Kayak and Hike Croatia in a Weekend

From start to finish, this trip to Croatia was nothing short of incredible. I was lucky to be part of such an amazing group, the kind of people who instantly feel like old friends. The highlight? Without a doubt, the waterfalls – absolutely breathtaking and something I’ll never forget.

Special thanks to Roggi for suggesting a slight detour; without his advice, we would have completely missed this hidden gem. That moment alone made the trip even more magical.

Every detail was spot on, the itinerary, the experiences, the company, everything was simply perfect. I couldn’t recommend this trip more. If you’re thinking about visiting Croatia, stop thinking and just go!

If you're dreaming of an adventure that ignites your spirit, tests your limits, and leaves you grinning from ear to ear, look no further than Much Better Adventure Holidays in Croatia. This was, hands down, one of the most unforgettable trips of our lives.

We kicked things off with rapids and waterfalls Croatia’s wild rivers delivered thrills in full force. The liitle whitewater was exhilarating, the waterfalls breathtaking, and the rush absolutely unforgettable. Our expert guides made us feel both safe and unstoppable, adding just the right mix of skill and encouragement.

The hiking was equally phenomenal. We explored Croatia’s lush forests, winding mountain trails, and panoramic viewpoints that looked like something from a dream. The landscapes are so diverse and cinematic, it’s hard to believe they’re real, until you’re standing there, soaking it all in.

What sets Much Better Adventures apart isn’t just the incredible activities, it’s the heart behind it all. The team creates an atmosphere of camaraderie, fun, and pure connection with nature that stays with you long after the trip ends.

This wasn’t just a holiday, it was a wild, joyful, and life-affirming journey through one of Europe’s most stunning countries.

🔥 11/10. Croatia, we love you. Much better Adventures we’ll be back.

What a fun adventure! The kayaking & rapids were great and the hiking through the national park was incredible, if not a bit hot & sweaty! The camp was clean and quiet, with a great local breakfast provided and our meals each evening had great choice. Everyone we met was lovely and I would highly recommend the trip to others as a great few days in the beautiful Croatian countryside!!

Our guide Eugen made sure to make the trip memorable for us, even though we were a small group of only two guests! He went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time.

We went rafting the first day instead of kayaking because the water levels of the river were too high to safely do it in a kayak and I think that made it even better, the rapids were a great adrenaline boost.

We stayed in a different campsite than on the photos of the MBA website and had dinner in restaurants instead of BBQ, which made it a little less “wild” than I thought it would be, but it was still great and the restaurants were very good.

It was an amazing experience! I went with my partner, there was another couple and the others were on there own. It was a great group! The tour guide (Eugene) was brilliant, he became part of the group.

I've not done kayaking in years and never done double kayak before. It was a great laugh.

We went in September which was the last experience of the year, so we didn't have the usual campsite or the bbq/campfire but the restaurants we went to served some really nice food so didn't notice it too much.

It was a great weekend, particularly the first day of kayaking and Sara was a lovely host

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with MBA in Croatia. The scenery was stunning, the activities were challenging but not overly strenuous and were as described on the website. There was a good amount of chill time in the evenings too. I loved the group I was with and will definitely remain in contact.

