Cycling Croatia's Dalmatian Coast
Bike - Self-Guided Tour
Overview
Croatia's Dalmatian Coast has been a favorite seaside destination among central Europeans for over a century. Explore this spectacular limestone coastline by bicycle! You'll begin in Split where you'll see Diocletian's 3rd century palace still inhabited by descendants of the Romans who settled this area. On your ride you'll pedal three of the Mediterranean's most picturesque islands -Brač, Hvar and Korčula - spending time in the picturesque rural areas, ports, and fishing villages. We'll explore the Medieval and Renaissance cities that were so important to the Greeks, Romans, Venetians, Austrians, Hungarians, and Croats. You'll also pedal to the remote interior of coastal Croatia before reaching the beautiful walled city of Dubrovnik, long considered the jewel of the Adriatic.
Highlights
- Split, founded in 300 A.D. by Roman Emperor Diocletian
- Dalmatian islands: rural Solta, lavender fields at Hvar, Korcula's ancient stone walls
- Island of Brac, precious limestone used to build the White House in Washington
- Dubrovnik, the pearl of the Adriatic sea
- UNESCO world heritage sites
- Lavender roads & wine regions
Daily itinerary
Day 1 Day 1 - Arrive in Split, bike fitting and welcome briefing
Highlights: Split, Diocletian's Palace
Upon your arrival in Split, you will meet our representative who will introduce you to the area, highlighting key sites and dining options. After your personalized bike fitting, you will receive a briefing on the routes and various options available for your ride.
One of the highlights of Split is Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, locals continue to reside within the ancient walls, creating a unique blend of history and daily life. You’ll discover a variety of cafes and restaurants offering delicious Mediterranean cuisine. In the evening, take a leisurely stroll along the beautiful waterfront promenade just in front of the Palace.
Depending on your arrival time, you can choose to go for a test ride:
- Option 1: Daily Distance: 18km ( 11 miles) - Elevation gain: +222 m ( 728 ft) - Terrain: Rolling Hills
- Option 2: Daily Distance: 18km (22 miles) - Elevation gain: +226 m ( 741 ft) - Terrain: Rolling Hills
- Option 3: Daily Distance: 59km ( 37 miles) - Elevation gain: +956 m (3136 ft) - Terrain: Rolling Hills
Accomodation: in Split, depending on the category of your choice.
Day 2 Day 2 - Solta Island
Highlights: Quiet and picturesque roads of Island Solta, olive groves
After enjoying your morning coffee at Split's scenic waterfront promenade, you'll board a one-hour ferry to Šolta, the first of the beautiful Dalmatian islands.
Once on the island, you'll embark on a biking adventure, primarily along the charming back roads that wind through small villages in the island’s interior. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to explore several coastal villages, ride through lush olive groves and vineyards.
Optional visit to honey production site.
You'll be back in Split tonight.
Daily distance: 41 km (25 miles)
Elevation gain: 585m (1919 ft)
Accomodation: in Split, depending on the category of your choice.
Day 3 Day 3 - Brac Island
Highlights: Island Brac, coastal ride and towns, ancient inland villages, stone sculptures, art galleries
Today you'll visit the island of Brac, Croatia's third largest and the highest island in the Adriatic Sea. Brac is famous for fishing and agriculture, especially vines and olives, as well as its precious limestone which was used to build Diocletian's Palace in Split and the White house in Washington.
This island will give you plenty of riding choices. Coastal roads, climbs to 778 meters, coastal or inland villages and towns, art galleries, local restaurants, stone masons workshops or even a visit to the stone mason school!
Overnight in Split.
Daily distance - today you can choose between three opions for your ride:
- Option 1: 28km (17 miles)
- Option 2: 35km (22 miles); 412m (1352 ft) elevation gain
- Option 3: 80km (50 miles); 1010m (3314 ft) elevation gain
Accomodation: in Split, depending on the category of your choice.
Day 4 Day 4 - Hvar Island
Highlights: Stari Grad, UNESCO site of Stari Grad plain, museums, beaches, lavender fields, Hvar town
Today, discover ancient villages and coastal roads of island Hvar. After the ferry ride from Split to Hvar, we suggest an easy morning ride around the UNESCO site of Stari Grad.
