CLASSIC CROATIA 2018 Pannell s Tours escorted tour 24 Sep 08 Oct 2018 DETAILED ITINERARY (Tour Summary with price on separate document) Day 1 - Mon 24 Sep: ARRIVE ZAGREB Welcome to Croatia! Dinner On arrival at Zagreb International Airport, individual transfers to the HOTEL JAGERHORN where we spend two nights. Welcome drink this evening at a local restaurant, just a short walk from our hotel. Enjoy a traditional Croatian meal while getting to know your Pannell s Tour Director and fellow travellers. Day 2 - Tue 25 Sep: ZAGREB City walking tour After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of Zagreb with a local English speaking guide. We will visit a number of sites, including the fortified, medieval Upper Town, St. Mark s church with its multicoloured tiled roof, Parliament, the Government Palace, and the Cathedral. Lunch in a typical Zagreb restaurant. After lunch we drive to Varazdin county to visit Trakoscan Castle, former home of the noble Draskovič family, situated on a small hill in a picture perfect setting. Late afternoon return to Zagreb with free time for dinner. Day 3 - Wed 26 Sep: ZAGREB - PLITVICE LAKES Breakfast, Dinner Morning at leisure in Zagreb before driving towards the Plitvice Lakes. We make a stop in Karlovac for a strudel-making presentation, as this is where world s biggest strudel was made, which was recognized by the Guiness Book of records. Here we enjoy a strudel and a drink. We continue the drive to Plitvice, where we spend the next two nights at ETHNO HOUSES PLITVICA SELO. Dinner at our hotel.
Page 2 Day 4 - Thus 27 Sep: PLITVICE LAKES Breakfast, Dinner Today we explore the UNESCO protected Plitvice Lakes National Park. Spend the morning in nature, surrounded by magnificent waterfalls and green forest. We explore the Park and its 16 turquoise lakes connected by waterfalls, walking along wooden walkways and by taking a boat ride on the lake. Our next stop is Rastoke, a small village in an area of lush forest and beautiful natural surroundings on the Slunjcica River. Here we will see how flour is still milled in the old traditional way in well preserved watermills. Free time for lunch. Return to our hotel for some leisure time before dinner at our hotel. Day 5 - Fri 28 Sep: PLITVICE - SPLIT From Plitvice, drive to Split with a stop in Šibenik for sightseeing with a local guide. The jewel of the city is the Šibenik Cathedral. Construction began in 1431 and the cathedral was completed only in 1536, after three different architects had worked on the project. The final product is Gothic-Renaissance in style. It is filled with artworks of note, the most striking feature being the frieze of 71 different heads on the exterior walls, depicting the faces of ordinary 15 th century citizens. Lunch will be on a family owned estate on the way to Trogir a beautiful town with many architectural gems. Free time in Trogir to explore on your own. On arrival in Split, check in at the HOTEL CORNARO for overnight. Free for dinner this evening. Day 6 - Sat 29 Sep: SPLIT - EMBARKATION Breakfast, Dinner After a leisurely breakfast, we depart for a walking tour of the old city, followed by a visit to the Meštrović Gallery to see some of the work of sculptor and architect Ivan Meštrović. The sculptures are displayed inside his former home, as well as in the lovely garden with beautiful views of the sea. After our tour we will be dropped off at the port and our luggage will be transferred to the vessel. Free time for lunch with leisure time for exploring or shopping, In the afternoon we board our vessel the MV RIVA for the start of our new adventure.
Page 3 Day 7 - Sun 30 Sep: SPLIT BOL/HVAR Morning departure to the island of Brač where swimming is planned at Dalmatia s most famous beach, close to the village of Bol. This is Zlatni Rat, where the shingle promontory shifts from side to side as the wind and waves cause the position of the beach to change. Bol is a typical fishermen s village converted into a popular tourist destination yet retaining its charm. We continue towards the jet-set island of Hvar with lunch on board at the Pakleni Islands. Hvar is the longest and sunniest island in the Adriatic, known for lush lavender fields and breathtaking beauty. We arrive in the afternoon and take a tour of the town s historical landmarks, including the Renaissance cathedral with its original tower and the oldest community theatre in Europe founded in 1612. Hike up the zig-zag path to the town fort overlooking the harbour for lovely scenic views of our ship and the Pakleni islands. In the evening Hvar offers a great choice of entertainment - numerous restaurants, bars and clubs with many open long into the night. Overnight in the port. Day 8 - Mon 01 Oct: SPLIT - BIŠEVO (BLUE CAVE) Early morning cruise towards the small island of Biševo to visit the Blue cave, a magnificent natural phenomenon. This excursion is weather dependent, as conditions can be very unpredictable and the visit will be dependent on current conditions. (For this reason the entrance fee for the excursion is not included and is to be paid on the spot approximately EUR 10.) Continue to the island of Vis, once a strategic naval Yugoslav base and closed to the public for years. Due to this isolation, Vis retains a special charm the Mediterranean as it once was, making it an interesting place to visit. Archaeological sites are still being excavated and you can pay a visit to the remains of the Roman thermal spa dating back to the 1 st 2 nd centuries, near the remains of ancient Issa, the first urban centre in Croatia. Visit the city museum with its collection of archaeological artefacts and an ethnographic collection which gives an insight into life on Vis over the centuries, or simply take a walk to enjoy the views of the beautiful Villae Rusticae situated along the waterfront. Sample local wines in one of the Vis traditional wineries. Overnight in the port of Vis.
