Skip to content
LarkTours

Routes · Europe

Lagos to northern Dalmatia: Zadar and Šibenik

Lagos → Zadar → Šibenik

Zadar
"Zadar Spolia St-Donatus.jpg" by Palauenc05, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Roman Forum in Zadar, Croatia (48607823862) (Zadar)
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A sea organ & a stone cathedral by a river mouth Best season (general guide): May–Jun, Sep

Northern Dalmatia has the same clear sea and stone towns as Split and Dubrovnik, with fewer crowds. This route spends three nights in Zadar and three in Šibenik. From Lagos you'll connect through a European hub to Zadar. Zadar is described as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Zadar: day one, the sea organ at sunset; day two, old town and St Donatus; day three, island boat trip. Then spend days four to six in Šibenik: day four, bus to Šibenik, then the cathedral; day five, Krka waterfalls; day six, harbour fortress.

On the waterfront, the Sea Organ plays sounds as waves push air through pipes under its marble steps. In the old town, the round Church of St Donatus dates from the ninth century and is one of the city's symbols. Šibenik lies in central Dalmatia, where the Krka river flows into the Adriatic. It is one of the oldest self-governing Croatian cities on the coast.

Its Cathedral of St James, built entirely of stone, is listed by UNESCO. Its façade is decorated with a frieze of carved heads. Krka National Park, upstream from the town, is known for its chain of waterfalls. Late spring and September offer warm sea temperatures with fewer crowds. Zadar was known historically as Zara, its Venetian and Italian name, and it was ruled by Venice for centuries.

Its Roman forum, laid out in the first century BC, lies next to St Donatus and is one of the largest on the eastern Adriatic. Šibenik is the third-largest town in Dalmatia and was first mentioned in the eleventh century. From Zadar, ferries and boats run to the islands of the Zadar archipelago, including Ugljan.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, Zadar became the capital of the Byzantine Theme of Dalmatia. St Nicholas Fortress, a Venetian sea fort at the mouth of Šibenik's channel, is also listed by UNESCO and can be visited by boat.

Safety: Canada's advice for Croatia is to take normal security precautions (updated 11 Aug 2026), and the US rates Croatia Level 1 (18 May 2026).

Suggested outline

  1. Lagos

    Start

  2. Zadar

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    Croatia's oldest continuously inhabited city.

  3. Šibenik

    By bus · 3 nights suggested

    A stone town where the Krka meets the sea.

    Šibenik
    "Šibenik BW 2024-09-30 10-50-35.jpg" by Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Zadar — Arrive; the sea organ at sunset· Lagos → Zadar (by air)
  2. Day 2 · Zadar — Old town and St Donatus
  3. Day 3 · Zadar — Island boat trip
  4. Day 4 · Šibenik — Bus to Šibenik; the cathedral· Zadar → Šibenik (by bus)
  5. Day 5 · Šibenik — Krka waterfalls
  6. Day 6 · Šibenik — Harbour fortress
  7. Day 7 · Šibenik — Travel home from Šibenik· Šibenik → Zadar (by bus), then Zadar → Lagos (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

Each button opens a live, dated search. We don't show stored fares here: check today's price on the booking site.

Showing dates about a month ahead — change them when you search.

Zadar

More about Zadar →

Plan the trip: Zadar

These links go to partner sites. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Prices and terms are set by the partner.

Šibenik

Nearest airport: Zadar Search fares · Zadar ↗

Partner links may earn LarkTours a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, availability and terms are set by each partner.