Description
Get Lost in Picture-Perfect Antiquity in Zagreb, Opatija, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik, Croatia (Europe) for Seven Days & Six Nights for Two, Including Five Sightseeing Day Tours, Truffle Tasting in Livade, Entrance to Plitvice Lakes National Park, a Wine and Oyster Tasting in Ston, and a Private Driver/Guide for the Entire Trip (Land Only)
Croatia is a country unlike any other in the world, with its complex history due to five centuries of expansion by the Ottoman Empire, a rich cultural legacy, shimmering sapphire beaches and majestic mountains. This is an exceptional opportunity to explore the Istrian Peninsula and the Dalmatian Coast of this Mediterranean wonderland with sightseeing tours in Zagreb, Motovun, Rovinj, Split and Dubrovnik, and access to the gorgeous Plitvice Lakes National Park. You can taste your way around the country as well with decadent truffle tasting in forested Livade and oyster tasting in harbor side Ston!
Begin your exploration of Croatia in Zagreb, an old city with a young soul, a playful and pulsing modern metropolis despite the almost thousand year-old history of its old town. It's also a feast for your senses, where you can sample some of the country?s most renowned restaurants and coffee shops in the midst of classic façades, lush gardens and striking Neo-Gothic buildings. Discover the intricacies of its rich cultural history, the result of being passed between competing empires for centuries, try home-style cooking in the family-run taverns, and experience traditional Croatian hospitality. You'll spend some time traversing Istria, a peninsula that attracts its visitors with rolling hills, hilltop villages and a verdant coastline where it meets the Adriatic. On your way to Opatija, a coastal town spanning between the forested hills and sparkling Adriatic Sea, you'll make three stops within Istria, in Rovinj, the Blue Pearl of the Adriatic, Motovun, the most famous and attractive Istrian medieval town, and Livade. One of the last true Mediterranean fishing ports, picturesque Rovinj is Istria's cultural mecca, featuring the Old Town, monumental baroque Crkva Sv Eufemije (Church of St. Euphemia), and colorful cafe umbrellas lining the wide harbor. Motovun is a captivating town with a 13th-century Romanesque-Gothic bell tower, a 17th-century Parish Church of St. Stephen and the Romanesque Municipal Palace in the central square. The Motovun Forest is especially rich in truffles, and Istrian white truffles are said to be as good as the finest Italian and French truffles. Savor a truffle tasting, along with homemade pasta, bread, olive oil and wine in Livade.
Then make your way east to the Plitvice Lakes National Park, where 16 crystalline lakes tumble into each other via a series of waterfalls and cascades. Every season has its own unique charm and the Plitvice Lakes, with their alternating colors at every new awakening, both trapped in ice or in the shade of the trees, will leave you with a very distinct, unique and invaluable impression. Making your way down the Dalmatian Coast, you'll spend the night in vibrant and intriguing Zadar, which boasts a mix of ancient relics, medieval churches, museums and a quirky character. Further south is Split, the largest city on the Adriatic Coast, home of Diocletian?s Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to A.D. 295. Amid the Roman ruins, grand museums and fashionable cafes are a 16th-century synagogue, the third-oldest in Europe that's still in use, the Cathedral of St. Domnius, the imposing Klis Fortress and so much more. Just north of Dubrovnik is the town of Ston, which is known for three things - its well-preserved walls, its saltworks and its mussels! Sip wine and savor the taste of some of the most delicious oysters in the world, which can be found in the Mali Ston Bay. The final leg of your journey takes you to South Dalmatia to the city of Dubrovnik, known as the pearl of the Adriatic. The Old Town (which became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979) and its well-preserved city walls, strolls through the main thoroughfare Stradun (also known as the Placa), the Baroque buildings and the azure sea are all part of its enchanting beauty.
Your trip for two includes:
? 2 nights accommodations at the Hotel Dubrovnik
? 1-night accommodation at the Hotel Bristol
? 1-night accommodation at the Hotel Bastion
? 1-night accommodation at the Hotel Cornaro
? 1-night accommodation at the Hotel Kompas
? Daily complimentary breakfast
? Guided tour of Zagreb
? Guided tour of Motovun
? Truffle, pasta, and wine tasting in Livade
? Half-day tour of Rovinj
? Entrance to Plitvice Lakes National Park
? Half-day tour of Split
? Wine and oyster tasting in Ston
? Half-day tour of Dubrovnik
? Private driver for the entire stay (pick up/drop off from Zagreb)
? All room-related taxes (including VAT)
? Free concierge reservation service
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Travel package is non-refundable and subject to availability. Certificates/gift cards cannot be replaced. Passport required for travel outside the U.S. Hotels may be substituted with equal or similar accommodations. Local city taxes are the responsibility of the traveler and are required to be paid directly to hotel. A minimum 30-day advance reservation is required. Travel is valid for 12 months from date of issue.