SHARE

11 Days: Classic highlights and hidden gems of Croatia

Classic highlights and hidden gems of Croatia sailing catamaran tours soul of croatia

11 Days: Classic highlights and hidden gems of Croatia

 

This trip combines classic highlights and extras that we believe are worthy of visiting. We always try to do signature trips and provide more of the country for the complete experience in a period of time. On this trip, you will see Old towns, and medieval fortresses and learn all about Croatian history and culture – local specifics of the areas you are visiting, the uniqueness of the architecture, and local legend and stories. You will see two of the eight National parks ( Plitvice and Krka), few of the twelve  UNESCO sites( Plitvice, Zadar walls, Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Dubrovnik Oldtown, and Ston as the place on the UNESCO access list, and more.

Why us and why this tour?

Why us and why this tour?  We will take you to places you would not see on your own and try to the avoid crowd as much as possible!

This trip covers a lot of Croatia, and you will it see-through local eyes and learn about it. It is done by local-born, experienced, and awarded licensed guides who mostly work via word of mouth because we care and give flexibility like no other. All pictures are our own, 100% authentic, and represent the trips as it is! The trip can be done for 2 people only, and it is great for a group of friends.

On-demand this trip can be done as a self-guided version as well!

View Tour Gallery

HIGHLIGHTS

    • National parks Plitvice lakes and Krka
    • Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik Old towns
    • Ston and Pelješac peninsula wine region
    • Korčula island
    • UNESCO sites and hidden gems

BRIEF ITINERARY

Day Activities Location Overnight
1 Arrival to Croatia, Zagreb and sightseeing Zagreb Zagreb
2 Leaving Zagreb, Visiting Rastoke and Barač caves Plitvice lakes Plitvice lakes area
3 Exploring and hiking Plitvice Lakes National Park Plitvice lakes Plitvice lakes area
4 Visit to Zadar town and overnight in Skradin Zadar Skradin
5 Explore National park Krka Krka Split
6 Explore Diocletians palace in Split and transfer to Ston Split Ston
7 Pelješac peninsula and Ston Pelješac Ston
8 Visit To Island And National Park Mljet Mljet Ston
9 Private boat trip to Elaphiti islands - Lopud and Koločep Elafiti Dubrovnik
10 Dubrovnik old town and the city walls Dubrovnik Dubrovnik
11 Departure from Dubrovnik or extension

FULL ITINERARY

11 Days: Classic highlights and hidden gems of Croatia

Day 1: Arrival to Croatia, Zagreb and sightseeing

soul-of-croatia-private-tours-zagreb
Welcome to Croatia and its capital Zagreb. Upon your arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed with your name on a sign and transferred to your hotel in Zagreb center. Zagreb is the capital and the biggest city in Croatia, the administrative center of the country with about 800 000 people living in it. The city center is easily walkable, and there are no worries to get lost. Your schedule today depends on your arrival time. If you arrive early enough you may take a guided tour of the city to learn about local attractions. We suggest walking the Lower town and walking Gradec and Kaptol, two historic parts of Zagreb. Attractions you will see along the way are Ban Jelačić square, Catherdal, St.Mark Square, and more. If you would like to see the unusual thing we suggest visiting the Museum of broken relationships! All the main attractions and restaurants are within walking distance from your hotel. Once again, WELCOME!

Day 2: Leaving Zagreb, Visiting Rastoke and Barač caves

soul-of-croatia-rastoke-tours

Today you will leave the capital, Zagreb, and drive towards the Plitvice Lakes area and National Park.

Along the way there will be options to stop at a few unknown locations we believe are worth visiting such as the Museum in Turanj, Rastoke, and Barač caves.

The museum in Turanj is mostly an open-air museum telling stories about the homeland war in the 1990ies and exhibiting military equipment and airplanes.

Rastoke is a small village, known for the old water mills and as the place where 2 rivers meet and create beautiful waterfalls in the area of a small town Slunj. Waterfalls here are  "Little brother" to  Plitvice lakes and a great opportunity for landscape photos of waterfalls and the area of the picturesque village of Rastoke.

After Rastoke, you would go to Barač caves. Barač caves and interesting place to see, as lots of bones of prehistoric animals were found there. Visit would be with a local guide on 50 min tour.
After Rastoke and Caves, you will drive to Plitvice Lakes National Park at your local accommodation.

The day would be done easily and you can decide on the spot how much you wish to do.

