Croatia Tour – 11 Days in the Land of Culture & Beauty

Day 1: Welcome to Zagreb

Arrival at Zagreb airport followed by a private transfer to the hotel. If you wish to take a stroll in the evening, be sure to visit Tkalčićeva Street, the busiest street in the city center, filled with trendy bars, clubs, and restaurants. You can walk the entire city of Zagreb without needing a car, but if you get tired, you can take a tram: they are very functional and of beautiful blue. You will love walking everywhere, and in the Zagreb city center, you will never miss driving, not for a minute. Overnight at the hotel in Zagreb.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Dubrovnik or Similar.

Day 2: City Tour through the Historic Parts of Zagreb’s Upper Town

After a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel, you will take a walking tour of Zagreb and visit its sights. The tour will take you through the historic parts of Zagreb’s Upper Town, along its narrow streets – each with its own stories from the past. The Stone Gate, Grič Cannon, and St. Mark’s Church are just some of the Upper Town’s most cherished sights. There is also the elegant architecture of Zagreb’s Lower Town and its Austro-Hungarian buildings and parks.
In the afternoon we suggest that you visit one of Zagreb’s many unusual museums, such as the Museum of Broken Relationships, filled with mementos of relationships that have in one way or another gone wrong. There is also a Museum of Hangovers where the artifacts related to the alcohol-infused sessions are exposed, with an attached background story, and the Museum of Chocolate, a theme park dedicated to chocolate. Overnight at the hotel in Zagreb.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Dubrovnik or Similar.

Day 3: Zagreb Surroundings Tour with a Visit to Museums & Monuments

Buffet breakfast and departure on an excursion to the Hrvatsko Zagorje region. The excursion leads to Kumrovec, the birthplace of the late Yugoslav President Tito. The old quarter of Kumrovec is an open-air museum with beautifully restored thatched cottages and wooden farm buildings that offer an authentic look at rural life in the 19th-century.
Then follows a visit to Veliki Tabor, a 12th-century fortress surrounded by Zagorje’s remarkable rural landscapes that whisper of the romantic and dramatic past of Hrvatsko Zagorje. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant in Grešna Gorica.
Moving on to the city of Krapina, you’ll travel back in time to 32 000 B.C. when the Krapina area was home to Neanderthal man. You’ll visit the Krapina Neanderthal Museum – featuring an exhibit that takes each visitor from the beginning of cosmic evolution and through to the present day. Return to Zagreb and overnight at the hotel.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Dubrovnik or Similar.

Day 4: Trip to Plitvice National Park & Tour of the Coastal City of Split

After buffet breakfast and check-out, departure for Plitvice Lakes National Park registered on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites. The park is a magical world of lakes, waterfalls, moss, and forests. A sightseeing walking tour of the National Park, which includes a boat and train ride, allows you to experience first-hand the magical beauty of the lakes and waterfalls, each spectacular in its own right. Lunch at a local restaurant features a delicious array of local specialties (drinks are not included).
After the tour, you will continue to the coastal city of Split. Check-in at the hotel. In Split, we recommend that you spend the evening at one of the famous restaurants such as Konoba Varoš or Noštromo, or visit some of the unusual coffee houses and bars such as Academia Ghetto Club, a bar with a unique gallery. Overnight at the hotel in Split.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Cornaro Hotel Split or Similar.

Day 5: Split Walking Tour & Excursion to Trogir

After breakfast follows a walking tour of Split, including the open-air market and Diocletian’s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which today constitutes the heart of the old city of Split. You’ll visit the Ancient Cellars and the Peristyle, the central square of the palace, and will continue to the Cathedral of St. Domnius, one of the most beautiful on the Adriatic coast, former Roman Temples, the famous Golden Gate, and the statue of Grgur Ninski – a revered Croatian bishop.
In the early afternoon, you’ll enjoy a short drive to Trogir, a small medieval town that is also under the protection of UNESCO. Situated on a small island, the historic center of Trogir lies within the city’s walls and was developed between the 13th and the 15th centuries. There will be some free time for shopping and relaxing in one of the cafés situated within the city walls. Return to Split and overnight at the hotel.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Cornaro Hotel Split or Similar.

