Croatia and Bosnia Small Group Tour Sarajavo to Porec 12nts (CANCELLED FROM 2023)

Itinerary

CANCELLED FROM 2023 ONWARDS:
MONDAY: 25Sep2023 only


Similar available tours: https://www.discovercroatia.com.au/tours/small-group-tours/

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Previous Itinerary:

13 days Guided Tour from Sarajevo to Porec (Trieste)

Open age Small Group Tour (maximum 19 people). Double bed or twin bed rooms available. Most triple rooms are a double bed with a single bed. Solo travellers must book a double/twin for solo use with a solo use supplement.

Enjoy two days in fascinating Sarajevo to begin this amazing journey. Then we travel the whole length of the Adriatic coastline of Croatia, beginning with the magnificent Dubrovnik. From there, an oyster farm boat ride with lunch and wines on the way to charming maritime Orebic and the medieval island of Korcula. Dinner at a Pelješac winery. Guided visit to the 3rd century Diocletian’s Palace at Split. A morning walk along the trails of the splendid Plitvice Lakes National Park, home to a thousand waterfalls, then to Istria.

INCLUDED:
• Pickup Sarajevo airport
• 12 nights’ 4 and 5 star hotel accommodations
• Tourist accommodation tax
• All ground transportation and porterage Days 2-12
• All breakfasts, 7 dinners and 1 lunch, beverages included
• All activities and admissions listed in Highlights
• Full time professional Tour Manager
• Drop-off Pula airport; Trieste airport, city center & train station
• All activities and admissions listed under Highlights

Highlights:
• City walking tours with local guides in: Sarajevo, Mostar, Dubrovnik, Korčula, Split, Zadar, Poreč and Pula
• War Tunnel Museum Sarajevo
• Turkish House Mostar
• Dubrovnik Walls Walk
• Rector’s Palace Museum Dubrovnik
• The Great Wall of Croatia at Ston
• Mali Ston Oyster Boat Trip
• Korčula visit
• Dinner at a Pelješac winery
• Diocletian’s Palace Split
• Plitvice Lakes National Park
• Basilica Euphrasian Poreč
• Istrian winery visit
• Amphitheater in Pula

NOT INCLUDED:
• Tips and gratuities
• Meals/drinks not listed


ITINERARY:

Day 1 Sarajevo (D)
Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a meeting point of East and West, multi-cultural and multi religious. It’s a colorful town full of coffee houses, restaurants and shops, a gracious and congenial people that defy expectations.
Afternoon welcome meeting at hotel and an orientation walk through the historic district and Welcome Dinner.

Day 2 Sarajevo (B)
During the Bosnian war of independence Sarajevo was blockaded for three and a half years (1991-1995) the longest siege of a capital city in modern history. Morning guided visit of the old town followed by a trip to the Tunnel of Hope, a half-mile underground passage constructed during the siege that was the only link to the outside world and a conduit for people, food, medical supplies and weapons. Afternoon and evening on your own

Day 3 Mostar to Dubrovnik (B,D)
Mostar is the main city of the southern part of Bosnia-Herzegovina, on the banks of the Neretva river. Under the Ottoman Empire, Mostar became an important trading hub, where Jews, Christians and Muslims traded and lived side by side. The result was that Mostar became a melting pot of cultures and nationalities. The centerpiece of Mostar is the Old Bridge, commissioned by the Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century. Destroyed during the war in 1993 the bridge was rebuilt using the original materials and reopened in 2004.
Time for lunch on your own at one of the many riverside restaurants after which we’ll cross the border into Croatia and transfer to fabulous Dubrovnik, the pearl of the Adriatic, where we’ll spend two nights. Included dinner inside the walled city.

Day 4 Dubrovnik (B)
The magnificent Republic of Dubrovnik (also called Ragusa) was founded in the 7th century by Greco-Roman refugees. Initially subject to Byzantium, the city was later under Venetian control. Then it effectively became an independent city-state under the kingdom of Hungary and later the Ottoman Empire. It was one of the most powerful economic centers in the Adriatic. Dubrovnik’s magnificent walls were constructed from the 12th to the 17th centuries. Our morning begins with a walk along these walls, followed by a local guide tour of the city and a visit to the Rector’s Palace. Evening on your own.