Day 3: Exploring and hiking Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice lakes soul of Croatia hiking
Today you will explore Plitvice lakes, the most famous Croatian National Park. The lakes of Plitvice are a unique design of nature famous across the globe for their beauty. Since 1979 the Park has been a part of the UNESCO World Heritage register. Plitvice is home to about one-third of all known orchids in Croatia and more than 150 species of birds. During this day you will walk the chosen paths, through mostly beech forests, and see many waterfalls. You will experience the best sights the park has to offer which will provide a great opportunity to take many photos. In the national park, there are 16 named lakes, and many small ones, that you will walk around, however, it is only 2 % of the park in total. The rest of the park is forests, and some places are not even allowed for visitors. It takes about 4-5 hours to do the loop of the lakes from Lower lakes to Upper and back! 

Day 4: Visit to Zadar town and overnight in Skradin

Zadar-soul-of-croatia-tours
Today you will leave continental Croatia and go to Dalmatia where you will explore Zadar. One of the places that are worth visiting in Dalmatia is the historic peninsula of Zadar. A unique place, and the biggest north Dalmatian town. There is a lot to be seen and do in Zadar, from ancient Roman ruins that you can walk above on the glass floor to one of the best ice cream places in Dalmatia. Zadar is gaining popularity more and more lately thanks to 2 unique modern pieces of art: Greetings to the Sun and Sea pipe organs. In Zadar, you can see layers of history, from Roman ruins, through medieval buildings to modern architecture. And, this is the place with one of the best ice creams you will find in Croatia. After exploring Zadar, you will go to Skradin. Skradin is a small town and marina, at the entrance of the National Park Krka so you would be between the first ones in the morning to visit the park and avoid the crowd!

Day 5: Explore National park Krka

soul-of-croatia-tours-hiking-krka-skradinski-buk
Today you will explore another beautiful highlight of Croatia, the National park Krka. Krka is the name of the 72.5 km long river and the river itself with 7 waterfalls for most of that length is a National park. After exploring the biggest waterfall, Skradinski Buk, you will drive to see another waterfall and area called Roški slap. Roški slap is a less busy area, and it offers an opportunity for nice walks or hikes in the area. For the end, we suggest visiting little Islet Visovac in the middle of the river with a still active Franciscan monastery on it. You probably will not see any monks but the local guide will take you on a 20 min tour of the island. Apart from the beautiful waterfalls, the Park is also well known for its multiple endemic species of birds, fish, and amphibians. Did you know: You can also visit, as part of the park, a place which used to host the oldest power plant( 1895) in Europe. People in the neighboring Šibenik area were the first ones in Europe with electricity.  

Day 6: Explore Diocletians palace in Split and transfer to Ston

split-diocletians-palace-soul-of-croatia-tours
Today you will explore the city of Split and its most famous part, Diocletian's palace. Split is the biggest city in Dalmatia, known for the ancient Diocletian’s palace, built in the 4th century. Since 1979 it is on a UNESCO heritage list as one of 12 UNESCO locations in Croatia. The picturesque center - Diocletian palace- is perfect for sightseeing and long walks among its numerous streets and historical monuments, beautiful architecture from Roman to modern times. On a private city tour, you will learn about the interesting history of the palace and walk next to Peristil-main square, St.Domnius cathedral, Jupiter's temple, St.Gregory stature, Rive, and more. Nowadays, along with Dubrovnik, Split has become famous for being one of the locations HBO picked for filming its popular series Game of Thrones. After exploring Split, you will continue your journey and go to south Dalmatia to the small medieval town of Ston. Ston is a small medieval town, on the second-largest peninsula in Croatia, Pelješac, and will be your next overnight location.

Day 7: Pelješac peninsula and Ston

Soul-of-croatia-ston-private-tours-and-trips-pelješac-dalmatian-coast
Today you will explore Pelješac, the second biggest Croatian peninsula and a synonym for red wines, or as the locals call it- black wine. Pelješac is situated in Dubrovnik county known for its natural beauty and for 2 brands, Ston and Dingač. Ston is one of the very rare 100% planned and built Croatian cities on the Croatian coast, known for  - the longest fortified system in Europe, Ston city walls, -oldest active salt plant on the whole Mediterranean, still active and still producing salt as they did in the 14th century and for -a long tradition of growing oysters and mussels. Another thing that Pelješac is known for, is red wine. The whole peninsula is basically a wine region and Pelješac is home to the most famous red wine in Croatia, which got its name by the position where is grown - Dingač. This position of Dingač is unique for its steep slopes, up t 70 degrees, and since 1964 its protected by the Geneva convention for its authenticity. Only the wine from these vineyards can be called Dingač and nowhere else in Croatia, or the World. Your route will go through the peninsula and through one of the most scenic roads through the Dingač region along the way, you can stop at some of the most famous local wineries for wine tasting. You would spend the afternoon and evening in Ston. We recommend walking the Ston walls as the main attraction in town.   You would have a flexible schedule today, depending on your preferences.

