Croatia & the Adriatic

Your tour commences this evening in the delightful town of Trogir. Join us for a welcome drink at your hotel before we walk to the nearby old town, to enjoy a welcome dinner in a local restaurant. This is an ideal chance to meet, and get to know, your Tour Manager and fellow travellers.

Your Trogir Hotel – the Brown Beach Hotel – is a luxury boutique hotel set right beside the sea, and excellently located just 800 metres from Trogir’s Heritage listed old town. Housed within a former tobacco shipping station (“Duhanka”), this elegant hotel has a beautiful pool terrace overlooking the Adriatic and even has its own beach club.

This morning enjoy an orientation tour of this remarkably preserved town. Heavily influenced by the Greek, Roman and Venetian Empires, the core of Trogir is a mass of tiny alleys and charming squares, filled with shops and restaurants. In the afternoon we are joined by a local guide as we drive up into the rugged hills behind Split to visit the ruined castle of Klis. This is the most famous fortress in all of Croatia with a remarkable history spanning a thousand years, and the views down across Split and the Adriatic are astounding. Continuing to the port of Split our guide will take us on a walking tour through the vast 4th century Diocletian Palace complex, the Cathedral and pedestrian friendly town centre. Later you will enjoy free time to explore the beautiful old town which is littered with numerous alfresco cafés, and where the shopping is rumoured to be the best in Croatia. Tonight  we enjoy a local restaurant dinner before returning to Trogir.

First stop of the day will be in the beautiful Krka National Park. A leisurely stroll brings us to the dramatic Skradiniski Buk falls. Afterwards, we head down stream by boat to the town of Skradin. Later we stop in Šibenik, the oldest native Croatian town on the Adriatic. Here we are joined by a local guide who takes us into the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Cathedral of St James. Your evening is at leisure in Trogir.

Mid morning we return to Split to catch a ferry over to the famous Adriatic island of Hvar. Cruising out between the islands of Brac and Solta we  arrive at the oldest port on the island, Starigrad. Time to enjoy a break and stroll through the town before crossing the island to the delightful harbour of Hvar town, where we stay the next three nights.

Our hotel – the Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort – is situated on a secluded bay, with its own  private beach and a multi-level pool. Offering views across the Paklinski Islands and just a 10 minute walk from the centre of Hvar, the Amfora Hotel features modern amenities, poolside restaurant and stylish lounge area. All guest rooms have balconies.

Your day is completely at leisure to do as much or as little as you choose! Hvar port is regarded as perhaps the most beautiful within the Dalmatian Islands. The cobblestoned alleys which wind up from the big, open main square are littered with restaurants, cafés and shops. For the more active, you can go on boat trips to the nearby islands, or perhaps take an energetic walk up to Castle Spanjola. From here, there are breathtaking views across the islands and down onto the picturesque harbour – teeming with expensive cruisers and yachts.

A day to explore the island! First stop of the day will be on the other side of the island at the pretty port of Jelsa. Later we will visit a local vineyard to enjoy a tasting of the excellent local wines before driving along a spectacular ridge, past timeworn villages, along the spine of the island. This incredibly scenic old mountain road is called the ‘lavender road’ and the steep mountainsides are covered with stone enclosed fields of lavender (lavender blooms on Hvar throughout the month of June). Reaching the Bay of Milna, we have included a leisurely lunch in a charming restaurant with a terrace over the rocky shoreline. Later we return to the delightful port of Hvar to enjoy an evening at leisure.

