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Country Roads of Croatia

Two Week Tour to Zagreb, Hvar & Dubrovnik | Operated by InsightVacations

  • 14 Days

  • 2 Countries

    Croatia, Slovenia

  • 14 Cities

    Zagreb, Postojna, Opatija, Istria, Pula, Rovinj, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Zadar, Trogir, Split, Hvar, Korčula, Peljesac, Dubrovnik

  • 20 Meals

    6 Dinner with Wines, 13 Breakfasts, 1 Morning Tea

  • Pace: Comfortable

    Mainly 2–3-night stays in each location. Comfortable travel days with numerous stops. Requires 1-3 miles of walking per day that might involve some uneven surfaces, such as cobblestones and stairs.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Zagreb

Your Croatian adventure begins in the Capital, Zagreb. Relax and settle in or perhaps head for the romantic chestnut-lined Stross Promenade for your first views over the city. Join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner, with the opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers over a pleasant evening with wine.

Hotel: Sheraton Zagreb Hotel
Included Meals: Dinner with Wine
Authentic Dining: Zagreb Welcome Dinner At 17:30, join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner with the opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers over a pleasant evening with wine.
Notes
Day 2: Zagreb’s Twin Towns

Join your Local Expert to explore the two-tiered capital of Croatia. Take a walk and see the art Pavillion, the academy of Sciences and Art and pass Zrinjevac Park. We then board the city's funicular to St. Mark's Church and the Lotrščak Tower, take a walk back down through the Stone gate and back to the Square. The afternoon is at leisure. Relax and enjoy your hotel's amenities or perhaps take an Optional Experience.

Hotel: Sheraton Zagreb Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
Top Rated Highlights: Zagreb City Tour Your Local Expert guides you this two-tiered capital. Explore Donji Grad, the Lower Town, and see the Mimara Art Museum in Roosevelt Square, Ban Josip Jelacic Square and the cathedral.
Top Rated Highlights: Zagreb Funicular Ride to Gornji Grad Ride the funicular to Gornji Grad, the medieval Upper Town, to view the former Presidential Palace, Stone Gate, St. Mark's Church and the Lotrščak Tower.
Notes
Day 3: Postojna Caves and on to Opatija

Venture into Slovenia to visit the world-famous Postojna Caves. Step aboard the cave train and descend into a subterranean world of stunning stalactites, stalagmites, columns and curtains. Marvel at the five-meter tall Brilliant, the cave's most beautiful stalagmite. Return to Croatia in your hotel in Opatija.

Hotel: Grand Hotel Adriatic
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Top Rated Highlights: Visit Postojna Cave Enter by mini-train into these world-famous cave systems, before walking through an illuminated fairyland of stalactites and stalagmites.
Notes
Day 4: Discover the Jewels of Istria Cross the heart-shaped peninsula to explore the Jewels of Istria with your Local Expert. Visit the well-preserved first-century arena at Pula, scene of brutal gladiatorial battles in Roman times. Continue to the charming old town of Rovinj, rising directly from the sea. Wander through the cobbled streets lined with tempting shops, pastel-colored bars and sidewalk cafes.
Hotel: Grand Hotel Adriatic
Included Meals: Breakfast
Notes
Day 5: Pristine Plitvice National Park

Enjoy the scenery of the Adriatic coast in the morning - journey past sparkling deep blue seas, studded with rocky islands, before heading inland to visit one of Europe’s great natural wonders. 
Explore Plitvice with Insight Choice. Choose between two MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences: Join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice National Park and learn how the site actively carries out research to monitor the natural habitat of species. Alternatively meet one of the woman behind the Tara Community Center, who produce handicrafts, enabling employment and engagement in the community.

