How to Explore Pula, Croatia in One Day
Looking for things to do in Pula, Croatia?
In our Pula guide, you will get all the information to help you plan your 24-hour trip to Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula.
Check out our Pula travel guide for all of Pula’s best sights. We cover location, main attractions, where to eat, and other tips to have the best time in Pula.
From the Pula Arena to the Temple of Augustus, Pula has plenty of things to do.
*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy something using the links, we will receive a commission. Using the link is at NO extra cost to you. We appreciate it when you buy through one of our affiliate links. It is a great way to show your support for us. It will allow us to continue to bring you valuable, free content.
Check out our Pula City Tour Vlog, where we visit the places mentioned in this post: How to Explore Pula, Croatia in One Day.
How to Explore Pula, Croatia in One Day
Save this pin to Pinterest for later!
Where is Pula, Croatia?
Pula is in the country of Croatia on the Istrian Peninsula. It is at the southern tip of the peninsula on the Bay of Pula. Pula is a major city in the Istria area.
What are the main attractions in Pula?
These are Pula’s best sights and restaurants. We recommend following our 1-Day Pula itinerary to have an incredible day visiting Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula.
-Forum Square
-Cvajner Gallery (coffee)
-Temple of Augustus
-Pula Port
-Pula Cathedral
-Kandlerova Ulica
-Pizzeria Jupiter
-Pula Arena
-Fortuna (gelato)
-Twin Gates
-Gate of Hercules
-Fortress Kaštel
-Arch of the Sergii
-James Joyce Monument
-Punishment of Dirce Mosaic
-St. Maria Formosa
1. Forum Square (Trg Forum / Piazza Foro)
The first stop of your Pula walking tour is at Forum Square. It is an old Roman Forum and the main square in Pula, Croatia.
Forum Square has plenty of cafes, the City Hall Building, and the Temple of Augustus.
2. Cvajner Gallery (coffee)
We recommend getting a coffee at Cvajner Gallery. It is in Forum Square and has a fantastic terrace with views of the Temple of Augustus.
Sitting on the terrace enjoying coffee at Cvajner Gallery is the perfect way to start your adventures in Pula.
The inside of Cvajner Gallery is also worth checking out while you are there.
The cafe lattes at Cvajner Gallery are 15 kunas each ($2.14).
3. Temple of Augustus
After coffee, you don’t have far to walk to get to the next attraction, the Temple of Augustus.
Named after emperor Augustus, it is the main attraction in Forum Square.
The temple suffered damage from a bomb during World War II.
It has been many different things over the years. It was a church, a place to store grain, and a museum.
Entrance into the Temple of Augustus is 10 kunas ($1.43).
4. Pula Port
After leaving the Old Roman Forum, you can walk along the Pula Port and admire the many boats and beautiful water.
There are also sunset cruises and dolphin cruises that leave from Pula Port.
5. Pula Cathedral
After an enjoyable stroll along the Pula Port, you will arrive at the next attraction, the Pula Cathedral.
Its full name is the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The church has been a site for Christians to worship since the late 4th century.
6. Kandlerova Ulica (tourist street)
Kandlerova Ulica is the street that runs alongside Pula Cathedral. This street has cafes, souvenir shops, and tourist offices.
We visited Pula in early spring, so most shops and cafes were closed.
You can walk down this street to get to the restaurant for lunch.
7. Pizzeria Jupiter
We recommend Pizzeria Jupiter for lunch. Because of Pula’s proximity to Italy, you can find plenty of Italian cuisines.
If the weather is pleasant on the day of your visit to Pula, we recommend sitting on their terrace. It is the perfect way to soak up the sun and enjoy the delicious pizza.
Pizzeria Jupiter serves pizza, pasta, and seafood. We recommend trying the mushroom pizza because it was delicious!
The pizza with drinks was around 108 kunas ($15).
8. Pula Arena
After lunch, you will be ready to explore the main attraction in Pula, the Pula Arena.
It is Croatia’s best-preserved ancient monument.
This Roman amphitheater is the only remaining one to have all sides preserved.
The well-preserved Roman amphitheater in Pula was for gladiator fights. It now serves as a concert and event venue.
