Life is filled with a plethora of delicious places to explore, and in a world where you have so many options for having an unforgettable, gastronomic adventure, it is sometimes difficult to choose where to go. That is why this custom-curated, 12-day gastronomy tour offers an elite adventure in Croatia amid a world of wonder, beauty, and intrigue. Beginning from the stunning shores of Dubrovnik, winding your way to Split, and stopping by Plitvice National Park and Zagreb, you will be provided with...
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Dubrovnik - Be Introduced to Dubrovnik on a Sunset Dinner Sail
The moment that you arrive in Dubrovnik, your private driver will whisk you away to your luxurious accommodation. After you become settled into your hotel, your adventure will begin immediately as you set sail for a sunset dinner aboard a 16th-century karaka replica.
While you relax and dine on a delicious array of Dalmatian dishes and glide along the azure waters of the Adriatic, you will already feel all of the worries and stress of your everyday as they sail away as well. After delighting an awe-inspiring sunset, your private driver will return you to your luxurious hotel for the remainder of the evening.
What’s Included: airport transfer, accommodation, tour, dinner
What's Included:
Day 2
Dubrovnik - Pamper Your Palette on a Peljesac Peninsula Wine Tour
Day 3
Dubrovnik – Explore the Old City and Sail to Lokrum Island
Day 4
Dubrovnik – Be Regaled with Fun Foodie Stories in the Konavle Valley
Day 5
Dubrovnik - Discover What is So Sweet About Croatian Honey
Day 6
Dubrovnik - Embark on a Tasting Tour as You Sail to the Elafiti Islands
Day 7
Split - Witness the Best of Split and Learn All About Local Olive Oils
Day 8
Split - Join a Cooking Class on a Sunlit Sail and Enjoy an Authentic Peka Meal
Day 9
Plitvice - Roam Romantic Plitvice Park and Dine at a Local Tavern
Day 10
Zagreb – Wander Zagreb’s Upper Town Before Whipping Up a Feast
Day 11
Zagreb - Enjoy Wine and Cheese by Day and a Truffle Hunt by Night
Day 12
Zagreb – Partake in a Lovely Brunch Before Saying Goodbye
Trip Highlights
- Enjoy a delicious and romantic sunset sail off of the Dubrovnik shores, while dining on delectable Dalmatian dishes and watching the sun fade below the horizon
- Spend a full day of discovering the sweet secrets of Croatian honey as you venture to an actual working bee farm and are led on an up-close tour of its inner workings
- Explore all things wine and cheese and venture on an exciting evening truffle hunt that will be complete with a headlamp, professional hunting dogs, and an expert guide
- Be regaled with fascinating foodie facts as you explore the Konavle Valley, where you will be told historical stories and given samplings of local fare that are specific to the region
- Discover the delicious delights of Croatia’s capital city in Zagreb’s Upper Town while wandering among the famed Dolac Market, Zagreb Cathedral, and more
- Sip your way through a private wine tour in the stunning Peljesac Peninsula, sampling local blends and learning all about the production process of the region’s most decadent elixirs
- Indulge in a behind-the-scenes look at the amazing world of olive oil on a private tour, which will include stops at luscious vineyards that will allow you to sample some of the best olive oils that are made onsite
- Sail on an authentic, 16th-century karaka, while enjoying a scrumptious feast that is filled with the most delectable Dalmatian dishes
- Immerse yourself on a tasting tour and sail to the Elaphiti Islands, where you will bask in the sun as you cruise the gorgeous waters
Detailed Description
It is a well-known fact that food has always tied humans together, and its universal appeal and common bonding power are remarkably beneficial and enjoyable. There is perhaps no better way to experience this phenomenon than to have an authentic taste of it on a luxurious, 12-day gourmet tour through Croatia.
This custom-tailored adventure has been crafted with you in mind, and it caters to your impeccable and elite palette by offering nothing but the best gourmet experiences that this Eastern European gem gas to offer. If savory Dalmatian cuisine, fine wines, exquisitely aged cheese make your mouth water, then you will adore the delicious outings of discovery and fine dining that await your arrival.
Your 12-day gourmet excursion will begin in the seaside haven of Dubrovnik, where you will spend your first evening in Croatia dining aboard an authentic, 16th-century karaka replica on a sunset dinner sail. The following day will find you perusing the palette-pleasing treasures of the gorgeous Peljesac Peninsula on a full day’s wine tour.
Dubrovnik’s ancient Old City, which was made famous by HBO’s Game of Thrones, will be your next stop. Here, as you make your way through the mazes of side streets, narrow alleyways, and charming buildings, you will be amazed by the impeccably preserved landmarks of this unique locale. After exploring the mainland highlights, an island expedition to nearby Lokrum Island awaits you, and this is where you will end your evening with a delicious dessert and nightcap.
Also adding to the enjoyment of your time in Dubrovnik is a wondrous day of being regaled with fascinating foodie facts, myths, stories, and tales that are directly tied to the Konavle Valley. You will also spend a day of learning about and sampling local honey before delighting in a full day’s sail to the Elaphiti Islands.
Shortly after, Split will welcome you and invite you to explore its most exciting locales on an in-depth tour. You will then dive into the interesting world of olive oil to see what is required to create the perfect blend. Indulging in a private cooking class while cruising along the Adriatic on a yacht is also on your agenda in addition to enjoying a local favorite: an authentic Peka meal.
