Tour – Highlights of Croatia
9 days / 8 nights including: Zagreb, Plitvice National Park, Split, Brac Island, Dubrovnik and Montenegro
Day 1: Arrive in Zagreb
On arrival at Zagreb airport, your driver will meet you and drive you to your hotel.
Day 2: Zagreb
This morning we take a tour of the fascinating Croatian capital, walking through Zagreb, seeing the National Theatre, Mimara (art) Museum and Academy of Arts and Sciences. Then we can head over to the Austro-Hungarian styled Ban Jelačić Square which divides the old town from the newer part of the city before riding a funicular, built in 1889, to reach the charming Upper Town quarter from Lower Town. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore the capital.
Day 3: Zagreb – Plitvice National Park – Split
Driving to the coastal city of Split, we stop on route at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Plitvice Lakes, where emerald forests surround 16 shimmering turquoise lakes linked by a series of eye-catching waterfalls. We can enjoy lunch (optional) in this spectacularly scenic region of deep woodland before we continue to Split. Upon your arrival in Split, accommodation at your hotel.
Day 4: Brac
Boarding a ferry to Brac, a Dalmatian island famous for its stone, used in Split’s Diocletian Palace and the White House in Washington, D.C., we visit Skrip, the oldest village on the island for the Museum of Brac that uncovers the Illyrian, Roman and Croatian heritage which makes the island what it is today. Enjoy lunch made sampling local specialties before we return by ferry to Split.
Day 5: Split
Tour Split starting with the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian; Peristil Square, where he made speeches; and his mausoleum, now a church. The visit ends with a visit to Riva, a sublime coastal boardwalk lined with palm trees, to soak up the sun and take in the views of the port and nearby islands.
Day 6: Split – Dubrovnik
Depart for Dubrovnik, stopping first at Ston, world-renowned for its oysters. Meet a local fisherman and sample one of these gastronomic delights. We can enjoy magnificent seafood at a local restaurant and take part in a wine tasting; the Pelješac peninsula is a region renowned for its red wine. Later we continue on our journey to Dubrovnik.
Day 7: Kotor, Montenegro
A drive to Montenegro brings us to the walled city of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and beautifully sheltered bayside city with a 12th-century cathedral, maritime museum, shops, bars and hidden piazzas. Later we drive on to Boka Kotorska, the most southern fjord in Europe, where precipitous mountains rise from azure waters to board a boat to the tiny Baroque Church of Our Lady of the Rocks.
Day 8: Dubrovnik
Enjoy a morning tour of Dubrovnik. Proclaimed a ‘city museum’ by UNESCO, the Old Town is surrounded by a circuit of walls, with a tower in each corner. Along the way, we meet some of the local traders and craftspeople in the town’s markets. Later, a survivor of the Balkan War shares with us emotional memories of that tumultuous time. There is plenty of time to spend the afternoon at leisure, perhaps strolling along the Stradun, the centuries old main city promenade.
Day 9: Depart Dubrovnik
After breakfast, we will drive you to the airport for your flight home.