Cultural Croatia: Dubrovnik, Dalmatia & Zagreb

Your private guide will meet you at your hotel and take you on a walking tour of Dubrovnik’s old town, introducing the city's history, its various rulers and architecture as you wander the narrow streets. You’ll explore the defensive walls for an overview of the city and visit a Franciscan monastery and the Lovrijenac Fortress before finally taking a cable car to the top of Mount Srđ for panoramic views over the town, coast and islands.

Heading south from Dubrovnik with your private guide, you’ll explore the Konavle Valley, the cultural hub of southern Dalmatia, which is about 30 minutes’ drive away. You’ll visit the former home of Croatian artist Vlaho Bukovac in Cavtat, stop at a silk embroidery workshop in Gruda and explore the Konavle County Museum before visiting a local home to sample a traditional peka dish, cooked in a domed, cast-iron pot on an open fire, before returning to Dubrovnik.

Leaving Dubrovnik by private transfer, you’ll make the scenic two-and-a-half-hour journey through the mountains into Bosnia and Herzegovina for a tour of the historic town of Mostar. You’ll see its renowned bridge that spans the Neretva River and walk its winding streets, before heading on another 40 minutes to the medieval town of Počitelj. From here, it’s a two-hour drive to Split where you’ll check into your hotel.

Today, you’ll make your way into Croatia’s highlands, taking a half-hour drive to Klis Fortress, which repelled Ottoman attacks for several centuries. Next, you’ll continue to Sinj, where you’ll learn about the importance of the Alka Festival, an annual equestrian competition commemorating a Croatian-Venetian victory over the Ottomans in 1715 via a state-of-the-art museum experience. Finally, you’ll stop outside the town of Omiš for a cooking presentation of soparnik, a flatbread dish that pre-dates Italian pizza.

Your local guide will teach you about the history of Split as you explore the historic district, most of which is set within the bounds of the 4th-century Diocletian’s Palace. Originally built for the Roman emperor as a retirement home, it is still in use, its ancient buildings buzzing with life. In the afternoon, you can wander the city independently, relax at your hotel or perhaps explore Marjan Hill from where you’ll get panoramic views of the city and coast.

From Split, your driver-guide will take you to nearby Salona to see one of the most significant archaeological sites in the country: the ruins of an ancient city dating to the 2nd century BC. From here, you’ll drive on for half an hour to the medieval walled city of Trogir to see the imposing Kamerlengo Fortress, before finishing your day with a tour of historic Šibenik, an hour’s drive away. After your tour, you’ll check into your hotel for two nights.

Just a half hour from Šibenik is Krka National Park, a lush combination of dense forests, scenic trails and tumbling waterfalls. Your private guide will take you along the trails to scenic lookouts where you can get sweeping views of the falls before you join a boat ride to visit the island of Visovac which is home to a working Franciscan monastery. From Krka, you’ll visit Vizzulin Winery for a country-style lunch and wine tasting.

Continuing north with your driver for about an hour, you’ll stop in the coastal town of Zadar for a walking tour of the historic sights and a chance to see the Sea Organ, an art installation which uses the rhythm of the waves to produce evocative sounds. From here, you’ll drive through lush mountain scenery for roughly an hour and a half to Plitvice Lakes National Park for a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site waterfalls and trails before checking into your hotel.

Leaving the forested hills, you’ll make the two-hour drive to the northern border and the cosmopolitan capital city of Zagreb. Your private guide will lead you on a walking tour through the old town to see the Venetian and Austro-Hungarian architecture of the city. From here, you’ll make your way to the nearby Mirogoj Cemetery, a grand resting place for Croatia’s most eminent citizens, before checking into your hotel.

On your final day, your driver will take you on a two-hour journey to Slovenia for a visit to the diminutive capital, Ljubljana, and nearby Lake Bled. After taking a walking tour of the city, you’ll drive on for about 50 minutes to explore Bled Castle, and then take a traditional pletna boat ride to the pilgrimage church of the Assumption of Mary on Bled Island, with the scenic Julian Alps in the background. You’ll then return for your last night in Croatia.

After checking out, your private driver will escort you to Zagreb Airport for your international flight home. Your return flight will arrive the same day.