Best time to go to Croatia for a perfect weather and where to go?
Discover the most favorable time to go to Croatia from seasonal averages in many locations like Poreč or Rijeka, on this page.
When is the best time to go to Croatia?
Nothing beats the summer in order to enjoy the beautiful weather and the most famous seaside resorts of Croatia such as Hvar, Split and the Korcula Island. This period is also consistent with the school holidays in July and August, which is the cause the more busy period. This is not necessarily the ideal time for visiting because the rates are higher and reservations are necessary. To avoid the busy summer vacation season, one can go to Croatia during the spring, more specifically during the period between mid-May and late June in order to take advantage of the calm lull before the high season. September is also a good time to visit Croatia. Most resorts are emptied of their visitors, but the climate remains favorable for other activities. One can wonder if it is worth visiting Croatia in the heart of winter and the answer is "yes", without any hesitation. Not only will you have the opportunity to ski on the slopes of Sljeme, near Zagreb, but you can also relax in the quiet coastal towns that are still very attractive.
So, when is the best time to go to Croatia? Here's some more information to help you in your decision:
- In Croatia, the weather is good everywhere in May, June, July, August and September
- The best months to go to Zagreb are April, May, June, July, August and September
- On average, the warmest months in Zagreb are July and August, and the coldest month of the year is January
- The rainiest months in this city are May and June
- The cities with the best climate are Croatian islands (Hvar, Brac,Mljet...), Split, Zadar, Gradac, Primošten, Trogir, Biograd na Moru, Brela, Dugi Rat and Kamen, with good weather at least 8 months a year
- The best months for swimming in Dubrovnik are June, July, August and September
Annual weather in Croatia
For information about the climate and the weather city by city in Croatia for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:
| Month | Our opinion | View Details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29°F to 54°F | bad weather* | |||
| February | 29°F to 54°F | bad weather* | |||
| March | 36°F to 58°F | tolerable weather* | |||
| April | 45°F to 67°F | good weather* | |||
| May | 52°F to 72°F | good weather | |||
| June | 59°F to 81°F | good weather* | |||
| July | 63°F to 86°F | good weather* | |||
| August | 61°F to 90°F | perfect weather* | |||
| September | 52°F to 81°F | good weather* | |||
| October | 43°F to 70°F | good weather* | |||
| November | 40°F to 63°F | very bad weather* | |||
| December | 32°F to 56°F | very bad weather* |
Best time to travel to Croatia by cities
Zagreb
The best months to go to Zagreb are april, may, june, july, august and september.
Croatian islands (Hvar, Brac,Mljet...)
The best months to go to Croatian islands (Hvar, Brac,Mljet...) are april, may, june, july, august, september, october and november.
Dubrovnik
The best months to go to Dubrovnik are april, may, june, july, august, september and october.
Climate and Weather in Croatia
At the heart of Europe, between Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as overlooking the Adriatic Sea, Croatia has two distinct and very different climates. This country, that spans out greatly, is in fact distinguished by both a continental climate and a Mediterranean climate along most of the coastline. The country also experiences strong differences of temperatures inland.
Climate Within Croatia
The interior of the Croatian lands, in regions such as the Zagorje and Slavonia, has a moderate continental climate and the alpine areas are characterized by really cold winters, that can sometimes be truly frivolous. It is not uncommon to see significant snowfall and temperatures that drop way down below 0° C, for several days. In contrast, the summers are very hot and are punctuated by major storms once the evening arrives. This is the climate that one finds in Zagreb, the capital of neighboring Slovenia in Ljubljana. The latter knows in fact four distinct seasons with a rather insistent rain and fog when fall arrives.
Climate on the Croatian Coast
The climate in Croatia on the coast of the Adriatic Sea is more mediterranean, in contrast to the interior of Croatia. It offers to both residents and tourists particularly mild winters, with temperatures that do not drop much. In this part of the country, similar to in Split and Rijeka, summers are very dry with temperatures that can sometimes climb very high creating a fairly warm sea. It is therefore possible to swim in Croatia until the month of October or sometimes even November, thanks to the mild climate.
South of Dalmatia in Dubrovnik - which is a popular area with tourists, has a beautiful and hot period between May and September and a very rainy period between the months of October and December. Here, one finds almost the same weather as that on the Croatian islands, even if it is a bit more windy.
Temperatures and rainfall in Croatia
On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Croatia and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Zagreb, Croatian islands (Hvar, Brac,Mljet...), Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes National Park and Pula, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.
Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Croatia
Find out when Croatia has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.
Tourist seasons in Croatia
The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The number of visitors to Croatia is high in: June, July, August and September.
