Dates are flexible and customizable for private departures.
DAY 1 VENICE
Depending on your
arrival flight, you will be met by your English speaking driver/tour leader at
the Venice airport for a hotel in the very centre of Venice. Short break in a
hotel and then sightseeing Venice with a local guide. There are many romantic
towns in Italy, but Venice is soo particular. Did you know that the other name
for Venice is – Serenissima? Remind us to tell you a story about its name when
standing at its very centre – San Marco Square (Piazza San Marco). It is the
most elegant square in Europe surrounded by historical and outstanding
buildings – Ducal Palace (Palazzo Ducale), the Clock Tower (Torre dei Mori),
the Napoleonic Wing and the Venice Cathedral with its bell tower. From here we
will continue to explore Venice, passing through its narrow streets and
bridges, all along the Canal Grande, the main water ‘street’. Our guide will
reveal to you all those facts about Venice which you cannot find on web. We
will visit 2 most famous Venice bridges – Ponte
Rialto and Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge
of Sighs) and hear the legends about their origin.
Lunch in one of the local taverns where we will have a traditional
Italian lunch. As aperitif you will taste unavoidable Aperol Spritz and complete your meal with a glass of a top
quality wine.
Leisure time.
Dinner. Overnight.
If your flight arrival is scheduled in morning hours
then an excursion on Venice islands of Murano and Burano will be organized
(optional). Burano is known for its lace production whilst Murano for its
glass making and world famous Murano glass which can be bought there for 70%
discounted price. There is a possibility to organize traditional Venice
Carnival Masks handicraft workshop that will last approx. 2 hours where you
will be taught how to create one of the 3 typical Venice Carnival Masks and
take it with you, as a memory on this beautiful Italian town built on water.
DAY 2 VENICE - LJUBLJANA
Breakfast.
Check-out from the hotel and departure towards Ljubljana, the Slovenian
Capital. Check-in in the hotel. We will meet our local guide in the very centre
of this beautiful town, in 2016 proclaimed the European Green Capital.
Did you know that Ljubljana has love written
in its name as in Slovenian language 'ljubljena' (similar to Ljubljana) means
beloved?
We will pass over the Dragon and Triple Bridge (Tromostovje), take a ride with
funicular to the Castle, enjoy the crowdiness on Prešern's Square. Then we stop
in one of numerous cafe bars situated along Ljubljanica River to feel the pulse
of life.
Late dinner in a local restaurant. Leisure
time. Overnight.
DAY 3 LJUBLJANA - BLED - BOHINJ - OPATIJA
Breakfast.
Check-out from the hotel and departure towards Bled and Bohinj. There are at
least 4 great reasons why to visit those marvelous places in Triglav National
Park at least once in a lifetime – enchanting Bled Islet, view from Bled Castle
from 1011, cruising in traditional Pletna Boats that can be found only here and
so tasteful cream cake - Kremšnita.
Lunch in the restaurant in Bled.
We
continue toward Opatija, the Croatian Monte Carlo. Check-in in 4/5 star hotels
(Design Hotel Navis/Villa Kapetanović). Short time for
A private guided tour of Opatija and
nearest Kastav. Opatija is a place where tourism in Croatia started but also
the only Adriatic town with no old town. Instead of that it has many parks
where you can enjoy in more than 150 herbs and flower species.
Dinner in Kastav
in Kukuriku restaurant including wine tasting of Belica wine sort. Kukuriku
Restaurant is a must visit for every gourmand.
Did you know that those who say 'I do' in the Saint Helena the Holy
Cross Church in Kastav is destined to have a life full of love and joy?
Return to hotel. Overnight.
DAY 4 OPATIJA - ROVINJ - MOTOVUN - OPATIJA
Breakfast.
Today we are going to visit northern Istria. Istria is the westernmost part of
Croatia full of fields and valleys overlooked by rolling hills created by, as a
local myth says, giants. Our first today's destination is Rovinj. We will meet our guide who will take us for a walk along
the streets of Rovinj's historical centre providing us with a true artistic
experience. We will see an abundance of cultural and historical monuments but
what will remember the most are the church of St Euphemia, saint patron of the
city and Batana House Eco Museum
(enlisted in UNESCO Register of the world's best practices for the safeguarding
of intangible cultural heritage) dedicated to a wooden flatboat called batana.
It
is time for lunch hunting. We are leaving Rovinj and going to Motovun wood for truffle hunting. Arriving at hunter's house you will see specially
trained dogs, take and aperitif and then experience a truffle hunt (approx. 45
min).
Then we will learn how to prepare a meal with truffles and then reward
our palates with our truffle-based meal, local wine, cheese and truffle
flavored delicacies.
After lunch we will take a walk along the medieval town
of Motovun.
Return to hotel. Dinner. Leisure time. Overnight.
DAY 5 OPATIJA - RASTOKE - ZAGREB - OPATIJA
Breakfast.
It is true that Plitvice Lakes are widely known UNESCO heritage site but what
is also true is that there are even more beautiful lakes in their close
vicinity – watermill village Rastoke. They are called Mini Plitvice Lakes, they
are not so crowded as Plitvice but being smaller provides them with a
particular charm. Men and nature have here, hand in hand, created a beautiful
scenery.
Our fairy guide from Mirjana Rastoke Tourist Centre will reveal us some
secret information about this magical place and show us all its beauty.
Did you know that in Rastoke was filmed some
parts of Winnetou? Lunch in Rastoke.
Zagreb, the Croatian Capital, is our
next stop and our guide – the Black Queen – has prepared a tailor-made tour
particularly for us. We will find out what makes Zagreb so special, hear lesser
known stories about must-see-places, discover some hidden spots in the centre
you otherwise wouldn't see and hear stories that cannot be found in written
brochures.
Dinner in one of the best Zagreb restaurants. Leisure time. Night
out in one of clubs (optional). Return to hotel. Overnight.
DAY 6 OPATIJA - KRK - RIJEKA/TRSAT- OPATIJA
DAY 7 OPATIJA – FUŽINE/LOKVE - ZADAR - SPLIT
DAY 8 SPLIT – KRKA NATIONAL PARK – ŠIBENIK - SPLIT
DAY 9 SPLIT – TROGIR – SOLIN - SPLIT
DAY 10 SPLIT – DALMATIAN ISLANDS (HVAR AND PALMIŽANA OR VIS
AND BIŠEVO)
DAY 11 SPLIT – MOSTAR
DAY 12 MOSTAR – DOLINA NERETVE - DUBROVNIK
DAY 13 DUBROVNIK – PELJEŠAC – STON
DAY 14 DUBROVNIK – MONTENEGRO – DUBROVNIK
DAY 15 DUBROVNIK
Departure.