Croatia Highlights

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Dubrovnik

Arrive in Dubrovnik at any time. Make your way to our beachfront hotel on the Lapad Peninsula, where our local guide will meet with you soon after arrival for a welcome briefing about the tour. Look out for a message at the hotel reception from your local guide with details of time and place for the welcome briefing. Dubrovnik is aptly known as the crown jewel of the Adriatic. Its charm has enchanted writers, artists and visitors for centuries. Huddled within the grasp of impressive fortified walls, the Stari Grad invites you to wander its marble-paved streets leading you past historical churches, monasteries, palaces and Baroque buildings. The shelling of the city during the last Balkan War by Serbian and Bosnian forces shocked the world and set onlookers reeling at the pictures on the news. The city received a boost of monetary funding from European countries and UNESCO to rebuild its damaged walls and sweep away the rubble, re-structuring with meticulous attention to detail this enchanting city, which against the odds has been given a new breath of life and is defying its past with characteristic vibrancy and cultural flare, to reaffirm its well-deserved status as one of Europe´s most popular tourist destinations.

Day 2 Dubrovnik (B)

Explore Dubrovnik´s Old Town with a walking tour around the City Walls. There's plenty of free time to soak up the atmosphere and ambience of this captivating city. You may choose to relax at one of the water-side cafes, taking a plunge in the crystal waters of the Adriatic or perhaps sample some local Dalmatian cuisine, before taking to the marble streets to admire the fine architecture and visit some of the many cultural institutions and religious monuments within its walls.

Day 3 Split (B)

Estimated Travel Time: 4hrs 30minsToday we set off by bus along the coast, to Split. Take some time in the afternoon, after checking-in to our hotel, to explore the tangle of marble streets that make up the Old Town. Make sure to visit the elegant cathedral standing proud in the centre of the impressive ruins of the Roman Emperor Diocletian´s Palace, spectacularly preserved and uniquely integrated into the city of today.Split, the largest and most important city in Dalmatia, on Croatia´s Adriatic coast, achieved its fame when the Roman Emperor Diocletian built his retirement palace here in 295-305 AD. The majestic marble structure, which makes up the centre of the Old City, is said to be one of the best preserved Roman ruins outside of Rome. Take time to wander within its walls, admiring ancient capitols, the city´s cathedral – the oldest building housing a catholic cathedral in the world – not forgetting of course to kiss the toe of Mestrovic´s famous bronze monument to Bishop Grgor of Nin for good luck. Weary from a day of culture, take a stroll along the recently refurbished waterfront promenade, pausing for coffee or some traditional Dalmatian cuisine in one of the bustling cafes. Nearby, at the foot of the mountains, nestled amongst vineyards, the extensive Roman ruins of Solin (Salona) make for an interesting day trip outside the city. Solin was also the seat of the first Croatian kings.In the mid-20th Century Split became one of the most important and largest cities in the newly formed Yugoslavia, a bustling port and commercial centre, it expanded to cover the whole of the Kastela Peninsula, with a growing population. The Balkan war of the 1990s damaged most of the city´s business prospects through criminal activity and corruption with the breaking up and selling off of industries for personal gain. The future looks bright, however, for Split as new transport links and re-emerging industries in the areas of trade and tourism, along with production of oil, wine, paper, concrete and chemicals.

Day 4 Trogir/Šibenik (B)

Estimated Travel Time: 30mins + 1hrToday we take a morning bus north along the coast to visit the charming town of Trogir, whose UNESCO world-heritage status is clearly justified in its profusion of Renaissance and Romanesque architecture contained within dramatic 15th Century city walls. Experience its uniqueness as an example of over 2300 years of continuous urban tradition from the Hellenistic Greeks through to the Romans and subsequently the Venetians. We continue by bus a little further along the coast to Sibenik, the oldest native Croatian town on the Adriatic, which, unlike its neighbours founded by Illyrians, Greeks and Romans, was first mentioned by its present name in 1066 by the Croatian King Petar Kresimir IV. Here we take time to visit the famous St James Cathedral, also on the UNESCO World Heritage list, noted for its style, which is both Gothic and Renaissance, having been constructed by various architects in the 15th and 16th Centuries.We spend the night in our harbour-front hotel in Sibenik.

Day 5 Plitvice Lakes National Park (B)

Estimated Travel Time: 2hrs 30minsToday we travel inland, over the mountains, to the spectacular Plitvice Lakes National Park. We spend the day exploring the many walkways and 16 lakes of the park both by boat and by foot. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, heavily forested flora and diverse and rare fauna such as the European brown bear, eagle, owl and wild cat. The park is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.We spend the night at our hotel near the National Park.

Day 6 Rijeka (B)

Estimated Travel Time: 3hrsToday we travel northwest to the bustling hub of Rijeka (Fiume in Italian), a town with a vibrant street life and some fine examples of elegant Austro-Hungarian architecture. Nearby is the famous resort of Opatija with some of the finest coastal views in the country and a longstanding tradition as a destination of the fashionable elites dating back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire right up until WW1. We will overnight here in one of the old mansions converted now into sleek hotels that still maintain an element of traditional style and grace with spacious halls and chandeliers still a feature in many.

Day 7 Istria/Opatija (B)

In order to appreciate both the natural beauty and history of the neighbouring region of Istria, sometimes known as “the Tuscany of Croatia”, we will take a full day´s excursion there. Our visit will include picturesque hilltop villages steeped in age-old tradition and now being rediscovered by artists and artisans, the delightful coastal town of Rovinj, one of the last true Mediterranean fishing ports where tourists mix with age-old local culture along its steep windy cobbled streets, and a chance to taste some local delights including products made from the unique Istria chestnut truffle. We return to Opatija for our final night farewells.

Day 8 Depart Opatija (B)

Depart Opatija any time.