Hotel: Hotel Lyra
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Make Travel Matter: Learn about Habitat Conservation at Plitvice National Park Join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice National Park. Learn about the studies taking place to monitor and protect the natural habitat, and education initiatives on the marine environment and best practices for a low-impact experience. The site participates in habitat restoration and is constantly working to protect the parks natural ecosystems and animal population. The staff educate their visitors about local traditions and share their personal story of the village with great passion from personal knowledge and experience.  This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, UN Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life On Land and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable cities & Communities.  Alternatively, meet the industrious women of the Tara Community Center.
Make Travel Matter: Visit the Tara Center at Plitvice National Park Through its income the Tara Center has built a small community Center that is used by the Tara Citizens’ Association, a collective of mostly older women, many of whom were refugees. There the women produce handicrafts which have giving them a much-needed financial and psychological boost. The staff educate their visitors about local traditions and share their personal story of the village with great passion from personal knowledge and experience.  The Tara Center advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable cities & Communities.  Alternatively, join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice National Park.
Notes
Day 6: The Dalmatian Coast to Split

The green forests of Plitvice Lakes National Park give way to pebble-dashed shores lapped by turquoise waters. Walk through the Roman Ruins and market to see the sea organ of Zadar. Witness the dramatic change in landscape, as you travel through Mediterranean olive groves on your way to Trogir, a city founded by the Greeks in 3rd century B.C. Admire the cathedral and Renaissance Čipiko Palace before continuing to the historic city of Solin. In the evening, don't miss the opportunity of dinner in a traditional konoba.

Hotel: Hotel President Solin
Included Meals: Breakfast
Top Rated Highlights: Trogir Orientation See the cathedral and Renaissance Cipiko Palace during an orientation with your Travel Director.
Notes
Day 7: Island Hopping to Hvar

The Roman Emperor Diocletian built his palace here, and today it forms the heart of the Old Town of Split. With your Local Expert, explore the 1,700 year-old palace cellars and learn the story of the infamous emperor. Continue through the labyrinthine streets and arcaded squares to see St. Duje's- originally Diocletian's Mausoleum, and the Temple of Jupiter, which today is a baptistery, as well as the Golden Gate. Your island-hopping adventure begins here. Cross the azure waters of the Adriatic to spend two nights on Hvar, famed for being the sunniest island in the country and boasting an interior dotted with lofty mountain peaks and aromatic fields of lavender.

Hotel: Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Top Rated Highlights: Split to Hvar Ferry Cruise to the sunniest island of the country, Hvar, your home for the next two nights. Enjoy beautiful views and crystal waters on this two hour ferry crossing.
Top Rated Highlights: Split City Tour Sightseeing with your Local Expert continues through the old town. Walk through the Jewish Quarter to reach Narodni Trg, the center of Old Split. Continue to Trg Brace Radic, translated as the Square of the Radic brothers, but better known to the locals as Vocni Trg, or the Fruit Square.
Top Rated Highlights: Visit Emperor Diocletian's Palace in Split Explore above and below the Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace. A Local Expert guides you through labyrinthine streets to see St. Duje's, the Temple of Jupiter, the Golden Gate and the Cellars.
Top Rated Highlights: Hvar Orientation Explore the coves and hidden beaches and ascend the lofty peaks from where there are magnificent views over this beautiful island.
Notes
Day 8: Exploring the Island of Hvar Enjoy a full day at leisure, as you explore the hidden coves, secluded beaches, old monasteries and villages of Hvar. Perhaps stroll around seaside Stari Grad, known for being one of Europe’s oldest towns and a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Maybe visit the local museum with its impressive collection of archeological finds dating back to Greek antiquity or enjoy fresh seafood at a local restaurant? You could even see the glitz and glamour of Hvar Town with its yacht-lined marinas, famous for being the trendy playground of the rich and famous.
Hotel: Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort
Included Meals: Breakfast
Notes
Day 9: On the Trail of Marco Polo to Korčula

Cruise back to the mainland and continue your journey to the island of Korčula, known for its grace, history and rich culture. The perfect place for relaxing, the island is filled with quiet coves and small beaches that dot the south coastline. This evening, dinner will be at the hotel.

