Croatia and Slovenia

We depart with British Airways for Dubrovnik, via London.

We arrive in Dubrovnik and transfer to our hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure until our Welcome Dinner this evening.

Our city tour of Dubrovnik shows us the city walls and fortifications, the Rector’s Palace, set-piece churches and public buildings that blend seamlessly with green-shuttered stone houses, and Europe’s oldest apothecary in the Franciscan Monastery. Later we travel by coach to the region of Konavle with a stop at the little mountain village of Gruda to see the mills and enjoy a tasting of local ham, cheese and grappa.

At leisure to return to the old city or take a boat ride along the coast. An optional tour will be offered to Montenegro.

We travel to Mostar, en route visiting the village of Ston with its impressive series of defensive walls which once surrounded and protected the city. Upon arrival in Mostar a guided tour of the city will show us the beautiful old town, the famous old bridge and the Turkish section, including a visit of a Turkish home and the Mosque.

We head back to the coast and enjoy a scenic drive to the energetic town of Split, the second-largest city in Croatia with the perfect balance of tradition and modernity.

Our tour of Split features the historic inner city - the biggest in Dalmatia, built around a Roman Palace. We see the remnants of Split’s Roman heritage, its Gothic structures, Jupiter’s Temple and the Peristyle. The afternoon is at leisure to explore this popular seaside town’s dozens of cafes, restaurants and shops.

We visit the UNESCO Heritage Site of Trogir Island - a Croatian artistic centre. Scholars from all over the world gather to study and paint here, and you will see why. We continue to Zadar where our tour shows us the harbour, the historical center, the Romanic marks and the pre-Romanic church of Saint Donat.

We depart for Plitvice Lakes National Park, a lush valley with 16 terraced lakes strung together by countless cascading waterfalls and miles of pleasant paths and wooden bridges. Our visit here will include a boat ride on the still waters of Kozjak Lake and an electric train around the park. We then continue to Zagreb, Croatia’s capital.

Our city tour will include a funicular ride to the Upper Town where a complex of churches, palaces, museums, government buildings and galleries has retained much of its old-world charm.

We continue to Slovenia’s medieval capital, Ljubljana. Our city tour will include a funicular ride to Ljubljana castle for a panoramic view of the old town and red-roofed houses. The afternoon is at leisure to stroll the old town with its small shops, outdoor cafes and charming restaurants.

Today’s tour at emerald-green Lake Bled includes a visit of Bled Castle, which stands on a cliff above the lake with spectacular views, and a “pletna" boat ride to the island where you can ring the bell at St. Mary’s Church for good luck.

We travel to Postojna to visit the incredible Karst cave system. A minitrain takes us through this fantastic underground world of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. We continue toward Venice and our hotel in nearby Jesolo.

A boat ride will take us to the island of Venice for a guided tour of this magical city. We will see St. Mark’s Square, the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge’s Palace and more. In the afternoon we will enjoy some time at leisure to explore before we return to the mainland. Tonight is our Farewell Dinner.

We fly home to Canada, via London.