Day 5 Ston to Orebic (B)
Departure for the village of Ston. The Great Wall of Croatia, the longest fortress system in Europe, was built from the 15th to the 17th centuries to protect its (still functioning) salt flats, a precious commodity in those times. The wall is 5 km long, has 3 forts, 7 bastions and 41 towers and for those willing we’ll walk the walls that encompass the town. Boat excursion on the bay of Mali Ston where we’ll visit an oyster farm, harvest some oysters and enjoy them as an antipasto to our included lunch and wines on board. Transfer to lovely Orebić on the Pelješac Peninsula waterfront where we’ll stay two nights. Evening on your own to wander this small seaside village and enjoy dining at one of the boutique restaurants.

Day 6 Orebic – Korcula Excursion (B,D)
In the 19th century Orebić was renowned for shipbuilding and boasted 90 large sailing ships of its own that plied the world’s oceans. We’ll begin this morning at the Maritime museum. A short ferry ride will take us to Korčula, one of the best preserved medieval towns of the Mediterranean. It’s long past includes Illyrians, Greeks, Romans and Venetians. After our guided tour you’ll have time to explore the narrow lanes and visit the house of Marco Polo. Early evening visit to a local Pelješac winery for a taste of their Plavac Mali wines and enjoy an included dinner.

Day 7 Makarska to Split (B,D)
Croatia offers one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines, 3,900 miles in all with 1,234 islands. Mid morning stop in the sunny coastal town of Makarska where we’ll explore its picturesque harbor. Transfer to the city of Split on the Adriatic Sea. We’ll be staying two nights, just a few minutes walk to the historic district. Included dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

Day 8 Split (B)
Diocletian was emperor of Rome from 284 – 305 AD. The only emperor to voluntarily abdicate, he had constructed a massive retirement palace covering 10 acres in his homeland of Dalmatia. Having survived centuries of refugees and squatters, core elements of the palace are still prominent today, including all of the ground floor rooms and corridors. We’ll begin the day with a fascinating guided tour of the palace and the historic center of Split. Evening free to have an aperitif or dinner inside the splendidly illuminated remains of Diocletian’s Palace.

Day 9 Zadar to Plitvice Lakes (B,D)
Zadar is one of the Adriatic’s most interesting historical (and beautiful) towns, dating back some 3,000 years. Lying on a peninsula, it rose to prominence in Antiquity with a seafaring and merchant people known as Liburnians and then as a Roman province from the time of Augustus. After the Fall power changed hands numerous times over 1600 years with the longest periods of domination by Byzantines, Venetians and Austrians. The urban grid of Zadar was laid out by the Romans but its aspect remains decidedly medieval. Our local guide will illuminate all and you’ll have time for your own explorations afterwards. Transfer to the Plitvice Lakes, Croatia’s most popular attraction, where we’ll be staying just outside the National Park. Included dinner.

Day 10 Plitvice Lakes to Rovinj (B,D)
Plitvice Lakes National Park is a phenomenon of Karst hydrography comprised of beautiful lakes, magnificent waterfalls, caves, virgin forests of beech and fir and hosting numerous species of orchids, butterflies, birds and bats as well as bears, boar, wolves and owls.
Our visit will include a train ride to the upper lakes, an hour and a half walk down to the middle lakes, a boat ride across the biggest lake, lunch, then another walk to the lower lakes and the Great Waterfall which tumbles down 256 feet into the Sastavci Hollow.
Transfer to Rovinj, on the Istrian Peninsula. Rovinj has a lovely waterfront setting, a charming old town with cobblestone streets and an attractive marina. We’ll spend our last three nights on tour. Included dinner.

Day 11 Rovinj – Porec Excursion (B)
Morning free in Rovinj. The historical highlight of Poreč, the 6th Century Basilica of Euphrasius, beautifully ornamented with Byzantine mosaics, is the first stop on our afternoon guided visit today. Late afternoon we will have an ample taste of Istrian wines shared by a local vintner. Dinner on your own in Rovinj.

Day 12 Rovinj – Pula Excursion (B,D)
Pula‘s scenic location is at the southern end of the Istrian peninsula. The abundance of ancient Roman architecture, the main feature being the well-preserved and dominating Roman amphitheater right in the middle of the city, set against a sparkling sea makes a spectacular backdrop for our final day excursion. Afternoon free in Rovinj. Farewell dinner in the historic center.

Day 13 Departure to Trieste or Pula (B)
09:00 transfer to Trieste city center. Trieste and Pula airports on request.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner
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