Zadar, Croatia: travel guide
A Dalmatian peninsula old town layered with Roman ruins and modern art installations — the Sea Organ and Greeting to the Sun — famed for its sunsets and Kornati archipelago access.
- Country
- Croatia
- Currency
- EUR
- Time zone
- Europe/Zagreb
- Nearest airport
- ZAD
Top places to visit in Zadar
Sea Organ
Cultural · about 0.5 h
A hauntingly beautiful architectural instrument built into the marble waterfront steps, playing chords as the sea pushes air through hidden pipes.
Greeting to the Sun
Cultural · about 0.5 h
A 22 m solar-powered glass disc set in the quay beside the Sea Organ that soaks up daylight and glows in shifting light patterns after dark.
Church of St. Donatus
Church · about 0.5 h
A monumental 9th-century Pre-Romanesque rotunda on the Roman Forum, prized for its acoustics and now a concert venue.
St. Anastasia's Cathedral
Church · about 0.5 h
Zadar's Romanesque cathedral, the largest in Dalmatia, with a slender climbable bell tower giving views over the old town rooftops.
Roman Forum
Heritage · about 0.5 h
The largest Roman forum on the eastern Adriatic, laid out by Augustus, its scattered columns and paving anchoring the old town.
Five Wells Square
Heritage · about 0.3 h
A Renaissance square where five ornate wellheads once supplied the besieged city with water, beside the Captain's Tower and city park.
Land Gate
Heritage · about 0.3 h
The grand 1543 Renaissance gate by Michele Sanmicheli, bearing the Venetian lion of St. Mark — the historic entrance to the peninsula.
People's Square (Narodni trg)
Cultural · about 0.3 h
The lively civic heart of old Zadar since the Renaissance, ringed by the City Loggia and Guard House and full of café terraces.
Museum of Ancient Glass
Museum · about 1 h
A superb collection of Roman glass excavated across Dalmatia, with live glass-blowing demonstrations in a restored palace overlooking the harbour.
Kalelarga (Široka ulica)
Cultural · about 0.5 h
Zadar's ancient main street, a straight stone artery of shops and cafés that locals say is "older than the city itself".
Kolovare Beach
Beach · about 2 h
Zadar's main city beach, a pebble-and-concrete bay with pine shade, cafés and a long seaside promenade a short walk from the old town.
Things to do
- Kornati & Telašćica Islands Cruise Boat · 9 h · from EUR 70 per person
- Zadar Old Town Walking Tour Tour · 2 h · from EUR 18 per person
- Plitvice Lakes Day Trip from Zadar Day Trip · 10 h · from EUR 75 per person
- Sea Organ Sunset & Wine Tasting Food · 2 h · from EUR 35 per person
- Krka Waterfalls Day Trip from Zadar Day Trip · 8 h · from EUR 60 per person
Day trips and tours
- Kornati Islands National Park Cruise 9 h · from EUR 70
Where to stay in Zadar
- Old Town Peninsula (Poluotok) about EUR 120 per night
The historic peninsula — Roman Forum, Sea Organ and marble streets, everything walkable.
- Kolovare about EUR 95 per night
Seafront area just south of the old town with the city beach and a coastal promenade.
Hotels
- Hotel Bastion 4-star · EUR 160 to EUR 340 per night
- Almayer Art & Heritage Hotel 4-star · EUR 150 to EUR 300 per night
- Boutique Hostel Forum 3-star · EUR 26 to EUR 95 per night
- Falkensteiner Club Funimation Borik 4-star · EUR 130 to EUR 280 per night
Where to eat
- Restaurant Foša Seafood, Mediterranean, Fine dining · about EUR 55 per person
- Pet Bunara Dalmatian, Mediterranean, Croatian · about EUR 38 per person
- Konoba Skoblar Dalmatian, Seafood, Grill · about EUR 30 per person
- Kaštel Mediterranean, Dalmatian · about EUR 42 per person
- 2 Ribara (Dva Ribara) Mediterranean, Pizza, Croatian · about EUR 20 per person
- Bruschetta Mediterranean, Tapas, Seafood · about EUR 36 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Ferry main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
Safety and scams to avoid
DCC card terminals
Zadar old-town shops & bars
Card machines may default to charging in your home currency at a worse rate.
How to avoid it: Choose to pay in euros (EUR) when the terminal asks.