Premium Venice to Dubrovnik - 16 Days

Buongiorno! Welcome to Italy. Your adventure begins in the floating city of Venice. You’ll be collected from the airport and transferred to your hotel by car and water taxi. You’ll meet your leader and fellow travellers at a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, there’s plenty to explore among the bridges, towers, piazzas, canals, churches and gondolas – practically unchanged for 600 years. Maybe walk to St Mark’s Square and the Basilica, Doges’ Palace, Accademia Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs. After the meeting tonight, join your leader and group for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Venice is famous for seafood and fresh Veneto vegetables – perhaps try some fritto misto (a mix of fried seafood) or risotto with asparagus.

Say farewell to Venice this morning and travel to Ljubljana – a city full of style and sophistication. When you arrive, take a guided tour around the Old Town. Learn about the city’s history as you visit Ljubljana Castle, the Town Hall, the Cathedral of St Nicholas and the Dragon Bridge. You’ll also visit the open market before continuing to the lakeside town of Bled. The evening is yours to relax and enjoy your scenic surroundings.

This morning you’ll drive through the misty Sava Bohinjka Valley to beautiful Lake Bohinj – the largest permanent natural lake in Slovenia. Take a cable car to the top of Mt Vogel, where you’ll be greeted by views of evergreen woods sloping down the mountains to blue waters. Take some time to enjoy the area before returning to Bled – renowned for its mild, healing climate and thermal lake water. Have lunch at a local restaurant, then take a pletna boat ride (a wooden, awning-covered boat rowed by a special oarsman) to the island on Lake Bled and climb up the 99 steps to St Mary’s Church. Enjoy a free evening where you can seek out the famous Bled cream cake (nearly every cafe and cake shop in town claims that theirs is the best).

This morning, begin your day with a visit to the Postojna Caves. This 20-km (12.4 mi) network of passages, galleries and chambers is the largest classic karst cave in Europe. Take an open-top train ride through narrow tunnels into the jungle of stalactites and stalagmites, before your leader explains the geology of this natural wonder. Continue to Motovun – sitting atop a cone-shaped hill and surrounded by the bountiful Mirna River Valley. The forests here are famous for truffle hunting. Today, you’ll have the chance to sample this local product combined with fritaja (Croatian omelet), a local speciality, on a visit to a family-owned farm. Then, head to the hilltop village of Buzet, which sits on top of a hill and is filled with traditional Istrian houses and streets.

Today, make the most of a late morning before heading to the villages of Slunj and Rastoke on the banks of the Korana River. Take a walk through the beautifully preserved villages and admire the traditional wooden houses and water mills. From here, head to your hotel just outside Plitvice Lakes National Park. When you arrive, you have the option to head out on a leisurely walk with your leader to get your bearings. Then, the rest of the afternoon and evening is free for you to spend at your leisure.

Early this morning, you’ll explore one of Croatia’s most beautiful sites before the crowd arrive – Plitvice Lakes National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a fairytale land of wooded hills, turquoise lakes and waterfalls. Your local guide will show you a quiet, alternative route, so you can experience a side of the park few visitors see while learning about the natural environment as you walk. After, drive to the walled city of Zadar. Take an afternoon city tour with a local guide, learning the ancient history of the Roman Forum, built in the 1st century, and St Donatus’ Church. Visit the reconstructed Romanesque Church of St Chrysogonus, St Mary’s bell tower, St Anastasia’s Cathedral, and the People’s Square. Finally, visit the Three and Five Wells Squares. There is also an opportunity to visit the Gold and Silver Museum. In the late afternoon, top off the day with a local food tasting, including prosciutto, pancetta, dried sausages, goat cheese and olives, and sample maraschino, a sweet cherry brandy originating from Zadar. After, relax and enjoy a drink overlooking the bay.

The day is yours to continue to get to know Zadar. There are several excellent museums to visit, including the Museum of Church Art, the Archaeological Museum and the National Museum. Don’t forget to visit the famous ‘Greeting to the Sun’ and the ‘Sea Organ’, two of the more modern sights of Zadar. The latter is a manmade organ on Zadar’s Riva that works with the motion of the waves and 35 pipes to create a musical soundscape. Maybe visit the vibrant fish markets of this port town, take a dip in the clear coastal waters, or explore the cafe culture and do some people-watching.

You’re in for a treat today – heads out for an Signature Experience in Tugare, a small 14th-century village with original structures and stone houses that reflect its past. Head to a local family home, where you’ll be greeted with a welcome drink of homemade rakija and a traditional dessert. Then, help prepare soparnik, a protected regional dish, with time to talk to your friendly hosts. While the soparnik is cooking, you’ll tour the village with a local guide who will explain what you’re seeing in this abandoned village. Then, go enjoy that delicious soparnik you made! After, continue to Split, Croatia’s second-largest city. It’s an enviable spot in the heart of the Dalmatian coast, set on the azure waters of the Adriatic Sea and sitting against a backdrop of coastal mountains. Check into your Feature Stay accommodation – a boutique hotel with centuries of history (it started its life in the 1700s as the first cafe in Split!), situated on the most beautiful square in the city. This evening you may like to head to one of Split’s restaurants with your group for dinner.

