A perfect mix of history and cultural immersion, with personal stories from or guide, and plenty of time for individual exploration of the towns. We also loved some of our surprise stops, like a ski jumping facility in the Julian Alps! Also all the Roman ruins i got to see.". The strategy to start at the top and make our way downwards through the park to rather than start from the main entrance not only avoided a lot of foot traffic, but also was a better way to see the waterfalls, at the end each lake rather than at the beginning.". Outstanding guides, outstanding itinerary, outstanding meals, outstanding lodgings, and an outstanding group of travel companions on the tour. Cherished memories & priceless! There were a couple of places I wish we could have stayed at longer; the ampitheater in Puna, and Plitvice. He talked about the effect on his town and, more personally, on himself and his family. We will definitely use Rick Steves again! While we did everything as described in the tour itinerary, there was so much more. I came with anticipation that each day would be an adventure of learning the history, culture, and natural beauty of the Adriatic countries. Barbara made things easy, as most good guides do. "Split, Dubrovnik fortress/castle city, and Adriatic Sea were wonderful. Amazing! "I was very surprised with Slovenia. No two were exactly the same.". 7 reviews Ask a Question Check Availability Best of Croatia and Slovenia (18 Days) 18 days 4.6 (7) From Zagreb to Split In-depth Cultural Family Private Fully Guided Ocean Cruise Sightseeing Historical Tour Operator: Trafalgar Max group size: 48 Age range: 5 to 99 Operated in: English Tour id: 178146 Hygiene Measures: Included Private available: It was worth the two year wait! "How clean the countries are. The month with the most departures is September, making it the most popular time to visit Croatia And Slovenia. ", "Walking the wall in Dubrovnik was amazing but there were so many!". So many wonderful memories. I love the fact that transportation and accommodations are taken care of. Special praise for our tour guide, Saso Golub; he set the tone for a wonderful experience. Awesome guide, bus driver & fellow tour members. He taught us an amazing amount, including both history, customs, and regional issues/ challenges. The Rick Steves' philosophy of community building and just the right amount of on your own time made the trip--plus this is a very interesting part of the world and worth every minute.". Ben is a wonderful guide and shepherded our group through our two weeks together with expert care and enthusiasm for the areas we visited. The food was great, the unique experiences were forever memories. An absolutely wonderful experience. I met wonderful, fun people who always add to the experiences. Sleep in an Istrian hill town. BEST OF CROATIA AND SLOVENIA TOUR STARTING IN ZAGREB Day 1 Zagreb airport transfer & Zagreb city tour. "Plitvice Lakes National Park. It also included many amazing stops in remote villages with delicious meals. Days 11. We'll begin our day with a short ferry ride back to the mainland and then continue our journey along the Peljeac Peninsula, famous for its Plavac Mali wine. "There were many very interesting moments. The tour was well planned and executed throughout. Light walking: 24 miles throughout the day on mostly level terrain. It was wonderful. Couldn't have asked for more. Best of the Balkans . It was a very different trip than I usually take. Sleep in Bovec. Then Croatia. Overall, a perfect vacation, "This is going to be difficult as each site of interest on the tour exceeded my expectations. In 14 days, we saw a lot, learned a lot, and experienced a lot. Best of Croatia and Slovenia Tour | Grand European Travel Very knowledgeable, kept everyone educated as well as entertained. The discussions and tours of the recent history in the region was eye-opening. Our tour manager in Venice, Arianna , was excellent. Our guide was great, personable, and very knowledgeable about every place we visited. Avoid going topless on other beaches. Our leader, Mariam, was outstanding! Well organized and offered a variety of experiences. We were introduced to wine makers, historians, farmers raising donkeys, war survivors, beautiful nature, architectural delights, some great people moments, and as a vegetarian I was touched by the accommodations made on my behalf. If this is touring, I love it. The Kremsnita cream cake at Lake Bled was almost as good as the beautiful views. The main guide was excellent. "Having a glass of wine overlooking the sea in Rovinj.". That might be the WOW if we had to pick just one. Visited interesting, beautiful and historic places. "Plitvice Lakes--the reason I went. This was an area I had read about but it turned out to be so much better than I expected. For me it was the combination of beautiful vistas, learning more about former Yugoslavia (even the hard stuff) and experiencing Roman and Medieval architecture. We could not have planned our trip better than RS tour, "See Croatia Islands, the sea, and landscapes!". This was our first RS tour and we