Day 8: Visit To Island And National Park Mljet

cycling dalmatian coast national park mljet soul of croatia
Today you will visit  Mljet, one of the most beautiful islands on the Dalmatian coast. This scenic piece of the Dalmatian coast is great for cycling. Cycling goes around the lakes and it is surrounded by beautiful green pine forests. The cycling route goes along the sea, and it is suitable for beginners as well. Depending on time and preferences you may take a shorter or longer version. There is always the possibility for swimming options, as lakes are always at least 2 Celsius warmer than the open Adriatic sea. Mljet is often called the greenest Croatian island. According to legend, Mljet is the place where Calypso captured Ulysses in Greek mythology. Whether true or not, most of the names on the island are of Greek origin, and you can even visit Ulysses Cave. The western part of the island is a National park since 1960, and it is the first protected maritime area in Adriatic. The national park is known for its lakes inside of the island and a little islet of St.Maria in the biggest lake with the Benedictine monastery from the 12th century on it. You will visit the islet with a small boat, operated by the National Park. In 10 Minutes you can walk around the whole islet that's how small it is. You will come back to Ston in the afternoon hours.

Day 9: Private boat trip to Elaphiti islands - Lopud and Koločep

Koločep boat trip Dubrovnik
Today in the morning you will explore Dubrovnik Archipelago and Elafiti islands. Some of the most popular ones are Lopud and Koločep as this is the best 1-day boat trip in the area.  Small as they are, with no cars on the islands are the perfect crowd getaway. Both of these islands have only about 100+ people living on them. These islands are also rare places with real sandy beaches on the Dalmatian coast. Most of the coast is rocky and rugged, so places like this are highly appreciated in Croatia. The Lopud island once functioned as the summer residence for Dubrovnik’s nobility, while also being an important agricultural spot, but nowadays tourism became the focal point of the local economy. There is only one village on Lopud with the same name. Lopud and Koločep boat trip The interesting fact is that the highest palm trees on the whole Mediterranean age grow on this little island. Another island - Koločep, is the Southernmost inhabited island in Croatia. It is only 2.4 square miles big, with approximately 100 people living on it during the whole year. There are no cars on Koločep, or as the local people call it Kalamota, and it is great for walking/hiking on it. This jewel of green oases is only 20 minutes from Dubrovnik with a boat and once you walk on it seems like you are somewhere far away from the city crowd. Local secret: on this island, you will find a great little family-run restaurant that serves the best-grilled calamari you will find in Croatia! If you like scenic walks both of these two islands have a beautiful seaside path on the Southside of the islands. Today, you will have options for swimming, snorkeling, easy walking, hiking, and cave visit, you name it. 

Day 10: Dubrovnik old town and the city walls

Dubrovnik and city walls
Dubrovnik- as titled - The Pearl of the Adriatic, UNESCO site with the biggest walls in Europe. You will be introduced to a rich history of Dubrovnik on a guided tour if preferred, where you will be encouraged to ask any questions you might have about this fascinating place. You will walk the main street Stradun, see Onorfious fountain, Rectors palace, Old port, Orlando's column, and more. We suggest walking the city walls, the second biggest in the world. At places, the wall is approximately 75 ft high, which makes it a great sightseeing point to take photos of beautiful scenery. We also recommend visiting Mt SRĐ, where at the very top of the hill still proudly stands a fortress Imperial built at the beginning of the 19th century by Napoleon’s army. At the top of the hill, you will see Dubrovnik and the area as on your palm. You can take the cable car to go to Srđ, hike up, take a taxi, or you will be taken there if part of your program! We are sure you would like to explore the city, so do not be afraid to get lost in many stone streets. The town is quite small and where ever you go you will end with the walls, or just go down and you will always end on the level of the main street. In the last couple of years, Dubrovnik gained some popularity by being Kings Landing in the series Game of Thrones, so you might recognize a few movie locations as you walk around. Dubrovnik is full of restaurants and there are lots of options to choose from for lunch or dinner. If you would like to go for a swim, on both sides of the Old town there are pebble beaches! Enjoy!

