Seasonal travelBy Clever Tourists · Published
On Croatia's coast, the Zadar Christmas Market runs 24 November 2026 to 2 January 2027, according to the Zadar Tourist Board's calendar, and Advent in Dubrovnik runs 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, according to the festival's own site. Advent in Split begins on 27 November, according to the city's programme as reported by the news agency Hina, and one guide gives an end date of 6 January that we could not confirm. Concerts are the main event here rather than stalls, and the weather is mild and often wet rather than snowy. This page covers the coast only: for the capital, see our Advent Zagreb guide. We were in Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik in August 2023, so the winter details come from organisers and Croatian media.
Zagreb is the classic Croatian Christmas trip, with big markets and colder air. The coast offers something different. The old towns are nearly empty of summer crowds, the sea is in view, and highs in Split average about 12°C in December. The trade-offs are rain, as November and December are the wettest months on the coast, and fewer flights, hotels and ferries. Choose the coast for a quiet stone-town break with a concert or two, or for New Year's Eve in the street. Choose Zagreb if stalls and Glühwein-style evenings are the point.
The festival's official site lists Advent in Dubrovnik from 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. In past years it was called the Dubrovnik Winter Festival, and you will see both names. The site's programme is organised into Stradun Live, Advent on Vojnović, Advent Park Dubrovnik and a children's programme.
• Opening day, Saturday 28 November: free themed walking tour and folklore performance from the Pile tourist information centre at 09:30.
• Pile Gate carousel: 28 November to 3 January, weekdays 12:00 to 21:00, weekends 10:00 to 21:00.
• New Year's Eve on Stradun: mayor Mato Franković has announced Plavi orkestar for the night, according to Index.hr. In 2025 the festival reported 17,000 people on Stradun.
Don't expect huts on Stradun. HRT reported in 2025 that the city was moving the Advent stands off the main street to other squares. The Dubrovnik Times reported in August 2026 that mayor Mato Franković had announced that huts and hospitality tables, which it says stood on Stradun last New Year, will be removed for New Year 2027, leaving the street as an open-air photo attraction. The two reports don't fully agree on last year, and one travel guide still lists a market on Stradun. We could not read the detailed 2026 programme, so check the official site for the exact squares.
Open or closed: in late 2025 the tourist board director said at least six hotels would be open in the Advent period and 13 for New Year's Eve, so the choice is far smaller than in summer. The city walls keep shorter winter hours, 09:00 to 15:00 from November to March, at a reduced rate. See what to eat in Dubrovnik for food.
Advent in Split is organised by the City of Split, the Split Tourist Board and the company Žnjan d.o.o. We could not find the full programme on an official page. The details below come from Hina's report of the mayor's presentation, as carried by Croatian media, so confirm them with the tourist board.
• Dates: starts 27 November and runs through the New Year. One travel guide gives 28 November to 6 January. 28 November is the lighting of the first Advent candle, which may explain the difference.
• Prokurative: the main concert stage for most of the season, opening with Alan Hržica on 27 November. Reports list Crvena jabuka on 4 December, Zorica Kondža on 22 December and Toni Cetinski on 23 December.
• 24 December: a cod giveaway at the fish market (Peškarija) and a noon performance by Neno Belan on Pjaca.
• 30 December: Dino Merlin on the Riva.
• 31 December: Jelena Rozga and Jakov Jozinović on the Riva, according to the mayor's programme. An earlier report named Baby Lasagna and Željko Bebek instead, so treat the line-up as subject to change.
• Other attractions: an ice rink in Đardin (Strossmayer Park), a Ferris wheel and carousel, and a nativity scene in a geodesic dome in front of Prokurative.
Concerts are reported as free. Exact start times had not been published when we checked. For the old town itself, see our Diocletian's Palace guide.
Zadar is the best documented of the three, because the tourist board's events calendar already lists the 2026 programme night by night. It calls the event the Zadar Christmas Market. One travel guide gives a 27 November start, but the tourist board's 24 November date, with an opening concert on that day, takes priority.