- Very low season in Croatia: January, February and March.
- Low season in Croatia: April, May, October, November and December.
- High season in Croatia: June and September.
- Peak season in Croatia: July and August.
Figure: Visitor index for Croatia month by month
Average price for flights to Croatia
A return flight between London and Zagreb is generally cheaper if you go in may ($ 83 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 39 more for your airline ticket to Zagreb if you go in august.
Where to go in Croatia?
This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).
| Cities | jan. | feb. | mar. | apr. | may | jun. | jul. | aug. | sep. | oct. | nov. | dec. |
| Zagreb | 40°F | 43°F | 54°F | 65°F | 70°F | 79°F | 85°F | 85°F | 74°F | 63°F | 54°F | 43°F |
| Croatian islands (Hvar, Brac,Mljet...) | 52°F | 54°F | 58°F | 61°F | 68°F | 76°F | 81°F | 83°F | 76°F | 68°F | 63°F | 56°F |
| Dubrovnik | 52°F | 54°F | 58°F | 63°F | 70°F | 77°F | 85°F | 86°F | 77°F | 70°F | 63°F | 54°F |
| Plitvice Lakes National Park | 40°F | 41°F | 50°F | 61°F | 68°F | 77°F | 81°F | 83°F | 72°F | 61°F | 52°F | 43°F |
| Pula | 50°F | 50°F | 56°F | 61°F | 68°F | 77°F | 83°F | 83°F | 76°F | 67°F | 59°F | 52°F |
| Rovinj | 49°F | 50°F | 54°F | 61°F | 68°F | 76°F | 81°F | 81°F | 76°F | 67°F | 59°F | 52°F |
| Split | 50°F | 52°F | 58°F | 63°F | 70°F | 79°F | 85°F | 86°F | 77°F | 68°F | 61°F | 54°F |
| Zadar | 50°F | 50°F | 56°F | 63°F | 70°F | 77°F | 83°F | 85°F | 77°F | 68°F | 61°F | 52°F |
| Karlovac | 41°F | 45°F | 54°F | 65°F | 70°F | 79°F | 85°F | 85°F | 74°F | 63°F | 54°F | 45°F |
| Osijek | 40°F | 45°F | 56°F | 65°F | 72°F | 79°F | 86°F | 88°F | 77°F | 65°F | 54°F | 43°F |
| Rijeka | 43°F | 45°F | 52°F | 59°F | 67°F | 76°F | 79°F | 81°F | 72°F | 61°F | 52°F | 45°F |
| Senj | 40°F | 41°F | 49°F | 58°F | 65°F | 74°F | 77°F | 77°F | 70°F | 61°F | 52°F | 43°F |
| Slavonski Brod | 41°F | 45°F | 56°F | 65°F | 72°F | 79°F | 86°F | 86°F | 77°F | 65°F | 56°F | 45°F |
| Umag | 49°F | 50°F | 54°F | 61°F | 68°F | 76°F | 81°F | 81°F | 76°F | 67°F | 59°F | 52°F |
| Varaždin | 40°F | 43°F | 52°F | 63°F | 68°F | 77°F | 83°F | 83°F | 74°F | 63°F | 52°F | 43°F |
| Virovitica | 40°F | 43°F | 52°F | 63°F | 68°F | 77°F | 83°F | 85°F | 74°F | 63°F | 52°F | 43°F |
| Aljmas | 40°F | 45°F | 56°F | 67°F | 72°F | 81°F | 86°F | 88°F | 79°F | 65°F | 56°F | 43°F |
| Cigoc | 41°F | 45°F | 56°F | 65°F | 72°F | 79°F | 85°F | 86°F | 76°F | 65°F | 54°F | 45°F |
| Crikvenica | 43°F | 45°F | 52°F | 59°F | 67°F | 76°F | 79°F | 81°F | 72°F | 61°F | 52°F | 45°F |
| Gospic | 41°F | 41°F | 50°F | 58°F | 65°F | 74°F | 79°F | 81°F | 70°F | 61°F | 52°F | 43°F |
Legend:
perfect weather
good weather
tolerable weather
bad weather
very bad weather
About Croatia
What can I do in Croatia?
Beaches / swimming
Nature and countryside
Culture and heritage
Sports
Family travel
Crafts / shopping
Gastronomy
Nightlife
Is this weather information for Croatia reliable?
Climate data for Croatia has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Croatia allows us to determine the average for each month in Zagreb, Croatian islands (Hvar, Brac,Mljet...), Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Pula, Rovinj, Split, Zadar, and 57 other cities.
So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.