Dinkwads Abroad

Zagreb, the lively capital city of Croatia, may not be what you picture when you think of Croatia. Most people picture Dubrovnik, with its limestone walls and red roofed stone buildings overlooking the blue Adriatic, locked in a bygone era. Most people don’t picture an urban center, landlocked on all sides, with a style more reminiscent of Austria than Italy.

But that’s exactly what you’ll find in Zagreb! Where Dubrovnik is bustling with cruise shippers and tourists, Zagreb is bustling with locals going about their day. Where Dubrovnik is structured to support visitors, Zagreb is structured to support its inhabitants. Where Dubrovnik feels fixed in time and eternal, Zagreb feels lived in and evolved. It’s the kind of place where you feel like you’re experiencing a slice of life, rather than a relic of the past. You find yourself sitting in a bar with a bunch of locals, rather than surrounded on all sides by other tourists. There’s nothing kitschy or overly curated – it just is. And what it is, is real.

If you missed part 1, covering where we stayed and what we ate and drank, you can find that here! And if you’d like to see the best way to fit Zagreb into a two week trip, see my perfect itinerary here.

What We Did In Zagreb

Must Do

Despite not seeing a ton of tourism, Zagreb still offers a ton of things for visitors to do! These are the things we did that I would highly recommend!

Walking Tour

Be sure to schedule time for a walking tour! Zagreb has a rich history, and this is a great way to learn all about it! And if you want to learn about it while also getting to try some local treats, I’d suggest the Crobites tour like we did! We tried local fruits, cheese, burek, fish, and more on this tour and I can’t recommend it enough! Or maybe you’d prefer just to do a regular walking tour. You can find all kinds of options for that here.

Cost: While the tour itself is free, you should ALWAYS tip your guide. The general recommendation is €15 – 50 per person.

Time Allotted: These tours usually last somewhere from 1.5 to 2 hours.

Logistics: Book online ahead of time. Your tour guide will reach out a day or two before with details on where to meet.

See St. Mark’s Church

Trg Sv. Marka 5, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

No visit to Zagreb is complete without a visit to see the famous St. Mark’s Church! Constructed in the 13th century, this stunning church features a beautifully mosaiced roof with the coat of arms of the Triune Kingdom (Croatia, Slavonia, and Dalmatia) and Zagreb.

The church is under construction following a damaging earthquake in 2020, so visitors are not allowed inside or past the barricade in front of the church. However, you can still see most of the exterior from the edge of the barricade. And because it is so centrally located, it won’t be far out of your way to visit it for a quick look.

Cost: Completely free!

Time Allotted: Because visitors aren’t currently allowed inside as of 2026, it will only take you 15 minutes or so to walk there, take a few pictures, and get a really good look at it.

Logistics: Despite not being open to the public right now, it still can get quite crowded at the square in front, especially with the barriers around. I would recommend coming earlier in the day to beat the tours.

Shop Dolac Market

10000, Gonji Grad – Medvescak, Zagreb, Croatia

The Dolac Market is a huge daily market. It spans every type of food from fresh produce to baked goods to fresh caught fish. With bakeries, cheese, meat, and fish all being in separate buildings and the fresh produce in outdoor stalls, it’s easy to just wander from one to the other to see all the offerings. Even if you won’t be getting fresh ingredients, it’s worth walking to see what they offer and try samples where you can!

Cost: Free to visit, and then just whatever you spend on food.

Time Allotted: If you really want to take your time, you can easily spend 1.5-2 hours exploring the whole market. But if you’re just walking through, you could get it done in as little as 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Logistics: The opening hours you can find online vary wildly from one source to another, but it’s a safe bet to visit from 7 – 3 PM except on Sundays, when it may close a little earlier. It can get really busy on Saturdays, so you may want to go a different day.

Climb Lotrscak Tower

While we didn’t get the opportunity climb Lotrscak Tower, I wish we had! It towers over upper town, so you’ll get to see the city from above! And if you’re there at noon (and are okay with loud noises), you can be on the tower when they do the daily cannon firing!

Cost: 3 euros to climb to the top

Time Allotted: It’s not a huge tower, so you probably only need about 30 minutes total.

Logistics: If you plan to be at the top around noon, just be prepared for the loud blast. If you don’t like loud noises, I would HIGHLY suggest watching it from below (at the base of the funicular) for the best views without bursting your ear drums.

Other Things You Can Do

Here are other suggestions for your time in Zagreb!

Day Trip to Plitvice National Park

Having done a day trip to Plitvice National Park to see the waterfalls from Zagreb, I actually suggest doing it as part of your route from Split to Rovinj (see my full suggested itinerary here). But if you are not taking that same route or would prefer to just sit back and let a guide take you, you can book a day trip here! Most also stop at Rastoke, a picturesque village built on cascading waterfalls, so it makes for a day trip full of beauty!

Museum of Broken Relationships

Explore the memorabilia from real peoples’ prior relationships, from the heartbreaking to the absurd to the comedic.

Visit the Art Pavilion

Enjoy the striking architecture from the park outside, then go inside to view art from all different movements and periods.

Final Thoughts on Zagreb

My writing about Zagreb thus far has pointed out the many differences between it and its coastal companions. Some might see that comparison as a reason NOT to visit, but the difference between Zagreb and the typical tourist cities is exactly why you SHOULD visit. It subverts those expectations of Croatia, introducing you to a different side of the country that most people don’t get to see. And experiencing the underexplored should be a part of anyone’s journey through Croatia to get a well-rounded look at the country as a whole, rather than just the coast. Because Croatia is so much more than Dubrovnik, and Zagreb is proof.

Check out my other posts to see where else we went in Croatia & Slovenia, what we did, and where we ate!