Croatia & Slovenia: Dreaming of Dalmatia

Welcome to Croatia!

Upon your arrival in Zagreb, your driver/guide will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore on your own time.

This morning, enjoy a private walking and talking tour of the old upper town and Zagreb city center. This tour will give you an insight into the two different cities, the modern, urban and vibrant capital as well as the historic and cultural Zagreb that grew side by side with its counterpart Vienna. You will ride in a Zagreb’s funicular known as the shortest cable car in the world connecting downtown Zagreb with the upper (old) town. After the ride we will go to the upper town and enjoy the historic walk through its alleys, palaces and monuments. From the upper town you will head towards downtown passing by Zagreb's Cathedral and will get into the verve of Zagreb's vibrant streets, parks  and squares.

Continue to Zagreb's farmer's market a unique experience located in the very heart of the city, practically connecting the old town with the downtown Zagreb. Unlike most markets, Dolac is a permanent installation which is open seven days a week and located in the very heart of Zagreb, right next to the main square thus adding to Zagreb's vibrant and pulsating atmosphere. It is a market where Croatia's diversity meets at one place and where you will find yourself in the infinite pool of colors, scents and gastronomic temptations. At Dolac all of your senses will magically activate and you will be able to breathe in the real life of Zagreb citizens as well as a chance to buy authentic arts and crafts. After, you will be taken back to your hotel.

This morning your driver/guide will pick you up at your hotel and depart from Zagreb. We will drive two hours towards Lake Bled which is the famous lake that holds the only island in the country. The emerald-green lake, a picture-postcard church on the island, a medieval Bled castle clinging to a rocky cliff and some of the highest peaks of the Julian Alps make the town of Bled simply a postcard perfect. You'll take a walk along the lakeside promenade enjoying the scenic fairytale of reality. There is even a legend saying that it was the fairies who summoned all the waters from the surrounding mountains to flood the valley and this is how the lake and the island came to be.

Afterwards we will drive up to the town of Bled to visit the Museum at Bled Castle known as the oldest castle in Slovenia that rises up to 130 meters above the glacial Lake Bled. Following the tour we will stop for Bled's famous Cremeschnitte, a cake made according to the original recipe since 1953. After these sweet refreshments you will head towards Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia whose charm lays in millenniums of architectural history, its  picturesque bridges across the river Ljubljanica and its vast Tivoli park stretching into the very city center. Ljubljana has preserved evidence of all the five millennia of its history, including the remains of the Roman city of Emona and the old city center with its medieval castle and beautiful Baroque facades. You will be dropped off at your hotel in Ljubljana to continue enjoying the evening exploring or relaxing.

This morning we will departure from Ljubljana with pickup at the hotel by your driver/guide. Today we will head towards Postojna cave one of the best known cave in the world. For 140 years it has been the only cave in the world that offers a unique and adventurous ride with a special train that will take you into the cave, under spectacular underground arches embellished with chandelier look-alike stalactites, through a beautiful subterranean world full of playful limestone sculptures. After Postojna we will continue towards Istria- Croatian region mostly known as the royal mushroom - the truffle. The truffle has been considered a delicacy for millenniums.  It had been food in which Mesopotamian rulers enjoyed 4000 years ago as well as it is a delicacy nowadays. This royal mushroom was of course known to the ancient Greeks and the Roman emperors, as well as favorable food served at the French court and among the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy.  It is very rare since it grows only in several locations in Europe, some parts of France, Italy and in Istria.

Your first destination in Istria will be  one of the most scenic towns of the region, the hilltop medieval town of Motovun. It  overlooks the vast Motovun forest rich in truffles and hillside vineyards make it one of the most beautiful medieval towns of the Mediterranean. After exploring the old medieval fortification of Motovun, prepare your palate for a true taste explosion because you are going to have true Istrian truffle lunch and try some of their best delicacies. After lunch, we will continue along the beautiful Istrian landscape towards the town of Rovinj. It is a very colorful and photogenic Istrian coastal town whose charm lays in its narrow stone paved alleyways and squares full of medieval, gothic, renaissance and baroque buildings and terraces. Walking down the old alley is a very special experience making you feel as if time had stopped and you have returned to an ancient era. Enjoy a free evening at your leisure to explore the charming old town and try some fabulous Istria gourmet. There is a variety of excellent restaurants in Rovinj to choose from.

After breakfast, we will leave from Rovinj with your driver/guide and set off to the city of Pula to visit the famous Roman Amphitheater. After Pula, we will proceed to Plitvice Lakes National Park which is one of the most known UNESCO World Heritage sites in Croatia. Situated in the mountainous karst area of the central Croatia, the Plitvice region represents an important north-south road connection linking the Croatian inland with the coastal region. It is also one of the oldest national parks in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. You will see 16 green and blue colored lakes arranged in cascades and connected to each other by a series of beautiful waterfalls surrounded by captivating forests and vegetation. It shows a unique harmony of natural beauty. This tour takes approximately 3-4 hours and afterwards we will enjoy a traditional meal in one of the local restaurants. 

