Captivating Croatia Cruise & Stay

Welcome to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Upon arrival Zagreb Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After settling in, this evening enjoy a welcome dinner with the group.

After breakfast, we check out before heading out on a morning sightseeing tour of Zagreb, Croatia's captial city. The tour will take us through the historic Upper Town. We will pass both St Mark’s Church and St Catherine’s Church, as well as the Cathedral and the Government Palace, before entering the Croatian Parliament building.

Then, we leave Zagreb as we head towards the coast and journey the beautiful bay of Kvarner and its popular resort, Opatija. On arrival, we enjoy an orientation bus tour of Opatija, showing the highlights of this former Imperial resort city before checking into our hotel.

Lunch and the rest of the day is at leisure to discover Opatija’s sights. Dinner will be at the hotel this evening with the group.

Today we head out to explore the historic Pula peninsula. After breakfast, we drive along the coast to visit the city of Pula. A guided tour will tell us about the city’s history and, walking in the footsteps of the Romans, we visit the city's famous amphitheatre.

We continue to Rovinj, possibly the most romantic town in Croatia, which boasts a charmingly picturesque old town. We walk around the Old Town’s winding streets to the foot of the Church of St. Euphemia, a favorite gathering place of artists from around the world.

Lunch is at leisure in Rovinj, before we return to Opatija and enjoy the evening at leisure.

We depart Opatija this morning and make our way inland to visit one of Croatia’s most famous sites - the magnificent Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

During walking tour of the National Park, we enjoy the breathtaking scenery of this natural wonder with its 16 terraced lakes surrounded by forested mountains and lush vegetation. The tour takes us around several of the lower lakes. After discovering this natural wonder, we stop for lunch at leisure before continuing to the historic coastal port of Zadar where we will overnight and enjoy dinner together. 

This morning, after breakfast in our hotel, we make our way south towards Split where we will board our boat for the cruise section of our Croatian adventure. 

Along the way we make a stop in the coastal town of Šibenik, founded where the Krka River meets the sea. Though small, this town is packed with history and two UNESCO World Heritage Sites - the Cathedral of St James and St Nicholas' Fort. Enjoy lunch at leisure in Šibenik before we continue to Split.

Here we board our boat, our floating hotel for the next few nights. Once checked-in, we will enjoy a welcome reception and dinner on board. 

In the morning, after breakfast on board, we head out on a walking tour of the historic inner city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, will visit the imposing Palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian and will also see the remnants of Split’s Roman heritage, its Renaissance and Gothic structures, Jupiter’s Temple, the Peristyle, and the Cathedral.

We head back on board for lunch before setting sail to the old Dalmatian town of Trogir. Trogir is sometimes referred to as “miniature Venice”, a “mini-Dubrovnik” because of its ancient walls, or a “floating museum town”, as it has a masterful architecture including some stunning Venetian palaces.

After disembarking in Trogir we will take the bus to visit Krka National Park. You will discover the pristine nature and waterfalls of the Krka National Park, rich with flora and fauna.

We return to our boat to overnight in Trogir, with dinner at leisure. 

Today we disembark to explore Trogir with a local tour guide. Famed for its Ventian architecture, the city is packed with history. Founded by the Greeks, it was developed into a major port by the Romans before coming under rule from Venice.

Back on board, we enjoy lunch whilst we sail towards Stari Grad on the Island of Hvar. Stari Grad is one of the oldest towns in Europe ,The Stari Grad Plain and the old town center of Stari Grad have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2008. Your evening is free to explore Stari Grad on your own, with many friendly and affordable restaurants in the backstreets of the old town.

Leaving Stari Grad in the morning, we head towards city of Hvar, the capital city of the island.

A sightseeing city tour of Hvar shows us the first public theatre in Europe and many more historical sites.

From Hvar, we sail through the archipelago to the nearby island of Vis. The town of Vis is on the northern side of the island and was developed near the remains of ancient Issa, the first urban center in Croatia, formed by the Greeks in the 4th century B.C. Here you can spend your afternoon and evening at leisure - perhaps visit the remains of the Roman Baths, Church of Our Lady and City Museum or take a walk to enjoy the view of the beautiful Villae Rusticae situated along the coast.