You can see most of the Pula Arena from the outside for free, but we recommend buying a ticket and exploring the inside of the arena.
Tickets for the arena are 70 kunas ($10).
Make sure to follow the steps down to the underground museum.
That is the area where the gladiators and animals waited before the fights.
The area under the Arena of Pula is now to show the machines and vases used for making and storing olive oil and wine.
After touring the arena, you can browse the gift shop for souvenirs.
The Pula Arena is also pet friendly.
9. Fortuna Gelato
After touring the Pula Arena, you will probably be ready for a gelato break.
You can walk up the street from the arena to Fortuna.
They have a lovely terrace close to the Twin Gate to enjoy your gelato.
One scoop of gelato at Fortuna is 8 kunas ($1.14).
10. Twin Gates (Dvojna vrata / Porta Gemina)
The city of Pula has three remaining gates, the Twin Gate, Gate of Hercules, and Arch of the Sergii.
If you follow this itinerary, the Twin Gate will be the first one you encounter.
The Twin Gate is a double-arched gate built during the 2nd century.
11. Gate of Hercules
Along the same road and close to the Twin Gates is the Gate of Hercules.
This gate has the head of Hercules at the top because Hercules is the protector of ancient Pula.
12. Fortress Kaštel/Castello (Pulski Kaštel)
The next stop on a one-day trip to Pula is to visit the Fortress Kaštel.
You will have to climb up some stairs to make it to the fortress, but it is worth it.
From the fortress, you can get excellent views of Pula. You can even see the Pula Arena.
The fortress was built in the 1600s by the Venetians.
It is free to walk around the outside of the fortress, but to enter, tickets for the Fortress Kaštel are 20 kunas ($2.85).
13. Arch of the Sergii
After leaving the fortress, you can make your way to the Arch of the Sergii. This triumphal arch is also called the Golden Gate.
The arch honors three brothers from the Sergii family because they were victorious in the battle of Actium.
14. James Joyce Monument
Near the Arch of the Sergii is the James Joyce Monument.
James Joyce was a famous Irish author that wrote Ulysses.
You can sit at a table with a statue of the famous author that once lived in Pula.
15. Mosaic The Punishment of Dirce
Next, you can find a well-preserved mosaic from around the 3rd century called the Punishment of Dirce.
The mosaic is in a residential parking area.
It was in the home of a Roman house, but the mosaic remained hidden until cleaning up rubble from World War II.
There are signs leading to the mosaic (Rimski Mozaik), and information is available in front.
16. St. Maria Formosa (Crkva sv. Marija Formoza)
The last stop is at St. Maria Formosa.
It is a Byzantine church from the 6th century.
Those are our recommendations for how to spend the perfect day in Pula. We hope that this article has inspired you to want to visit Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula.
Need help planning your vacation?
Enter your email below, and we will send you our FREE travel checklist to make planning your trip a breeze.
Wondering where else to visit in Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula?
Rovinj is a picture perfect city on the west coast of the Istrian Peninsula.
In our Rovinj vlog, we take you on a walking tour of Rovinj and show you the best attractions in Rovinj.
From its colorful buildings, seaside harbor, quaint cafes, and cobblestone streets, it makes for a perfect day trip from Pula.
Want to know how we captured our photos and videos?
Check out our Vlogging Gear Blog or Vlog to find out what cameras and equipment we use.
*The links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy something using the links, we will receive a commission. Using the link is at NO extra cost to you. We appreciate it when you buy through one of our affiliate links. It is a great way to show your support for us. It will allow us to continue to bring you valuable, free content.
Who is One Way Ticket?
Hi everyone! We're Ali and Holly.
We are teachers that love to travel and experience new cultures.
Currently, we are exploring Europe one country at a time.
We post new travel vlogs to our YouTube channel on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Please SUBSCRIBE to our channel to follow our adventures!
We're excited to see where this journey takes us. We hope you’ll come along with us on a One Way Ticket!
If you’d like to sign up for our Newsletter to get updates from us, please fill in your email below.
Have you been to Pula, Croatia? What was your favorite thing to do in Pula? We’d love to hear about your experience. Let us know in the comments.