loved it -- we will be back for more RS tours. At the top of my list is our magical walk through Plitvice Lakes National Park!". Just like a fairly-land.". "Probably the most memorable experience was the visit to the tekke at Blagaj built in 1522. Also, Ljubljana and Mostar were delightful surprises.". We'll learn about the city's rich history as we tour its traffic-free promenade and old harbor. Our guide, Mariam Abdelghani, was most enthusiastic, informed and exceeded at putting her whole heart into making this an outstanding tour for all. He spoke very passionately and made us see that incredibly sad time in their history, through his eyes. We saw many aspects of the landscape in this beautiful part of the world I previously knew little about. "Korcula was a real treat! Best of Croatia & Slovenia :: Tours of Croatia As with the other two, this tour experience was outstanding. Motovun for its hilltop uniqueness. If I had to narrow it down to two, I would say the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge) in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzgovinia and Lake Bled, Slovenia.". Great food! It was an active tour that allowed me to join as much or as little as I wanted. Dinners are too long and too late, finished up after 9 twice. "Walking inside and on top of the Dobrovnik walls (after seeing it in game of thrones).". I thought the tour was wonderful. Nice blend of group and time on your own. Black risotto and black tagliatelle from cuttlefish ink are traditional dishes we sampled on our own.". Best of Croatia and Slovenia Tour 2023 | Trafalgar Home Tours Best of Croatia and Slovenia 4.5 176 reviews Best of Croatia and Slovenia Discover the Balkans Choose a classic journey or extend to cruise the Adriatic Sea Save Big 2023 Was $2,225 Save up to $325 From $2,003 Find this price Available Dates Easy Quote Your itinerary Dates & prices "The beautiful waterfalls at Plitvice Lakes National Park were breathtaking.". Plitvice Lakes National Park was magical. The hotels were good and the food/wine was always generous and delicious. The local guides were also great. Sanel our guide was great. I want to travel in a maximum group size of up to: Copyright TourRadar. "Dobrovnik and walking the castle walls.". Her concern for the enjoyment of everyone and love for the people in her country made the tour feel more like we were "temporarily visiting" rather than "vacationing". Sleep in an Istrian hill town. All of the local guides were exceptional as well, giving us a detailed understanding of the various sites we visited. Great itinerary. I also was grateful for the extremely informative and engaging "city tours" provided in a few key sites provided by local, knowledgable tour guides. Each one has included exceptional tour guides and local guides, and great balance of organized time and individual time, and daily highlights. Outstanding is an understatement. It was a positive experience. Marjan was such an amazing, knowledgeable and gracious tour host. A great city to start the tour.". "I have 3. Plitvice Lakes, Lake Bled, Ljubljana, Diocletan's Palace, and Dubrovnik city wall. Best of Croatia and Slovenia 11 Days 11 Locations 2 Countries 11 Day Croatia and Slovenia Tour from Zagreb to Dubrovnik FROM $2,225 Easy Quote View Trip Save up to $509 Quick View 4.6 Highlights of Austria, Slovenia and Croatia 14 Days Be it on land or sea, walking or adventure cruising - Croatia will have you in the palm of its hand. Hes a gem. Sleep with street noise and no (or weak) air conditioning. The itinerary (Best of the Adriatic in 14 Days) was extraordinary. The Top 3: Highlights of Austria, Slovenia and Croatia (End Vienna, 14 Days) 14 Days, $3975.00. 11 Days: Trafalgar: First Class: Escorted: Zagreb: Dubrovnik: Croatia, Slovenia-20%. Hang out by the harbor, or walk the art-lined streets to the Church of St. Euphemia and learn the surprising legend of how the saint's sarcophagus got there. Begin the day with a tour of Croatia's gracious capital city. It was different from my expectation. Swimming off the rocks at Rovinj was very memorable!!". Our guide Saso was excellent, knowledgeable, and entertaining. "Actually there were two "wow" moments. Then you'll be free to roam this stone city and its walkable walls that seem to have sprouted up out of the sea. View Tour. It was like being in the Middle East but still being in Europe. The standard cabin on your cruise is located on the ship's lower deck. This tour has it all; mountains, lakes, the sea, cities small enough to enjoy the unique wonders of each one and warm and passionate people moving forward from a troubled past. At times, we felt that we were literally surrounded by thundering waterfalls! My one complaint is that the stretch from Lake Bled to Motovun felt like we were driving around in circles and not taking time to enjoy some of the stops along the way. Croatia was breathtakingly beautiful and Bosnia was sobering but interesting to see the countrys comeback from their recent war. However, the months of April, May, September, and October offer the best combination of smaller crowds, milder