Sarajevo-Split-Hvar-Korcula-Dubrovnik-Mostar-Sarajevo Itinerary
Replies: 9 - Last Post: Apr 20, 2012 8:57 AM Last Post By: flumy
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Sarajevo-Split-Hvar-Korcula-Dubrovnik-Mostar-Sarajevo Itinerary
My wife and I are tentatively considering a two (2) week trip in August with the itinerary below. My interests are Roman and 20th century history (e.g. WW1 and post-Yugoslavia civil war) while my wife's interests are classical art and churches. My primary questions for everyone are 1) whether we are packing too much into the itinerary or spending too little time at each place and 2) whether the travel logistics or connections are realistic or even existent.For example, I am fairly confident about taking a catamaran from Split to Hvar to Korcula. However, I am unsure about the best or fastest way to travel from Korcula to Dubrovnik (if this is even possible). Any advice, suggestions, or constructive criticism you provide will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance, my fellow travelers!
Day 1 (Wednesday) -- Depart from USA via evening flight
Day 2 (Thursday) -- Arrive in Sarajevo in evening
Day 3 (Friday) -- Sightsee Sarajevo
Day 4 (Saturday) -- Sightsee Sarajevo
Day 5 (Sunday) -- Spend morning in Sarajevo (attend church/mass) / Depart for Split via bus / Arrive in Split in evening
Day 6 (Monday) -- Sightsee Split (Old Town)
Day 7 (Tuesday) -- Spend morning and afternoon in Split / Depart for Hvar via ferry/catamaran late afternoon / Arrive in Hvar in early evening
Day 8 (Wednesday) -- Sightsee Hvar
Day 9 (Thursday) -- Spend morning and afternoon in Hvar / Depart Hvar via ferry/catamaran late afternoon / Arrive Korcula in early evening
Day 10 (Friday) -- Sightsee Korcula
Day 11 (Saturday) -- Spend morning and afternoon in Korcula / Depart Korcula via ??? late afternoon / Arrive Dubrovnik in early evening
Day 12 (Sunday) -- Sightsee Dubrovnik (attend church/mass in the morning)
Day 13 (Monday) -- Sightsee Dubrovnik
Day 14 (Tuesday) -- Depart Dubrovnik in early morning via bus to Mostar / Spend afternoon in Mostar / Depart Mostar via bus or train in evening for Saravejo
Day 15 (Wednesday) -- Depart Sarajevo for USA via early morning flight
1
If you are interested in Roman ruins, then you should visit Salona/SolinI would also suggest visiting Sibenik to see the cathedral there. It's about 90 minutes on the coast road and about 75 minutes on the toll road. On the coast road you can also stop and see Primosten which has a little church atop a hill.
Given your interests I am wondering why the islands.
Ruth
3
Are you sure that Sarajevo is the best place to fly in and out? Check Split (low cost flights from London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Rome, Amsterdam, Madrid/Barcelona, Geneva), Dubrovnik (idem) or even Zagreb too.You don't need 3 days for Sarajevo.
May be you are interested in Jaice, head quarter of Tito and his partisans during WW2, or in Jablanica and the Neretva Battle Museum.
Visit Trogir too (close to Split).
There is a daily catamaran from Korcula to Dubrovnik (July and August only): http://www.gv-line.hr/raspored.php?linija=3
You would have enough time for a 2-3 days trip to Montenegro: Kotor, Lovcen, Cetinje, Budva ....
Goli Otok, the Gulag of Tito, can be visited by boat from Rab Island (far away from your itinerary, however.
4
Thank you, everyone! As always, your comments and suggestions are really helpful (especially Flumy's post). We definately plan on visiting Salona/Solin when we are based in Split.This trip is a very likely substitution for a trip to Russia (Moscow-Novgorod-St. Petersburg). The past few years, my wife and I have been traveling through Eastern Europe (Poland in 2008; Czech Rebublic, Austria, and Hungary in 2010; and the Baltic nations in 2011), so after my wife has had a few rough months at work this year, I thought she deserved at least few days of relaxation in the islands off the Croatian coast where we can still see some nearby Roman ruins or old churches on occasion. Hopefully, this answers Everbrite's/Ruth's question regarding "why the islands."
Neckervd makes a very valid point about whether three days in Sarajevo is too much. As a point of clarification, I am thinking about squeezing in a long daytrip to the Srebrenica-Potocari cemetary. This might also answer why I plan on flying to/from Sarajevo although I will certainly look at other possible entry/exit points, which will probably mean reconfiguring this itinerary.
A follow-up question I have for everyone is whether I should drop Korcula from the itinerary since we are already visiting Split, Hvar, and Dubrovnik? Or does Korcula really add something unique to the experience of traveling the Croation/Dalmatian coast?
5
I guess part of the reason that I suggested skipping one or both islands is that you don't have much time in Split and if you want to see Diocletian's Palace and Salona/Solin and are really interested in Roman ruins, each take at least half a day. That doesn't give you any time to visit Trogir or Sibenik or host of other towns.What airlines are you flying? Look at flying into Sarajevo and out of Dubrovnik or Split. Stop in Mostar when you are heading to the coast.
Stick to one island. Moving all the time isn't relaxing.
Ruth
6
Well, it is hard to say whether does Korčula add something unique, but as far as I am concerned, the answer is definitely positive. Here are several arguments in favor:- It is inscribed in the UNESCO tentative world heritage list. Worth reading: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5105/ - small, very significant, excerpt says: It is significant that according to official registar, half of the overall number of buildings (352 units are recorded) belong to higher categories of monuments of architecture in Croatia.
- Korčula is situated among wonderful natural scenary. It has wonderful archipelago and I reccommend visiting of island Badija by water taxi. The scenary is also dominated by nearby mountain (situated on Pelješac peninsula) called Zmijino brdo (Snake Hill) with the peak called Sveti Ilija (St. Elias) - http://www.korculainfo.com/panoramas/korcula-panorama-archipelago2.html .
- Korčula is ideally situated between Hvar and Dubrovnik. If you want to reach Dubrovnik from Hvar and not using Korčula as an intermediate stop, you have to backtrack to Split and use a bus from there. So logistically speaking, Korčula is ideal for this route.
Now, it is and it has to be, only up to you and your wife, to make a decision.
8
Korculathere are 2 ways to get to Dubrovnik from Korcula
1. The daily bus. departure in the morning around 7 . You need to get the ticket as soon as you arrive in Korcula.
2. Sharing a minibus organized by Korkyra , link http://dubrovniktokorcula.com/en/?page_id=50
They go every day from Korcula to Dubrovnik
9
Yes, this is true and also very valuable information, but for the travelers during the months of July and August, catamaran is by far the best option: http://www.gv-line.hr/raspprint.php?linija=3&red=54 . Of course the travelers have to plan their transfers as G&V line sails only four times a week.ADVERTISEMENT
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