Day 6: Ferry Trip to Hvar island, Famous for Wine & Architecture

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. You’ll take a ferry trip to the island of Hvar, one of the most beautiful and sunniest islands in Europe, known for its fields of lavender, rosemary, olive groves, and vineyards. Check-in to the hotel in the City of Hvar.
In the afternoon a walking tour of this small town rich in history and culture. Largely designed and built by the Venetians, Hvar is home to a lovely 17th-century Baroque cathedral, numerous picturesque squares, and the 13th-century Arsenal. You’ll also make a stop at the Benedictine Convent where nuns make intricate lace from thread collected from local agave plants. Return to the hotel, overnight.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Cornaro Hotel Split or Similar.

Day 7: Sailing to Pakleni Otoci & Enjoying the Island Beaches

After a buffet breakfast, you will take a group half-day sailing tour to Pakleni Otoci. The chain of islands is comprised of 21 islands and islets located right opposite the town of Hvar. The name of this tiny archipelago comes from the word “Paklina”, which is the pine resin once used to coat ships. The chain of islands is approximately 10 kilometers long, formed of limestone. The biggest island in the archipelago, Sveti Klement, has three occasionally populated hamlets: Palmižana, Momica Polje and Valka. Enjoy your time on one of the island’s sandy beaches, go snorkeling, or just relax and have some snacks and wine. Return to Hvar and overnight at the hotel.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Adriana Hotel or Similar.

Day 8: Visit Ston – Defensive Wall, Salt Pans & Oyster Tasting

After breakfast, you will leave Hvar by regular catamaran fast ferry to Drvenik and continue by car to the remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dubrovnik.
On the way, you’ll make a stop in the city of Ston, a historic town that played an important strategic role during the time of the Dubrovnik Republic. Its salt works, dating back to Roman times, were worth a fortune. The oldest in Europe, the Ston salt pans are still in use, and the salt production technology has remained unchanged for centuries. The 5.5 km long defensive wall, which dates from the 14th century, provided security in times of danger – the longest medieval fortification wall in Europe.
Sea food lovers will take special delight in visiting the Bay of Mali Ston, which is the cradle of mussel and oyster farming in the Adriatic. Oyster tasting at a famous local restaurant. Arrival in Dubrovnik, hotel check-in, and overnight at the hotel.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Neptun or Similar.

Day 9: Finding the Best sites of the City of Dubrovnik

Buffet breakfast followed by a walking city tour – each corner of this legendary city is its own unique experience. A memorable excursion through Croatia’s most famous medieval city begins at the monumental Pile Gate, located at the top of Stradun, the splendid main promenade of the Old Town. Visit the Franciscan Monastery and its cloister, one of the most magnificent sites in the city. Move on to the third oldest pharmacy in Europe and the oldest one still in use on the continent, which opened its doors in 1317. A little farther on is the Sponza Palace, notable for its portico with columns and elaborate stone carvings, which today houses the State Archives. Visit the cathedral that was built on the ruins of a 12th-century church destroyed by the great earthquake of 1667.

After the tour, we suggest that you explore (on your own) the fabled walls of the Old Town, built in the 13th century. During the 15th century, 15 towers were built as a part of the city walls, some of them preserved until today.
In the evening you could visit (on your own) one of the city’s famous restaurants and taste traditional dishes such as pašticada with gnocchi, cheese in oil, and the traditional dessert of Dubrovnik – “rožata”. Overnight at a hotel in Dubrovnik.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Neptun or Similar.

Day 10: Taste of the Countryside in Konavle

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. In the morning you will start a delightful and tasteful trip to Konavle with the transfer. You will be welcomed to a typical local farm where you will enjoy a presentation at Ethno sites to experience how local delicacy production techniques have evolved over time: olive oil, brandy, wine, flour, and traditional sweets. See the stone mill, old distillery, grape press, hand wooden mill, and stone pit, and listen to the story of stone. You will taste everything presented to you: wine, brandy, herbal brandy, prosecco, olive oil, olives, arancini.
Lunch with local specialties at the farm: a plate of cheese and smoked meat, lamb and veal “under the bell”, a traditional preparation in which the meat is slow-cooked under a large, iron bell and covered with ashes and embers. The main dish will be served with potatoes, fried vegetables, and homemade bread and followed by homemade apple pie for dessert, one drink included (wine, sparkling water, beer, or juice). After lunch, return to the hotel. Enjoy some time on your own in the evening. Overnight at a hotel in Dubrovnik.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Neptun or Similar.

Day 11: Time to Say Goodbye & Head Home

Buffet breakfast and free time until your private transfer to the airport of Dubrovnik. We suggest you buy some unique souvenirs or gifts: arancini (candied orange peel), sugared almonds, or Konavle-style embroidered tablecloth.