The adventure began at the airport with glorious warm weather and great coffee. Our guide Eugen was prompt and helpful. We had been kept updated on pick up times throughout. We were taken to a shop to get snacks, very important! We then put up our tents in a nearby campsite, a luxury, as Eugen explained that the normal camp cook was on leave. We had a bbq that evening at a local restaurant while we got to know the other adventurers. Breakfast the next morning was fab, including local homemade pancakes which were greatly appreciated every morning! The kayaking was glorious, blow up kayaks so as not to cause damage to the river or ecology’. Friendly and helpful guides all down the trip. Eugen made sure we were all safe and amused. We were treated to hidden waterfalls and swim spots along the trip, and had lunch while watching the more daring amongst us jumping from the waterfall! The weather was amazing and the journey on the river great. After a snack at a local cafe we went back to camp prepare for dinner at a restaurant overlooking the lake. Amazing. The trek in the national park the next day was perfect. The trek wasn’t the easiest, but moderate fit people would cope fine. I had poles which helped. Donkeys are used to convey goods up the canyon and we got to see them in action. The pace was fine, Eugen was informative, as he is local to the area. Lunch and a local tot at the top was memorable, as was swimming in a swim pool just below the cafe! Dinner after the trek was in the local town, as Eugen had told us about a local festival and asked if we wanted to go along, which we did! Local music, local wine and beer and good company made for a great evening. Kayaking the next day in solid kayaks was great. We paddled through a canyon, passed wildlife and birds, kingfishers and spoonbills! At the waterfall we had more jumping escapades, lunch, swimming in fresh and sea water, pools, and enjoyment. I suspect that our guide thought we were a bunch of kids but it was fab. Eugen even joined in jumping! It was hard to leave this spot, knowing that we were heading for the end of the adventure, but Eugen showed us some beautiful scenic spots on the way to Zadar, and took us to a lunch spot in Zadar, ate with us before leaving us. I felt totally secure on this trip, enjoying the feeling that Eugen had it all in hand, we got to experience local culture and cuisine and people, and have our adventure. We are definitely going to book our 3rd adventure soon!

Excellent organisation and communication prior to the trip. Kit information was spot on although you could probably manage with trainers or trail shoes on the hike rather thank lugging walking boots about. Our guide Roji (sorry if I spelled that wrong!) was lovely - informative, helpful, knowledgable and one of the group joining in with everything. . With a cross section of ages from 26 to 60 our group gelled instantly and we had lots of fun. The camp site was well equipped and food very good. The scenery was spectacular. The weather was perfect except for a huge thunderstorm on the first night so make sure your tent is secure! All in all highly recommended

My first trip with Much Better Adventures will certainly not be my last. It was great. I enjoyed both the kayaking and the hike. Our guide, Eugen, was excellent, in both his advice and helpfulness.

Three great days with a lovely group of people. Our guide, Eugene, is an absolute star and so is the cook who fed us delicious breakfasts and dinners. The kayak down the canyon to the sea was beautiful and truly memorable.

Having made a last-minute booking and not sure what to expect, I was really impressed with the trip. The camping is basic but being next to a river to swim in, and with toilets, showers, a fridge and electric points 100m away, was really nice. Definitely bring bug spray and a torch.

The first day kayaking was great fun, with little "waterfalls" to go over on the kayak, and a detour to a larger waterfall to swim in/jump off. Eugen was a fantastic guide, not in a hurry, happy to help and enjoy the trip with us, including feeding us some fresh figs. The inflatable kayaks were pretty much impossible to tip, so it all felt very safe and relaxed.

Despite the heat in August, the walk was great as it was through a canyon so out of the hot sun. Not too hard work either, if you're used to a bit of walking in the countryside.

The last day kayaking from the town to the sea offered something different to the first - amazing views, salt water, 16km kayaking. It was definitely less exciting in some ways, but Eugen again made it a fun trip and gave us opportunities to stop and relax on the edges of the canyon or swimming in the water. Very exposed this day, so loads of sun cream was needed.

Food was great - there was so much breakfast that we tended to take some for lunch too. Everyone brought more snacks than they ended up eating!

Such a great trip. This was my first MBA trip and my first time solo travelling in years - I needn't have worries. Group dynamics were great and we discovered many beautiful swimming spots as we kayaked. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble. The stars at the campsite were incredible.

Great guide (Eugen) lovely small group and the kayaking was fantastic. Amazing scenery. Loved swimming in the rivers and waterfalls. The canyon kayak on the last day was spectacular.

Really lovely weekend trip with swimming, waterfalls and kayaking. So relaxing

Great trip, food, kayaking and hiking were fab.

Highly recommend

First time solo traveller and this experience was perfect for that. Everything was organised for us, food was amazing and the guides were knowledgeable and friendly.

