From luxury gulet cruises along the Dalmatian coast to island-hopping adventures through ancient stone towns, discover why Croatia is the Mediterranean destination everyone's talking about and how to experience it the right way.
There's a moment on every
Croatia holiday
when it hits you. Perhaps it's watching the sun set over
Dubrovnik
's medieval walls, turning the ancient stone to gold. Maybe it's diving into crystal-clear water from the deck of your gulet, the Dalmatian coastline stretching endlessly in both directions. Or it could be sitting in a quiet harbour taverna on
Hvar
, watching fishing boats bob gently while you sip local wine.
Croatia has that effect on people. It combines the best of Mediterranean travel – stunning coastlines, world-class cuisine, thousands of years of history – with something increasingly rare: authenticity. This isn't mass-market tourism territory. It's a country of over 1,100 islands, hidden coves accessible only by boat, and coastal villages where life moves at its own unhurried pace.
At
Diamond Star Experience
, we've spent 30 years perfecting the art of Croatian travel. We've personally inspected every hotel, sailed every route, and built relationships with the captains, chefs, and local guides who make these holidays truly special. This guide shares everything we've learned about experiencing Croatia at its finest.
Why Croatia Should Be Your Next Holiday Destination
Croatia sits at a fascinating crossroads. Roman emperors built their retirement palaces here (Diocletian's Palace in Split is now a living, breathing part of the city). Venetian traders left their architectural fingerprints on every harbour town. The Austro-Hungarian Empire added a touch of central European elegance. And somehow, through centuries of conquest and change, the Croatians held onto their distinctive culture, cuisine, and character.
Today's Croatia offers a compelling mix of old and new. You can explore UNESCO World Heritage sites in the morning and dine at innovative restaurants in the evening. The infrastructure is excellent (EU membership has brought significant investment), but the pace of life remains wonderfully Mediterranean. And the Adriatic itself – with some of the clearest waters in the world – provides a stunning natural backdrop to everything.
Natural Beauty That Takes Your Breath Away
Croatia's coastline stretches for nearly 1,800 kilometres, punctuated by over 1,100 islands (only about 50 of which are inhabited). Many of the most beautiful areas are protected as national parks. The Plitvice Lakes, with their cascading turquoise pools connected by thundering waterfalls, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Krka National Park offers similar beauty with the added bonus of swimming beneath the falls. And the Kornati Islands present an almost lunar landscape of bare white stone rising from impossibly blue water
A Heritage Written in Stone
Every significant civilisation in European history has left its mark on Croatia. Dubrovnik's perfectly preserved medieval walls tell the story of a powerful maritime republic that rivalled Venice. Split's extraordinary old town is literally built into the ruins of a Roman emperor's palace. Smaller towns like
Korčula
(possibly the birthplace of Marco Polo) and Trogir (another UNESCO site) offer equally rich heritage with fewer crowds.
Weather You Can Count On
The Dalmatian coast enjoys a classic Mediterranean climate. Summers (July and August) see average temperatures of 32°C with minimal rainfall. Spring (May) and autumn (September) offer slightly cooler weather – typically 24-27°C – with the added bonus of fewer visitors and lower prices. Even October remains pleasant for travel, with sea temperatures still warm enough for swimming.
How to Experience Croatia: Choosing Your Perfect Holiday Style
Croatia rewards almost any approach to travel, but the best experiences often combine multiple ways of exploring. A week on the water followed by a few days in Dubrovnik. A land-based tour through the national parks paired with island-hopping. Our role is to help you find the combination that matches your interests, pace, and budget.
Luxury Gulet Cruises: The Classic Adriatic Experience
The gulet is the traditional wooden sailing vessel of the Adriatic, and there's simply no better way to experience the Croatian islands. These elegant ships combine old-world charm with modern comforts: spacious cabins with en-suite facilities, air conditioning, and sun decks designed for long lazy afternoons.
We offer two ways to experience
gulet cruising
.
Cabin charter cruises
let you book individual cabins on scheduled departures, perfect for couples or solo travellers who want to meet like-minded people.
Private charter
gives you the entire vessel for your group, with the freedom to influence your itinerary and enjoy complete privacy.
Our
Montenegro gulet cruises
operate from Porto Montenegro Marina in Tivat, offering access to both the dramatic Bay of Kotor and the Croatian coastline. With 6-8 cabins, capacity for up to 16 guests, and a crew of 4 including a dedicated chef, these cruises offer half-board dining with four additional dinners included. Weekly prices start from £2,045 per person, with early booking and loyalty discounts available.
For private charter, our fleet includes vessels like the
Gulet Sirena
(5 cabins, up to 10 guests, operating from
Split
from £12,500 per week) and
M/S Dolce Vita
(5 cabins, 10 guests, from Šibenik at £27,000 per week for the ultimate luxury experience).
