The Best Time to Visit Croatia

Croatia has become a popular tourist destination. Justifiably so, its medieval cities and Roman ruins are perfectly preserved, and the national parks offer picture perfect settings complete with waterfalls, verdant forests and crystal clear lakes. The Dalmatian coastline, where the temperate turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea is speckled with charming, idyllic islands, is complete with historic ports. The renowned Croatian welcome and the Game of Thrones viewing pandemic of recent times are bringing local and international tourists swarming to this compact European country.

So when is the best time to visit?

Summer in Croatia runs from June to the end of August and is the most popular time of year for visitors who flock to the Adriatic Coast to enjoy the hot weather, beaches, summer festivals, cruises, sailing and island hopping or to enjoy the cooler forests and lakes of the national parks. This is the time that most Europeans take their annual holiday, so, like many European cities and attractions at this time of year, you can expect Dubrovnik and Split will be crowded and the temperatures will be hot.

One of the advantages of the Croatian climate is that it enjoys less extremes than many of its European neighbours. Warm weather and temperate waters glisten on the Dalmatian coastline through spring (March-June) with ideal water temperatures for swimming from May to September and even in autumnal October. If swimming is not on your travel plan, you can enjoy reasonable temperatures from March, making it possible to plan your visit to Croatia when it is less crowded.

Outside of the popular summer season you will find April and Easter a lively time when local festivities and traditions take over the village streets, October is the time that the vineyards harvest their grapes. If you have to travel in the height of the Croatian summer, between June and August, the National Parks will be less crowded than the coastline.

If you are looking for a guided tour of Croatia, you will find over 65 Croatia Tours that run between April and October. You can also take a cruise along the Croatia coastline, island hopping your way along the magnificent Dalmatian Coast.

The benefit of touring is that all logistics and entry to national parks and historic attractions are pre-arranged and you will be likely to avoid the queues that independent travellers need to join early to get to see the highlights. With your itinerary arranged and your tour director leading the way, you will enjoy Croatia whenever you travel!