Dubrovnik, Split, the islands, Istria and Northern Dalmatia: where to take your team in Croatia, which airport to fly into and how to keep the travel day short.
Dubrovnik, Split, the islands, Istria and Northern Dalmatia: where to take your team in Croatia, which airport to fly into and how to keep the travel day short.
Clear water, stone old towns and more than 1,000 islands: Croatia sells itself. So when teams ask us about company retreat locations in Croatia, the question is never whether they’ll like it. It’s how 40, 80 or 100+ people will get there.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the regions we recommend for larger groups, what works there, what to watch out for and which airport to fly into.
Let’s be honest: Croatia is harder to reach than Spain, Portugal or Italy, especially for international teams. There are very few direct long-haul flights, so most people will connect through a European hub. On top of that, the coastal airports are very seasonal, with far fewer routes in winter.
So the real question is how many flights and stopovers your people are happy to take, and how far from the airport you want to be. In fact, every extra transfer or ferry makes the travel day longer. The good news: Croatia is in Schengen and uses the euro, which keeps things simple for most of Europe.
Comparing countries? Read our guides to company retreat locations in Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Dubrovnik’s walled old town is the picture most people have of Croatia, and it really does live up to it. It’s also one of the most accessible company retreat locations in Croatia, since the airport is only about 30 minutes away.
That said, the old town gets very busy in summer, and the hotels inside the walls are small. That’s why we base larger teams in the bigger hotels just outside the old town and bring everyone in for dinners and a guided walk.
🔹 A guided walk through the old town: Divide the group between a few guides and go in the late afternoon, once the heat and the day-trippers have eased. That way, it makes a perfect welcome activity on day one.
🔹 A private boat day: Charter a few boats, or one large one, to the nearby islands for swimming, lunch and a break from the agenda. With big groups, it’s one of the easiest ways to get everyone out together.
🔹 Drinks with a view: A cable car takes you up the hill above the old town, with views over the walls and the sea. For larger groups, book the venue at the top privately for a sunset drink.
🔹 Dinners in historic venues: Some of Dubrovnik’s old forts and palaces can be booked out for events. As a result, a gala dinner here feels truly special.
✈️ Dubrovnik Airport (DBV): About 30 minutes from the old town, with flights from across Europe in summer. In winter, however, the choice drops sharply.
May to October. July and August are hot and very busy, so we recommend May, June, September or early October, when the sea is still warm and the old town is far calmer.
Check the cruise calendar: On days with several ships in port, the old town fills up fast. So plan your old town activities for the quieter days.
Book early: Hotels with space for large groups and proper meeting rooms are limited. In fact, the best ones fill up for summer about a year ahead.
Split is Croatia’s second city and the most practical base on the coast for large groups. The airport has the best year-round connections of any coastal airport, boats leave for the islands all day, and the old town is built inside a Roman palace. In other words, it’s one of the easiest company retreat locations in Croatia for mixing work and play.
It also feels like a real city rather than a resort, with a lively waterfront that’s busy from breakfast until late at night.
🔹 A guided tour of the Roman palace: The car-free old town sits inside a UNESCO-listed Roman palace. With a few guides, it’s an easy and impressive first activity for the whole group.
🔹 Boat days to the islands: Split is the main port for the central islands. So chartering boats for a day of swimming and lunch on the water is simple to organise, even for 100 people.
🔹 A day at the waterfalls: Krka National Park is about an hour away by coach, with walking paths around its waterfalls. Above all, go early to stay ahead of the crowds.
🔹 Peka for the whole team: Peka is meat or octopus slow-cooked under an iron bell covered in hot coals. It has to be ordered ahead, which makes it perfect for a planned group dinner.
✈️ Split Airport (SPU): About 30 minutes from the city. It’s the busiest airport on the coast and keeps the most routes in winter.
✈️ Zagreb Airport (ZAG): Croatia’s main airport, with the most year-round flights. From there, a short domestic flight takes you on to Split.
May to October. Split also stays mild in the shoulder season, so April and late October work well for a work-focused retreat with fewer beach plans.
Have a Plan B for boat days: Strong winds can cancel boat trips, especially in spring and autumn. So keep a land-based alternative ready.
Stay close to the old town: After all, most of the fun is walkable from the centre. As a result, a hotel nearby saves you a lot of coach transfers.
Croatia has over 1,000 islands, but for a large group we only really recommend two that are close to Split: Brač, with the harbour town of Supetar, and Hvar.
To be clear, the islands aren’t hard to reach. They do make the trip longer, though, because after the flight your team needs a coach to the port, a ferry and often another transfer on the island. In return, you get a proper island feeling, slower days and dinners by the sea.
🔹 Supetar, the easy island: The ferry from Split to Supetar takes under an hour and runs all year. In short, it’s the simplest way to add island time to a Split retreat.
🔹 Everything in one place: A few island hotels have their own beaches, pools and meeting rooms. That means the whole group can stay, work and relax together without daily transfers.