• Opening: Tuesday 24 November, 20:00 to 22:00, with Mladen Grdović on Trg Petra Zoranića. That is also Zadar City Day.
• Main stage, Trg Petra Zoranića: concerts most evenings. Examples are Adi Šoše on 4 December, TBF on 5 December, Ivana Banfić on 11 December and Klapa Niko on Christmas Day.
• Tržnica Zadar: a second evening stage at the city market, with Gustafi on 28 November and Kojoti on 4 December.
• Forum: children's programme on Saturdays 5, 12 and 19 December from 09:00 to 17:00, and on 26 December from 15:00 to 17:00, with Mia Dimšić on 5 December and Miroslav Škoro on 26 December.
• Christmas Handicrafts Fair: 11 to 20 December at the City Lodge.
• Christmas Eve: Vista Band, 10:00 to 12:00, on Trg Petra Zoranića.
• Zadar Christmas Run: 27 December, 14:30 to 16:00.
• New Year's Eve: the calendar listed nothing for 31 December when we checked, so don't assume a street party until the city confirms it. Concerts return on 2 January, the last night.
The calendar gives no stall hours or food prices, so we don't quote them. See what to eat in Zadar and our Zadar guide.
Dubrovnik has no railway, and the coast is really bus and car territory in December. Jadrolinija runs a reduced winter ferry schedule from about October to the end of May, and some catamaran routes are summer only, so don't plan an island hop without checking the current timetable.
• Split to Dubrovnik: see our ferry vs bus guide.
• From Zagreb: see our Zagreb to Split guide.
• By car: see driving in Croatia. Check road conditions before you set off in winter.
Our Croatia itinerary covers the order of stops.
• 24 December: a working day, but family time in the evening. Many shops close early. Split and Zadar both have daytime programmes that day.
• 25 and 26 December: public holidays. Many shops and restaurants close or shorten hours, though Zadar's calendar still lists concerts on both evenings.
• 1 January: public holiday.
• 6 January: Epiphany, also a public holiday.
Croatia uses the euro. Winter opening hours vary in seasonal towns, so check a specific restaurant before you plan around it. The Croatia tourist tax guide and things to know before visiting Croatia cover the rest of the basics.
• Dubrovnik: inside the Old Town, or just outside in Pile or Ploče, so that Stradun is a walk and not a bus ride after a late concert. Lapad is cheaper and quieter, with buses to the Pile Gate. See where to stay in Dubrovnik and how many days in Dubrovnik.
• Split: stay in or next to Diocletian's Palace, or in Varoš just west of the Riva, so Prokurative and the Riva are on foot. On 30 and 31 December the Riva will be loud until late. We don't have a Split stay guide yet.
• Zadar: the Old Town peninsula, or just across the bridge. Trg Petra Zoranića, the Forum and the market are all a short walk apart. See where to stay in Zadar and how many days in Zadar.
Hotel choice shrinks in winter, so book New Year's Eve in Dubrovnik and Split early. For Christmas destinations elsewhere, see our Europe Christmas markets planner and best places to spend Christmas abroad.
28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, according to the festival's official site.
27 November, according to the city's programme as reported by Hina. It runs through New Year; one guide gives 6 January as the end, which we could not confirm.
24 November 2026 to 2 January 2027, according to the Zadar Tourist Board's calendar, with an opening concert on 24 November at 20:00.
Probably not. The mayor has said huts and tables will be removed from Stradun for New Year 2027. Check the 2026 programme for locations.
It is mild rather than cold, with December highs averaging about 12°C in Split, but it is one of the wettest months on the coast.
Get our new Croatia guides and practical tips by email: where to stay, what to eat, what things cost and the rules that catch travelers out.
Free. No spam, only new guides and tips.
Entry rules change, and they depend on your nationality — always confirm the current requirements on the official government site before you book or apply. Only use official government (.gov) portals; ignore look-alike agency sites.
Search verified local fleets with low security deposits and exact model delivery on Localrent.
Compare flights to Croatia and get the best deals on Kiwi.com.