Catamaran Cruises: Modern Comfort on the Adriatic
For those who prefer contemporary sailing style, our
Lagoon 46 catamaran
offers a different but equally memorable experience. Based in Dubrovnik, this 14-metre vessel accommodates up to 8 guests in 4 cabins, with a crew of 3 providing five-star service throughout your voyage.
The catamaran's stability makes it ideal for those who prefer minimal motion, while its shallow draft allows access to secluded bays that larger vessels can't reach. Explore the Elaphiti Islands, Mljet National Park, Korčula, and
Šipan
– each stop bringing turquoise swimming spots, ancient stone towns, and relaxed island life.
Cabin charter
prices start from £1,448 per person (from £2,298 for the
Montenegro route
).
Private charter
of the entire catamaran starts from £12,500 per week. All cruises include chef-prepared meals (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner), complimentary refreshments throughout the day, recreational equipment (snorkelling gear, kayak, paddle boards), and Wi-Fi.
Small Ship Cruises: The Best of Both Worlds
Our
Adriatic small ship cruises
offer something different again: the romance of being on the water combined with the stability and amenities of a larger vessel. Ships like
MS Prestige
,
MS Desire
, and
MS Freedom
carry 36-40 guests in supreme comfort, with crews of 5 attending to every detail.
These cruises operate various itineraries along the Dalmatian coast. The popular one-way routes between
Split/Trogir and Dubrovnik
(from £1,820 per person) allow you to explore the coastline without backtracking.
Round-trip
itineraries (from £1,958) offer the convenience of returning to your starting point. All operate from late April through October on a half-board basis.
Why choose small ship over large cruise liners? The answer lies in access. Our small ships can dock in charming harbour towns that bigger vessels simply can't reach. You'll experience authentic Croatia rather than cruise ship terminals, with time to genuinely explore each destination rather than rushing through in crowds.
Cruise & Stay: The Perfect Combination
Many of our guests find that combining a cruise with a land-based stay creates the ideal Croatian holiday. Begin in Dubrovnik, where a few days exploring the old town, taking day trips, and acclimatising sets the scene beautifully. Then join your cruise, already familiar with the region's history and rhythms. Or reverse the order – end your sailing adventure with time to reflect in one of the Adriatic's most beautiful cities.
Our
catamaran cruise and stay packages
start from £2,624 per person (including flights, transfers, 7-night cruise, and 3 nights in a 4-star Dubrovnik hotel). For a more tranquil option, consider
Cavtat
– just 20 minutes from Dubrovnik but with a completely different pace. Packages with a 7-night Cavtat stay start from £3,175.
For those wishing to extend into
Montenegro
, Kotor and Budva are both within easy reach. Stay in Kotor's dramatic bay surrounded by mountains, or enjoy Budva's lively beach scene, then fly home from Montenegro's airport for a seamless finish to your Adriatic adventure.
Tailor-Made Holidays: Your Croatia, Your Way
Sometimes the best approach is to let us create something entirely bespoke. Our
tailor-made Croatia holidays
can combine any elements – a few days in Zagreb exploring the capital's café culture and museums, a visit to the Plitvice Lakes, island-hopping by ferry between Split, Hvar, Korčula, and Dubrovnik, or a private escorted tour taking in multiple Balkan countries.
Our '
Best of Dalmatia
' itinerary (11 days from £2,498) takes you from Split through Vis, Brač, Hvar, and Korčula to Dubrovnik – the essential Dalmatian experience. The '
Highlights of Croatia
' tour (10 days from £2,990) adds Zagreb and Plitvice Lakes to the mix. For the truly adventurous, our
Western Balkan Tour
(7 days from £2,700) combines Croatia with Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
Where to Go: Croatia's Essential Destinations
Dubrovnik: The Pearl of the Adriatic
Dubrovnik
needs little introduction – its medieval walls, marble streets, and terracotta rooftops have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status and a starring role in Game of Thrones. But there's far more here than photo opportunities. Walk the complete circuit of the city walls for unbeatable views. Take the cable car to Mount Srđ for sunset. Explore the lesser-known corners – the quiet monastery gardens, the local swimming spots off the rocks, the restaurants hidden in the backstreets.
August temperatures can hit 32°C and the old town gets busy, so consider visiting in May, June, or September when you'll have more space to breathe. Dubrovnik makes an ideal base for exploring the surrounding area too—the Elaphiti Islands are just 20 minutes by boat.
Cavtat & Mlini: Dubrovnik's Peaceful Neighbours
Just 20 minutes from Dubrovnik (and 15 from the airport),
Cavtat
offers everything Dubrovnik has to offer – ancient history, beautiful harbour, excellent restaurants – with a fraction of the crowds. It's the perfect place to decompress before or after a cruise, with a lovely promenade along the waterfront and easy day trips to Dubrovnik whenever you fancy the bustle.