🔹 Hvar for smaller groups: Hvar is about an hour from Split by fast boat and has a lively, upmarket feel. However, hotel capacity is limited, so it works best for a leadership team or a smaller group.
🔹 Local food and wine: Family wineries and olive oil producers on both islands can host group tastings. Alternatively, they can come to your hotel for a relaxed evening.
✈️ Split Airport (SPU): The gateway to both islands. From the airport, it’s about 30 minutes to the port and then about an hour by boat, so plan on at least 2 hours from landing to check-in.
June to September is the safest window. Outside of it, there are fewer crossings, and many hotels and restaurants close.
Plan around the ferry timetable: Ferries don’t wait for delayed flights. So build in buffer time and book group crossings in advance.
Check hotel capacity first: Only a few island hotels can take 100 people at once. As a result, it’s worth securing the venue before planning anything else.
Istria is the heart-shaped peninsula in the far north-west, and it feels like a different country from Dalmatia: rolling green hills, hilltop towns and a food scene that rivals Tuscany. That’s no coincidence, since Istria was part of Italy until after World War II.
For company retreats in Croatia, it’s our pick for foodie teams and for groups coming from Central Europe, many of whom can fly into a nearby airport in Italy or Slovenia.
🔹 Truffle experiences: The forests inland are famous for truffles, and the season peaks in autumn. For large groups, a truffle demo followed by a long lunch works far better than heading into the forest all together.
🔹 A coastal base: Rovinj and the towns around it have plenty of modern hotels with meeting rooms. For most teams, it’s also the best base, with restaurants right on the water.
🔹 Wine and olive oil tastings: Istria makes some of Croatia’s best olive oil and white wine. Several family estates can host larger groups for tastings and dinners.
🔹 Hilltop towns: The medieval towns inland make a great half-day trip by coach. To keep it relaxed, divide the group across two or three towns.
✈️ Pula Airport (PUY): About 45 minutes to Rovinj. However, it’s mostly seasonal, with few winter flights.
✈️ Trieste or Ljubljana: Often the better choice for international teams, at about 1.5 to 2.5 hours away. Since Croatia joined Schengen, there are no border checks on the way.
April to October. Istria is slightly cooler and greener than the south, and autumn, with the truffle and wine season, is a wonderful time to go.
Sort out transport early: Venues are spread across the peninsula, and there’s little public transport between villages. So book your coaches early.
Go in autumn for food: September and October bring the harvest, truffles and fewer tourists. That makes them ideal for a food-focused programme.
Northern Dalmatia is the coast’s best-kept secret for groups. Zadar and Šibenik have beautiful old towns, national parks nearby and resort hotels with proper meeting rooms, often at better prices than Dubrovnik or Split.
So of all the company retreat locations in Croatia, it’s our favourite for larger teams that need space and good-value rooms, but still want the sea, boat days and a bit of culture.
🔹 Zadar’s waterfront at sunset: On the seafront, the waves play music through pipes under the stone steps, and a large light installation comes alive after dark. Afterwards, head into the old town for a group dinner.
🔹 Krka National Park: About 20 minutes from Šibenik, Krka National Park has walking paths around its waterfalls. Swimming is no longer allowed there, so plan a guided walk rather than a dip.
🔹 Island boat days: The archipelago off the coast is a national park of almost bare, rocky islands. A day on chartered boats with lunch on board is one your team won’t forget.
🔹 Resort hotels: Several large resorts around Šibenik and Zadar have conference rooms, pools and beaches. As a result, the whole group can stay, meet and eat in one place.
✈️ Zadar Airport (ZAD): About 20 minutes from Zadar. It mostly has low-cost and seasonal flights.
✈️ Split Airport (SPU): About 45 minutes to Šibenik and about 1.5 hours to Zadar. For international teams, this is often the easier option.
May to October, with June and September as our favourites. July and August are hot, but the resort hotels usually have pools and beaches on site.
Book the resorts early: Only a handful of hotels can take 100+ people, and they fill quickly in June and September. So secure your dates as soon as you can.
Keep transfers short: Choose a hotel close to the airport most of your team flies into. With 100 people, every extra hour on a coach adds up.
Our quick guide to which region suits your team:
Dubrovnik: For teams who want the postcard version of Croatia with the airport close by, ideally outside July and August.
Split: For international teams who want the easiest flights, a lively city and quick access to the islands.
Supetar (Brač) and Hvar: For teams who don’t mind a longer travel day in exchange for real island time.
Istria: For foodie teams and groups coming from Central Europe, especially in autumn.
Zadar and Šibenik: For larger teams looking for good value, resort hotels and space to spread out.
Every one of these company retreat locations in Croatia can host a brilliant retreat. It’s about finding the one that matches your team, your dates and where everyone is flying in from.
Not sure which one fits? Tell us about your team and we’ll help you choose.
That’s why we built Lá Fora: to make offsite planning pain-free. With one of our expert retreat planners at your side, you get exclusive venues, great agendas, smooth logistics and, most importantly, quick responses. Plan your retreat with us, or check our company retreat planning timelines to see how far ahead to start.
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