You want to come to Croatia to hike? When is the best time to visit?

In short: anytime! You can come to Croatia in all seasons and you will always find a beautiful hiking route to take.

Krka National Park

“Sun and sea” Croatia

Croatia is well known for its “sun and sea” holidays. The tourists who come with the intention to hike usually combine this activity with swimming and sun bathing. If you belong to this category then the best time to come is between May and October (late spring, summer and early autumn). Usually, it is safe to say that sea will be warm enough between June and September, but again then there is that new element: climate change! Nowadays, it is not unusual to be able to swim in May or at the beginning of November.

Easy hikes versus mountain tracks

Another element to consider: do you like hikes with beautiful views but easy in the sense of altitude difference and length of kilometres or do you consider that real hikes are only those where you have to undergo a minimum of 500 metres (or 600 or 1000 metres for that matter) of altitude difference and 20 kilometres in length? Hurrah, both options are possible in Croatia.

However, depending on your preference you need to take into account the season in which you will be visiting Croatia. Roughly speaking, the season when it is warm enough to swim is the season when it is too hot to reach the highest mountain peaks in Croatia (such as the peaks in the mountain ranges of mountains of Velebit, Biokovo, Dinara) taking the most attractive and longest routes.

Mediterranean vs continental climate

Croatia includes the areas close to the sea-side and islands where the Mediterranean climate is predominant, but also includes the areas with the continental climate (for example the areas of national parks of Plitvice or Risnjak). If you would like to find out more you can learn about finer differences - up to three or four distinctive climate regions – from the national authority on weather and climate).

Hiking in different seasons

For your “hiking purposes” it is good to know that during summer it is hot throughout Croatia. The best choice for hiking paths during this season: paths on islands, close to the seaside or in those national or nature parks which are abounding in forests and shade. In this season it would be wise not to exaggerate the length of kilometres and altitude difference.

Spring and autumn (mid March- April, October-mid November roughly speaking) however are ideal for longer hiking paths and overcoming bigger altitude differences. Days are relatively long, chances for rain will vary, but rainless days are habitual. It is the ideal time to tackle the mountain ranges in Croatia which vary on average between 1200 and 1500 metres of altitude (the peaks are higher though). You can try the routes which start at 0 metres of altitude or choose the starting points which are already at much higher altitude. The highest peaks of Biokovo, central and north Velebit or Dinara mountain ranges represent ideal aims at this time of the year.

In winter time you can profit from relatively mild winters in the areas close to the seaside and enjoy the hiking paths without scorching heat and with very few tourists. In those areas days with rain and strong wind are more frequent, but still, it is possible to find the days with favourable weather conditions. On the other hand, there are areas in Croatia where a lot of snow falls (depending on how the climate change will take its turn at the time when you plan your visit) and you will find paths where snow shoes are obligatory or even ice-pick and crampons if this is something you are used to (for example, areas of Gorski kotar and Bjelolasica mountain range).