Split: Living History
Croatia's second city is built into – literally into – the ruins of the Roman Emperor Diocletian's retirement palace. This isn't a museum; it's a living, breathing town where people live in buildings that are 1,700 years old, where cafés occupy Roman basements, and where the cathedral was converted from Diocletian's mausoleum. Spend time getting lost in the maze of streets, then head to the Riva waterfront promenade for coffee and people-watching.
Split
also serves as the main gateway to Croatia's islands, with ferry connections to Brač, Hvar, Vis, Korčula, and beyond. Consider spending a night or two here before or after your island adventures.
The Islands: Hvar, Korčula, Vis, and Beyond
Each Croatian island has its own character.
Hvar
, with its famous lavender fields and glamorous harbour town, attracts a fashionable crowd, but venture inland and you'll find ancient villages virtually unchanged for centuries.
Korčula
claims to be the birthplace of Marco Polo and its medieval town rivals Dubrovnik for beauty with a tiny fraction of the visitors. Vis, closed to foreigners until 1989 due to its military significance, remains wonderfully unspoiled – its seafood restaurants are among the best in Croatia.
Šipan
, part of the Elaphiti archipelago, offers tranquil beauty just 20 minutes from Dubrovnik. Mljet, half-covered by national park, contains two saltwater lakes and the ruins of a 12th-century Benedictine monastery. Brač boasts Zlatni Rat, one of Croatia's most photographed beaches – a white pebble spit that changes shape with the currents.
National Parks: Croatia's Natural Treasures
The Plitvice Lakes, with their 16 interconnected lakes and countless waterfalls, are worth the journey inland. Boardwalks wind through the forest, passing pool after pool of impossibly turquoise water. Krka National Park offers similar beauty closer to the coast, with the added attraction of swimming beneath the falls. Both can be visited as day trips, though an overnight stay lets you experience them without the crowds.
Planning Your Croatia Holiday
When to Visit
The sailing season runs from late April through October. Peak summer (July and August) brings guaranteed sunshine and the warmest sea temperatures, but also the highest prices and most visitors. We particularly recommend May, June, and September – still warm enough for swimming, but with better availability and a more relaxed atmosphere. Our cruises operate throughout this window, with exact dates varying by vessel and route.
What's Included
Our cruise packages typically include half-board dining (breakfast and lunch on board), with the option of additional dinners.
Cabin charter cruises
include bedding, towels, and access to all recreational equipment. Our
cruise and stay packages
include return flights and all transfers. The main exclusions are alcoholic beverages (though you're welcome to bring your own), shore-based dinners, crew tips, and a service fee (payable on board) that covers local fees and operational costs.
Booking and Financial Protection
All our holidays come with 100% financial protection. When you book flights through us, you'll receive an ATOL certificate protecting you against airline failures. We offer early booking discounts for those who plan ahead, plus loyalty discounts for returning guests. Payment plans are available to spread the cost.
Why Book Your Croatia Holiday with Diamond Star Experience
In thirty years of organising holidays to the Mediterranean, we've learned that the difference between a good holiday and an exceptional one often comes down to details. The right cabin on the right ship. The hotel that's perfectly positioned. The local guide who brings history to life. The restaurant that only locals know about.
Our team has personally experienced every holiday we sell. When you speak with our specialist Akin on
0333 258 7040
, you're getting advice from someone who has sailed these routes, stayed in these hotels, and walked these streets. That first-hand knowledge means we can match you with exactly the right experience and adjust the details to suit your preferences.
We're also here when it matters. When flights get delayed, when plans need to change, when questions arise during your trip, we're a WhatsApp message away, ready to help.
What Our Guests Say
"A week's trip on Perla del Mar turned out to be the best family holiday we had ever booked. The crew went out of their way to assist us at every opportunity. A holiday found by Google, sold to us by Akin who took the trouble to explain everything, turned out to be beyond the dreams of all of us."
– Christine, May 2025
"Diamond Star Experience were really helpful and friendly throughout. Our flight was delayed and I received contact telling me that they had arranged later pick-up from the airport. I cannot fault any part of the holiday and the service. Easy to contact through WhatsApp anytime which was a great touch."
– Mrs Wilson, August 2025
Start Planning Your Croatian Adventure
Whether you're drawn to the romance of a traditional gulet, the sleek comfort of a modern catamaran, or a tailor-made itinerary combining the best of land and sea, we're here to help you create your perfect Croatian escape.
Browse our full range of
Croatia holidays
on our website, or speak directly with Akin on
0333 258 7040
to discuss your requirements. You can also reach us by
email
or WhatsApp, we'll respond promptly and personally.
The Adriatic is waiting. Let Diamond Star Experience help you discover it.
