In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Croatia
Pula
Give Pula 2 nights: one full day for the Arena, Forum and old town on foot, one for Kamenjak or Brijuni. Skip it as a beach base — the centre is a port, not a resort.
Pula is Istria's Roman city: a 1st-century amphitheatre, a forum still in use, and a compact pedestrian centre you can cross in 20 minutes. It is a working port with shipyards, not a polished resort, so most travellers use it for 2 nights of sightseeing and then move to Rovinj or the beaches at Kamenjak. July and August bring crowds, heat and higher prices; May, June, September and October are better.
- Country
- Croatia
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds and heat); Nov–Mar, when many attractions and restaurants close
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR) since 2023. Cards work almost everywhere; carry small cash for markets, beach bars and some island taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Hrvatski Telekom, A1 and Telemach sell prepaid SIMs at kiosks (Tisak) and shops; ID required.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 192 · Ambulance 194 · Sea rescue 195
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European round two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Round up.; Restaurant: About 10% for good service, in cash.; Taxi: Round up.; Boat trip crew or guide: €5–10 per person for a day trip.; Apartment cleaning: Not expected.
- Water
- Tap water is safe and good everywhere, including islands (some small islands rely on piped or tanked water — ask).
- Toilets
- Free in cafés for customers; public toilets in old towns cost €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a bar | €1.50–2.50 |
| Pizza or pasta in the centre | €9–15 |
| Seafood main | €15–28 |
| Beer: draught / shop can | €3–5 / €1–2 |
| Arena entry | €10 |
| Zerostrasse and castle museum | €7 |
| City bus single ride | €1.50–2.50 |
| Taxi, 5 kmTaxi, 3.1 mi | €2–3 with Taxi Cammeo |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PUY · Pula Airport
- About 6 km from the centre; seasonal routes in summer. Shuttle bus to the bus station, about €6, or a taxi.About 3.7 mi from the centre; seasonal routes in summer. Shuttle bus to the bus station, about €6, or a taxi.
- RJK · Rijeka Airport (Krk)
- Alternative for some routes; onward by bus or car, roughly 1.5–2 h.
- TRS · Trieste Airport, Italy
- Cross-border option; bus or car via Slovenia, roughly 1.5–2 h.
Typical fares
- Pula bus station → airport, shuttle
- about €6, 5–10 departures a day
- Pula bus station → city centre, taxi
- about €11.50 low season, more in summer
- Pula → Venice, Venezia Lines ferry
- about 3 h, five times a week, seasonal
Get around
The historic centre is pedestrianised and most sights sit inside it or a few blocks away — walk. Pulapromet buses cover the city and suburbs (all of Pula is in zone 1); buy tickets at a Tisak or iNovine kiosk, cheapest, or from the driver, more expensive. A day ticket for all three zones is about €4. Taxis are cheap for short hops. Parking in the centre is scarce and costs about €1/hr, with fines around €13.50.
See and do
Known for
- Pula Arena (Roman amphitheatre)
- Temple of Augustus and the Forum
- Arch of the Sergii
- Kamenjak peninsula and Brijuni islands
- Pula Film Festival
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Brijuni National Park | Bus or car to Fažana, then the park boat; guided tour by tourist train | About 1 h to Fažana, then a half or full day on the islands |
| Kamenjak and Premantura | Car or taxi to Premantura, about 8 km, then the peninsulaCar or taxi to Premantura, about 5 mi, then the peninsula | About 30 min |
| Rovinj | Bus or car up the coast | About 45 min by car |
| Poreč | Bus or car north along the coast | About 1 h |
| Motovun and the interior | Car, or bus with changes | About 1 h 15 min by car |
Sleep
- Old town (Forum and Sergijevaca)
- Everything walkable; bars and restaurants below your window. Best for 1–2 nights without a car.
- Around the Arena and the marina
- Quieter evenings, still 5–10 min on foot from the Forum; hotels and apartments.
- Verudela and Zlatne Stijene
- Hotel and apartment zone 4–5 km south with swimming and rocky beaches; bus or taxi into town.Hotel and apartment zone 2.5–3.1 mi south with swimming and rocky beaches; bus or taxi into town.
- Stoja and Štinjan
- North-west coast, closer to Brijuni boat departures; needs a car or bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dobar danDOH-bar dahn |
| Thank you | HvalaHVAH-lah |
| Please | MolimMOH-leem |
| How much is it? | Koliko košta?KOH-lee-koh KOHSH-tah |
| The bill, please | Račun, molimRAH-choon MOH-leem |
| Do you speak English? | Govorite li engleski?goh-VOH-ree-teh lee EHN-gles-kee |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and eye contact; 'dobar dan' in shops; avoid: Walking into a small shop without a greeting
- Café culture: Sit as long as you like over one coffee; avoid: Expecting the bill without asking
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet voices; avoid: Beachwear, flash photos during mass
- Conversation: Ask about food, sport, the islands; avoid: Comparing Croatia to Serbia or calling it 'Eastern Europe'
- Toasting: 'Živjeli' with eye contact; avoid: Looking away when glasses clink
Scams and watch-outs
- Parking in the centre is limited and patrolled; use a garage or the edge of town.
- Many attractions and restaurants close between October and May — check opening times outside summer.
- Brijuni is a national park with one boat operator from Fažana: no cheap alternative, and 'panorama' boats do not land on the island.
- Kamenjak is a protected peninsula with rough tracks and no shade in places; bring water and shoes, not just flip-flops.
- The Arena hosts concerts and the film festival in July — the site can close early or be ticketed separately.
Pula is a safe city for tourists; the real issues are traffic in summer, pickpockets in the crowded centre, and swimming off rocks where there is no lifeguard. Use 112 for anything urgent.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pula yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pula Arena (Roman amphitheatre)
- Temple of Augustus and the Forum
- Arch of the Sergii
- Kamenjak peninsula and Brijuni islands
- Pula Film Festival
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Pula official city website: www.pula.hr/
- Pula Airport: www.airport-pula.hr/
- Pulapromet city buses: www.pulapromet.hr/
- Brijuni National Park: www.brijuni.hr/en
- Croatian Railways (HŽPP): www.hzpp.hr/en
- Wikivoyage: Pula, revision 5270314 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5270314
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Pula
Na ovu adresu, molim
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Croatia has no foreign embassies in Pula; most are in Zagreb, with consulates in Rijeka and Split. Check your own country's list before you travel.
Tipping: about 10% in restaurants for good service; round up taxis and cafés.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/pula). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.