Stari Grad (Old town) is an ancient Greek colony dating back to 400 B.C. Besides historical sites you will discover charming towns and roads where you will be biking, passing next to private gardens, along the coast and olive groves.
In the afternoon, ride along the famous lavender fields to reach town Hvar.
Daily distance: today you can choose between two options for your ride.
- Option 1: Daily distance: 20km (12 miles) - Elevation gain: +437m (1434 ft) - Elevation gain: Hilly
- Option 1: Daily distance: 28km (17 miles) - Elevation gain: +241m (761 ft) - Elevation gain: Rolling Hills
- Option 3: Daily Distance: 46km (28 miles) - Elevation Gain: +718 m ( 2356 ft) - Terrain: Hilly
Accomodation: on Hvar Island, depending on the category of your choice.
Day 5 Day 5 - Cruise to and cycle on Korcula Island
Highlights: Private boat ride, Korcula town, Island Korcula,
Start the day with a boat to the island of Korcula, where you'll start your bike ride.
The island has been inhabited since ancient times, even before the arrival of the Greeks! Over the centuries, the Venetians established a walled city on the northern shores, which became a crucial stronghold for their influence in the region. Thanks to their legacy, we now have the stunningly preserved old town of Korčula, a magnificent example of walled architecture that has remained virtually untouched for centuries. This will be your home for the next two nights. Today, you'll explore the scenic southern side of the island, where you'll enjoy breathtaking views of hidden beaches and coves. As you cycle through charming villages and hamlets, make sure to stop at one of the local konoba (taverns) for a taste of delicious, locally prepared dishes!
Daily distance: today you can choose between two opions for your ride.
- Option 1: Daily Distance: 46km (29 miles) - Elevatio gain: +702m (+2303 ft) - Terrain: Hilly
- Option 2: Daily Distance: 55km (34 miles) - Elevation gain: +857m (+2812ft) - Terrain: Hilly
Accomodation: on Korcula Island, depending on the category of your choice.
Day 6 Day 6 - Rest day or Loop ride in Korcula
Highlights: Charming little villages, vineyards, local restaurants
Spend another day exploring the island of Korčula and discover its hidden gems: secluded coves, charming old towns, picturesque villages, and dense pine forests that blanket the island. There are several loop options for your ride today, each taking you past lush vineyards, olive groves, and along the island’s stunning coastline. Indulge in traditional local dishes like homemade gnocchi, macaroni, or pastičada, recipes passed down through generations. Korčula is also renowned for producing some of Croatia’s finest white wines, perfect to complement your lunch or dinner. And, of course, don’t forget—Marco Polo himself once called this island home!
Daily distance - today you can choose between three opions for your ride:
- Option 1: Daily distance: 26km (16 miles); - Elevation gain: 429m (1407 ft) - Terrain: Mostly flat
- Option 2: Daily distance: 14km (9miles) - Elevation gain: +151m (495ft) - Terrain: Mostly Flat
- Option 3: Daily Distance: 84km (53 miles) - Elevation gain: 1356m (4449 ft) - Terrain: Hilly
Accomodation: on Korcula Island, depending on the category of your choice.
Day 7 Day 7 - Cycle Peljesac Peninsula and arrive in Dubrovnik
Highlights: Peninsula Peljesac, Ston
For your final ride, you’ll cycle along the scenic Pelješac peninsula, passing through the renowned vineyards of Dingač and Postup, famous for producing wines from the Plavac Mali grape—a close relative of California's Zinfandel and Calabria's Primitivo. Along the route, you'll have the opportunity to visit several wineries while enjoying stunning views of the islands of Mljet and Korčula to your right, and the mainland to your left. The ride offers a mix of climbs, vineyard paths, and beautiful coastal stretches. Your destination is the historic village of Ston, known for its salt production and impressive 5.5 km of fortified walls—the longest in Europe. After exploring Ston, you’ll be transferred to Dubrovnik, where the legacy of the powerful 14th-century Dubrovnik Republic awaits you.
