Zadar city guide

Zadar Travel Guide

Roman ruins lying where they fell, an organ played by the sea through holes in the promenade, and the sunset Alfred Hitchcock called the most beautiful in the world.

Where to stay What it costs

Hostels in the city

8.4

Average, from 18,917 reviews

Pipes in the Sea Organ

9th c.

St Donatus, built from Roman rubble

National parks within reach

The coast's most underrated city

Zadar is a peninsula of Roman and Venetian stone that was bombed heavily in the Second World War and rebuilt around what survived, which is why Roman columns lie in the middle of the main square and a ninth-century church stands on the old forum floor.

At the tip of the peninsula are two installations by the architect Nikola Bašić: the Sea Organ, which plays through 35 pipes as waves push air through holes in the marble steps, and the Greeting to the Sun, a solar disc that lights up after dark. Both are free, and both are better than they sound on paper.

Hitchcock came here in 1964 and said the sunset was the most beautiful in the world, which the city has repeated ever since and which is not far off.

It is also the best base on the coast: five national parks — Plitvice, Krka, Paklenica, Kornati and North Velebit — are all within reach.

Two days, more as a base.

Where to stay

The old town is a peninsula. Everything else is across the bridge or along the coast.

Old Town

First-timers

The stone peninsula: Roman forum, the Sea Organ, bars and restaurants, walkable end to end in fifteen minutes.

Voštarnica and Relja

Value

Across the footbridge, residential and much cheaper, with a five-minute walk into the old town.

Borik

Beaches

Four kilometres north-west, with the main beaches, campsites and a bus into the centre.

Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 8 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Things to do

Things to do in Zadar

Sit on the Sea Organ steps at sunset. Waves push air up through 35 pipes cut under the marble, and the sound is genuinely musical and never the same twice. Next to it, the Greeting to the Sun charges through the day and puts on a light show after dark. Both are free, and at sunset the whole city is there.

The Roman forum is the largest on this side of the Adriatic, and the columns and paving are simply lying where they were left — there is no fence and no ticket.

St Donatus, a circular ninth-century church built directly on the forum with Roman stones visibly reused in its walls, is a few euros and has famous acoustics.

The Museum of Ancient Glass and the gold and silver collection at St Mary's are both better than expected, and the Kalelarga, the main street, has been the main street since Roman times.

Free things

Free things to do in Zadar

The Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun are both free and both are the highlights.

The Roman forum is open ground with no ticket, and the Kalelarga and the peninsula streets cost nothing.

The city beaches at Kolovare and along the Borik coast are free, as are the rocky swimming spots off the peninsula itself.

The sunset from the western tip is free and is the city's nightly event, with the organ playing underneath it.

The morning market by the walls is free to wander and is where to buy for a picnic.

Food and drink

Eating and drinking in Zadar

Dalmatian, and better value than Split or Dubrovnik. A konoba meal is €12 to €20, grilled fish by weight, and pašticada — beef marinated for days in wine and prunes — is the dish to order.

Maraschino, a cherry liqueur, has been made in Zadar since 1821 and was a favourite of several European courts; a bottle from a shop is a few euros and it is poured everywhere.

Pag cheese from the island up the coast is the best in Croatia, sharp and salty from sheep that graze on herbs in sea spray.

The morning market by the walls has the produce, and a beer is €3 to €4.

Nightlife

Going out in Zadar

The old town has a good, manageable scene: bars in stone courtyards, the Arsenal in a Venetian warehouse, and terraces along the waterfront.

The university keeps it going outside summer, which is unusual on this coast.

A beer is €3 to €4 and cocktails €7 to €10, noticeably below Split and Dubrovnik.

In summer the beach clubs at Borik and the Zrće party beach on Pag — about an hour north, and one of the biggest open-air club strips in Europe — take over. Zrće is a very different proposition from Zadar itself and worth knowing about either way.

Getting around

Getting around Zadar

The old town is a small peninsula and walking covers it in fifteen minutes end to end. A footbridge links it to the eastern side of the harbour.

City buses cost about €1.50 and reach Borik and the beaches.

The airport shuttle takes 25 minutes for about €6, timed to flights.

Buses are the intercity option: Zagreb three and a half hours, Split three, Plitvice two and a half, Šibenik an hour and a half.

Ferries from the old town harbour reach the Zadar archipelago — Ugljan, Dugi Otok and the Kornati — and catamarans run in summer.

Costs

What Zadar costs

Cheaper than Split and much cheaper than Dubrovnik. Dorms are €18 to €35, a konoba meal €12 to €20, and a beer €3 to €4.

A day is €45 to €75 in season.

The best things — the Sea Organ, the forum, the sunset, the beaches — are free, which keeps a day here low if you want it to be.

The costs that add up are national park entries, which vary sharply by season and are highest at Plitvice and Krka in July and August.

Safety

Staying safe in Zadar

Zadar is a safe, relaxed city with low crime, and the peninsula is comfortable at night.

The marble and stone paving in the old town is polished and slippery in rain.

The rocky swimming spots off the peninsula have sea urchins, and water shoes are worth the few euros.

The bura, a fierce northeasterly wind off the Velebit mountains, hits this coast hard in winter and can cancel ferries and close the coastal road and the Pag bridge at short notice.