Hotel: Hotel Liburna
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Top Rated Highlights: Hvar to Split Ferry Cruise back to the mainland to continue your journey.
Notes
Day 10: Captivating Korčula

In the morning, join a knowledgeable Local Expert for a walking tour of the Old Town. Marvel at spectacular views of the mainland as you stroll towards the main square of Korčula where the Cathedral of St. Mark dominates the ancient skyline. Hear about local legends and history from your Local Expert, stopping by the Town Museum, the Bishop’s Palace with its treasury collection and the Town Hall. Visit the ruins of the house where according to local legend Marco Polo was born. 
The rest of the day is at your leisure to enjoy the narrow streets, beautiful churches and magnificent palaces of this charming medieval town.

Hotel: Hotel Liburna
Included Meals: Breakfast
Top Rated Highlights: Korcula City Tour Walk the herringbone maze of streets and flagstone plazas with your Local Expert. Learn why the locals claim this is where Marco Polo was born.
Notes
Day 11: Dubrovnik, Pearl of the Adriatic

Journey to the beautiful southern slopes of the Pelješac Peninsula. Weather permitting, cruise the tranquil waters of the bay of Mali Ston and admire the surrounding untouched natural beauty, as you enjoy a glass of traditional Croatian brandy. Stop at a shellfish farm and meet a local oyster farmer, to learn about the cultivation and harvest of oysters. Enjoy a delicious Sea-to-Table tasting of the fresh shellfish, accompanied by a glass of wine.
Continue to the walled town of Dubrovnik, 'paradise on Earth' according to George Bernard Shaw. Join a walking exploration of the city, guided by a Local Expert. Get a glimpse into local life, as you explore the stone-paved streets inside the 16th century bastions of the Old Town. Walk past Onofrio's Fountain, see the Old Jewish Quarter and the synagogue, and marvel at the grandeur of the cathedral and the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries. With the rest of the day at your leisure, perhaps enjoy the luxuries of the five-star Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, your home for the next three nights.

Hotel: Hotel Dubrovnik Palace
Included Meals: Breakfast, Morning Tea
Top Rated Highlights: Cruise to Ston Village by Private Boat Cruise to this quaint coastal village by private boat.
Top Rated Highlights: Dubrovnik City Tour Explore the Pearl of the Adriatic with your Local Expert. Walk the stone-paved streets of the Old Town to see Onofrio's Fountain, Rector's Palace and the medieval city walls. Admire the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries.
Insight Experiences: Meet an Oyster Farmer in Ston Meet a local oyster farmer and learn about the cultivation of oysters, before enjoying a delicious Sea-to-Table tasting of fresh shellfish and local wine.
Notes
Day 12: Optional Montenegro Experience Spend the day at your leisure or enjoy an optional visit to Montenegro, traveling along the coast to the pretty port town of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A photographer's dream, capture one of the most beautiful parts of the bay and learn about some of the compelling history of this area. Return to Dubrovnik and enjoy an evening at your leisure. Perhaps start at a trendy wine bar, followed by dinner at a romantic sidewalk cafe?
Hotel: Hotel Dubrovnik Palace
Included Meals: Breakfast
Notes
Day 13: Dubrovnik at Leisure

Make the most of a day at leisure in the Pearl of the Adriatic. Relax by the pool, shop in the markets or perhaps take the opportunity to visit Cavtat, one of the most enchanting seaside resorts in Croatia. This evening, should weather permit, you're invited to embark on a dazzling cruise around the fabled bay of Dubrovnik. Start your Celebration Dinner with the national favorite drink, a glass of grappa. Savor authentic flavors of local specialties washed down with locally produced wine.

Hotel: Hotel Dubrovnik Palace
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Top Rated Highlights: Dubrovnik Sunset Cruise As the sun descends and should the weather be favourable, enjoy a relaxing cruise around the fabled bay of Dubrovnik.
Authentic Dining: Dubrovnik Celebration Dinner Toast the culmination of your journey with a typical Dalmatian Coast Celebration Dinner, accompanied with wine and grappa.
Notes
Day 14: Depart Dubrovnik

Your travels draw to a close after breakfast. 

