Premium Venice to Split - 9 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, where you’ll meet your leader and fellow travellers for 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 the Postojna Caves, where you’ll take some time out for lunch before exploring. A network of 20 km of passages, galleries and chambers, Postojna is the largest classic karst cave in Europe. Begin with a 2 km open-top train ride through narrow tunnels into the jungle of stalactites and stalagmites. In the vast chambers the electric lighting allows you to admire the size and splendour of the underground world, and your leader will explain the geology of these natural wonders. Continue to Ljubljana – a city full of style and sophistication. When you arrive, take a guided tour around the Old Town and earn about the city’s history as you visit Ljubljana Castle, the Town Hall, Cathedral of St Nicholas and the Dragon Bridge. You'll also visit the open market under arcades before continuing to the lake side town of Bled.

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, drive to Motovun – sitting on the top of a cone-shaped hill surrounded by the bountiful Mirna River Valley, whose forests are famous for truffle hunting. The medieval charm of the town is still found in its well-preserved architecture. Today, you’ll have the chance to sample the delectable local product during a truffle tasting combined with fritaja (Croatian omelette), a local speciality, on a visit to a family-owned farm. Your sommelier will pair your tasting with suitable Istrian wines to try, such as the famous Malvazija. Continue your wine tasting with a visit to the award-winning Kabola Winery in the Istria countryside, known for having the best Croatian wines. Then, head to the village of Buzet, which sits on top of a hill and is filled with traditional Istrian houses and streets. Your stay tonight will have panoramic views of the River Mirna.

Today, make the most of a late morning before heading to the villages of Slunj and Rastoke which are beautifully preserved on the banks of the Korana River. Take a walk through the villages and admire the traditional wooden houses and water mills. From here you will head on 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.

Today, you’ll explore one of Croatia's most beautiful sites – Plitvice Lakes National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a fairy-tale land of wooded hills, turquoise lakes and waterfalls. Enjoy some time to discover the park’s trails – your leader will recommend the best routes to suit your interests and outline the park's rules. After your memorable visit to the lakes, drive to the walled city of Zadar. Take an afternoon sightseeing tour of the city with a local guide. Learn the ancient history of the Roman Forum built in the first Century and St Donatus' Church. Visit the reconstructed Romanesque St Grisigono's Church, St Mary's bell tower, St Anastasia's Cathedral, and the People's Square. Lastly, you will 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 sunset drink overlooking the bay.

The day is yours to continue to get to know Zadar. There are a number of 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 man-made organ on Zadar's Riva that works with the motion of the waves and 35 pipes to create a musical soundscape. You could also 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.

After breakfast, drive to Split, making a stop in the town of Sibenik. Walk among the stone houses, churches, narrow alleys and lanes where past and present are harmonious. Visit St Jacob's Cathedral, a 15th-century jewel that’s UNESCO-protected, before taking some time for lunch. Continue to your final destination of Split. This is Croatia's second-largest city in the heart of the Dalmatian coast, set on the azure waters of the Adriatic Sea 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 1700's 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.

Your adventure comes to and end after breakfast this morning. If you would like to extend your stay in Split, just get in touch with your booking agent to organise additional accommodation.