weather, and the full range of tourist fun. The presentation in the Kobarid WWI Museum was excellent and unexpected at such a small museum.". Met some great people and Sanel did a good job managing everyones needs. When out shopping, avoid haggling over prices in Slovenia as this is frowned upon. Any time between April and October is a good time to take a Best of the Adriatic tour. "My first wow moment of the trip and probably my favorite was upon visiting Pula and seeing the almost intact amphitheater. The tour opened up so much of Europe that is gorgeous and friendly, places that we never thought to visit given our childhoods of Soviet and Tito control. "It is difficult to highlight just one. Really fun and informative tour. Be on your feet, walking and standing, for up to three hours, indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions. Tour stops well planned and interesting. "not a single moment, Lake Bled, Plitvice lakes were nice. Mariam was an outstanding guide who led our group with compassion and deep understanding of the history and culture of Slovenia, Bosnia, and Croatia. He was always upbeat and friendly and we enjoyed getting to know him. ", We saw, experienced, and learned so many things in a part of the world that had been unfamiliar to us, "One evening after a waterfront dinner in Korcula, I heard singing, and then came upon a group of 7 men and a woman singing in Croatian a cappella. An enchanting wood board trail. p.s. I found the Bosnian guides especially eye-opening and poignant with their personal stories about the war. I loved Ljubljana, such a relaxed place, I could imagine living there. This is the second group tour I've done with Rick Steve's Tours and the attention to detail is second to none. The local guide in Stolac gave me a sense of how powerless and desperate most ordinary Bosnians were when the war came to their village. This Rick Steves Tour produced an experienced itinerary of interesting sites to see while expertly managing the logistics, comfort, informative guides, and both educational and recreational opportunities. Anyone and everyone that I talk with about traveling, I urge to join a RS tour. This was our fourth Rick Steves tour (previously did Turkey, Greece, and Sicily). My first Rick Steves tour far exceeded my expectations. "Slovenia was surprisingly beautiful. Darija was an excellent guide and the group was filled with interesting people. 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | CST# 2086743 | Tour members add a lot of fun. "We did think, "Wow, looks like we can't get a second glass of wine at some point during our opening night dinner", but seriously, hiking in the Plitvice, walking the walls in Dubrovnik, listening to the WWI stories at the museum in Kobarid, pondering conflict in Bosnia, were all moments to cherish. One was pure undiluted natural beauty, the other an ancient walled city/ state set on the Adriatic. This tour was very thoughtfully laid out, with a good balance between guided tours, group activities and independent time. We had fabulous guides, Saso and Katrina; wonderful tour mates, superb group meals, fun experiences every day, almost enough free time, and lots of opportunity to learn about the area. Our vacation away from our vacation in Korcula was timely and a nice place to spend our free time with a swim in the Adriatic, dining at restaurants in a narrow side street or overlooking the water. The alpine beauty of Lake Bled is high on the list along with the Croatian coast line. We found the tour to meet or exceed all of our expectations. The Adriatic Sea is absolutely beautiful! Best of Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina Tour We were exposed to so much new information and so many new experiences. Overall pacing and time on our own versus guided was pretty balanced. I am a retired professional Historian and appreciate the importance of someone providing the historical context before doing the walkabout. Our tour manager in Croatia & Slovenia, Primoz , was outstanding and fun! Walking through the little town of Stolac with Edo, our local guide and learning about the war and destruction of the 1990's was very emotional. The Adriatic tour is FANTASTIC. Barbara, our tour guide, was terrific. ", "Pleetvice National Park and ruin of roman amphitheater.". I enjoyed the special experiences -- off the beat and path -- engaging with locals. This is a very active tour! In fact, Croatia has it all. Our tour guide, Saso, was a strong and personable leader. We had excellent guides throughout our tour. Not only are these countries beautiful but there is so much history surrounding them. All of the hotels were great and the staff very helpful. And I have to say this either ties with our favorite tour Turkey or is a very close second. Great trip with an excellent guide, Mariam. I enjoyed all the varied things we saw and did. The included food was ample and good and often times exceptional. "Plitvice Falls, It had been raining for several days, with trails around the upper lakes being closed. This was our third Rick Steves' tour. I enjoyed it alleven