Gourmet Holiday

Welcome to Croatia! On your arrival at the airport in Zagreb, you are met and then transferred to the Canopy By Hilton Hotel for a 2-night stay. The balance of the day is at leisure to explore this capital city, and there is the option of attending a welcome dinner.

After breakfast set out with our food expert on a 4-hour walk through the streets of Zagreb to discover Croatian cuisine. The highlight is a visit to the city's oldest market, the Dolac, where you can taste a variety of traditional cheeses, cold meats and many other treats. The remainder of the day is free to explore the city that is filled with Gothic architecture, many churches and interesting museums. The evening is at leisure and overnight at your hotel. PLEASE INCLUDE WELCOME DINNER - SET MENU.

Check out this morning and set off with your driver for the Istra Peninsula on the Adriatic coast. En route there will be a stop at a vineyard in the Groznjan region for a wine tasting. Continue on through lovely countryside with its ancient hilltop towns to Porec for a 2-night stay at the Hotel Palazzo. Later in the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour with a local guide. The evening is at leisure to relax and enjoy this seaside town.

After breakfast you'll be driven south, stopping first for a guided tour of the romantic and picturesque coastal town of Rovinj. Then turning inland, visit several Istrian olive oil producers in the Vodnjan region to sample local tapas made with different oils. Next arrive in Pula where you'll be shown it's magnificent Roman amphitheatre and other Roman buildings plus the Kastel Fortress and much more. A short drive returns you to Porec for an overnight at your hotel and evening at leisure.

After checking out, have one more stop in the Istria Peninsula visiting the Motovun/Buzet area to go truffle hunting. With your local hosts, walk with their trained truffle-hunting dogs looking for this delicacy and afterward enjoy tasting a number of truffle products. Then, continue to Plitvice to overnight at the Jezero Hotel that overlooks the lakes in the Plitvice Lakes National Park. The balance of the day is free to relax and enjoy this comfortable resort in its beautiful setting.

This morning enjoy a guided walk in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, now designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Croatia's most popular attractions. Afterwards continue on to the ancient port town of Zadar, situated on the Dalmatian coast. Overnight at the Hotel Kolovare, which is located across from the beach and a short distance from Zadar's medieval centre. The balance of the day and evening is at leisure to enjoy the beach and this very laid-back town.

After breakfast, a local guide will show you this city that dates back thousands of years. Visit its Roman ruins, its Romanesque churches and the modern Sea Organ, an extraordinary, experimental musical instrument that uses the waves to create music. Following the tour, continue south to the famous and beautiful resort town of Split, checking in to the Fermai Heritage Hotel for a 2-night stay. The balance of the day is free to explore on your own from this centrally located hotel.

Meet your local guide this morning and take a walking tour through this historic town including time inside the Diocletian Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The afternoon is free to see more of Split on your own, or you can have an optional cooking class or visit the nearby Stella Croatica Estate to sample traditionally-made sweets (optional excursions on own account). This evening enjoy the ambiance and many restaurants of this delightful coastal town and overnight at your hotel.

Today, set off for Dubrovnik, driving along the Adriatic coast. En route stop at the walled town of Ston, famous for its oyster farms. Here you'll board a sailboat for a trip across Mali Ston Bay to arrive at a floating dock surrounded by oyster beds where you'll sample amazing fresh oysters. Afterwards continue to Dubrovnik and check in at the Lapad Hotel for a 2-night stay. Relax for the balance of the day at this stunning, waterfront hotel.

Following breakfast, start your day with a guided food tour of the Old Town which includes many tastings of Croatia's diverse cuisine at local eateries and in historic locations. It is also an opportunity to meet the people and become immersed in their traditions. Then devote the rest of the day to discovering the riches of the 'Adriatic Pearl', as Dubrovnik is called. Overnight is at your hotel and the evening is free to try out one of the city's great restaurants.

Today, you will be transferred to the Dubrovnik Airport prior to your flight home.