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13-Nights Country Roads of Croatia - Small Group from $6,143
Insight Vacations
OFFER ID 1517242
Country Roads Of Croatia - Small Group
Discover Croatia’s rich heritage and stunning Dalmatian coastline-with fascinating itineraries curated by Local Experts. Charting a course through the cities of Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik, the journey pauses for sea-to-table oysters in Ston, a quaint coastal village. Croatia’s culinary delicacies are also the order of the day at Celebration Dinner in Dubrovnik paired with wine and grappa. Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park, one of Europe’s great natural wonders. On this Insight Choice, learn about local Tara Community folklore, or journey through the forest paths, alongside 16 interconnecting lakes.
Dining Summary
- 4 Dinner with Wine (DW)
- 13 Breakfast (B)
- 2 Dinner (D)
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Plitvice Lakes 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. Alternatively, meet the industrious women of the Tara Community Center.
- Plitvice Lakes 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 5: Gender Equality. Alternatively, join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice National Park.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
- Zagreb: At 17:30, join your Travel Director for dinner with the opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers over a pleasant evening with wine.
- 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.
- Dubrovnik: Toast the culmination of your journey with a typical Dalmatian dinner.
- Plitvice Lakes 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. Alternatively, meet the industrious women of the Tara Community Center.
- Plitvice Lakes 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 5: Gender Equality. Alternatively, join a Local Expert to explore Plitvice National Park.
- Zagreb: 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.
- Zagreb: Ride the funicular to Gornji Grad, the medieval Upper Town, to view the former Presidential Palace, Stone Gate, St. Mark's Church and the Lotršcak Tower.
- Postojna Cave: Enter by mini-train into these world-famous cave systems, before walking through an illuminated fairyland of stalactites and stalagmites.
- Trogir: See the cathedral and Renaissance Cipiko Palace during an orientation with your Travel Director.
- Split: Cruise to the sunniest island of the country, Hvar, your home f
13 nights from $6,143 per person
Insight Vacations: Country Roads of Croatia - Small Group
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 dinner, with the opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers over a pleasant evening with wine.
Accommodations: Sheraton Zagreb
Meals: Dinner with Wine
Day 2 - Zagreb’s Twin Towns Relaxed Start
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 Lotršcak 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.
Accommodations: Sheraton Zagreb
Meals: Breakfast
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.
Accommodations: Heritage Imperial, Opatija, Hotel Admiral, Palace Bellevue, Optatija
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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.
Accommodations: Heritage Imperial, Opatija, Hotel Admiral, Palace Bellevue, Optatija
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 - Pristine Plitvice Lakes 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 Lakes National Park and learn how the site actively carries out research to monitor the natural habitat of species. Alternatively meet one of the women behind the Tara Community Center, who produce handicrafts, enabling employment and engagement in the community.
Accommodations: Lyra, Licko Petrovo Selo
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
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 Cipiko Palace before continuing to the historic city of Solin. In the evening, don't miss the opportunity of dinner in a traditional konoba.
Accommodations: President Solin, Split
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 - Island Hopping to Hvar Relaxed Start
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 ?elds of lavender.
Accommodations: Amfora, Hvar Grand Beach Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 8 - Exploring the Island of Hvar Relaxed Start
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.
Accommodations: Amfora, Hvar Grand Beach Resort
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - On the Trail of Marco Polo to Korcula
Cruise back to the mainland and continue your journey to the island of Korcula, 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.
Accommodations: Liburna, Korcula
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 10 - Captivating Korcula Relaxed Start
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 Korcula 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.
Accommodations: Liburna, Korcula
Meals: Breakfast
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.
Accommodations: Dubrovnik Palace
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12 - Optional Montenegro Experience Relaxed Start
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?
Accommodations: Dubrovnik Palace
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13 - Dubrovnik at Leisure Relaxed Start
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. Savor authentic flavors of local specialties over dinner with your fellow travelers.
Accommodations: Dubrovnik Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14 - Depart Dubrovnik
Your journey comes to an end after breakfast.
Meals: Breakfast
Vacation Details
* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
Fine dining, on-site bars or lounges and room service with extended hours are characteristic of deluxe establishments. Guest services usually include valet parking, concierge services, baggage assistance and laundry services. Other on-site facilities often include shops and boutiques, full service spas, full fitness facilities with pools and tennis courts. Business amenities may include available up-to-date technology and support staffs available for services. Attention to detail is apparent in the guestrooms which typically have stylish furnishings, quality bedding and bath products and often provide an evening turn down service.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
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Kathleen Stahl Travel Services
529 36th Street
Des Moine, IA 50312
USA
(515) 271-8091