The day following your sail, you will venture to Plitvice National Park, and after exploring this waterfall-filled wonderland, you will enjoy an evening stop at the nearby Rastoke Village. Here, you will enjoy an authentic Croatian dinner at one of the village’s beloved taverns. The next stop on your journey will be Zagreb, which is where your first gourmet adventure will be a private walking tour of the Upper Town. As you visit its famous landmarks and gaze in awed appreciation at the beauty of its architecture and charming streets, you will fall in love with this country’s capital city. Culminating your first evening in Zagreb with a private cooking class that is hosted a master chef will be a perfect end to your initial day in Zagreb.
Your final day in Zagreb will find you on an adventure of discovery as you delve into the world of wine and cheese. After learning the histories of this dynamic duo and tasting the best local offerings, you will be provided with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to partake in an actual evening truffle hunt.
Your luxurious accommodations have all been carefully handpicked for your ultimate enjoyment in mind, and private transportation has already been arranged to effortlessly transfer you to and from each desired destination. This adventure is also extremely flexible, so you can alter any part of it to better cater to your moods and desires once you are in Croatia. Your only concern for this entire Croatian vacation is deciding what to sample, see, and enjoy next.Looking for the best Croatia travel ideas? Consider browsing our Croatia travel reviews page.
Starting Price
$3,900 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.91 stars based on 1339 reviews.
Our travel guide was excellent. Our hotels were perfect and, from the beginning, he accommodated all of my requests, including my need for gluten-free foods. And during the trip, when my daughter got sick, he arranged for a doctor to come to the hotel.
Reviewed By Julie Q.
Croatia is a beautiful country to visit. The people we met and the guides we had were all fantastic, professional, knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. Every place we visited, even the more crowded tourist areas, felt very safe.
Our Zicasso travel agent worked really closely with us right from the beginning to make sure the trip gave our family the balance of exploration, relaxation, learning, and adventure that we look for on our vacations. Every aspect of our trip – every tour, every driver, every dinner, everything – flowed exactly as we had planned it.
Reviewed By Julia S.
Our Zicasso travel agent's communication was incredible! She was fast, professional, and always thorough. Everything she planned for us was of such high quality! It was perfect!
Reviewed By Karen W.
Zicasso's travel consultant was so helpful in designing a near-perfect trip for our group of eight travelers. We visited Croatia and Greece. In the planning stages, she was patient yet persistent in moving us toward finalizing the trip. The hotel recommendations and sightseeing choices were, for the most part, outstanding. The ground transfer arrangements were perfect. Most of all, her recommendation for the right Greek island for our group's needs was spot on.
Reviewed By Ann M.
Before our trip, Zicasso's travel specialist assured us we would have an amazing, worry-free trip through Slovenia and Croatia. We most certainly did!!
She had us in beautiful, centrally located hotels, on exciting daily excursions with knowledgeable tour guides, and even on a private speedboat ride!! Our journey included historic sites, wonderful museums, and hikes through caverns, waterfalls, and fortresses!!
Any questions we had were answered in the moment, completely and respectfully! Thank you so much to our travel specialist for her caring attention to detail and for making our trip truly memorable!!
Reviewed By Darlene Z.
The entire nine days of travel from Slovenia to Montenegro were seamless as far as being picked up at the arrival airport and departure as planned. Transportaion was on schedule, which was important to me in a foreign country and eliminated any stress. Each private guide and/or driver throughout our trip was courteous and spoke English, which avoided any misunderstanding about all the wonderful sites we saw.
Lake Bled was absolutely wonderful. The guide parked the van at this family home four blocks from the lake and introduced us to his mother and sister, who welcomed us, and we saw how they lived in this beautiful village. The walk of four blocks to the lake also gave us the opportunity to see more of this quaint place to live. Since the lake does not allow power boats, we and about 20 other people were rowed to the island, where an ancient church was located. We found out that this family, in the past, were the caretakers of the island and our tour guide had to row himself to the shore to go to school and, in the winter, skate to school every day.
Next, we were driven to the castle on top of a small mountain, which had a perfect, 360-degree view of the area. Beautiful!
The next day we went to Plitvice Lakes National Park, with too many waterfalls to count and water that looked as crystal clear as any natural water I have ever seen. The four-kilometer walk upstream was nothing like I've ever seen in the USA.
We spent the night in a wonderful mountain lodge, with individual lodges and an upper-end-style bed and breakfast theme.
Split was a city with parts dating back to the third century, with many Roman influences in its many buildings.
Mostar in Bosnia was very interesting and had a central arch-style bridge which seemed to be a central point for all to see. There was so much we saw that it is too much to describe here.
We also stopped at a wine tasting at the most modern winery I've ever been to. It even had 12 guest rooms, with a pool.
On our way to Dubrovnik, we stopped at Ston to have an unbelievable lunch. At the restaurant, we had an oyster tasting of fresh oysters being farmed several hundred yards from the restaurant. We were served oysters three ways, from raw to fried and baked, and they were the best I will ever eat in my life.
We next went to Dubrovnik, which was particularly interesting to me because it is where Game of Thrones was filmed. Our guide was excellent, as he worked as a "roadie" for the film company, helping set the scenes by taking down modern signs or anything modern, and putting them back after filming. He had large screen shots in a spiral binder and would take us to a cove and hold up the screen shot of the actual scene from the movie to show us the similarity. His behind-the-scenes knowledge of the actors and the reaction from the town and church was beyond expectations. My wife and I were fans of GOT and so excited that we are going to watch if all again one day.
Our last day was in Montenegro, which again was beautiful, and we spent the day next to the water there. We were ferried to a man-made island with an old church on it.
Overall, the Adriatic Sea along the coast of these countries was one of the most beautiful stretches of water you could imagine.
Our expectations of this tour were met and exceeded.
Reviewed By Sandra H.