Included Meals: Breakfast
Notes
This itinerary is for reference only. Upon booking with GET, guests will receive tour documents which will list all confirmed hotels and itineraries based upon the guest's departure date.

Price Includes

Dining Summary
  • - 6 Dinner with Wines (DW)
  • - 13 Breakfasts (B)
  • - 1 Morning Tea (MT)
Authentic Dining
  • At 17:30, join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner with the opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers over a pleasant evening with wine.
  • Toast the culmination of your journey with a typical Dalmatian Coast Celebration Dinner, accompanied with wine and grappa.
Top Rated Highlights
  • Your Local Expert guides you this two-tiered capital. Explore Donji Grad, the Lower Town, and see the Mimara Art Museum in Roosevelt Square, Ban Josip Jelacic Square and the cathedral.
  • Ride the funicular to Gornji Grad, the medieval Upper Town, to view the former Presidential Palace, Stone Gate, St. Mark's Church and the Lotrščak Tower.
  • Enter by mini-train into these world-famous cave systems, before walking through an illuminated fairyland of stalactites and stalagmites.
  • See the cathedral and Renaissance Cipiko Palace during an orientation with your Travel Director.
  • Cruise to the sunniest island of the country, Hvar, your home for the next two nights. Enjoy beautiful views and crystal waters on this two hour ferry crossing.
  • Sightseeing with your Local Expert continues through the old town. Walk through the Jewish Quarter to reach Narodni Trg, the center of Old Split. Continue to Trg Brace Radic, translated as the Square of the Radic brothers, but better known to the locals as Vocni Trg, or the Fruit Square.
  • Explore above and below the Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace. A Local Expert guides you through labyrinthine streets to see St. Duje's, the Temple of Jupiter, the Golden Gate and the Cellars.
  • Explore the coves and hidden beaches and ascend the lofty peaks from where there are magnificent views over this beautiful island.
  • Cruise back to the mainland to continue your journey.
  • Walk the herringbone maze of streets and flagstone plazas with your Local Expert. Learn why the locals claim this is where Marco Polo was born.
  • Cruise to this quaint coastal village by private boat.
  • Explore the Pearl of the Adriatic with your Local Expert. Walk the stone-paved streets of the Old Town to see Onofrio's Fountain, Rector's Palace and the medieval city walls. Admire the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries.
  • As the sun descends and should the weather be favourable, enjoy a relaxing cruise around the fabled bay of Dubrovnik.
Make Travel Matter
  • Join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice National Park. Learn about the studies taking place to monitor and protect the natural habitat, and education initiatives on the marine environment and best practices for a low-impact experience. The site participates in habitat restoration and is constantly working to protect the parks natural ecosystems and animal population. The staff educate their visitors about local traditions and share their personal story of the village with great passion from personal knowledge and experience.  This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, UN Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life On Land and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable cities & Communities.  Alternatively, meet the industrious women of the Tara Community Center.
  • Through its income the Tara Center has built a small community Center that is used by the Tara Citizens’ Association, a collective of mostly older women, many of whom were refugees. There the women produce handicrafts which have giving them a much-needed financial and psychological boost. The staff educate their visitors about local traditions and share their personal story of the village with great passion from personal knowledge and experience.  The Tara Center advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable cities & Communities.  Alternatively, join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice National Park.
Insight Experiences
  • Meet a local oyster farmer and learn about the cultivation of oysters, before enjoying a delicious Sea-to-Table tasting of fresh shellfish and local wine.

Optional Experiences

Optional Experiences are subject to change. Your Travel Director will supply you with a final list of Optional Experiences available on your trip. Optional Experiences cannot be booked online; they can be purchased during your trip through your Travel Director.

