumn?
Yes! The fall is the best time to visit Croatia, especially if you want to combine sightseeing with a little beach time.
Croatia geography overview
Plitvice Lakes, July
Croatia’s landscapes, despite its small size, are quite diverse. From the fertile, flat plains of the northern inland, to the low mountains and highlands, along the coast.
Dinaric Alps, just north of Zadar, cut the country in two with peaks around 6,000 feet (1 828 meters). There are also a few smaller ranges in this area.
The terrain in Dalmatia is hilly and rocky, and, therefore, all the beaches are pebbled.
There are many rivers and lakes in Croatia, but the most notable ones are the Krka River system and the Plitvice Lakes system. These systems were formed by the melting water of the middle mountain ranges.