Day 11: Departure from Dubrovnik or extension

Dubrovnik city walls Dalmatian islands soul of croatia acdc
Today is your departure day. You will be transferred to the airport in accordance with your schedule! Thank you very much for visiting Croatia, hope you had a nice time while exploring, and that you will go home with nice memories! Those who are staying extra time in Croatia will be given instructions according to their schedule. If someone would like to stay more in Dubrovnik on their own or extend their stay in Croatia, we will be happy to help or assist in any way.
Additional notes
All of our trips as private ones at the moment. Any of our trips can be customized towards individual wishes, preferences, and budget! This trip can be done in a self-guided version as well! Feel free to request a call for more details.
Included
    • Airport transfers, to/from
    • 10 nights’ accommodation
    • National parks’ entrance fees
    • Ground transportation – private vehicle
    • Gas, tolls, parking
    • Licensed English-speaking local driver-guide
    • Private city tours of Split and Dubrovnik
    • Local tax and fees
    • VAT
Not included
    • International airfare to/from Croatia
    • Food and drinks
    • Optional trips
    • What is not mentioned as included
Price

    Please contact us for pricing info at info@soulofcroatia.com

    The price depends on the time of the year, number of people and level of accommodation.

Contact

Think outside the box. Your trip can be anything you choose it to be. We can customize any kind of itinerary, so feel free to choose any combination of activities or places or add something from your bucket list and contact us to create your perfect trip.







    Reviews

    Nov 9. 2023 byCindy C

    The real deal

    If you are coming to Croatia I heartily recommend Roberto P / Soul of Croatia to make your trip memorable and trouble free. Robi is an excellent organizer and very knowledgeable guide. He designed a cycling trip that gave me and my husband just the right amount of challenge and I finished feeling great. Croatia is so beautiful and he is incredibly generous with true insider info and connections. I will never forget the experiences and memories he made for us - and I have never before laughed so hard on a guided trip. I truly felt like he brought the Soul of Croatia to us.

    Oct 24. 2023 byJoanneK

    Amazing vacation in Croatia

    First time that we've been moved to make a post like this but just returned from a week long cycling trip in Croatia that is easily among the best vacations we have ever taken largely due to the expert organization and guidance provided by Robi of Soul of Croatia. Every day was truly a new adventure highlighted by beautiful rides, exceptional views, gorgeous weather, wonderful local food and people and Robi's commitment to ensuring that we fully enjoyed and appreciated the diversity and rich history that this beautiful country offers. Like everybody else in our group, we cannot wait to make a return trip and highly recommend Robi/Soul of Croatia to any others contemplating a trip to this part of the world. Thanks again Robi and we look forward to seeing you again soon. Michael and Joanne K

    Oct 24. 2023 byMaggie

    A Most Amazing Cycling Trip

    Our cycling trip with Roberto was one of the best trips I have ever taken. And this is the second cycling trip I have done with Roberto. I didn’t possibly think he could outdo the excellence of the first trip, but Roberto did. The second trip also exceeded all of my expectations. Our group of eight friends were taken on a private Cycling tour carefully customized to meet all of our needs. Roberto picked daily Cycling adventures which brought us to exquisitely beautiful places in Croatia, and each day was more beautiful than the last. Roberto’s knowledge of Croatia, his connections to the local people, his passion for the history and customs of every place that we visited, could not be replicated by anyone else. Roberto personally took us on a tour of the old city of Dubrovnik, as well as the city of Ston, and he constantly provided us with knowledge of the local areas. Roberto chose restaurants for us, which were excellent and which served traditional delicious Croatian cuisine. Roberto had personal connections to many of the restaurants and wineries we visited which meant we were provided with the highest level of service. Both before, and after our trip, Roberto assisted us with any other excursions and bookings we were interested in. After our trip was complete he personally took us on a boat tour where we swam in amazing caves. It was an exceptional trip, and I cannot recommend Roberto and Soul of Croatia highly enough to anybody who would like to experience Croatia as it should be experienced.

    SEE ALL REVIEWS CREATE YOUR OWN REVIEW

    Featured Trips

    7 Days

    7 Days: Multisport active – South Croatia and Dubrovnik

    7 Days

    7 Days: Cycling in Southern Croatia – Dalmatian Islands, Dubrovnik and Ston

    11 Days

    11 Days: Classic highlights of Croatia: inland, islands and coastline