Every parent knows that traveling with kids is challenging, but it can also be fun. It takes a lot of preparation and planning to have a successful and almost stress-free trip with your kids. One of the major things you should consider in planning a trip with your kids is the destination and the activities that your kids can do during the trip.
If you are planning to travel somewhere in Europe this year, Croatia is a great choice. Here are the best places to see when visiting Croatia with kids:
1. Aquapark Istralandia
Istralandia is the first ever waterpark in Croatia, which opened in 2014. It is just five kilometers away from the Adriatic Sea. This is a great place to stay with kids when you are in Croatia. The waterpark is open from ten o’clock in the morning until seven in the evening. The slides are huge and safe, which would surely entertain both kids and adults.
The waterpark has enough swimming pools and slides to accommodate a huge surge of guests, especially in the summer time. If you have brought your pet with you, you don’t need to worry because the Aquapark Istralandia is pet-friendly, too. Aside from the pools and slides, your kids can also enjoy beach volleyball, badminton, and table tennis. They also have an animation arena and an amphitheater. Check out their website for the schedules for foam party and aqua aerobic so that your kids can have an amazing time here.
2. Museum of Illusions
Kids have the wildest imaginations. While you are in Croatia with your kids, visit the Museum of Illusions. They currently have over seventy various exhibits that will occupy your kids’ attention for hours. Among the crowd favorite are the defying gravity room where water flows uphill as well as the Rotated Room where you can climb into the ceiling, which is cool for a photo opportunity.
There are also educational playrooms full of intriguing games and puzzles. You are free to capture the fun times your kids will have in the Museum of Illusions, since cameras are allowed inside. They are open from Mondays-Sundays, so you can drop by any day of the week for a minimal fee.
3. Plitvice Lakes National Park
Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. This is perfect for adventurous and outdoorsy families traveling with kids in Croatia. The national park is famous for its lakes and waterfalls.
You can spend a day strolling along the riverbanks. A lot of families and group of friends come here during summer and have a picnic. The turquoise-colored lakes are perfect for swimming. Your kids would also love standing under the waterfalls, which are plenty in Plitvice.
4. Golden Cape Beach
Croatia has a lot of beautiful beaches and one of these is the Golden Cape Beach in Bol, Brac Island, Croatia. Golden Cape is a beautiful 1,738 foot (530-meter) white pebble beach. You can spend a day here,and the kids will have a blast swimming in the blue waters.
Make sure not to forget to pack their beach toys so that they can make sand castles while you relax with a book or a cold drink. If you are up for a little hike, you can hike up the mountain nearby and be welcomed by the beautiful view of the island. This would be a picture-perfect moment for the whole family. Golden Cape Beach is popular to beach locals and tourists because of its beauty and calmness.
5. Aquarium Split
Good news! The Aquarium Split has reopened after a one-year break. While in Croatia with kids, make sure to include the Aquarium Split in your itinerary. With a total area of 8,611 square feet (800 square meters)and 22 aquariums inside, your kids will surely have a blast roaming around and looking at the different sea creatures.
The aquarium holds around 130 different fish species. Sharks, turtles, and other inhabitants of the Adriatic Sea are on display. Aside from having fun, this trip will be educational for the kids as well, since there are guided tours and interactive shows that they can participate in which will expose them to the life and history of the marine animals in the aquarium. If your kids are into Finding Nemo and other shows that mainly evolve around the ocean and sea creatures, this is the perfect place for them while you are in Croatia.
6. Nikola Tesla Technical Museum
Are your kids into cars and other automobiles? Take them here! The Nikola Tesla Technical Museum exhibits several historic aircrafts, cars, machinery, and equipment. You can find the oldest preserved steam engine in the area here in this museum. It is dated back to mid-19th century and surprisingly, it is still operational.
The museum also offers other activities such as the Planetarium, the Beehive exhibit, the Mine (this displays a model of mines, coal, iron, and such), and of course, the Nikola Tesla study. Aside from the artifacts displayed, the museum also holds lectures and panel discussions on popular science which your kids may find fascinating. Playrooms and workshops are also available in this museum.
7. Glavani Park
Glavani Park is Croatia’s number one adventure and climbing park, which is perfect if you are traveling with older kids or teenagers. If you are looking for some physical activities that get your adrenaline pumping, Glavani Park has a lot in store for you. They have different levels of climbing routes that cater to both beginners and experts.
Zip line and unicycle are a big hit. For a family of three, the park has a giant swing that rises up to 36 feet (11-meters) high and can accommodate three people at once. Screaming your hearts out together would be a good bonding moment. If you love jumping from high places, a quick 65-foot (20-meter) jump would give you an adrenaline high. Of course, all these activities are safe, so you need not worry about a thing except having fun.
8. Sunj Beach
It is common knowledge that most kids love being in the water. Spending another day at the beach is a good way to spend your vacation in Croatia with kids. Sunj Beach is perfect for kids because of its soft sand and shallow waters. It also has beautiful scenery with hills and cliffs surrounding it.
There are multiple recreational activities that can keep your kids occupied for hours that do not include the Internet and their gadgets. The beach is a little remote and you have to walk through a forest trail to get here. You can also rent a golf cart if hiking is not your cup of tea. Beach volleyball is a common sport here, but the major attraction is the beach sport picigin which is a traditional ball game in Croatia. It is an amateur sport played in shallow water. The players would form a circle batting around a small ball with their hands. The main goal is to keep the ball from the water.
9. Hvar
Hvar is a great place for a city tour. Take the kids around Hvar Town and let them explore this beautiful old town. You will be greeted by 13th century walls, marble stone streets, old fortress, beautiful churches, and Gothic palaces.
Hvar is also home to amazing beaches, scenic landscape, lush vineyards, and beautiful lavender fields. Outdoor activities such as hiking in the cliffs and swimming are some of the popular reasons why tourists visit Hvar. Your visit to Croatia with kids will be more enjoyable if you include Hvar in your list.
10. Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik’s number of visitors increased dramatically over the years since HBO’s Game of Thrones started airing. In fact,, a lot of tourists visit Croatia just to check out the film locations of Game of Thrones. Some of your kids may be too young to be watching Game of Thrones, but if you are in Croatia with older teens, you may want to join a Game of Thrones tour in Dubrovnik. Viator offers an exclusive walking tour to the famous locations of the TV series. If you are an avid fan, you might recognize King’s Landing while touring around Old Town.
You can recreate scenes from your favorite parts of the series just for fun or simply just take photos in the popular spots where memorable scenes happened. The tour is guided so you will know more about the characters of the popular TV show as you retrace Arya Stark’s footsteps in the King’s Landing while she was struggling to survive after being separated from everyone she knew. The guide would also be making commentaries about the three main families of the show-Targaryens, Baratheons, and Starks. You will also have the option to upgrade your tour and include a visit to Trsteno Arboretum. This was used as the film location of the King’s Landing’s palace gardens. You may have seen Sansa Stark pace around these gardens during her innocent years when she was still madly in love with Joffrey. If you are not a fan and was just dragged there by some company, you would still enjoy the architecture and history of the place.
This article is part of our popular series, Place To Go With Kids!
