2 days in Zagreb

Day by day

1. Day 1: Ban Jelačić Square and Green Horseshoe (Lenuci Horseshoe)

   Ban Jelačić Square, Green Horseshoe (Lenuci Horseshoe), Museum of Illusions and Dolac Market, then Stone Gate in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Ban Jelačić Square

      It is the city's meeting point ('under the clock' on the corner) and the hub of the tram network, and Kaptol, Dolac and the Upper Town are all a few minutes away.

   2. Late morning

      Green Horseshoe (Lenuci Horseshoe)

      Zrinjevac's music pavilion and plane trees make it the classic Lower Town stroll.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Štrukli

      Traditional restaurants in the Upper Town and Lower Town; ask for 'zapečeni' for the baked version.

   4. Afternoon

      Museum of Illusions

      It is popular with families and on rainy days.

   5. Late afternoon

      Dolac Market

      Below, an indoor hall sells cheese, meat and fish, and women from the surrounding villages sell fresh cheese and cream (sir i vrhnje).

   6. Evening

      Stone Gate

      Pass through quietly and in the evening, when candlelight fills the passage.

2. Day 2: Zagreb Cathedral and Tkalčićeva Street

   Zagreb Cathedral, Tkalčićeva Street, Mirogoj Cemetery and St Mark's Church, then Strossmayer Promenade in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Zagreb Cathedral

      It was damaged again in the March 2020 earthquake, and restoration work, including on the twin spires, has been under way since then. The square in front has a gilded Virgin Mary column.

   2. Late morning

      Tkalčićeva Street

      Its café-bars and restaurants fill up from mid-morning coffee to late-night drinks.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Zagreb schnitzel

      Classic restaurants and gostionicas (inns) across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Mirogoj Cemetery

      Notable Croats buried here include the poet Petar Preradović and the first president, Franjo Tuđman.

   5. Late afternoon

      St Mark's Church

      It faces the Croatian Parliament and the government palace on St Mark's Square.

   6. Evening

      Strossmayer Promenade

      Come at sunset with a drink from the summer bar, or in December when it becomes one of the most atmospheric Advent locations.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Museum of Broken Relationships (Gornji Grad (Upper Town)): Allow time to read the stories; it is small but takes longer than you expect.
• Swap in Grič Tunnel (Gornji Grad (Upper Town)): Use it as a flat shortcut between Ilica and Tkalčićeva when you are tired of the hills.
• Swap in Technical Museum Nikola Tesla (Trešnjevka): Time your visit to catch one of the guided tours of the mine or the Tesla demonstrations.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 7–9 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Tram. Trams run frequently day and night across the city and are the backbone of public transport, with most lines passing through or near Ban Jelačić Square.

More or fewer days

• One day in Zagreb
• 3 days in Zagreb

Questions travellers ask