Daily distance - today you can choose between three opions for your ride:
- Option 1: 14km (9 miles)
- Option 2: 32km (20 miles)
- Option 3: Daily Distance: 57km (35 miles) - Elevation gain: +920m ( 3018 ft) - Terrain: Hilly
Accomodation: in Dubrovnik, depending on the category of your choice.
Day 8 Day 8 - Tour ends in Dubrovnik - Doviđenja!
Highlights: Dubrovnik, end of tour, Doviđenja!
Your tour ends today after breakfast.
You might want to extend your stay in Dubrovnik (the Pearl of Adriatic) and explore the historical sites along with magnificent walls that surrounds the old town!
Thanks for joining us and have a good flight back home. Doviđenja!
PLEASE NOTE : The final itinerary, including hotels and/or activities described here, are subject to changes according to availability.
Difficulty description
Medium to challenging - The Dalmatian islands are known for its hills. From 7 riding days, the first 3 days and the second day on Korčula are loop ones, and you can chose your daily distance, from 0 to 45 or more kilometers per day. The other 3 days you can expect rides from 20-60 km (12-37 miles) and climbs over 900 meters (2.950 feet).
Visit our Tour difficulty level page to learn more about terrain levels and how we determine day and tour levels.
Map
What's included
- 7 nights in accommodations of the desired category
- All breakfasts
- High-quality bike rental (road, hybrid or tandem) with accessories (lock, pump, spare tube, helmet and patch kit, rear rack bag)
- Bike fitting and tour briefing in English by our professional staff at tour start
- All ferry tickets and private boat transfers during the tour
- Luggage transfers
- Access to smartphone app with tracks
- Additional daily cycling options
Optional activities
Dates and availability
This tour is available between March 1 and October 31
Starts can start any day of the week.
We highly recommend Spring (end of March till mid-June) and fall (mid-September till beginning of November) for serious biking (min. daily distance of 50 km). If biking is not the only reason for choosing this tour, the swimming season usually starts late May and can last till the middle of October.
Tour Code: hrbs3304
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Partner Tours Collective
Since we cannot directly operate self-guided tours everywhere, we use our vast network in the continent to curate and offer tours operated by select local partners that we know and trust. These tours are similar in quality to those we operate directly – for example, they usually begin with an in-person briefing and bike fitting (with English-speaking local staff); bicycles are provided in optimal condition; the roadbook and navigation instructions, as well as lodging are of similar quality, as well as the routes and inclusions.
Prices
You can choose between 3 different hotel categories:
Classic: 3- and 4-star accommodation
Premiere: 4-star accommodation
Exclusive: 4- and 5-star accommodation
Departures are divided in 6 seasons (prices are per person):
Season 1: Apr 1-28
Double room: €2660 (classic), €3190 (premiere), €4180 (exclusive)
Single supplement: €655 (classic), €960 (premiere), €2020 (exclusive)
Season 2: Apr 29 - May 28
Double room: €3020 (classic), €3500 (premiere), €4530 (exclusive)
Single supplement: €860 (classic), €1165 (premiere), €2315 (exclusive)
Season 3: May 29 - Jun 28
Double room: €3200 (classic), €3790 (premiere), €5390 (exclusive)
Single supplement: €1030 (classic), €1330 (premiere), €2865 (exclusive)
Season 4: Jun 29 - Aug 31
Double room: €3410 (classic), €4170 (premiere), €5450 (exclusive)
Single supplement: €1085 (classic), €1570 (premiere), €2930 (exclusive)
Season 5: Sep 1-30
Double room: €3280 (classic), €3980 (premiere), €5430 (exclusive)
Single supplement: €965 (classic), €1575 (premiere), €2905 (exclusive)
Season 6: Oct 1-31
Double room: €2820 (classic), €3440 (premiere), €4550 (exclusive)
Single supplement: €735 (classic), €1075 (premiere), €2365 (exclusive)
Solo Traveler and Private Group departures available: please inquire.
Lodging Upgrade: Room and accommodation upgrades available. Please inquire for prices and availability.
Extra nights: If you'd like to add nights before or after the tour, please inquire - we will be happy to provide a quote and add the nights to your tour package.
Bike rental
Our bikes are maintained and delivered in optimal working condition.