In the morning, we will cruise from Vis towards Biševo Island to visit the Blue Cave, a magnificent natural phenomenon on the Biševo islet, just in front of the town of Komiža.*

Afterwards, we cruise towards Korcula Island. Korcula town, the island's main settlement is located on the eastern side of the island and is known as the birthplace of Marco Polo, one of the world’s most famous explorers of all times. We will stop for lunch in one of the secluded bays on the route before an afternoon arrival in Korcula. HEre will enjoy a guided walking tour of one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the Mediterranean. Korcula has an abundant choice of restaurants to enjoy your gourmet experience and there are numerous bars and clubs for those looking for evening entertainment as we overnight in Korcula.

*The visit to the Blue Cave is weather permitting on the day.

Our cruise through the Croatian archipelago heads further south this morning towards the Island of Mljet.

Upon arrival, join the Cruise Manager for a stroll to the famous salt lakes in the Mljet National Park. Alternatively, you can rent bicycles, scooters, or kayaks to explore the National Park or island on your own. The park features five types of forest, many species of birds, and two deep lakes: Veliko Jezero (Big Lake) and Malo Jezero (Small Lake). This spectacular island was supposedly a favorite holiday spot for the Greek hero Ulysses!

With lunch on board once again, we depart for the small village of Slano back on the Croatian mainland, a peaceful fishermen’s village, and the starting point for our afternoon excursion to Ston and the Pelješac peninsula. The peninsula is known as one of the best wine-producing regions in Croatia and famous for its oysters. After exploring the charming town of Ston, a once fortified small village, we leave to enjoy the authentic local oyster tasting.

The evening and dinner are at leisure in Slano. 

On our final cruise excursion, early morning we set sail to Elaphiti Islands, a small archipelago of islands just north of Dubrovnik. Here we will spend the morning enjoying a swimming stop on one of the secluded bay.

Afterwards, we start the final leg of our journey south as we sail to Dubrovnik, the so called “Pearl of Adriatic".

Before we moor at the port we will cruise alongside the old city walls, while lunch is served. After docking, join a guided tour with panoramic ride followed by the stroll through the historical center of Dubrovnik, Stradun – both a street and a square, the most famous place inside the city walls and visit the Franciscan Monastery with its Pharmacy.

After our city tour, you will be on own to explore the city, walk City Walls, the Rector's Palace, and the Cathedral, take a boat ride to Lokrum island or take the cable car to the top of the Mount Srd

We return back to the boat for our final evening aboard and we enjoy the Captain’s Dinner, with live entertainment and a glass of wine. 

After breakfast onboard, it is time to disembark our ship. We will be transferred to our hotel in Dubrovnik and after check in, the day is at leisure.

Perhaps take the funicular up the hill at the back of the city for amazing views over Dubrovnik and the coast. The evening is at leisure in the city.

After breakfast, enjoy the morning at leisure to explore the beautiful city of Dubrovnik.

The county of Konvale lies south of Dubrovnik, approaching the modern day border with Montenegro. Between rolling coutnryisde, we can get a glimpse of what life used to be like in the Croatian countryside. This afternoon we head out on our final, leisurely excursion to discover some of the history, heritage and crafts of this region.

The first stop is Cilipi to visit the Konavle County Museum, which present the women and men’s national dress of Konavle from various periods, textile handcrafts such as jewellery, musical instruments, artistic paintings, photographs and various items. Besides the ethnographic collection, the Konavle Heritage Museum also exhibits artefacts of the Cavtat Embroidery Association, whose collection has exceptional value with embroidery specimens from Croatia and neighbouring countries, something for which the area is famous.

Afterwards, we head to village of Poljice and Glavic House, an original house some 400 years old and. Registered as cultural monument on the national heritage list, 150 years ago up to 36 members of the family lived in this rural complex. The agricultural traditions of the property continue today and upon arrival, we’ll enjoy a presentation of olive oil making including a welcome drink, tasting and local snacks.

Our final stop in Konvale County is to visit Mlinica Ðivanovici (the Old Mill). In the shade of the Ljuta River, in Ðivanovic we find a unique spot in spectacular scenery. During a short walking tour you will visit the ancient mills, built during the time of the famous Dubrovnik Republic, which are still in use today. You can see the production of flour and the stamping-mill where the cloth for the local folk costumes was made. The unspoiled nature and the crystal clear water of the Ljuta River will make your memory long-lasting.

Afterwards, we return back to Dubrovnik for our final meal together to round off our fantastic Croatian adventure.

After breakfast, its time to bid farewell to Croatia. You will be transferred to Dubrovnik Airport for your flight home.