If you head into Paklenica or Velebit, that is proper mountain terrain. Emergency number is 112.

Day trips from Zadar

Five national parks are within reach, which is the main argument for basing here.

Plitvice Lakes

2.5 hours · Bus, about €12 each way

Sixteen terraced lakes linked by waterfalls, on boardwalks through a gorge. Book entry online in summer and go early.

Krka National Park

1.5 hours · Bus or tour, €25–45

Waterfalls and boardwalks, closer and usually less crowded than Plitvice.

Kornati Islands

Full day · Boat tour, €50–80

Eighty-nine largely bare islands in a national park archipelago, reached by boat with lunch included.

Paklenica

1 hour · Bus, about €6

Two gorges cut into the Velebit range, with the best rock climbing in Croatia and walking trails for everyone else.

Pag and Zrće

1.5 hours · Bus, about €10

A lunar-looking island famous for sheep's cheese, salt and one of Europe's biggest open-air club strips.

What's on

What is on while you are there

A summer of festivals, and a sunset every evening.

24 Nov – 2 Jan

Advent Zadar

Zadar transforms into a winter fairytale during this six-week celebration, filling the streets with Christmas concerts, theatre performances, workshops, and plenty of seasonal treats.…

24 Nov – 2 Jan

Zadar Christmas Market 2026

Zadar transforms into a festive wonderland at the end of November, lighting up its historic Old Town with holiday cheer. You’ll find music, children’s…

3 Oct – 28 Nov

A Plate at the Market

Local chefs, creative caterers, and family farms come together at Zadar Market to showcase authentic Dalmatian tradition blended with contemporary cooking. You can expect…

12 December

Matija Cvek

Matija Cvek brings his signature blend of pop, soul, and funk back to Petar Zoranić Square, where Zadar audiences already know what to expect…

17 November

Narkose

Narkose was founded in late 2023 to create a new sound that honors the spirit of old-school German punk bands like Schleimkeim, Chaos Z,…

21 November

Damir Urban & the String Quartet

Damir Urban and his band &4 team up with a string quartet for a concert that reimagines their catalog with richer, more layered arrangements.…

21 November

LHD & Kriptidi

LHD and Kriptidi bring their live sets to the historic Duke's Palace as part of the Urbofon concert series. Both bands promise energetic performances…

28 November

Dragan Marinković 'Maca'

Dragan Marinković Maca takes the stage with his monodrama that cuts through modern life with brutal honesty and dark humor. His performance blends raw…

All events in Zadar

Hostels

Where to stay in Zadar

A decent scene on the peninsula and across the footbridge, at prices well below Split. Live from Hostelworld.

9.7 135

When to go

May, June, September and October. The parks are best outside the July and August peak.

10°

Jan

Cold, windy and quiet. The bura blows

11°

Feb

Still winter. Cheapest month

14°

Mar

Warming, and the parks are empty

18°

Apr

Good. Waterfalls at full flow at Plitvice and Krka

22°

May

Excellent. Warm, affordable and everything open

26°

Jun

The best month. Warm sea before the crowds

30°

Jul

Hot and busy. Park queues at their worst

30°

Aug

Peak everything

26°

Sep

Superb. Warmest sea and quieter parks

21°

Oct

Still swimmable and much cheaper

15°

Nov

Wet and windy. Ferries reduce

11°

Dec

Quiet and mild, with a small Advent market

Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets: quiet busy peak

Average highs. The bura wind can drop the felt temperature sharply in winter and spring, and the waterfalls at Plitvice and Krka are at their most dramatic in April and May.

What your trip will cost

Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros, in season.

National park entries are the main variable and rise steeply in July and August. Plitvice and Krka both cost considerably less outside peak season.

Nights 3

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Beds—
Food and drink—
Getting around—
Doing things—

Zadar travel questions

The ones we get asked most.

What is the Sea Organ?

A set of 35 pipes built under the marble steps at the tip of the peninsula, played by waves pushing air through them. It is free, permanent, never the same twice, and loudest in rough weather. Sitting on the steps at sunset is what people remember about Zadar.

Is the sunset really that good?

Hitchcock said in 1964 that it was the most beautiful in the world, and the city has never stopped quoting him. It is genuinely excellent, helped by the islands on the horizon and the organ playing underneath you.

Why base here rather than Split?

Five national parks are within reach — Plitvice, Krka, Paklenica, Kornati and North Velebit — and beds and food cost noticeably less. Split has the better city and the ferry hub; Zadar has the better base.

How long do you need?

Two days for the city itself, and longer if you are using it for the parks. The old town peninsula is walkable in fifteen minutes end to end.

Is it cheaper than the rest of the coast?

Yes. Dorms €18 to €35 against Dubrovnik's €25 to €60, konoba meals €12 to €20, and the best things here — the organ, the forum, the sunset, the beaches — are free.

What is the bura?

A fierce northeasterly wind that comes off the Velebit mountains, mostly in winter and spring. It can close the coastal road and the Pag bridge and cancel ferries at short notice, and it makes the felt temperature much lower than the forecast.

When should I visit?

May, June or September. April and May are best for the waterfalls at Plitvice and Krka, which run hardest after the snowmelt, and park entry costs considerably less outside July and August.

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