Today you’ll have another meeting with the new members of your group at 6 pm. Before then, the day is yours. Perhaps head to Bacvice or Kasjuni for a swim. You could also stretch your legs along the Riva waterfront. After the meeting, head out for dinner with your group and get to know each other before the next leg of your trip.

This morning, head out on a walking tour with a local guide to see the highlights of this historic city. Led by a licensed heritage interpreter, you’ll stroll through the streets of Split, discover some of the city's less-visited spots, including parts of the ancient Diocletian's Palace, and get a glimpse into local life. Wander through cobblestoned streets in the footsteps of past emperors and kings and learn about how Split has evolved over the centuries. Explore the workshops of local artisans and witness the skill and passion of their creations. Round off your tour with a stop to try soparnik, a traditional Dalmatian savoury pie that was Croatia’s first street food. This afternoon is free for you to explore this seaside city at your own pace – maybe find a seafood restaurant with sweeping views of the coast and tuck into some fresh catches over a glass of wine. Or, head back to your Feature Stay and chill on the la luce terrace or in the secret garden.

Take a private transfer to Imotski – a quiet, lesser-known town in the Dalmatian Hinterland where you’ll get an insight into authentic Croatian life away from the crowds. When you arrive, go on a walking tour with your leader. Learn about the town’s history and its UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue and Red Lakes. This evening, you’ll visit Topana Fortress. Built in the 13th century, the fortress is perched on a cliff, offering panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Take in the scenery as the sun sets while you sip on a glass of local wine and snack on some local produce like prosciutto – all accompanied by live music – and revel in the laidback atmosphere as the day fades into night.

Today is a free day for you to explore Imotski at your own pace. You might like to stroll through the narrow streets in the town centre or visit the Blue Lake for a glimpse of the blue-green water and maybe even a scenic swim. In the afternoon, join your group for a traditional dinner of Peka – a Croatian meal of meat or seafood with potatoes and veggies, cooked under a clay or cast-iron lid placed on hot coals. Experience warm local hospitality and sample the flavours of this region, paired with locally produced wine.

Travel to the seaside town of Orebic by private vehicle, swapping inland karst landscapes for views of the shimmering Adriatic. Along the way, you’ll stop at the Bacina Lakes, where you’ll board a small boat for a leisurely sail through this string of freshwater lakes set between the mountains and the coast. Then, continue south along the Peljesac Peninsula to Mali Ston. This village is known for having some of the best oysters in Europe. Hop aboard another boat and head to an oyster farm that has been run by generations of shellfish farmers who have perfected their craft. Learn how oysters and mussels are cultivated in these nutrient-rich waters, then taste them straight from the sea—briny, fresh and perfectly paired with a glass of local wine. This afternoon, you’ll continue to Orebic. Start to settle into the slower pace of life here in the quieter side of Croatia with a walk along the waterfront or perhaps wind down the day with a swim.

Visit the island of Korcula, located just off the Dalmatian Coast and known for its rich folkloric traditions. Begin your daytrip by taking the short boat ride to the island, then go on a walking tour of the town centre with a local guide. Visit the main sites of this relaxed seaside town and learn about the history of the island. You’ll also see some of the traditional costumes used in local celebrations. Head to the Vela Luka promenade, on the west of the island, to take part in a project aimed at creating the longest mosaic in the world. Learn about the craft of mosaics, then have a go yourself! After, head to the village of Blato for lunch and a wine tasting at a small, family-run winery in the hills. Return to Orebic later this evening.

Journey to Dubrovnik today, stopping at Trsteno along the way. In this small village just outside of Dubrovnik, you’ll tuck into a brunch made using fresh, local produce from a family-run farm, surrounded by a vibrant garden. Then, take part in an olive oil tasting (a bottle of this locally produced kitchen necessity makes for the perfect souvenir!). Visit the Trsteno Arboretum next door for an Signature Experience – this is the oldest monument of garden architecture and the only arboretum in Croatia that dates back to the 15th century. This is also a Game of Thrones filming location, but is far less crowded compared to Dubrovnik’s Old Town. Spot locations you recognise from the show with natural scenery surrounding you rather than crowds. Take in the views of the Elaphiti Islands and the Adriatic Sea below. Continue to Dubrovnik for a tour of the medieval city walls, then join your group at a restaurant in the city’s Old Town for a farewell dinner – here’s to a trip well-travelled!

With no further activities planned, your trip ends after breakfast this morning. If you're looking to extend your stay to see more of Dubrovnik, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.