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Traveling in Croatia with kids

You'll always spend time in the water on a family vacation, so if you're thinking about traveling in Croatia with kids, it's worth waiting until the water wings are off. Then it’s time for them to fly, be it downriver on rafts, island to island in kayaks, windsurfing off one of the island havens, or canyoning down the River Cetina.

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Traveling in Croatia with kids

Croatian, Italian and Slovenian schools go back as close to 1st September as possible, and the week before that everything starts to quieten down a little, so it is a good time to book.

Croatia is for water babies. But water babies who have grown up a little, as enjoying this never ending aqua adventureland is what most vacations in Croatia are about with kids. When they are tiny this can be stressful. When they have got their swimming badges safely sown onto their swimsuits, however, this is bliss. Pick an island or two, pack your cossies, flip flops, water shoes for rocky escapades, a load of sun protection and chill.

In a world where kids are timetabled around the clock, Croatia is somewhere to not only feel like you have gone back in time, but forget it altogether.

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Activities with families in Croatia

Car free islands

Bliss out on a car free island for a few days and go with the flow. You will feel like you are Swiss Family Robinson, with the children able to get a bit feral, but with plenty of good local food at the end of the day to fill those hollow legs. Or just catch your own every day.

White water ride

White water rafting may seem like every parent’s nightmare, but team up in an inflatable, going down the white waters of the Una River which forms a natural border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, for example, will beat any theme park trip you have ever had.

Room to run

Visit the Roman amphiteatre in Pula not only for the historic aspect, but also because it makes for a memorable day of climbing where kids are concerned. This is the sixth largest amphitheatre in the world, so there is a lot of room to run here. And underneath too, with spooky caverns where the wild animals were kept hungry before their human dinner.

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about Croatia or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.

Toll free 1-866-821-6866

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Toll free 1-866-821-6866

Calling us from outside the US?

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Responsible Travel asks the experts

Xania Wear, from our Croatia experts WearActive, says: "Some of the bigger cities are difficult with families. Split, for example, is not really that family friendly as it is more of a hub to get to and from the islands, rather than being a place to do things as a family. "

Tomi Coric, from our activity specialists Epic Croatia, says: “Some people think that they can visit everything in seven days. But especially on the coast, you can't see it all in one trip. Especially with kids. It is much better to concentrate on a small area, and not try to do too much.”

More about Croatia

Croatia travel guide

Like all of our online guides, this Croatia travel guide takes you into some of Croatia’s crunchy bits in the middle. Reveals the secret ingredients, and identifies its unique flavours. From the sixteen lakes of Plitvice NP, the Lim Fjord up in Istria, to the island of Vis. Which is bliss.

Best time to visit Croatia

When working out the best time to visit Croatia, most people think summer. However, the inland national parks are hiking and biking nirvanas in spring and autumn, while October brings the wine harvest.

Croatia highlights

There are certainly more than 101 Croatia highlights dotted along its island-speckled Dalmatian Coast. Elsewhere, national parks offer mountains, waterfalls and rivers, while the Istrian coastline has Italian influences.

Things to do in Croatia

Paddling, pedalling, sailing and sauntering are some of the best things to do in Croatia. One of the best places to go sea kayaking in the world, you can also cycle almost everywhere.

Beaches in Croatia

Discover the best beaches in Croatia as we lead you down the steep inclines and onto the smoothed pebbles that have helped to create some of Europe’s clearest of clear coastlines.

Small ship cruising in Croatia

Puttering up and down the Adriatic coast, stopping to explore islands, kayak coves, swim, and moor by a taverna – small ship cruises in Croatia glide away from the crowds and close to the real Croatia.

Traveling between islands in Croatia

Read our guide to find out how to travel between islands in Croatia – perhaps the slow food scene on Vis, the cycle-friendly lanes of the Elpahiti Islands, or the Italianate Istrian Peninsula.

Sea kayaking in Croatia

To sea kayak in Croatia is to paddle your way through paradise. Choose between Istrian and Dalmatian archipelagos, richly forested islands with otherwise inaccessible coves, or secret swimming caves.

Top 10 Croatia islands

Croatia island vacations are not only some of the most beautiful ways to see this country but also the most responsible, staying in small locally owned accommodation, eating local food and walking, cycling or sea kayaking around them

Cultural tours in Croatia

Take off on a cultural tour of Croatia and you’ll soon be tucking into seafood suppers, experiencing ecclesiastical architecture and discovering that there’s much more to Dubrovnik, and the rest of the Balkans, outside of summer.

Top 10 Croatia honeymoon ideas

From staying in a stone cottage in the rural Konavle Valley to sailing into the setting sun – if you’re looking for the best Croatia honeymoon ideas, your adventures begin right here.

Top 10 unusual Croatia vacations

Dive into our top 10 unusual Croatia vacations and give yourself a break to really remember.

Croatia travel advice

We have so many vacation experts hiking, biking and kayaking here, that we're bursting with Croatia travel advice like how to get away from the crowds, how to handle the heat, and why it's worth heading inland.

Responsible tourism in Croatia

Read about responsible tourism in Croatia, from being highly sensitive about the wars of the 1990s to helping show the tourist boards that vast cruise liners are not always the way to go.

All our Croatia guides

All of our Croatia guides in one place, featuring particular locations such as Dubrovnik, or perhaps you want to know more about different types of Croatia vacations we offer such as cruising or walking in Croatia.

More relevant guides

Written by Catherine Mack

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Photo credits: [Page banner: Sergii Gulenok] [Beach silhouette: Michele Benericetti] [Pula amphitheatre: Andreas Marz] [Two children holding hands: Remus Pereni]

Traveling in Croatia with kids