Croatian Countryside Experience (Available on Day 2)

Journey through the beautiful rolling countryside of the Zagorje region with our Local Expert to the charming village of Kumrovec. We'll visit the simple peasant house of the late Marshal Tito for a local perspective into this region's complicated and bloody history. The surrounding properties have been restored to represent the village life of 100 years ago. Later, we'll enjoy a farm-to-table meal with drinks in a picturesque restaurant much favored by the locals. Magnificent views of the rolling, vine-clad hills and Veliki Tabor Castle come as a bonus!

Adult Price: €76 Opatija Dinner (Available on Day 4)

Enjoy a traditional Istrian dinner at a charming rustic restaurant in a small village above Kvarner Bay. You'll be treated to a true homely atmosphere and homemade food inspired by the local produce. Sip on Istrian wine and savor every bite of your meal while taking in blooming surroundings.

Adult Price: €63 Konoba Dinner (Available on Day 6)

For the authentic Dalmatian cuisine experience, dinner in a traditional ‘konoba’, is a must. Friendly staff serve a variety of seafood or meat, accompanied by good local wine and entertaining Dalmatian musicians. A night to make you fall in love with the tastes and flavors of the Adriatic.

Adult Price: €67 Highlights of Hvar and Lunch (Available on Day 8)

Gaze at the fields of lavender as we journey with our Local Expert to Stari Grad – one of the oldest towns in Europe and a UNESCO-Protected World Heritage Site. Visit the 16th century castle of the Croatian renaissance poet Petar Hektorović, built to defend against the Turks and the most famous building in Stari Grad. Then, relax in Vrborska where you will meet the owner of a local wine cellar and enjoy a wine tasting accompanied by a delicious local light meal ending with a digestif and some homemade cake.

Adult Price: €66 Scenic Drive and Koboba Belin (Available on Day 10)

Enjoy a scenic drive with our Local Expert as we pass the rustic villages and towns of Korcula. We'll enjoy picturesque views past vineyards and the island’s coastline as we make our way to the heart of the oldest settlement on the island. Finally, we're welcomed in traditional style before dining on home-made fare in our atmospheric family-run venue, built by a father and his sons in their own home! Dobar Tek!

Adult Price: €62 Best of Korcula (Available on Day 10)

Enjoy a scenic coastal cruise with our Local Expert as we pass the old port town of Korcula for superb photo opportunities. We'll continue past the island of Badija, known for its Franciscan monastery & stone quarries. Landing in Lumbarda, we'll enjoy picturesque views over the vineyards as we make our way to the heart of the oldest settlement on the island. Finally, we're welcomed in traditional style before dining on home-made fare in our atmospheric family-run venue, built by a father and his sons in their own home! Dobar Tek!

Adult Price: €77 Ancient Olive Press & Agro-Tourism Experience (Available on Day 11)

Visit a household in a little village above Dubrovnik. Begin with a short walk through the old part of the village while learning about rural living and the Village itself. You are welcomed into the home to enjoy a homemade meal with wine while learning about olive oil production the old-fashioned way and about our hosts: A perfect way to get to know the locals and their lifestyle!

Adult Price: €69 Excursion to Kotor, Montenegro (Available on Day 12)

We'll drive South along the coast with our Local Expert into Montenegro and the pretty town of Kotor, situated on the Adriatic's only fjord, listed with UNESCO world heritage sites. Visit one of the most beautiful parts of the bay, and learn some of the compelling history of the area.

Adult Price: €59 Cavtat Excursion (Available on Day 13)

The road to Cavtat overlooks the steep coast of the Adriatic sea and presents several opportunities for postcard perfect views. Continue to Cavtat, one of the most enchanting seaside resorts in Croatia - a Mecca for the rich and famous who come every year to moor their yachts at the entrance of Cavtat Bay.

Adult Price: €26 Cavtat and Local Winery Experience (Available on Day 13)

The road to Cavtat overlooks the steep coast of the Adriatic sea and presents several opportunities for postcard perfect views. Cavtat is one of the most enchanting seaside resorts in Croatia, enjoy a stroll or sit and take in the views with a coffee before heading to a nearby winery where you will get to enjoy four wines and some light food while overlooking the surrounding mountains and vineyards.

Adult Price: €57