Page 4 Day 9 - Tue 02 Oct: VIS - KORČULA Early morning departure for the island of Korčula, best known as the birthplace of Marco Polo. Stop for lunch in one of the secluded bays en route. Afternoon arrival in Korčula followed by a guided walking tour of this enchanting town, one of the best preserved medieval cities in the Mediterranean, surrounded by walls. The fish bone street pattern was used in the design of Korčula s Old Town, trapping the breezes to provide a natural cooling effect, providing citizens with sheltered and comfortable accommodation. Korčula has an excellent choice of restaurants for enjoying a gourmet experience and there are numerous bars for those looking for evening entertainment. You may prefer to visit a small nearby village for a typical Dalmatian dinner and to find out more about the history and traditional way of living on the island. This is not included in the tour price and will be arranged on board with the Cruise Manager. Overnight in Korčula. Day 10 - Wed 03 Oct: KORČULA - MLJET, Dinner This morning, we head further south to the Island of Mljet. There is a legend that says Greek hero Odysseus spent years on this island when he was captured by the nymph Calypso. Join the cruise manager for a stroll to the famous salt lakes in the Mljet National Park and enjoy the boat ride to St. Mary Isle to visit an ancient Benedictine monastery, an old abbey and a 12 th Century Church. Alternatively, you can rent kayaks, bicycles, scooters or convertible cars to roam around the National Park or island on your own, but beware of the nymphs! Or you may prefer to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the island by just wandering around on your own. Dinner on board and overnight in port of Polača or Pomena. Day 11 - Thu 04 Oct: MLJET SLANO (STON), Dinner Departure for the small village of Slano on the mainland, a peaceful fishermen's village and the starting point for Ston, another once fortified small village famous for its oysters. After exploring the town s vast medieval ramparts, a short coastal walk leads us to an oyster farm to learn more about oysters and for a special tasting of this delicacy. Transfer to the ship for the Captain s farewell dinner with live entertainment.
Page 5 Day 12 - Fri 05 Oct: SLANO (STON) - DUBROVNIK Early morning departure to Dubrovnik - a unique destination on the Adriatic. The special charm of this world famous town is found in the buildings dating back to the time of the old Dubrovnik Republic. Many of the monuments belong to the Renaissance period of architecture with traces of Gothic style. Before tying up at Gruž harbour, we cruise alongside the ancient city walls while lunch is served on deck. Cameras to be ready! After docking, transfer to the old town for a guided walking tour. Take the cable car from the Old Town to Srđ mountain to enjoy scenic views of the Walls and the Elaphiti Islands. For the energetic, we recommend a walk on top of the 1940m long city walls allow 75 minutes to walk it all, 90 minutes at a stroll! Day 13 - Sat 06 Oct: DISEMBARK - DUBROVNIK Breakfast Breakfast and time to say goodbye to the crew and all your new friends! Check out by 9.00 am and transfer to our hotel in Dubrovnik. Check in at the HOTEL LAPAD where we spend the last two nights of the tour. Situated on the Lapad Peninsula, our hotel is just 3 km away from the Old Town of Dubrovnik, easily reached by local bus, leaving every 10 minutes. The rest of the day will be at leisure. Free for dinner this evening. There are good restaurants in the vicinity of our hotel, or dine at one of the many restaurants in the old city. Day 14 - Sun 07 Oct: DUBROVNIK Drive to Konalve region, to visit Ćilipi, a small inland village where we attend a traditional dancing and singing performance. Afterwards we head to an agro-estate, Konavoski Dvori. Here we can take a light stroll along the banks of the river Ljuta before lunch, which will be a local speciality, lamb under the iron bell. This will be our group s last meal together. Return to Dubrovnik in the afternoon. We have come to the end of our tour and we will meet for a farewell drink this evening to say good bye. Overnight in Dubrovnik. Day 15 - Mon 08 Oct: DEPARTURE Breakfast Check out and individual transfers to Dubrovnik Airport for departure.
Page 6 Here are some pictures from our Best of Croatia escorted tour in September 2017 Zagreb Markets Food, Glorious food - Fresh sea bass Dalmatian Ham and Cheese Enjoying the daily obligatory ice cream Group outside the Mestrovich Gallery, Split Cruising Swimming in the Adriatic Game of Thrones Sculpt me, sculpt me Narrowest street in the world? Tour leader Louise in Hvar Ivan Mestrovich Split