Highly recommend this trip and will be looking at other Much Better Adventures in the future. From start to finish, getting picked up, the site, the food, the activities, couldn't fault it. We had a lovely group of people and friendly guide and had an amazing time.

Such a great trip… We were a small group of four and it was perfect. The hiking was really enjoyable, beautiful scenery and the chance to take a dip in the mountain stream… ‘refreshing’, though well worth it! The two days kayaking were outstanding. One day paddling down a stunning ravine towards the sea, the second some river and whitewater paddling. Both fun and relaxing - the perfect antidote to a busy life at home. The food was amazing - freshly cooked, hand-made breakfast and dinner in the sunshine with a camp fire to end the evening. Our guide, Rene, supported by the equally lovely Eva, was a real star. Knowledgeable, interesting and thoughtful. He read the group so well and nothing was too much trouble. I’ll certainly look to book future trips with MBA in the future… thank you for a fantastic break! Jon

Travelled as a group of 3, and we had an amazing time. Croatia is beautiful, the trip takes you to some amazing place, we loved the kayaking and hiking, and the camp site was lovely. Great wood fire, nice that tent was set up, fun to shower in the river, unique to have your own spring, grateful there was a charging point. Level was pretty easy the (although we three are pretty active). Food, breakfast and dinner, was really good and plentiful. Guide was funny.

I was lucky with the people in the group, they were fun. The Croatian hosting company is also just great, their guides are really friendly, as well as the programme is very good and the right balance of pleasure and difficulty.

Had the most amazing weekend break in Croatia. The activities and our guide Eugan were second to nine, Eugan absolutely made the trip for us. He is a credit to Much Better Adventures.

Leader - Eugen was absolutely fabulous - and made the trip memorable!

Place - Croatia was wonderful and Eugen took us to some fabulous places!

Campsite - was okay - good spot - basic facilities.

First day of rafting amazing. Second day terribly boring.

The tour was great. DD was a good host, I enjoyed hearing about some of Croatia's past. Day one was definitely my favourite and included jumping off a few waterfalls (optional) which was amazing. The first part of the river was filled with waterfalls and blue/green water. No litter at all and so beautiful. The second day was shorter and through a more desert-looking canyon. Which contrasted strongly with day 1. You don't need to bring too much for lunch as breakfast is quite substantial. But bringing lunch did cause some confusion about how much to bring.

Technically it's absolutely fine for beginners although I have a decent amount of experience kayaking. Some level of fitness for day 2 makes it easier as there was less natural river flow.

Overall, definitely recommended!

This really was a much better adventure than I thought it would be. You never know if these things will be lame, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t hardcore. But it was a fun effort. Great for solos, couples or friends. Our guide, Ivan, was probably the most enthusiastic and friendly person you could hope for! And, luckily, our particular group of eight consisted of a bunch of great and sound characters - mostly from England, but also from the Netherlands and Greece :). The scenery was dramatic, high, lush and barren, and waterfalls roared peacefully. Snakes lurk, but are mostly harmless… Bring snacks for lunch. Bring water shoes. And either a waterproof camera or a simple waterproof phone case/bag so you can quickly grab the shots you want. It was also my birthday, and it couldn’t have been a better place to spend it.

Very nice adventure trip. Beautiful places, nice people and food. Would do it again 100%

Beautiful nature! Great time with new friends. Laura was the best host I could imagine. Camping spot was just perfect, quiet and wild.

My family and I had a fantastic time (6 of us, ranging in age from 20-65). Even before leaving for our trip, our contact, Kristina, was very helpful and responded promptly to our queries. Our guide, Didi, was excellent. From the moment we arrived he was a great host, always making sure that we had everything we needed and that we were comfortable in camp. He was easy to talk to and he gave us a good insight into what local life was like. Whilst kayaking he put our safety first and made us feel in very safe hands whilst also enabling us to have lots of fun. He knows the river and local area very well which complemented the whole experience. I also have to mention the chef, Marina, who prepared delicious meals for us, including vegetarian options (which can’t have been easy in traditional, rural Croatia!). Thank you all so much, would highly recommend this experience!