In the morning your driver/guide will pick you up from your hotel to go to Dalmatia, the southern Adriatic coast and the city of Split. On the way to Split we will stop in the charming town of Šibenik which is the oldest native Croatian town on the shores of the Adriatic. Unlike other cities along the Adriatic coast founded by Greeks, Illyrians and Romans, Šibenik was founded by Croats and it was the seat of the Croatian King Krešimir. There we will visit the well known St James Cathedral which is located in the very heart of the old city. It is an important architectural monument of the Renaissance period which was added on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Afterwards we will head to the town of Trogir. The city of Trogir has also found its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is a picturesque coastal town surrounded by the sea from all its sides. The town where every stone is a monument, where orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period. It encompasses beautiful Romanesque churches and outstanding Renaissance and Baroque buildings from the Venetian period. It is truly a remarkable example of urban continuity throughout its historical development. Expect to arrive to Split in the late afternoon, with enough free time to explore on your own after checking into your hotel.

After breakfast you will go for a morning city tour of Split with your guide. You will enjoy the vibrant alleys and streets of the old town where history is simply lurking from every corner you pass. Of course the most captivating of it all is Split's pride and joy - the Diocletian Palace.  Spanning more than 30,000 square meters, this extraordinary complex of beautiful white limestone was built between the late 3rd and the early 4th centuries A.D., as a retirement home for the Roman emperor Diocletian. The ruins of Diocletian's Palace can be found throughout the city. The complex consists of some of the most valuable  buildings survived from the Roman era and it ranks among the most magnificent architecture on the Adriatic coast. Following the history lane, you will board a ferry to sail from the Split Harbor towards the Island of Brač. Upon arrival to the Island of Brač you will drive towards Postira to visit Mr. Joško's local soap factory the Brač fini sapuni which produces the finest soaps from indigenous herbs and plants. Then take a tour of the factory with a soap making presentation. After the soap factory, you will drive along the coastal island road to reach Bol to take a stroll towards the most beautiful beach in Croatia, Zlatni rat. There you will have some free time to relax, swim, refresh and have lunch. We will prepare to leave Bol around 5.00 pm in order to catch a 6.00 pm ferry from Supetar to arrive at Split at 6:45 pm. The rest of the evening is free for you to enjoy on your own.

This morning  you will depart with your driver/guide to Mostar, a city in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Here you will see the beautiful historic Ottoman style bridge, the symbol of the city called Stari Most (Old Bridge) listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It stretches 28 meters across the Neretva river connecting the two sides of the city the Croat West bank and a Bosnian/Muslim East bank. It will be a unique experience of symbiotic existence of the two cultures and religions. You will walk the cobbled streets of Kujundžiluk, an old bazaar with local artists who sell traditional handcrafts where you will enjoy the colorful and lively atmosphere of the Orient. After we will continue driving along the banks of River Neretva back to Croatia. There will be a short stop in the area in order to grasp the magnificence of this unique natural phenomenon, the River Neretva valley then continue towards Dubrovnik. One more stop will be at the Medieval town of Ston, famous for the longest stone wall in Europe (5.5 km), salt cultivation farming and oyster beds. Croats claim that their oysters are the most delicious in the world. Therefore, a visit to Croatia implies that oyster tasting is simply a must. That is why Ston is nowadays most famous for its oyster farming. After enjoying this local tradition, you will have a traditional seafood lunch in Ston.  Simply a must try! Refreshed after the Ston experience we will continue to Dubrovnik, with a late afternoon arrival. A free evening to enjoy the medieval pearl of the Adriatic.

Today, your guide will take you on a morning tour of Croatia's pride and joy of the unique Old City of Dubrovnik and its walls. You will walk through the streets, fortresses and squares of more than a thousand year old history which made Dubrovnik a cultural center of Europe. History is present in the entire city making it a museum itself. All houses and monuments have a unique value. The Old City is encompassed by medieval walls and fortresses which have been preserved in their original form and opened for visitors as Dubrovnik’s major attraction. In 1979, the Old City was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. However, Dubrovnik reached its world glory for a second time quite recently. It happened by being the prime filming location of the globally popular series called Game of Thrones in which Dubrovnik took the main lead by providing a shooting site for the famous Kings Landing.  However that only aroused Hollywood's interest in the Adriatic gem where blockbusters kept coming. It was transformed into the filming set for the long waited Star Wars VIII in 2016 and more recently it became Nottingham for Leo Dicaprio's Robin Hood. You will be able to see and compare the popular actual scenes with real life sites. After the tour take some free time to explore the city on your own. You can relax, enjoy the popular and unique Buža café bar which is located within the old city walls where you can even chose to sunbath or swim in the old city walls beach.

This morning your driver /guide will pick you up from your hotel for a trip to Montenegro. The drive from Dubrovnik to Kotor will take around two hours. During your day visit to Montenegro you will see the town of Perast, Bay of Boka Kotorska (UNESCO World Heritage site) and the city of Kotor. Wedged between striking mountains and a moody corner of the bay of Boka Kotorska, this dramatically beautiful town is perfectly at one with its setting.  On the tour of Kotor you will enjoy its natural and culture-historical sites as well as its large number of monuments like four of Romanesque churches and 9th century town walls. Within those walls lie labyrinthine marbled lanes where churches, shops, bars and restaurants will surprise you on every corner. You will be able to view the island of St Stefan. After your Montenegro sightseeing, we will return to Dubrovnik in the early evening.

At the appropriate time, you will be picked up and transferred to the airport for your flight back home.