16 Day Private Tailored Tour
'Best of Adriatic'

Day 1: Arrival in Ljubljana

Arrival in Ljubljana’s airport Jože Pučnik. At the arrival lobby you will meet the driver and tour guide that will accompany you for the next 16 days. They will take you to your accommodation in a private transfer in one of our cars or minivans. After you check in, your guide will provide you with restaurant recommendations for the day and general information about the city. You will then have the rest of the day to settle in and rest.

Day 2: Ljubljana – Lake Bled – Ljubljana

Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a walking city tour in Ljubljana’s historical center with a local guide in English, or another language of your choice. We will explore Slovenia’s capital, set between the river Sava and a hill, and visit its most important sights: Ljubljana Castle, St. Nicholas’s Cathedral, Town hall, Prešeren Square, Central Market, Congress Square and the National Library. After the city tour, we will take an hour drive to Lake Bled. There we will first visit the Castle and its museum where you can get to know the Bled history and enjoy the amazing panoramic view of the lake and its island. Later you will have free time to enjoy the lake at your pace. You may choose to go on a boat ride to the Bled island, simply stroll around the lake, or sit down to relax and have a coffee and a piece of the famous Bled cake kremna rezina while enjoying the lake view. We will return for an overnight in Ljubljana.

Day 3: Ljubljana – Postojna & Predjama – Portorož

Breakfast at the hotel, followed by check out. You can choose to spend some time in the morning in Ljubljana, including a lunch, or leave straight for Postojna. Once we leave Slovenia’s capital we will head south to visit the Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle. We will start by visiting the Postojna Cave, and its extraordinary complex of passages and halls. The tour combines train ride and walking through different halls where you can see spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, with colors and shapes, ranging from white, red to black. You will also see the Proteus (or human fish), the famous inhabitant of Postojna. After lunch, we will continue to Predjama Castle. We will walk through the castle and its four stories and visit the 29 points of interest detailed in the audioguide, discovering the castle’s history and different rooms such as the dungeon, meeting room and cellar. At the end of the day, we will reach Portorož for an overnight.

Day 4: Portorož – Piran – Portorož

This is a day for relaxing at the Adriatic  Sea and inland of Istrian penninsula. We will visit Portorož and the nearby Piran for walks and enjoying number one recreational activity of the entire Adriatic region – long coffee breaks in local cafes. There are always optional additional activities, not included in the tour, that can be decided on the spot, such as visits to the museums and galleries. In the afternoon we will take a short drive over the nearby border into Croatia, for a wine tasting at one of the local wineries. We will return to your hotel in Portorož at your convenience, for a relaxing evening and overnight.

Day 5: Portorož – Motovun – Opatija – Zagreb

After breakfast and checkout from your hotel we will drive across the Croatian penninsula of Istria to the small, picturesque town of Motovun, a medieval town overlooking the valley of Mirna river. It’s relaxing to take a walk up its small streets to the bell tower.  We will take as much time as you’d like, before we continue to Opatija. Further on our way to Zagreb we will stop by  the coastal town of Opatija. It has a special place in Croatian history and culture, with Austrian style architecture, atypical for Adriatic coastal towns. We arrive at your accommodation in Zagreb in the early evening hours, depending on the length of stops on the way.

Day 6: Zagreb – Trakošćan – Zagreb

In the morning, after breakfast, you will meet our local guide for a 2 hour city tour of the historical center of Zagreb, visiting all the important sights.

Upon the walking tour, we will take a ride for a panoramic view of the city to complete the visit. We will see the impressive walls of the city cemetery Mirogoj, drive through the areas built in socialist era, as well as from Austro-Hungarian times.

In the afternoon we will head to Trakošćan, to visit Croatia’s best preserved castle, built in 13th century. Inside you will be transported back several centuries as the rooms are set up with original furniture and other artifacts.

Day 7: Zagreb – Plitvice Lakes National Park – Split

One of the most visited destinations in this part of Europe, Plitvice Lakes National Park will not leave you indifferent.

When we reach the park, we will decide on the best path for the day, taking into account your availability for the day and how much you want to walk. It’s really all up to you! Usually we combine routes that will allow you to walk the famous wooden paths, see the most popular waterfalls and breathtaking panoramic views of the several lakes, go on the electric boat ride across lake Kozjak and panoramic train ride towards the upper lakes.

In the afternoon we will drive to the coastal city of Split.

Day 8: Split – Trogir – Split

Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a walking city tour in Split’s historical center with a local guide in English, or another language of your choice. We will explore Croatia’s second largest city and its fascinating Roman Emperor Diocletian palace, best preserved Ancient Roman palace that is also lived in. You will learn about Split and Dalmatian way of life, history and culture. After the city tour, we will drive to nearby Trogir where we will also take a walking city tour of this beautiful Venitian-style town. At any time during the trip we can take coffee or lunch break, Dalmatian style. Upon return to Split, you will have enough time for a relaxing walk around the town center, shopping and dinner.