The prices below are per bike for the duration of the tour, including delivery to starting point in Split and collection from ending point in Dubrovnik.
Bike Upgrade Options:
E-bike: €180
For more details for bikes available for this tour, pease see here: Croatia Bikes
Trip planning
Starting point
Starting point: hotel in Split (depending on category of your choice).
We recommend flying into the International Airport of Split (SPU), only 25km away from the city center.
*The meeting time for our self-guided tours is typically set between 3-6:30 pm. We recommend travelers plan accordingly allowing plenty of time to arrive at the determined meeting place. Please note a late fee may be applied for late arrivals - please see our terms page for details.
Airport transfers available at extra fee. Please inquire for pricing.
Ending point
Ending point: hotel in Dubrovnik (depending on category of your choice).
We recommend flying into International Airport of Dubrovnik (DBV), which is only 25km away from the city center.
Airport transfers available at extra fee. Please inquire for pricing.
Photo gallery
Customer reviews
Click to read past traveler reviews
Overall we really enjoyed the trip with some beautiful routes and views, some great hotels. Hvar was a highlight for me. The town, swimming, the hotel. All great. Also really enjoyed many of the views along the route in Korcula. As well as riding through the vineyards after the tunnel on the last day as we rode towards Ston. In addition, I wanted to add that Giulia was excellent in communication / very thorough and helpful.
- Kevin W. (Canada, 2024)
Beautiful tour of coastal Croatia through olive groves and towns with plenty of opportunities to swim. Moderate distance with some hard hills. This was a fabulous tour - we loved the routes and Croatian islands. We loved the big loop day on Brac and also the day on Hvar that ended with the big climb over to Hvar town.
- Katherine B. (USA, 2022)
As always the hotels are well placed and interesting. All the hotel staff were very friendly and helpful about the bikes. Among the tour favorites: the island life, nature, quietness away from towns and provincial food and market goods such as honey.
- Amanda N. (Australia, 2017)
The hotels were exceptional. The cycling, while difficult at times, was spectacular. We had a great time!!!
- Fiona S. (Australia, 2017)
The logistics were very nicely arranged, all the luggage transfers, ferry rides, private boat ride, van ride to Dubrovnik - all were flawless. The local staff were very nice and helpful. It was fun to cross paths with one of your guided tours on Hvar and Korcula. Their guide (Silvja) was very nice and gave us a few tips!
- Tom E. (USA, 2016)
Our favorite experience on this trip? Croatia is a beautiful country. The sea, people,meals. We loved the fishes, olive oil, wines. For us Korcula island was the best. Solta is charming,the tourists didn''t find it yet. The route between Korcula and Ston. The vineyards. The bikes, excellents. We had a lot of notes about the trip. Anthony gave us a big explanation about the tour. Day by day, Excelent material where we could find restaurants, poins of interest, museums etc. Perfect! Thanks for your services. This tour was fantastic. Very nice.
- Marzenia C. (Brazil, 2016)
Bruce and I want to thank you again for all the work and organization that went into setting the four of us up for our self-guided cycling trip through Croatia. Your guide package was there when we arrived, and it was amazing - packed with not only all the maps, guide notes, tickets etc, but also all the other interesting cultural, historical and culinary information. More often than not we did take your advice on places to eat-particularly enjoyed the agrotourism dinner outside of Primosten and the italian restaurant in Zadar. And the accommodation you arranged was really lovely - our favorites were Mare Mare suites in Mali Losinj; and Hotel Slvajia in Split - at these sites the proprietors were wonderfully helpful, accommodating and thoughtful. We ended up taking a guided tour of Split from the manager of hotel Slavija. We were very grateful for the notes on bike shops and did need them twice. And to see those kind drivers at the Zadar ferry dock waiting for us late at night; and the speed boat transport driver who arrived perfectly on time in Hvar town - amazing!! Sometimes we struggled with directions, particularly getting out of towns, and in the interior of Istria, however, it was a great way to meet the locals as we often stood, maps in hand, looking very confused and lost - all in all we had an excellent time, and would recommend you to anyone else considering taking this trip. Thanks again Stefania, for making it all work. Great job.
- Ilse P. (Canada, 2015)