After a leisurely start we enjoy the drive down the entire length of Hvar Island to the port of Sucuraj, where we board a ferry and cross back to the  mainland at Drvenik. We continue to Mostar in the country of Bosnia-Herzegovina. On arrival we will meet a local guide for a walking tour of this amazing town. Ravaged and smashed in the Balkans War, Mostar has now been lovingly rebuilt and the locals are intensely proud of their Stari Most (Old Bridge) – a curious humped back pedestrian bridge spanning the River Neretva – a reconstruction of the original 16th century Ottoman bridge. A place where adherents of Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Judaism have coexisted for centuries, this cultural melting pot makes a fascinating visit. Mosques and churches stand side by side with charming riverside terraced cafés and the occasional, bomb damaged, bullet pock-marked ruin. We stay here two nights. This evening we enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

This morning we are joined by a local guide to visit the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the amazing city of Sarajevo – nominated as the European  Capital of Culture for 2014. Once the site of the 1984 Winter Olympics, Sarajevo suffered the longest siege of a city in the history of modern warfare (1992-1996) during the Balkans Conflict. To the locals it was the ‘Bosnian War for Independence’. Since then Sarajevo’s rebuilding programme has galvanised the city. Highlight of your guided tour will be a visit to the Memorial Museum of Srebrenica to learn about the events that took place during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. The remainder of your afternoon and evening will be free back in Mostar. A perfect time to find your own riverside terrace restaurant.

Returning to the Dalmatian Coast we visit the remarkable twin towns of Ston and Mali Ston. Famous for having the longest complete city walls of any city in Europe, you will be struck by the giant fortifications extending completely over the wild mountain side linking these two small towns.  Scenically, the tiny bay is wonderful however, we are here for the oysters of Mali Ston, which are reputed to be the finest in the world. On arrival we will board a small boat to visit the Oyster beds and sample fresh oysters, washed down with a glass of wine. Back ashore, we have included a lazy lunch in a special restaurant right beside the old harbour. Delightful!

Later this afternoon we arrive at the famous city of Dubrovnik. Our hotel for the next four nights is a luxury lifestyle hotel, close to the Old Town of Dubrovnik. Surrounded by spectacular landscape, the hotel sits directly beside the rocky shore of glorious Adriatic Sea. Join us for a welcome drink at this spectacular property.

In the 15th and 16th centuries Dubrovnik became the heart of a maritime empire to rival Venice. This morning we are joined by a local guide who will breathe life into this extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Listed, walled city – from the finely carved facades of the renaissance palaces, lining the broad pedestrian walkways and squares, to the churches and the baroque Cathedral.  We have included entrance to the old Franciscan Monastery and Apothecary. Afterwards, we drive out to the countryside to enjoy a special lunch. ‘Peka’, the signature dish of Croatia’s Dalmatia region, is a blend of vegetables and meat drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs, and then baked under a bell-like dome. Back in Dubrovnik, the rest of your day is at leisure. Included for you to use during your ‘My Time’ is a ticket for the cable car up to the scenic lookout on top of Mount Srđ, to soak up the panoramic views of Dubrovnik. Later this afternoon, when the heat has gone from the day, and the crowded cruise ships have departed, make sure you enjoy a peaceful walk along the top of the city walls. Running almost two kilometres around the entire city, and flanked by turrets and towers, a walk along the ramparts is a wonderful experience.

Today we will enjoy a full day excursion to the country of Montenegro. There are borders to cross to get there and back which may take some time, however today promises to be a full, but incredibly rewarding day out. Arriving in Kotor we are met by a local guide for a short orientation tour. Lunchtime will be at leisure in this beautifully preserved walled city. Later, reaching the dramatic fjord like Bay of Kotor we stop at the little village of Perast. Here we enjoy a boat ride out and around the twin islands of St. George and Gospa od Škrpjela (Our Lady of the Rock). Tonight, upon arriving back at our superb hotel in Dubrovnik, the rest of your evening is at leisure to relax or explore Dubrovnik town.  

Your day is at leisure. Maybe relax in your delightful hotel located directly beside the deep blue Adriatic, or walk into town to explore the narrow alleys, squares and churches that litter the old town. Time to shop or sit and enjoy a leisurely lunch in this city which is aptly named the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. Late afternoon we board a traditional Dalmatian boat to cruise south along the coast to the picturesque port of Cavtat where we enjoy our farewell dinner in the excellent family owned ‘Restaurant Leut’. We return to our hotel by coach.

Your tour ends today after breakfast.