the difficult things. The history we learned was interesting, inspiring and thought-provoking. Croatia Tours & Trips 2023/2024. First of all Ben was a wonderful Guide. Local guides were very good. I've read different accounts of life before, during, and after Yugoslavia, but comments and lectures from various guides were enlightening. The tour was well-organized, with a good balance of scheduled time and free time. Slovenia Tours & Vacation Packages 2023/2024 - Slovenia literally has the word Love in the meaning of its name, . You'll have all morning to hike along rustic boardwalk trails connecting the idyllic forests, travertine stone cliffs, clear blue lakes, and gushing waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes National Park. "My wow moment was listening to Edo, our local guide in Stolac, talk about the Bosnian war of the early 90s. 12 reviews. Our guide Mariam, brought the history, culture, and even the geological environment to life. Great tour guide. After lunch we'll continue to Dubrovnik, arriving at our hotel in the Lapad district in time for your guide to orient you to this Pearl of the Adriatic. is a WOW, WOW & WOW!! We've traveled independently for many years and have made liberal use of Rick Steves books and walking tours which always made our travel more interesting, but we feel like we got much more out of this trip because of our exceptional guides and truly enjoyable group of friendly travel companions. He was a superb guide. The first was the magnificent beauty of Plitvice National Park; water falls everywhere you looked. The places traveled, the outstanding guide, the local guides, were all remarkably superior to anything I had imagined. and a hike around Lake Bled. Bus: 4 hours. The city was beautiful with the high walls and wall walk. The Adriatic tour was the best way to see SE Europe. It is a rare gem of several cascading lakes through a multitude of amazing and picturesque waterfalls.". Powerful sense of East meeting West, and peace after tragic wars of the 1990s.". Another great Rick Steves tour! I really enjoyed our group everyone was so nice and friendly..Daria was a great source of information , very helpful, loved our bus driver too! i like the unusual experiences, the farm with a home cooked meal, the wine and cheese, in Slovenia, at a local home, eating grapes off the vine, walking around Lake Bled, with an umbrella, going to Plitvitc National park for the 2nd time in my life- How lucky am I. Korcula was a fairy tell experience, eating chese and wine on a boat ride - sunset!!". She exudes enthusiasm for her country and shares so much personal experience to make the trip really come alive and meaningful. The only disappointment was losing 18 of 27 of our 'merry band of travelers' to Covid. It would have been very difficult to fit all the different experiences in if I were to plan this trip on my own. This evening, your guide will introduce you to Mostar with an orientation walk and a traditional Bosnian dinner together. Well organized tour with wealth of information. Bath in the turquoise waters of Zlatni Rat, party at Hvar's famous beach bars, or avoid the crowds for a dip in the emerald-green lakes of Mljet. To learn that it was still in use for events today was heartwarming. It was great to have local tour guides at most places to tell us about the history/significance of the attractions. He was personable, approachable, knowledgeable and entertaining. "The views from the castle at Lake Bled and the waterfalls and scenery at Plitvice Lakes National Park were amazing, but the ski jumping facility at Planica was a wow because it was so unique and unexpected.". Bosnia was my surprise wow. The bus driver, Tomas, was excellent. Top 10 Slovenia Tours & Vacation Packages 2023/2024 - 556 Reviews "Plot ice lakes national park was my wow moment. Outstanding tour with mix of cities, seaside and mountains. She gave us so much personal information about the area. Despite this disappointment, we still had a wonderful experience. Croatia & Slovenia: The Old-World Adriatic | EF Go Ahead Tours "Plitvice National Park. Our tour guide Ben was excellent. Especially appreciated the Bosnia-Mostar trip very informative. The tour guide was patient, knowledgeable, with excellent people skills. Tour Questions? As per the other Rick Steves tours I've taken, this one did not disappoint. Bus: 4 hours. Mariam was a terrific guide; knowledgeable, passionate, and entertaining. Miriam is absolutely one of the best guides in the business. Grand Danube Cruise 2023 Start Vilshofen, End Giurgiu. "There were so many wow moments. I was not aware that I had to keep up with a 6-foot tall guide who always walked at his own pace - nothing in your literature about this. The old towns of Split and Dubrovnik were breathtaking. Bus: 5 hours. "Plitvice Lakes National Park was amazing. Having heard that the Adriatic countries were beautiful, I expected the typical European charm. Mostar was very interesting. On our Best of the Adriatic in 14 Days tour among other things you'll need to happily.
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