Day 9: Split – Brač Island – Split

After breakfast we will take a short walk to the ferry port. The island of Brač is in close proximity of Split and is therefore convenient to take the 50 minute public ferry boat ride. Once on the island we will drive to the top of the Vidova gora mountain for a beautiful panoramic view of the sea and the nearby islands as well as the most famous Croatian beach – Zlatni rat. After that we will go to Škrip, the oldest village on the island, with old houses, forts and mills. We will have a tasting brunch with lots of local products, such as cheese, prosciutto, tapenades , wine and more, at the Olive Oil mill turned into a museum. We will visit several other small towns and villages, for a feel of the local culture and history. In the late afternoon we will return to Split by ferry.

Day 10: Split – Sarajevo

After breakfast and check out you can decide to spend some more time in Split or leave earlier for Sarajevo and make some stops along the way. It’s a 4,5 hour drive to Sarajevo, plus any stops along the way. One of the places we can visit along the route is the historic town of Počitelj located on the bank of the river Neretva, in the south of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was built in a natural karst amphitheater and a climb to it’s fort offers beautiful views. In the afternoon or evening, depending on our schedule, we will arrive in Sarajevo and check into the hotel.

Day 11: Sarajevo

After breakfast, your local guide will meet you for a 2 hour walking tour of the historical center of the city. Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and one of the major cities of the Balkan/Adriatic region. Sarajevo became world-known during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, and the trail of destruction left in the city was intense and can still be observed today. The city has both Eastern and Western influences, observed through the attractions visited on the city tour. Upon the tour you can follow your guide’s tips for best places to shop for unique souvenirs and taste Bosnian delicacies, such as ćevapčići and baklava. We recommend also taking the Tunnel Tour  in addition to the classic walking tour. For this tour we would drive to the outskirts of the city, visit the War Museum and go through the tunnel used during the siege of the city. It is not to everyone’s liking and is therefore not automatically included in the tour.

Day 12: Sarajevo – Mostar – Medjugorje – Blagaj – Dubrovnik

After breakfast and checkout we will leave Sarajevo and on our way to Dubrovnik we will spend more time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, visiting along the way the beautiful town of Mostar. It is a cross-section of  three ethnicities and religions and saw very heavy fighting during the Bosnian war. It’s most famous sight is the Old Bridge, which was destroyed during the war and reconstructed to its original glory later. Guided walking tour of the town will cover all the interesting history of Mostar and the area. Upon this we can make a recommendation for lunch. After Mostar we will visit Blagaj.  A small place located on the spring of the Buna river with a unique attraction called Tekke, built by the Muslim Dervish order. Next, we will stop in Medjugorje, a small town in Herzegovina, famous for religious pilgrimage of Catholics from all over the world, based on the sighting of the Blessed Virgin Mary by local children. In the evening we will arrive in Dubrovnik.

Day 13: Dubrovnik

After breakfast, your local guide will meet you for a 2 hour walking tour of the historical center of the city. You will visit the main sights within the historic city, such as the Cathedral and its treasury with relics, Franciscan and Benedictine monestaries, and the oldest pharmacy in Europe. After the tour, you will have free time to have lunch, to walk, and buy typical souvenirs. At the end of the day, stroll along the walls of the historic center, followed by cable car ride, to enjoy the panoramic view of the city.

Day 14: Dubrovnik – Kotor Bay – Dubrovnik

We will leave Dubrovnik in the early morning to allow enough time to drive to Montenegro. It is a 2h drive, however, waiting times at the border crossing can’t be predicted. Once there, we will start by visiting Kotor, the biggest and most important city in the bay. You have free time to walk around the medieval town and discover its many churches and alleys. There will be time for lunch. Later we will continue to Perast, a small town 12 kms from Kotor, where we will take a boat ride to the famous island of Our Lady of the Rocks. We will visit the island’s church and museum and learn about the local traditions. In the late afternoon we will return to Dubrovnik.

Day 15: Dubrovnik – Pelješac Peninsula – Korčula Island – Dubrovnik

In the morning we will drive from Dubrovnik to the nearby peninsula of Pelješac. Our first stop is at the town of Ston for a brief  look at the sea salt manufacturing facility and the Ston Wall, a defensive fortification endearingly referred to as Our Wall of China. We will drive across the beautiful peninsula to the port where we will take a 15 min ride on the ferry to the island of Korčula and the “mini Dubrovnik” walled city of Korčula, considered the birthplace of explorer Marco Polo. On our way back through Pelješac, we can stop for an oyster tasting  and a visit to an oyster farm, as well as a stop to one of many wineries on the peninsula famous for its Plavac Mali red wine. In the late afternoon we return to Dubrovnik.

Day 16: Departure from Dubrovnik

This is your final day of the tour. Depending on your flight details, you may have some extra time in Dubrovnik. In any case, we will take you to the airport  according to your flight time.

It’s time to say goodbye to Croatia and the Adriatic. We hope you had a great vacation.

Hope to see you again!

Destinations visited on this 16 day tour

Croatia: Zagreb, Trakošćan, Opatija, Motovun, Plitvice Lakes, Split, Trogir, Brač Island, Dubrovnik, Pelješac Peninsula, Korčula Island.

Slovenia: Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Postojna Cave, Predjama, Portorož, Piran.

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sarajevo, Mostar, Blagaj, Međugorje.

Montenegro: Kotor, Perast.