Zadar is a 3,000-year-old city on a peninsula with the Sea Organ, a Roman Forum and ferries to Ugljan, Dugi otok and Pašman. The airport is 8 km from the centre, and centre parking cost €1.60/hour in 2026. We write this guide from Sukošan, 10 km down the coast.
Zadar is the largest city in northern Dalmatia (about 70,000 people) and its old town sits on a peninsula you can cross in 15 minutes. Two modern attractions on the waterfront – the Sea Organ (2005), played by the waves, and the Greeting to the Sun (2008), a glowing solar disc – stand next to the 1st-century Roman Forum and the round 9th-century church of St Donatus, the city's symbol. St Donatus charges a few euros; the bell tower of St Anastasia's cathedral is about €5 (2026).
Zadar is also a transport hub: airport, the Gaženica ferry port, the A1 motorway and a main bus station. It works as a base you leave every day for somewhere else – islands, four national parks or Šibenik. Owner-listed places are under apartments in Zadar; dinghies and sailing yachts under boats in Zadar.
City beaches are pebble-and-concrete and perfectly fine, but they are not why you come. Who they suit:
If you want sand and shallows for kids, drive 10–20 km south to Sukošan or Biograd. The full list with parking notes is in Beaches in Zadar: Kolovare, Borik, Diklo and where to go with kids.
Do not drive into the old town (Poluotok) – most lanes are pedestrian. Parking is zoned: zone 1 around the peninsula about €1.60/h in summer 2026, zone 2 about €1.30/h, zone 3 about €0.40/h, cheaper in winter. Pay via app (PayDo, Zadar City) or at the meter. The nearest larger car parks are Relja by the bus station and the garage by the marina (TIZ); free spaces exist in the streets behind the bus station if you arrive before 9 am. Full details in Parkovanie Zadar.
Liburnija city buses cost €1.59 per ride (2026), €2.65 for a two-ride ticket. On the peninsula you walk; taxis and Uber/Bolt work, €8–15 across town. Rowing boatmen (barkajoli) shuttle you across the harbour from the peninsula for a couple of euros – an 800-year-old tradition.
By air: Zadar Airport (Zemunik) is 8 km from the centre with seasonal flights from London, Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia and Poland (Ryanair, easyJet, Lufthansa, Austrian). The Liburnija bus to the centre is €5 and takes about 20 minutes; a taxi €20–30. Details in Zadar Airport to the City, Sukošan and Biograd: Bus, Taxi 2026.
By car: Zagreb 285 km on the A1 (3 hours, toll about €20 in 2026), Ljubljana 430 km, Split 160 km, Dubrovnik 350 km. Tolls and vignettes explained in Croatia motorway tolls 2026/2027: prices, ENC, no vignette.
By bus: frequent coaches from Zagreb (3.5 h), Split (2.5–3 h) and Rijeka; the station is 1.5 km from the old town.
By ferry from Italy: Jadrolinija Ancona–Zadar (Gaženica) in season, about 7–9 hours.
Zadar's food is Dalmatian: grilled fish by weight (€50–70/kg in 2026), scampi na buzaru, black risotto, Pag cheese and prosciutto from the island of Pag, lamb from Velebit. In the old town look for konobas in the side lanes rather than on the main street Kalelarga, where you pay for the location. The morning market Pijaca by the Sea Gate sells vegetables, fruit and cheese; the fish market is next door (buy before 10 am).
Do not miss maraschino, the marasca-cherry liqueur made in Zadar since the 18th century. Coffee on the Forum is €2–3, a lunch menu €12–18, dinner for two with wine €60–90. What to order and how a konoba works is in What to Eat in Dalmatia: Konoba Guide, Fish by the Kilo, 2026 Prices; bookable places are under restaurants in Zadar.
Tourist tax: about €2 per adult per night in Zadar in the 2026 season, paid to your host; children under 12 free. More in Tourist tax in Croatia 2026/2027: rates, who pays, children.
Pharmacies: several in the centre and by the bus station, one on 24-hour duty. Hospital: Opća bolnica Zadar. Emergency number 112.
Season: July–August busiest and priciest, sea 25–27 °C. June and September are ideal – warm sea, fewer people, prices 20–30 % lower. Unlike the islands, Zadar keeps a lively centre in winter.
Prices as a guide (2026): apartment for two in the centre €70–130/night in summer, beer €3–4.50, ice cream €2. For a quieter, cheaper base see Sukošan, 10 km south. All destinations are on the Cities page.